BEWARE OF THIS SATANIC BOOK! "CONVERSIATIONS WITH GOD"

Oprah is pushing it. It is scary that someone would be bold
enough to write a book which from God's point of view is
contrary to His Word.
Please send to all with kids or grandkids.
If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at
church, or you have neighborhood children whose parents you
know, please take note of the information below and pass it
along to others. Schools are distributing this book to children
through the Scholastic Book Club.
The name of the book is:
'CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD'
James Dobson talked about this book twice this week. It is
devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to
be aware of it. Please pass this information on to church/e-mail
addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins,
friends.
Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch
on TV, in movie theaters, on the Internet, and the music they
listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read
Two particular books are,
'Conversations with God' and
'Conversations with God for Teens'
written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by
their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times
best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of
the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids
using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives
are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of
God. For instance: (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the
question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was
'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born
right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go
out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend.
My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in
sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is, "Who are you sinning
against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply
"I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive...
There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have
been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have
chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the
rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in
some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.
And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being
sold to school children through (The Scholastic Book Club), and
we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and
vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and
guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our
adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking
whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually
hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.
Pass this on to every Believer you know. God bless! And, if you
are in doubt, check out the books yourself online.
PLEASE REMAIN RAPTURABLE.

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TEMPTATION. -By Great Johnson

Written By Great Johnson

Temptation is God testing you to see if really you are determined to stop what you said you want to or have stop. One thing with temptation is that it comes with memories of the past joy you derive when doing that thing you've stopped doing.
 I feel temptation I is God sent, this is because in Mathew 4:1, emphasis were made on 'LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL' this scene took place after Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. This fasting was for him to start his mission on earth.

God will not tempt you with what you don't like rather he would test you with what you like or what you have repented of, if you succeed the angels of God will come and minister to you matt 4:11 "AND THE ANGLES OF THE LORD CAME AND MINISTERED TO HIM" If Christ our saviour had fallen for these temptations, what would have been the fate of we the  believers of  today. After overcoming this temptations, Jesus started his mission on earth and  ended successfuly. I want to give us this word of encouragement which can be found in 1 cor 10:13 God will not tempt us more than our ability which mean the temptations we face is according to our abilities.

It also went further to tell us that God will make a way for us to escape from the temptations. The period of temptation is the period of battle between the holy spirit AND the tempter, let's make the holy spirit win this battle as we over come temptations. To overcome temptations, we need the holy spirit to help us and also the word of God. The Bible said we overcome the world by the word of God and the testimony of our mouth. With this I hope I have encouraged us that no temptation is above our ability.

ABOUT Great Johnson: Great Johnson is one of our new contributors, this article is her first publication on allroungospel.com. She hails from Ekiti state, Nigeria. She is currently a student of Ahmadu Bello University, zaria. Send her an email now: great.johnson98@gmail.com

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True biblical holiness: It's not about what you don't do

Richard Amsel/Lucasfilm

The holiness of God is a theme of the Harrison Ford film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 At the end of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark there's one of those iconic moments. The evil Nazis have succeeded in locating the lost Ark of the Covenant ("It's a transmitter for talking to God!") and are unwise enough to take the lid off.

If you're one of the very few who haven't seen it, no spoilers here other than to say it doesn't end well.

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It's pure hokum, obviously. But think about the idea behind it. There's something in that box which is too pure, and too dangerous, for human beings to look upon.

The same idea is expressed in Exodus 33:21-23, when God hides Moses in the cleft of a rock and hides him while his "glory" passes by, so that he sees only his back. It's there in 2 Samuel 6:7, when Uzzah puts out his hand to steady the ark when it rocks on its cart; God strikes him dead.

God is radically different. God is dangerous. God is holy.

And this idea of holiness runs all the way through scripture. At its root is the idea of being separated. Sometimes this means that things are completely destroyed, like the Amalekites in I Samuel 15. Other things are not designed for common use, like the Temple and its furniture. Objects – and people – can become contaminated and need to be purified. The whole race of Hebrews is 'holy', separated from those around them, and intermarriage between them is forbidden – see Ezra 10 and the tragic story of those who have taken foreign wives being required to divorce them.

In the New Testament, holiness takes on dimension. "Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16, quoting Leviticus 11).

But what's New Testament holiness about? Not, in spite of the Leviticus quote, separating yourself from anything that might cause ritual contamination. Instead, Jesus turns holiness on its head. It isn't about keeping yourself free from taint by making sure that avoid anything that could compromise you. It's an active movement of love and compassion towards another person. It's a personal commitment to do good things, no matter what they cost.

The old ritual holiness laws looked a lot like the anti-infection measures hospitals put in place to control outbreaks of disease. But citizens of the new Kingdom of God deliberately go out and infect people with grace.

That's why Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, even though it was technically forbidden (you were allowed to stop people getting worse, but not to do anything to make them better). The parable of the Good Samaritan turns on the purity laws: the priest and the Levite didn't want to touch the man lying injured by the roadside because he might have been dead. They wouldn't have been able to worship in the Temple because they'd have been ritually unclean. For Jesus, that isn't holiness, it's hypocrisy.

We sing about holiness all the time. We dwell on the holiness of God, by which we often mean something uncomfortably like that whole Raiders of the Lost Ark thing.

We pray to be made holy. But I'm not sure that we really understand what we mean by that.

Holiness, in the minds of many people, is about what we don't do. It's about not drinking too much, or not drinking at all. Christians aren't supposed to gamble, have sex before marriage, lie, cheat or steal. We're supposed to have more integrity than other people.

In the New Testament Church, these were all issues: read Acts, or Paul's letters to Timothy, and you can see them grappling with things that were new and strange ideas for just-converted Christians.

But Jesus made holiness about what you did do, not about what you stopped doing. All these things are important, but none of them are radical. None of them change the world.

For Jesus, being holy means encountering individuals nice, saved people would normally run a mile from. For him, being a friend of tax collectors and sinners didn't compromise his holiness, it was the essence of his holiness.

Should we be careful what we say and what we do, and be sure that we're not bringing the name of Jesus into disrepute? Of course. But religion that's all about keeping our noses clean has nothing to do with Jesus.

He said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

So here's what that might look like.

1. People who live full, abundant lives aren't scared of getting things wrong. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul criticises legalistic Christians: "Why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'?" (Colossians 2: 20-21). They're relying on rules to keep them from doing the wrong thing, instead of relying on God to help them do the right thing. Holy Christians are found among people who are not respectable.

2. People who live abundant lives don't spend all their time in church. The mark of a Christian who's still living by the rules rather than by grace is that they need walls around them to make them feel safe. But you don't have to spend all your time going to Christian meetings, seeing Christian friends and doing 'Christian' things. That's old-school thinking, as though you're holier when you're separate from 'the world'. Jesus-type holiness is being different in the world.

3. People who live abundant lives are evangelistic even when they don't talk about God, because they make him interesting. There's a stereotype – fed, it has to be said, by Christians who've led narrow, cramped and joyless lives and seem to want to recruit others to do the same – that being a Christian is all about what you give up. But that's not what Jesus says. Being a Christian is about living every day intensely and being full of curiosity about the world and our place in it. When most people's horizons are limited to the things of this world, that's holy.

4. People who live abundant lives are focused on God first, and only second on the world that he's made. Yes, holiness in the new Kingdom Jesus brought is directed outwards, towards other people, rather than inwards at making sure we don't offend. But it must always be anchored in faith in God. "We love, because he first loved us," says John (1John 4:19). Love that's cut loose from its moorings will drift. Holiness in the world is only possible because of our relationship to a holy God.

Holiness is about separation. It means we're different. But that difference isn't expressed in keeping the world at arm's length, it's expressed in embracing the world in the love of Christ.

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Dozens of ISIS fighters killed in Syrian airstrikes

 BY: Harry Farley

ISIS have continued to suffer losses as Syrian government warplanes maintain their bombardment of the group's strongholds.

Reuters/US Air Force

Russian military build up in Syria has meant the Syrian government has increased its attacks on ISIS strongholds, joining US operations.

At least 38 ISIS fighters have died over the last 24 hours as the Assad government has led airstrikes against the group in Palmyra and two other towns in the Homs province, according to Aljazeera.

The Syrian air force has been increasing attacks as it has received reinforcements and equipment from Russia, a monitoring group said.

"The number of raids is growing and the strikes are more precise after the Syrian air force received arms and more efficient planes from Moscow," said Rami Abdelrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.

However many civilians were also killed and injured in the strikes, the British-based observatory said in a statement today.

At least 12 civilians were killed and tens of others injured in the intense aerial bombing in Palmyra. Many of the wounded are dying due to a lack of basic medical supplies in the city, the group said.

There is only one civilian doctor working in a single field hospital in Palmyra meaning many wounded have to be transported to the city of Al-Raqqah, an ISIS stronghold.

The ancient Syrian city of Palmyra has been under ISIS control since May 20  2015. The group has committed many atrocities in the city including beheading Khaled al-Asaad, the archaeologist and historian who maintained and watched over Palymra's extensive cultural artefacts. He was accused of "apostasy" and his death was followed by the destruction of the 2,000 year old temple of Baalshamin.

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Beware of jihadists who exploit religion, warns Putin at Russia mosque opening

Ruth Gledhill 

The President of Russia has used his speech at the opening of the rebuilt Grand Mosque in Moscow today to attack Islamist terror groups that "cynically exploit religious feeling for political ends".

At the opening of the 19,000 square metre mosque that can hold 10,000 worshippers and will serve a Russian Muslim population of 20 million, Vladimir Putin said: "We see what is happening in the Middle East where terrorists from the so-called Islamic State group are compromising a great world religion, compromising Islam, in order to sow hate."

Reuters

 

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (2nd R) listen to Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia Ravil Gainutdin (R) during a tour around the Moscow Grand Mosque after the opening ceremony.

Putin added: "This mosque will become an extremely important spiritual centre for Muslims in Moscow and the whole of Russia. It will be a source for education, spreading humanist ideas and the true values of Islam." The mosque opened on the eve of the Muslim religious festival Eid al-Adha.

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas were among guests of honour at the opening of the mosque, a spectacular $170 million building with a turquoise dome that has taken ten years to complete. 

The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, Sergey Naryshkin, described it as a milestone event for the whole Muslim world, according to  Russian newsagency TASS . He said: "Let the majestic look of the Moscow Grand Mosque become a symbol of the important role that Islam has always played in Russia's history and our future joint achievements in the development of the motherland."

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The previous mosque, built in 1904, was demolished in 2005 to make way for the new one. According to Ravil Gaynutdin, chair of the Russian Council of Muftis, it is the largest mosque in Europe.

About two million of Russia's Muslims live in Moscow, which now has six mosques. Recent research found that the number of Muslims in the world will nearly equal the number of Christians by 2050. 

Moscow has been working behind the scenes to persuade Western leaders to support Syria's President Assad in a coalition against ISIS.

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Pope Francis speaks up for innocent victims of abortion

Written By:   Ruth Gledhill 

 Pope Francis spoke up for the victims of abortion and for those caught up in the immigration crisis in his strongest speech so far since arriving in the US.

In an address to US Catholic bishops, he said: "The innocent victims of abortion, children who die of hunger or from bombings, immigrants who drown in the search for a better tomorrow, the elderly or the sick who are considered a burden, the victims of terrorism, wars, violence and drug trafficking, the environment devastated by man's predatory relationship with nature – at stake in all of this is the gift of God, of which we are noble stewards but not masters. It is wrong, then, to look the other way or to remain silent."

Reuters

US President Barack Obama meets with Pope Francis in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 23, 2015.

Of the many thousands of words he will speak over the next few days in Spanish and English, this one paragraph effectively summed up the heart of his mission to the United States where he has met with a rapturous welcome. 

The Pope, who is 78, looked exhausted as he arrived at he arrived the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC for the first canonisation on American soil, of Spanish Friar Junipero Serra, who converted indiginous peoples in California to Christianity in the 18th century. The canonisation is controversial because the ministry of Serra is regarded by some contemporary commentators as far from saintly. It generated a Twitter hashtag of its own, #SerraisnoSaint.

There were also protests on Twitter at how the all-male processions of bishops and priests during services highlighted the male-only hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and protests from the Women's Ordination Worldwide group outside St Matthew's Cathedral in Washington. The women, with placards stating "All are equal in God's eyes" and "Ordain Women", have made plans to accompany him throughout the visit, including to New York tomorrow and then Philadelphia at the end of the week. 

One highlight of the day was when the Pope stopped unexpectedly in his popemobile to greet a five-year-old girl, Sophie Cruz, the daughter of illegal immigrants, who handed him a letter pleading her case. 

"I want to tell you that my heart is sad," she said in the letter which she had memorised in English and Spanish. "I believe I have the right to live with my parents, I have the right to be happy.

"All immigrants just like my dad help feed this country. They deserve to live with dignity. They deserve to live with respect. They deserve an immigration reform."

Immigration is expected to be among the issues raised by Pope Francis in his address to Congress tomorrow.

In an exclusive comment for Christian Today, Caroline Wyatt, who is in the US covering the visit for the BBC, said: "Washington is not a town normally impressed by VIP visits. But it seems that Pope Francis is different. Federal workers have been given a day off, due to the tight security surrounding the Pope, and his every route has been lined by enthusiastic, cheering crowds. Many have been impressed with the way this Pope lives his message about poverty and taking care of the environment: his black Fiat 500 is not the usual sort of limousine used by VVIPs."

She added: "However, there is a certain nervousness here in Washington about what he might say at Congress, when he becomes the first Pope to speak to US lawmakers. Some have protested against that invitation, saying that a religious leader had no place speaking to democratically-elected body of representatives. Others wonder what he will focus on in his speech, with some hoping for more on migration, the environment and social issues – and others wanting less."

She said he was in the US to send a message to the Catholic faithful - "that the face of Catholicism in the US is changing, and that they need to embrace that, and the migrants who are bolstering congregations in the west and the south are to be welcomed, while the Church here needs to come together across the divides over sexuality, abortion and many other issues that split both America and its Catholics. He also wants to send a clear message to the world's richest nation: that it needs to focus more on helping to save the environment, and stop damaging the world we all share, and that that is a task that cannot wait."

The Pope is well aware of the political pitfalls of all the topics he is addressing, from migration to the environment to the child abuse scandals that have plagued the Roman Catholic church, and he has chosen his words carefully throughout this trip, she said. "Though he did joke on the plane to the US about reports in parts of the US media questioning whether he really was Catholic because of some of his comments on the economy. He jokingly offered to recite the Creed just to prove it. None of the journalists on the Vatican plane took him up on the offer.... "

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What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?

 
Scripture has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 29:6; Judges 13:4, 7, 14; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12). However, Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:1 encourages, “Yes, come buy wine and milk…”
What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jesus changed water into wine. It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion (John 2:1-11; Matthew 26:29). In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today. As a result, people often drank wine (or grape juice) because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul was instructing Timothy to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, wine was fermented (containing alcohol), but not necessarily to the degree it is today. It is incorrect to say that it was grape juice, but it is also incorrect to say that it was the same thing as the wine commonly used today. Again, Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12).

Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is often best for a Christian to abstain from drinking alcohol.
 from:  http://www.gotquestions.org

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Who is a Christian?

Who is a Christian?

Does that question sound strange. But seriously, what does it mean when you say am a christian cause the truth is most people will get that answer wrong. People feel my parents are Christians, automatically am a christian, or my wife/husband is a christian which means am a christian. If you are part of these groups, am sorry you are wrong.
Before I go on, let me first explain what a christian is and what it is all about. Christian means Christian like, meaning nature and character of Jesus Christ. And you can't know something one's character, till you know the person, and you can't know Him till you accept Him. So, I asked again, what is a christian or better still are you a christian?

The truth of the matter is, most Christians don't even behave like Christians, I have even seen pastor's behaving worst than even the pagans.

In the bible Jesus said when some one slaps you on one chick turn the other, I know easier said than done, but that is the instruction giving to us by Christ Himself, the person we are meant to have His character.

How can I become more like Christ?

God's desire for all who know Him is for us to become more like Christ. We do this by first growing in our knowledge of Christ. It stands to reason that we cannot grow to be like someone we don’t know. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become. Among other reasons, we are to know and understand Christ so that we will be secure in the faith.

The Apostle Paul reiterates this truth inEphesians 4:14-16: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." This fact is repeated once more in2 Peter 3:17-18: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." These passages show us that growing in the knowledge of Christ will preserve us from faith-destroying error.

Of course, knowledge alone will not produce a Christlike character. The knowledge we gain from God’s Word must impact our hearts and convict us of the need to obey what we have learned.Romans 12:1-2tells us emphatically that the process of filling our minds with the knowledge of God not only brings us closer to Christlikeness, but obedience to that knowledge aligns us with the perfect will of God: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The natural consequence of knowing and obeying God is that He becomes greater and greater, while we become less and less as we yield control of our lives to Him. Just as John the Baptist knew that “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30), so the Christian grows to reflect more of Christ and less of his own nature. Luke sums it up best when he describes what Jesus told His disciples: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). The cross was an instrument of death, and Jesus encourages us to take up our cross in order to put to death our old sin nature upon it. God wants us to forget about this world and all its temporary pleasures and be obedient to His Word. Jesus is the living Word (John 1:1), and the Bible is God's written Word. Therefore, conforming to the Word of God is conforming to Christ.

It is important to realize that becoming more like Christ starts by receiving Him as Savior from our sins. Then we grow in our knowledge of God by reading the Bible daily, studying it, and being obedient to what it says. This process causes us to grow and occurs over an entire lifetime in Christ. Only when we have entered Heaven for eternity with God does this process reach its culmination.

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7 Things You Need to Know about Your Wife

Guys, can I be honest with you? Marriage can be hard.

Did you know that already?
Sometimes you do the wrong thing before you even knew you did the wrong thing. You try to figure out the one you love the most, but the more you try the more confused you get. I get it. I understand.
Men and women are different. (You can tweet that.)
We don’t always think and respond to life the same way.

And likely there are some things about your wife you just didn’t know.
Over the years, through counseling training and actual counseling—and learning from my wife—I’ve observed some things. And I’ve realized some men simply don’t know them—or don’t realize how important they are to their wife.

Here are 7 things you may not know but you need to know about your wife:

You step on her feelings more than you know.
You just do. And you don’t even mean to—or know that you are most of the time. She may think you do, but you don’t. You’re just not as aware of how she’s wired emotionally. And most of the time she overlooks it. She knows it wasn’t intentional. But it hurts. And the more you do it the more it hurts. So, be careful with your words.
And that leads to the next one.

Your words are heavier than you think they are.
You need to know that. When she asks you how she looks, for example—yes, it is a quandary on how to respond, and there are plenty of jokes around about that dilemma—but your response matters. Probably more than any other response of her day. It’s a small question to you but big question for her. And you communicate things to her continually through how you say what you say and the body language you combine with your words. And they weigh a ton to her. A ton.

She wants you to take the lead.
At least occasionally. I know all the women’s rights issues cloud this for you. It can be confusing, but there’s likely something in your wife just waiting for you to make a decision. She values your input, and she wants you to lead in the home as well as she sees that you can lead elsewhere. And speaking on behalf of men, I know you don’t always want to be the leader. She’s better at making many of the decisions than you are. Still, she’s waiting—hoping, that you’ll step up where you need to lead.

She doesn’t want to be like her mother.
Or to be compared to her mother. And these type jokes aren’t funny. Ever. Trust me. In fact, she doesn’t want to be like any other woman either. She wants to be seen for the unique wonder she is—which, by the way, was God-designed.

She is likely with you even when she’s not.
At least in her mind. Our wives are very relational. So, if she asks about your calendar, now you know. She’s not trying to be difficult or suspicious. She’s trying to be with the one she loves.

It’s okay just to hold her hand.
And, also, to occasionally be romantic. You may have established a long time ago that you’re not the romantic type. She may realize she married funny—or serious—or dedicated—more than romantic. But every woman needs a little romance occasionally. It makes her feel special—especially when it comes from you.

The way her world looks is often how her heart feels.
All her world. The house, for example, you think it doesn’t matter, but to her it reflects her—not you. She’s also conscious of what others think of her appearance. She carries this burden heavier than she wants to sometimes. Don’t diminish this to her. Understand it.

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Top woman priest abused for calling God "She"

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THE REAL FIX YOU NEED! – Wednesday September 16th 2015

THE REAL FIX YOU NEED! 

Memorise: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22

Read: Isaiah 45:20-25, ²⁰ Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

²¹ Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

²² Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

²³ I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

²⁴ Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

²⁵ In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

Bible in one year: Exodus 35-36, Romans 16

MESSAGE

In an attempt to fill the void created by the absence of God in some people’s lives, they find themselves using mind-bending substances. This is very rampant in societies that have replaced God with government. In admission of their failure to achieve this folly in the lives of men, some of them now allow the free use of these substances. What they fail to realise is that without Jesus Christ, you can never be complete (Colossians 2:10). Nothing else can take His place. The effects of mind-bending drugs such as marijuana or cocaine can never fill His space in the heart. If you take any of these, it will only take you “high” into a world of hallucination: an unreal world that Satan creates for you while the effects of these drugs last, but afterwards, he drops you far below where he took you from, leaving you feeling deeply depressed, dissatisfied, empty and naked.

Any person who uses mind-bending substances will always want to experience the “high” feeling again and again in a vicious cycle. It is ironic that there is never a feeling of satisfaction derived from the use of these substances. Rather, one wrap becomes too small and the fellow moves on to two, three, four or even five in order to experience the effect that used to be derived from just a single wrap or shot. It gets to a stage where they now live for hard drugs. At this point, nothing else matters to them but another wrap or shot All along, each use of those substances lead the user into madness.

No hard drug satisfies, but Jesus Christ does. He is the “hard drug” that can fix your life once and for all. Take one shot of Jesus Christ and He will take you truly high and keep you there. One wrap of Jesus will give you a bit of the heavenly experience that will increase every passing day as you fellowship with Him. Have you received Jesus into your life? Are you a drug addict? Do you need a fix every now and then? All you need is Jesus! He satisfies. He will quench your thirst for inordinate things. Receive Him into your heart and it shall be well with you. Your life will receive the transformation you need. Are you addicted to drugs and other mind-bending substances? Have you made effort to stop their use but could not stop? In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you are set free today! That habit holding you bound is broken now! I command every demon of addiction to release you now! You are liberated from their grip in Jesus’ Name. Submit yourself to the environment of accountability in a church to strengthen your resolve never to go back.

Action point

Reach out to drug addicts for Christ or lend a helping hand to ministers dedicated to their salvation and rehabilitation.

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AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? – Tuesday September 15th 2015

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? 

Memorise: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a door, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: James 1:23

Read: James 1:22-25, ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Bible in one year: Exodus 33:34, Romans 15:14-33

MESSAGE

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1^st Peter 1:23:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror. A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people’s assessment for your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a shade a shade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don’t, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God’s word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God’s word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Receive God’s verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself.

Action Point:

Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

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AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? – Tuesday September 15th 2015

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? 

Memorise: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a door, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: James 1:23

Read: James 1:22-25, ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Bible in one year: Exodus 33:34, Romans 15:14-33

MESSAGE

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1^st Peter 1:23:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror. A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people’s assessment for your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a shade a shade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don’t, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God’s word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God’s word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Receive God’s verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself.

Action Point:

Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

Continue

THE RIGHT ROOT – Monday September 14th 2015

 THE RIGHT ROOT 

Memorise: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4:17

Read: Mark 4:16-17, ¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Bible in one year: Exodus 30:22-32:35, Romans 14:13-15:13

MESSAGE

In a marathon, not everyone who starts the race reaches the finish line. Several people drop out of the race due to one reason or the other. In the same way, several people are dropping out of the race to meet Christ the Redeemer on the last day. The parable of the sower reveals some of the reasons why people will not get to the finish line of the Christian race. One of such reasons is not being rooted and grounded in the word of God. Jesus gives further insight into this in Mark 4:17

“And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”

The root of a tree is very important to its survival. If you cut down every part of most trees and leave the roots, the tree will spring up again. All the nourishment that sustains the fruits, leaves and branches of a tree are received through its roots. Also, it is the roots that hold the tree when the wind comes against it. If the roots are few or tiny, the tree will also be limited in its ability to feed and stay fixed; but if the roots are many, big and strong, the tree will feed well and endue. Note that every tree has roots whose size is directly proportional to the size of the tree. It is therefore the size of your root in Christ that will determine how big you will grow in His kingdom. A heavy wind blew one rainy day and it caused a big tree located by the roadside to fall. People marvelled that such a huge tree could be brought down by the wind, but after they looked closely, they discovered that the roots of this tree did not go deep enough into the ground, and so the bottom of the tree appeared flat. No wonder it fell!

In the Christian faith, the root refers to the foundation on which one’s faith in Jesus is established. If the foundation is bad, it will definitely affect the growth and stability of the tree. Any fruit produced will have problems if the root is not the right size or does not go deep enough. Many believers who bungled their trip to Heaven had a bad foundation in Christ. Either their roots were developed wrongly, or their roots did not go deep enough. This is why care should be taken to groom young converts very well through the teaching of the word. They should be exposed to the sincere, undiluted milk of the word (1^st Peter 2:2). What is the state of your foundation in Christ? Do you have big, Strong roots that can give you stability until the race ends?    

Prayer Point

Father, give me the right roots that will make me grow into a gigantic tree in your kingdom.

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HE GRAFTS IN – Sunday September 13th 2015

HE GRAFTS IN

Memorise: Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Romans 11:19

Romans 11:16-20, ¹⁶ For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

¹⁸ Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

²⁰ Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Bible in one year: Exodus 29:1-30:21, Romans 13:8-14:12

MESSAGE

Grafting is an agricultural technique used for propagating fruit trees. It involves cutting a section of the stem of one tree and inserting it into the stock of another tree. A part of the tree providing the stock must be cut off before grafting can take place. The technique is used in order to make fruit trees reproduce true to type. Today’s Bible reading describes our entry into the family of God as a form of this process. The Almighty God has the power to reverse the irreversible. In the process of doing this, He can disconnect a person in order to connect another. Romans 11:17 says that God can take a branch from a wild olive tree and graft it into a good olive tree, so that instead of the wild branch producing bitter fruit, it will deliver good fruit. Are you living recklessly and on your way to Hell? As you repent of your sins today and turn your life over to Jesus, God will graft you into the Body of Christ, so that your future that was suppose to end in bitterness will end in sweetness.

The children of Israel were beneficiaries of grafting as an act of God. Seven powerful nations had inhabited the Promised Land for several years before God chose that portion of the earth for His children (Deuteronomy 7:1). He decided to cut off those nations and bring in His Children. This season, the Lord will displace the current movers and shakers of the most productive sectors of the world, in order to make room for you in Jesus’ Name.

Another beneficiary of God’s grafting was Esther. She was an orphan who became a slave when soldiers raided her city and took her captive (Esther 2:5-7). She knew sorrow and was meant to die a slave, but God went into her future and said, “Yon shall not die a slave but a queen”. For this to take place, God used Queen Vashti’s mistake to cut her off, so that the slave girl could be grafted in as queen. Are you a slave or a house-help, wondering if you will die in that present condition? The Lord who did it for Esther will go into your future and effect the necessary changes to make you a noteworthy person. Are people expecting your life to end in misery? No, my God will not let it happen! Your tomorrow shall be alright. You shall have the type of experience Esther had, and your end shall be honourable like that of Jabez (1^st Chronicles 4:9-10). You shall end well. Are you empty now? You shall end full. God will disappoint all the expectations of your enemies in Jesus’ Name.       

Prayer Point

Father, as I submit myself to You, graft me into greatness today.

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