Pray? What should I say?

Pray? What should I say?

(Matthew 6:5-13)

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father; who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
          9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

          "'Our Father in heaven,
         hallowed be your name,
         10 you kingdom come,
         your will be done
            on earth as it is in heaven.
          11 Give us today our daily bread.
          12 Forgive us our debts,
           as we also have forgiven our debtors.
         13 And lead us not into temptation,
         but deliver us from the evil one."

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He Did it for Me

He Did it for Me

(1 John 3:1-6, 1 John 5:11-13)

1 How great is the love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.And in him is no sin.
     6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or know him.

     11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

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In Sickness and in Health

In Sickness and in Health

(John 9:1-11)

1 As he went along, he say a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
     3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day we must do the work of him who sent me. Night as coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
     6 Having said this, he spit on the ground made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "God," he told him, "was in the pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed and came home seeing.
     8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." 10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded 11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and then I could see."

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It's All Gone.

It's All Gone.

(Job 1:1, 13-22, Job 2:7-10)

1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger cmae to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 
     16 While he was still speaking another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servant, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
     17 While he was still speaking. another messenger came and said, "The cladeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
     18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinkking wine at the oldest brother'S house, 19 when suddenly a might wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
     20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
     "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart.
     The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
     22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. 



7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of hid head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
     9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
     10 He replied, "Your are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

     In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

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Where is our true home if not in the presence of God?

"Metaphor of the Moon"

When I was a child, there were occasions when I spent time  away from home. Off to summer camp in Rutledge, Georgia. A missions trip to New York. Family Vacations took me to Alaska, Wyoming, and Maine and many spots in between. And sometimes, during there trips, I Found myself longing for home. During lovely nights, I often found myself searching the sky for the satellite that finds me wherever I am-the moon. Even as a child, it struck me that the moon looked very much the same whether I was at home, in New York, or Wyoming. I always smiled when I say its familiar white flow in the night sky. In a sense, it made me feel at home. Or perhaps it made me feel as if the whole world was my home

     Immanuel. God with us. Think about that for a moment. God with us. It struck me as I began to ponder the idea that that my experience of the moon as a child is a metaphor for God's presence in our lives. Wherever I go, is not God there? Where is our true home if not in the presence of God? Aren't there times when God seems Hidden from us, as on those nights when the moon is in shadow?
     
     But God is more than this metaphor suggest, too. The moon is a far-off land. We are separated from it by the great expanse of space. But God has brought us near. Matthew reports this truth to us: "Look the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us'" (Matthew 1:23). The good news is that God has come near to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul says it another way, "But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace... and has broken down the dividing wall" (Ephesians 2:13-14)

     There may be times when it feels as if we are still far from God, doesn't just make us feel at home, God is our home. And God's peace goes with us in this life.

~Jeremy Samples

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The issues of Christians

(James 1:1-15)

James 1 identifies a variety of issues that Christians sometimes have to deal with in their lives. For example, in verse 14, James explains that we are tempted by our own desire and exhorts reader not to be deceived by the lure of sin. Implicit in James's Instructions on how Christians should live and treat one another is the encouragement ti engage in some self-examination. Take a few moments today and listen to what is within you. What feelings, emotions, and thoughts do you hold at this moment? As you continue to reflect, use the prayer below as assurance that God will be with you.

God of grace and God of glory, bless us with your powerful love.
We come before you,
some of us frail, others fragile,
some of us sorrowful, others shameful,
some of us weak, others wounder,
some of us seeking, others hiding,
some of us doubtful, others disbelieving,
some of us helpful, others skeptical,
some of us in need, others wanting to give,
some of us empty, others lost in abundance,
some of us ready, others uncertain,
each of us in need of your life-restoring grace.

Meet us here, gracious God, as we come to you in complete honesty. May we know and be known by the all-sufficient grace You offer to us. Through Jesus Christian our Lord. Amen

~Smyth&Helwys

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GOD: The Master Builder

God's Deposit

(The Holy Spirit)

Acts 2:38
     38 Peter Replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name off Jesus Christ for the forgiveness off your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:5-8
     5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Romans 8:9,10
     9 You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Romans 15:13
     13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:18, 20
     19 Do you not know that you body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

2 Corinthians 1:21, 22
     21 Now it is God who makes both s and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us. and put his Spirit in our heart as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Galatians 5:22, 23
     22 The fruit of the Spirit is joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

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Who built the Church?

Built on the Rock

(The Church)

Matthew 16:16-18
     16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
     17 Jesus Replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, fir this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gate of Hades will not overcome it."

John 4:23
     23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

Acts 2:1, 14, 41, 42
     1 When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place.
     14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, Let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say."
     41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
     42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Hebrews 10:24, 25
     24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
     25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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The Truth About Hell

The Truth About Hell

This is the common fears of human being is what will happen to them after they die. Before looking at hell and eternal life it is important to get a solid understanding of who God is as well as His character. The Bible says that God "is" Love (1 John 4:16). He is the originator of love and all His actions are directed by love. Jeremiah 31:3 even says, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you." The Bible clearly state that God doesn't even enjoy a wicked person's death. Ezekiel 33:11 says, "...As I live,'says the Lord God, ' I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live...For why should you die, O house of Israel.

But the real question what is hell? why people afraid of this hell? should I go in hell? or who was hell created for?, there is many different question of people that we heard.

What is Hell?
Paul makes it clear that the wages-the-result-of sin in the life of a human being eternal death. This directly contradicts the common teaching that the wages of sin is eternal life in hell. Paul's words harmonize with Revelation 20:14 where the fate of the incorrigibly wicked is called "the second death" in "the lake of fire."The "lake of fire" described in the Bible is far from the common conception of hell. It is a place that will utterly destroy and kill the wicked (Matthew 10:28). The prophet said Malachi prophesied that "all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up" (Malachi 4:1).


The Bible does not say that unbelievers are tormented forever in either a place of fiery torture or a place of dark seclusion from God. These ideas directly contradict one of the plainest statements in the Bible about the results of sin in a human life. At the end of a chapter describing the results of sin versus the results of righteousness, the apostle Paul wrote: "For the wages of sin is death,, but the gift of God eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 Added words).

Three Greek name words for hell
What about the instances in the Bible when the word hell is used? What is hell, according to the Bible? Many are surprised to learn that there are actually three Greek words translated “hell” in the New Testament. These three words are Hades, Gehenna and Tartaroo.

1. Hades refers to “the grave,” “the pit” or “place of the dead.” The Holman Bible Dictionary explains that “Hades is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term ‘Sheol,’ which refers in general to the place of the dead” (1991, “Hades”). (Psalms 16:10) and (Acts 2:27) use Sheol and Hades to describe the location of Christ’s body when He was dead for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40).

2. Gehenna refers to the valley of Hinnom, “a valley near Jerusalem … where children were sacrificed by fire in connection with pagan rites” (New Bible Dictionary, 1982, “Hell”). Later garbage and dead bodies were disposed of and burned in this valley. Gehenna represents the “lake of fire” described in (Revelation 19:20), the unquenchable fire(Mark 9:43) that will completely destroy the unrepentant (Matthew 10:28).

3. Tartaroo appears once in the Bible in (2 Peter 2:4) and refers to a condition of restraint for demons (fallen angels) until their later judgment.

So, Consider the following story. Imagine God as a loving compassionate surgeon. He loves each and every patient that comes into His office, but hates the disease that attacks them. Each day He lovingly treats each case. One day you come into God’s office with a case of gangrene. He loves you so much, but says He must make an amputation to save your life because of the spreading nature of the disease. If the gangrene is not removed the infection will consume you and eventually kill you. In the same way God must remove sin or it will consume the entire universe and destroy the happiness of His creation.

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Did you know the Rebecca's Wedding?

Rebecca's Wedding

  When Abraham was young, He left his home at Ur in Mesopotamia and went to dwell in the land of Canaan. Now that he was old, he knew that the time had come to look for a wife for Isaac, hid son.

   "I wish my boy to marry a girl of our own people," Abraham told his chief servant. "God again to Ur, the city of my brother Nahor, and the Lord will help you find Isaac's bride."

   Abraham's servant took ten of his master's camels, and set off on the journey to Us. Since he was not sure how to go about his search, he prayed for help.

   "Soon, I shall reach the well at Ur," he thought. "When the young women of the city come to draw water, I will speak to the one who seems the fairest. Perhaps she will offer to draw water not only for me, but for my camels as well. Then, I shall know that she is as good as she is beautiful, and that the Lord has sent her."

   Abraham's servant waited by the well at Ur. Before long, a graceful maiden came tripping by, with a jug on her shoulder. "Please give me a sip of water," he asked. "I'm thirsty, for I have traveled far today."

     "Then, your camels must be thirsty, too," the girl replied with a smile. "Drink, while I draw water for them as as well," 

   The servant was amazed. "Surely my prayer has been answered," he thought

   "Who are you, and who is your father?" the man asked "I am Rebecca, daughter of bethuel, the son off Nahor." 

   "Nahor!" the servant exclaimed. "That was the brother of my master Abraham. Now, take me to your family's home." He gave Rebecca a golden ornament and a pair of bracelets----Isaac's gift for his bride-to-be. Rebecca's Mother and brother were pleased with what they heard of Isaac, and decided that Rebecca might marry him if she were willing.

   "I am willing," Rebecca said.  "Tomorrow, let me go to him."

   Near sunset the next day, Isaac went out to the fields by the roadside. There, he saw the caravan coming. "Who is that young man?" Rebecca asked her guide. "That is Abraham's son," the servant told her.

   Shyly, Rebecca got off her camel and went to meet Isaac. The two were Married, and lived happily together for many years.

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More Stories in bible soon....

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How to Become A Christian (Part 2)

A Step of Faith

In your personal opinion. What do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven? Consider how the Bible answer this question. It is a Matter of FAITH.

F is for FORGIVENESS - We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness. "In Him [meaning Jesus] we have redemption through Hid blood. the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Ephesians 1:7).

A is for AVAILABLE - Forgiveness is available for all. "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His on and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). But not automatic. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

I is for IMPOSSIBLE - It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.

• Because of who He is: God is loving and just. His judgement is against sin. "For judgement is without mercy" (James 2:13).
• Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner. :"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?

T is for TURN - Turn means repent.

• Turn from something-sin and self. "But unless you repent, you will all perish" (Luke 13:3).
• Turn to Someone: trust Christ only: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

H is for HEAVEN - Heaven is eternal life.

• Here.... "I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance" (John 10:10).
• Hereafter... "If i go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also" (John 14:3).
• How... How can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord? By trusting in Christ another Meaning of FAITH: Forsaking all I Trust Him. Then tell someone about the important decision you have made. Grow in your faith and enjoy new friends in Christ by becoming part of His Church and attending the Sunday School class a church has just for you.

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