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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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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How To Become A Christian

How To Become A Christian

Jesus

Jesus Christ was with God the  Father before the world was created. He became human and lived among human beings as Jesus of Nazareth. He came to show us what God is like. He lived a sinless life, showing us how to live: and He died upon a cross to pay for our sins. God  raised Him from the dead.
   Jesus is the source of  eternal life. Jesus want to be the doorway to new life for you. In the Bible He is called "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made for the sins of the people. Jesus became the  sacrificial lamb offered fir sub.

• Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh  unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). He is waiting for you now.
• Admit to God that you are a sinner. Repent, turning sin by dying on the cross.
• Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You may pray a prayer similar to this as you call on God to save you:
"Dear God, I know you love me. I confess my sin and need of salvation. I turn away from my sin and place my faith in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus name I pray, amen."

  After you have received Jesus Christ into your life, tell a pastor or another Christian about your decision. Show others your faith in Christ by being baptized as a public expression of your faith. Then serve the Lord by becoming an Active member of your local Church.

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Make today Amazing.

Make today Amazing.

 TOP 10 Verse

John 14:14 - If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7 - If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

1 Corinthians 13:6 - Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For i know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord," Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 15:13 - 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 16:13 - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith: be courageous; be strong

1 John 3:22 - and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

1 John 3:1-3 - 1) See what great 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 Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3) All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Romans 1:17 - For the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by Faith"

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid  or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

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In the time of King Herod

In the time of King Herod

Matthew 2

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men* from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising,* and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah* was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a ruler   who is to shepherd* my people Israel.” ’

7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men* and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,* until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped,* they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

The Escape to Egypt

13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ 14Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

The Massacre of the Infants

16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,* he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.* 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah,   wailing and loud lamentation,Rachel weeping for her children;   she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

The Return from Egypt

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ 21Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’

Photo Credit: BibleMesh

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Pass it on - the value of wisdom from elders

Pass it on - the value of wisdom from elders

Each one of us hopefully learns a great deal through our lifetime, but what do we do with that knowledge? Does it go with us to our graves, or do we learn to share it with others graciously, and without expectation for the way they will use it? Looking to the older generation for advice seems to have gone out of fashion these days, perhaps partly because families no longer live with or near each other. I don't know if it is the computer generation with its instant answers from Google (although I suspect it happened long before the internet), but the younger generation doesn't seem to want to ask for advice and wisdom from their elders. Titus 2 talks about older women offering encouragement to younger women to live their lives well, and I think that's a great model for us all. While methodology may change (I still cringe when I think of some of the advice I and my friends got as young mums from older women) those who have journeyed further along life's path can be a huge source of wisdom, and it is foolish not to tap into it. Surely that's something of what church family is about? It is both disrespectful and arrogant to think that these people have nothing to offer us in terms of advice and wisdom, so how can we make ourselves more open to it? And those of us who are no longer spring-like teenagers or in our twenties should also consider what our life lessons have been along the way so far. What wisdom might we have to pass on to those who are younger (in age but also in their faith)?Just this week a younger couple turned down offers of advice from my husband and me, even though they are going through a situation very similar to one we experienced years ago.

We've also enjoyed spending time with an older couple who are much further ahead on their leadership journey, who spoke such encouragement, challenge and wisdom into our lives over a meal. Those uplifting encounters are so vital. So, in the spirit of being older than quite a lot of you now (I still can't quite get used to that fact), I'm going to practice what I'm preaching and pass on just a few of the things I've learned over the years, hopefully in an encouraging way!

Don't try to do things in your own strength

We hate admitting our need for help, but I'm afraid that's the way it works. We can't experience God's grace and goodness without openly admitting we need Him. And God puts people around us for a reason. Yes, there are times when we are to reach out and help them – but we also need to learn to accept help in those times when we could really do with it. As a 'do-er' I really hated admitting I couldn't keep on top of things and worked really hard to make sure I could – until I had children and those first few weeks completely unravelled my nicely worked out routines! My advice to you: quit pretending everything is okay and allow those closest to you to see how things really are – then accept the offers of help when they come.

Take more time to slow down, and learn how to practise God's presence

I've spent countless years pushing myself to achieve the goals I set myself each day, and yet I'm sure a lot of that rushing was pointless. I can often feel empty at the end of a particularly busy day, sensing that I've missed something. The irony is that the pace I lived my life at was often fuelled by a desire not to miss anything! There is so much wisdom in learning to slow down and inviting God in at regular intervals. When I first started working from home, I began to chat to God at various points throughout my day. I discovered that connecting with God in such a simple way made a huge difference.

Be gentle on yourself: God is

If you are a perfectionist like me, you want to do everything you can absolutely to the best of your ability, and beat yourself up when you fall short or when you slip up on that same area of temptation AGAIN. The way we can lay into ourselves is vicious – it certainly doesn't reflect the heart of God. As long as we come before Him and ask His forgiveness whenever necessary, His hands of love and grace are outstretched before us; beckoning us. He doesn't turn His back on us in the way we expect. I found this out in a particularly difficult time of my life, when I'd committed a 'big sin' and was trying to deal with the inevitable consequences. I seemed to be much harder on myself than God was – He just wanted me to come back and commune with Him again, and learn to take baby steps forward with Him once more.

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An account of the Genealogy "of Jesus the Messiah"

An account of the Genealogy "of Jesus the Messiah"

Mathew 1

An account of the genealogy* of Jesus the Messiah,* the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,* 8and Asaph* the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,* and Amos* the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.*

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah,* fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah* took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, gobut had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;* and he named him Jesus.

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