Monday, October 29, 2012
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
— ro 5:10
Thought
I am not saved by believing; I realize I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is the sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus. The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause. It is my obedience that puts me right with God, my consecration. Never! I am put right with God because prior to all, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals I can accept, instantly the stupendous Atonement of Jesus Christ rushes me into a right relationship with God; and by the supernatural miracle of God's grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, not because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The Spirit of God brings it with a breaking, all-over light, and I know, though I do not know how, that I am saved.
The salvation of God does not stand on human logic, it stands on the sacrificial Death of Jesus. We can be born again because of the Atonement of Our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creatures, not by their repentance or their belief, but by the marvellous work of God in Christ Jesus which is prior to all experience. The impregnable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We have not to work out these things ourselves; they have been worked out by the Atonement. The supernatural becomes natural by the miracle of God; there is the realization of what Jesus Christ has already done - "It is finished."
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
What If There Is a Hell?
"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."1
How often have you heard the argument, "If God is a God of love, how could he ever send anyone to hell?" Others who say they believe in God just don't believe there is such a place as hell." But what if there is a hell? The fact is that Jesus in God's Word repeatedly speaks about hell and warns people about the wrath to come.
Keep in mind, however, that hell was prepared first of all for the rebellious devil and his fallen angels [demons]. Also realize that in a very real sense it isn't God who sends us to hell, but it is we ourselves when we disbelieve God's warning and reject or fail to accept his pardon for all our sins and receive his gift of eternal salvation. God will not force us to spend eternity with him when we have refused his fellowship and forgiveness in life.
In his book, Echoes of Eternity, Dennis Kastens writes about people who never heeded the following warning: "During World War II the city of Palermo, Sicily, a military objective of the Allied Powers, was to be bombed by the American Air Force. To warn the Sicilians, telling them to flee, thousands of pamphlets were dropped on the city beforehand, but the citizens simply did not believe the warning. They listened, but they did not hear! When the American planes came and dropped their bombs, hundreds of Sicilians were killed; in fact, in some cold, dead hands were found the very pages urging them to leave the city."2
Whatever you do, don't fail to heed God's repeated warning about hell and the wrath to come after this life. Make absolutely sure your name is written in God's book of life. See also the article below: "The Why of Hell."*
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I confess to you that I am a sinner and believe that your Son, Jesus, died on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me of all my sins, and Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and life and be my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
NOTE: If you have never accepted Jesus as your savior and prayed the prayer above, please let us know by filling in the form at http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you the web address for free online helpful articles.
*The WHY of Hell. Because God is a God of holiness no sin or sinner can ever exist in his presence any more than darkness can survive in the presence of light, or a moth in a flame. And because God is a God of justice, all sin (the breaking of God's universal moral laws) must be judged and that judgment is death, which is eternal separation from God in the place the Bible calls hell. The good news is that God is also a God of infinite love. That's why he gave his Son, Jesus, to die in our place on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins and save us from spending eternity in hell. All we need to do is confess our sinfulness to God, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross in our place, and ask God for his forgiveness and accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
To accept God's Invitation to receive his full and free pardon and his gift of eternal life click on http://tinyurl.com/6k49w or see the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" in No. 3 below.
1. Revelation 20:13-15 (KJV).
2. Dennis Kastens, Echoes of Eternity, CSS Publishing.
3. See "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.
<:))))><
ACTS International - Daily Encounter
Friday, December 2, 2011
POLYGAMY
The Bible on Polygamy and Same-Sex Marriage
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach."1
1. Polygamy
A Daily Encounter subscriber from Africa asks, please let us know what the Bible teaches about polygamy as here in Africa it is taken for granted even by some Christians.
It is true that in Old Testament days it was not uncommon for men to have more than one wife; this was true of both King David and King Solomon. In some instances if a woman's husband died, the brother of the husband who died was to take his late-brother's wife to be his wife even if he was already married (See Deuteronomy 25:5). This was to preserve his brother's family line. It is my understanding, too, that in other instances men had more than one wife so that some women wouldn't be forced into prostitution, slavery or starvation in order to survive.
In the New Testament, however, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give "'the husband of one wife' in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership…. While these qualifications are specifically for positions of spiritual leadership, they should apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be 'above reproach…temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money' (1 Timothy 3:2-4). If we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all."2
Furthermore, in Ephesians 5:22-33 wherever the Apostle Paul is giving instructions to husbands and wives his directives are always in the singular; that is, they are never plural in either multiple wives or husbands.
2. Same-Sex Marriage
Another prominent question that many are asking today is what does the Bible have to say about same sex marriage?
"While the Bible does address homosexuality, it does not explicitly mention gay marriage/same-sex marriage. It is clear, however, that the Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals 'marrying' is not God's will, and would be, in fact, sinful.
"Whenever the Bible mentions marriage, it is between a male and a female. The first mention of marriage, Genesis 2:24, describes it as a man leaving his parents and being united to his wife. In passages that contain instructions regarding marriage, such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23-33, the Bible clearly identifies marriage as being between a man and a woman. Biblically speaking, marriage is the lifetime union of a man and a woman, primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable environment for that family."3
The Bible makes it clear that marriage, which is ordained by God, is to be between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage is thus a perversion of God's plan for marriage. (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6).
And as Ronald Reagan so wisely said some years ago, "As goes the family so goes the nation."
In My Genes. Many gay and homosexual people claim that their attraction to and desire for the same sex is in their genes so there is nothing they can do about it but give in to it. This may or may not be true but the fact is that sin is in my genes (actually in everybody's genes), as the Bible says, "For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me" Psalm 51:5 (NLT). But does this give me the right and an excuse to do what I hunger or "passion" to do? Of course not. Such would be absurd and end up destroying just about everyone.
Keep in mind, though, while God loves all sinners—including you and me—he hates all sin because sin is totally destructive to those whom he loves: you and me. Christians are to do the same; that is we are to love all sinners but not accept any actions that God's Word labels as sin. We are also called to be the "salt of the earth" and as such we need to take a stand against all sin and evil and live as well as speak the truth.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, which gives all mankind clear instructions for every area of living—all of which is for the protection and good of all mankind. Please give me the desire to learn what your Word teaches and the desire, will and help to live accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. 1 Timothy 3:2 (NKJV).
2. From Got Questions.org http://www.gotquestions.org/polygamy.html.
3. From Got Questions.org http://www.gotquestions.org/gay-marriage.html.
<:))))><
NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE.
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach."1
1. Polygamy
A Daily Encounter subscriber from Africa asks, please let us know what the Bible teaches about polygamy as here in Africa it is taken for granted even by some Christians.
It is true that in Old Testament days it was not uncommon for men to have more than one wife; this was true of both King David and King Solomon. In some instances if a woman's husband died, the brother of the husband who died was to take his late-brother's wife to be his wife even if he was already married (See Deuteronomy 25:5). This was to preserve his brother's family line. It is my understanding, too, that in other instances men had more than one wife so that some women wouldn't be forced into prostitution, slavery or starvation in order to survive.
In the New Testament, however, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give "'the husband of one wife' in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership…. While these qualifications are specifically for positions of spiritual leadership, they should apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be 'above reproach…temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money' (1 Timothy 3:2-4). If we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all."2
Furthermore, in Ephesians 5:22-33 wherever the Apostle Paul is giving instructions to husbands and wives his directives are always in the singular; that is, they are never plural in either multiple wives or husbands.
2. Same-Sex Marriage
Another prominent question that many are asking today is what does the Bible have to say about same sex marriage?
"While the Bible does address homosexuality, it does not explicitly mention gay marriage/same-sex marriage. It is clear, however, that the Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals 'marrying' is not God's will, and would be, in fact, sinful.
"Whenever the Bible mentions marriage, it is between a male and a female. The first mention of marriage, Genesis 2:24, describes it as a man leaving his parents and being united to his wife. In passages that contain instructions regarding marriage, such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23-33, the Bible clearly identifies marriage as being between a man and a woman. Biblically speaking, marriage is the lifetime union of a man and a woman, primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable environment for that family."3
The Bible makes it clear that marriage, which is ordained by God, is to be between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage is thus a perversion of God's plan for marriage. (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6).
And as Ronald Reagan so wisely said some years ago, "As goes the family so goes the nation."
In My Genes. Many gay and homosexual people claim that their attraction to and desire for the same sex is in their genes so there is nothing they can do about it but give in to it. This may or may not be true but the fact is that sin is in my genes (actually in everybody's genes), as the Bible says, "For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me" Psalm 51:5 (NLT). But does this give me the right and an excuse to do what I hunger or "passion" to do? Of course not. Such would be absurd and end up destroying just about everyone.
Keep in mind, though, while God loves all sinners—including you and me—he hates all sin because sin is totally destructive to those whom he loves: you and me. Christians are to do the same; that is we are to love all sinners but not accept any actions that God's Word labels as sin. We are also called to be the "salt of the earth" and as such we need to take a stand against all sin and evil and live as well as speak the truth.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, which gives all mankind clear instructions for every area of living—all of which is for the protection and good of all mankind. Please give me the desire to learn what your Word teaches and the desire, will and help to live accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. 1 Timothy 3:2 (NKJV).
2. From Got Questions.org http://www.gotquestions.org/polygamy.html.
3. From Got Questions.org http://www.gotquestions.org/gay-marriage.html.
<:))))><
NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Having Reverence and Respect for the Body
In so many ways we use and abuse our bodies. Jesus' coming to us in the body and his being lifted with his body in the glory of God call us to treat our bodies and the bodies of others with great reverence and respect.
God, through Jesus, has made our bodies sacred places where God has chosen to dwell. Our faith in the resurrection of the body, therefore, calls us to care for our own and one another's bodies with love. When we bind one another's wounds and work for the healing of one another's bodies, we witness to the sacredness of the human body, a body destined for eternal life. <:))))><
Henri Nouwen Society
God, through Jesus, has made our bodies sacred places where God has chosen to dwell. Our faith in the resurrection of the body, therefore, calls us to care for our own and one another's bodies with love. When we bind one another's wounds and work for the healing of one another's bodies, we witness to the sacredness of the human body, a body destined for eternal life. <:))))><
Henri Nouwen Society
Friday, November 11, 2011
LOVE DOES NOT GIVE UP
I don't know how you feel to see that single parenthood life is becoming more admirable and an alternative to marriage, and the church seems to be getting more and more comfortable with it. Financial independence seems to be the only required ingredient to a family unit. Is God as comfortable as we seem to be?
A friend's marriage was falling apart for many genuine painful reasons but one day she made a decision to involve God to help. She prayed to God to save her husband and make him a pastor.
She spent six continuous months in serious prayers until God answered her desire and today her husband is a good pastor, a wonderful husband and father.
But before God changed the husband, God dealt with this friend first. She quit complaining and determined that she was to do her part as unto God.
God is not blind, brethren. God transformed her attitude to one of not fault finding or revenging. She saw her husband as one in need of God, not one full of faults.
May God help us realize that much as we would like to own our marriages, marriage is as sacred as life since it is not a man's idea, but God's.
If we honor God seriously and care for His institution, we will be concerned and view our marriages not as our own, but God's property.
Before we give up on our marriages, have we taken time to involve the Initiator of it all on a serious note?
May God help us individually to make a decision to work on our marriages with God as the interested party.
In marriage, we sign up to succeed, and the beauty of it all is that one can refer to the Initiator for help.
And God is very much wiling to help and is able to sustain a victorious marriage, helping us to understand that love does not give up!
by Mumbi Vickie Ngangu
A friend's marriage was falling apart for many genuine painful reasons but one day she made a decision to involve God to help. She prayed to God to save her husband and make him a pastor.
She spent six continuous months in serious prayers until God answered her desire and today her husband is a good pastor, a wonderful husband and father.
But before God changed the husband, God dealt with this friend first. She quit complaining and determined that she was to do her part as unto God.
God is not blind, brethren. God transformed her attitude to one of not fault finding or revenging. She saw her husband as one in need of God, not one full of faults.
May God help us realize that much as we would like to own our marriages, marriage is as sacred as life since it is not a man's idea, but God's.
If we honor God seriously and care for His institution, we will be concerned and view our marriages not as our own, but God's property.
Before we give up on our marriages, have we taken time to involve the Initiator of it all on a serious note?
May God help us individually to make a decision to work on our marriages with God as the interested party.
In marriage, we sign up to succeed, and the beauty of it all is that one can refer to the Initiator for help.
And God is very much wiling to help and is able to sustain a victorious marriage, helping us to understand that love does not give up!
by Mumbi Vickie Ngangu
Thursday, November 10, 2011
10, 2011
Wilberforce: The Great Parliamentarian Reformer
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."1
To be politically correct many would say that Christians should keep out of the political arena. But think about William Wilberforce (1759–1833), the British politician who became the leader of the movement to abolish the inhumane slave trade. His life is a prime example of Christian political activism par excellence.
When he first became a committed Christian, however, he seriously considered withdrawing from parliament, but John Newton (a former slave trader himself) and author of one of the world's best known hymns, "Amazing Grace, " convinced Wilberforce to remain in parliament, as God had placed him there for a useful purpose. It turned out that as a politician Wilberforce had a much greater influence on the social ills of his day, and campaigned fervently for decades to help, with other Christian leaders, end the slave trade. He was actually dying when he received word of his success re the end of the slave trade.
Wilberforce said, "God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners."
To this task this one man committed his entire life … and helped greatly to change a great part of the world. Would that we had such parliamentarian reformers today! There is a desperate need for them. Furthermore, you and I may never become another Wilberforce, but with God's help each one of us can make a lasting and eternal impact on the world in which we live and circulate. Will YOU volunteer today to be one of these persons? Remember, we Christians are called by Christ to be the salt (purifying effect) of the earth.2
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me in whatever role my life is invested to be actively involved in being 'salt of the earth,' and thereby help in a positive way to be a purifying effect in every area of life here on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Romans 13:1. (NIV).
2. Matthew 5:13.
<:))))><
Wilberforce: The Great Parliamentarian Reformer
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."1
To be politically correct many would say that Christians should keep out of the political arena. But think about William Wilberforce (1759–1833), the British politician who became the leader of the movement to abolish the inhumane slave trade. His life is a prime example of Christian political activism par excellence.
When he first became a committed Christian, however, he seriously considered withdrawing from parliament, but John Newton (a former slave trader himself) and author of one of the world's best known hymns, "Amazing Grace, " convinced Wilberforce to remain in parliament, as God had placed him there for a useful purpose. It turned out that as a politician Wilberforce had a much greater influence on the social ills of his day, and campaigned fervently for decades to help, with other Christian leaders, end the slave trade. He was actually dying when he received word of his success re the end of the slave trade.
Wilberforce said, "God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners."
To this task this one man committed his entire life … and helped greatly to change a great part of the world. Would that we had such parliamentarian reformers today! There is a desperate need for them. Furthermore, you and I may never become another Wilberforce, but with God's help each one of us can make a lasting and eternal impact on the world in which we live and circulate. Will YOU volunteer today to be one of these persons? Remember, we Christians are called by Christ to be the salt (purifying effect) of the earth.2
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me in whatever role my life is invested to be actively involved in being 'salt of the earth,' and thereby help in a positive way to be a purifying effect in every area of life here on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Romans 13:1. (NIV).
2. Matthew 5:13.
<:))))><
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
敬拜神是人類受造的目的，也是人的本性
神創造人時，就已將一個空處擺在人心裡，所以
人會有尋求真理、尋求永生的渴望，直到在敬拜
時遇見這位造他的真神，才得到滿足。「認識你
獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督
，這就是永生。」(約十七3) 過去我們都是在
敬拜世上各種不同的人事物，但這一切終究會讓
我們失望，那時我們就發現這些不過都是虛幻。
惟有找到我們的造物主、這位創造天地萬有的神
，我們心裡才會得到真實的滿足。人只有在敬拜
神的時候，才會找到他人生的意義，並認識自己
是誰。我們要認識自己，就必須要先認識那創造
我們的神，因為我們是照祂形像所造的。 林大中
人會有尋求真理、尋求永生的渴望，直到在敬拜
時遇見這位造他的真神，才得到滿足。「認識你
獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督
，這就是永生。」(約十七3) 過去我們都是在
敬拜世上各種不同的人事物，但這一切終究會讓
我們失望，那時我們就發現這些不過都是虛幻。
惟有找到我們的造物主、這位創造天地萬有的神
，我們心裡才會得到真實的滿足。人只有在敬拜
神的時候，才會找到他人生的意義，並認識自己
是誰。我們要認識自己，就必須要先認識那創造
我們的神，因為我們是照祂形像所造的。 林大中
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