Spiritualxtianity

How To Pray

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:38:00 +0000

Pray for health, spiritual growth, family, economic situation; any need. Advanced prayer.
Enlarge Image1) Begin prayer by praising God only in Jesus’ name. For example, "Heavenly Father, Blessed is thy name, Omnipotent God, Beloved Jesus. We address you because we know you have the power and the love, and the mercy." Do not skip this step, it empowers you.

2) Then thank God. "Thank you for answering my prayer about _________. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you that you always listen to me. Thank – you for my home, my family, my education, thank you that you have given me kindness etc."

3) Ask petitions: "Please give me and all my family health and happiness. Please help me economically, etc." Think of specific things: "Please heal my daughter well from (_illness ). Please help her to lose weight and feel comfortable, not hungry, and have energy as she looses it." Tell God your problems. Speak to him as a friend that accepts you as you are.

4) Ask for something to help you grow spiritually: "Please make me enthusiastic about reading the Bible. Please help my life reflect Jesus. May I be worthy of the purpose God has made of me. May I know the purpose of my life and meet it well."

5) Ask for something to help you grow emotionally, we all need it: "May your peace govern my heart. Please help me to meet my duties and responsibilities well. Please help me to be a better daughter/sister/father/mother etc. Please help me be more mature emotionally. Please help me learn get to along better with ___________, to know what to say, when to say it and what not to say. Lord, examine me and help me to know and overcome my weak points. Help me use the talents God gave me to help myself and other people."

6) Quote God’s Word. "God you said that everything we ask in your name, you shall give to us… I believe, please help my faith… Your word is like a double edged sword to cut through the problems".

7) Confess your sins and faults. Ask for forgiveness, ask God and Jesus only. Then you also forgive other people’s sins and faults, this is important, it is spiritually healing. "Lord Jesus, thank-you for forgiving me by dying for me. I have ________ weakness. Please forgive me and help me with this. Keep me clear of temptation. ________ person is hurting or annoying to me, help me to have compassion for and forgive ______ person the way you forgive me, Lord.

8) Ask for Blessings. Pray for other people: God bless me with all kind of spiritual blessing and physical blessings. Bless my family, my co – workers, my manager, my customers, and my suppliers. Even ask God to bless bless the people in your family that are hard to love, the difficult people in your life, and your enemies.

9) Do spiritual battle (for advanced prayer only). "God please take away from my life and from my family all that does not come from God. God please rebuke and tie up the enemy, make him leave our lives for ever and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Let your spirit come upon me and my loved ones and use us for your purpose."

10) Pray for your country and for the world. "God please help our country to do your will. Give wisdom to our leaders and to the leaders of the entire world. Let there be peace in Jerusalem. "God cancel Satan’s plans for humanity and for the world."

11) Ask in God’s will. "But let not my will be done but your will, oh God. May I desire only God’s will for my life. Let your Holy Spirit pray for me Lord, because I do not know best what to pray."

12) Pray is Jesus’ name. "In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen". This is the most important phrase in your prayer.

13) Thank God only and Jesus, for listening to your prayer. "God I thank you because I know that you will answer my prayer giving me what I want or something better according to your wisdom."

Biblical References:

#1
Matthew 6:19-13
2 Corinthians 6:18
2 Peter 1:17
Psalm 138:2

#2
Romans 1:8
1 Thessalonians 5:18
John 11:42

#3
Luke 11:9

#4
Matthew 3:33
1 Corinthians 11:1
Ephesians 4:1

#5
Colossians 3:15
Psalms 139:1-4
Matthew 25:20-23
Ephesians 1:17
James 1:5

#6
John 15:7
Mark 9:23-24
Ephesians 3:17
Acts 4:11-12

#7
1 John 1:9
Romans 10:9
Mark 11:22-26

#8
Matthew 5:44
Romans 5:10

#9
Matthew 10:1

#10
1 Timothy 5:17
Psalms 122:6
("God cancel all of Satan’s plans for humanity" is from Brother and Evangelist Yiye Avila’s magazine, La fe en Marcha).

#11
Luke 22:42
Romans 8:26

#12
John 14:13-14

#13
1 Thessalosians 5:18

Get books on prayer! Visit webspawner.com/users/howtopray and choose the Christian Bookstore link. Visit Christian Bookstore link at:
Get books on prayer and other topics of interest! By Wilma Melendez

Successful Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:34:00 +0000

Does it make any difference how we pray? Kneeling standing, hands folded, upraised or whatever. Does the type of prayer or type of words matter? Or just to make a connection. Is that the key?
Enlarge ImageSuccessful Prayer
I believe that prayer is a good thing,...
but it is not the key to success in prayers being heard or answered.

Have you ever considered ...
That In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart

I would like to talk to you about prayer.

Actually, Jesus Christ would like to talk to us all about prayer. From His point of view.

See, it seems to me that I have talked about prayer a lot. It seems to me that I maybe have told you everything I know about prayer.

Jesus said "yes, and that has been good". But now I should tell you everything that He knows about prayer.

Now when I get done you are not going to know everything that Jesus knows about prayer. But hopefully we will understand what a huge subject it is. And how much we have underestimated it.

See I have heard it said ... and have said myself, that prayer is just communication between us and God.

Far to often it is just one way communication. I believe that is true. But to sell prayer, or to say that prayer as just two way communication, is a terrible mistake.

The communication is not prayer.
The communication is the result of prayer.

Just because you have bowed your head and said some things. Maybe read something that is written out, Or talked out to someone in the great somewhere, does not necessarily mean you have prayed.

Prayer is so much more....
The essence of prayer does not just consist in asking God for, whatever is on our hearts.

Whether praying for ourselves or others.

The essence of prayer consists of ... opening our hearts ... to God. The real essence of prayer is talking to and living with Him.

In a constant communion.

Prayer is a process of continual giving up of all that you are to God.

Prayer is not just asking God for all kinds of things that we want.
No matter how good that list of things sounds to us.

Prayer is the desire for the presence God Himself.
Prayer is not asking, But union with God.
It's not in the asking, it's in the connection.

Prayer is not a constant effort to gain help from God in the varying needs of our lives.

Or shouldn't be. Prayer is the desire to have God Himself, ...Who is the source of all life.

As I sometimes struggle with my prayers for all of you for example ... I don't know all of your personal needs.
I have discovered it don't matter.
When I pray for my family the list seems more complete. I know much more intimate details about what is going on in their lives.
I have discovered it don't matter

When my heart has made connection with God's heart ... Then the subject doesn't matter.

There will be two way communication. Because I'm not going to say Dear Lord, in the name of Jesus blah, blah, blah thank you Amen and then jump up and leave.
See ... I'm not done ... there is a connection here.
Prayer!

Prayer is not trying to manipulate God into doing as we want,
Prayer, is the communion with God.

There are some verses in the bible ... Did ya know that?

See some verses are written to those called to be saints.

and some verses are written to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Now these verses are not written to just any body. They are written to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Is that perhaps you?

Now watch ...
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,... so that you may know him better.
I pray also ... that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened ... in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, ... the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:17-19

Now that small prayer by the Apostle Paul is a powerful request on behalf of the faithful.

See, I know They had problems, I know they had illnesses, they struggled with everyday life. I am sure some were out of work. Some had teenagers to deal with and who knows what all.

They had prayer lists. I'm sure that Paul had a prayer list.

But think about this.

When he had put everything that they wanted, ... and everything that he wanted for them aside.

Made the connection, got into the Real spirit of Prayer, and began to pray ... what God wanted prayed for, it came out like this...

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints

See the hope that you are called to is His glorious riches in the saints. That's all of you.

See when the shopping list is done and the communion with the Son of God begins, then the thunder rolls and all heaven hears your prayer. Because now they are according to "His" will.

Now watch ...
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established ... in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp... how wide and long and high and deep ... is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen Eph 3:14-21

Listen people, don't spend a lot of time on the list. It's not the subject, It's the connection, that's when the communion takes place and the praying starts.

the bible says ...
Matt 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What does that mean? It means don't stop ... after you have recited the list.

It doesn't matter if you are praying on your own behalf or interceders prayer for others.

Continue until you have prayed.
Continue until the connection has been made.
Continue until communion has taken place between you and the Lord.
Then lift them up. All Heaven will hear.

It doesn't matter who you are or how you pray. God would take it to another level if you will allow Him.

Remember its the connection, it's the communion, that is prayer. Thoughts from God ministries
Helping people turn their knowledge of God into a relationship with Him.
By Lee Adams

Healing Prayers for the Sick

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes, faith in God is the only thing that keeps us going and healing prayers for the sick bring about miracles that we can only dream of. Here are some prayers to tide you through tough times...

When an illness affects someone, there's little you can do unless you're a doctor, or a medical professional. Helplessness and the inability to do anything to help relieve the pain and suffering can frustrate the most patient of us. In such times, there is something you can do. Healing prayers for the sick can do exactly that, heal. Faith in the Almighty can overcome every obstacle. Not only do your prayers help the afflicted, they can also help you focus your energy in a way that can bring relief. There will always be believers as there will be questioners, but if you can bring yourself to have faith in the power of spirituality, you won't be disappointed.

Christian Healing Prayers for the Sick
The bible offers many instances to guide Christians asking God to heal their loved ones . These are some bible verses, that will help you in your hour of need, to have faith in the power of healing, through prayer.

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
James 5:15-16

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."
James 5:14-15

Catholic Healing Prayers for the Sick
Praying for a loved one allows us to put our faith in God and trust that He will take care of all that we ask. One of the fundamental tenets of Catholicism is the power of spirituality and its ability to transgress any sickness, pain and illness. The following is an excerpt from the bible, Psalm 51:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me."

Healing Prayers for Cancer
Cancer. The very word associated with this illness can strike terror into the most optimistic heart. It can be debilitating, a very real threat to life as you know it - but faith and beliefs can heal, will heal, if you just believe that God is there for you, and in His infinite wisdom, will care for you. People with cancer have emerged victorious, there are survivor stories that defy every scientific law - healing prayers for Cancer will only ever help, never hinder:

"God, give me the strength to fight this disease. Stay with me through the pain that I must go through. I am weak, where You are strong, I am vulnerable where You are indefensible. With You to guide me, I know I will emerge victorious. Amen."

Healing Prayers for Children
There's nothing as heartbreaking as a sick child. How many times, have we asked to be able to bear the illness ourselves, and spare the young? At such times, healing prayers for children can offer solace; pray with all your heart and soul, and God will hear your call. Never lose hope, for if anyone deserves to heal, it's the child, who has so much to live for, and so much of life still to see. Spiritual healing prayers for the sick can, and will, help you in your struggle, and give you the ability to be strong, for you must be strong to support the needy. This is a special prayer for children:

"Come gracious spirit, heavenly dove,
With light and comfort from above.
Be Thou our Guardian, Thou our guide,
Stay close by every child's side. Amen!"

Healing prayers for the sick can give you comfort and strength when you're emotionally drained and exhausted. The power of prayer and faith in God will see you through many a dark night, for remember, this too shall pass. It's always the darkest before dawn.
By Tilottama Chatterjee
Published: 8/2/2010

The Difference between Meditation and Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:40:00 +0000

Many people think that meditation and prayer are pretty much the same - but they are different.
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The basic idea behind most forms of meditation is to focus the mind on turning inward, to pay attention to your inner self and center your consciousness so that your mind is open and clear. During meditation, the purpose of this inward concentration is to remove all outside distractions and quiet the chatter inside your head so that you can hear the voice of God.

Prayer is essentially the exact opposite of meditation. During prayer, you clear your mind of all outside distractions in order to be able to focus your thoughts on the prayer itself and the answers you hope to find by praying. In essence, we meditate so that God can speak to us; we pray so that we can speak to God.

Every religion known to man instructs believers to have faith in a Higher Power to listen to their prayers, and to be confident that everything that happens in life is orchestrated by that Higher Power. Because of having faith in God to take care of everything in life, praying selflessly is considered to be the ideal way to pray. It is totally unnecessary to pray for oneself if God is in control and everything happens for a reason known to God. The stronger your faith, the easier it is to direct prayers outward for others rather than inward for self. For example, a person whose faith is uncertain or not fully developed may pray that God will relieve them from suffering or troubled times. But a very faithful person who does not doubt the power of God will consider that their own troubles may be a gift from God, or a test to make them stronger in their faith and in their life. As a result of this recognition, faithful people will likely send prayers to God for others to be relieved from suffering. Spiritual growth depends on having faith that God will take care of you, and therefore spending time praying for others, selflessly.

People who pray selflessly are usually the people who are most likely to meditate regularly as well. The meditation practiced by such people is typically free of selfish desires already, because their prayers are outwardly focused, and therefore they will be more open to filling their inner selves with God’s inspiration and direction. In fact, there is a specific "prayer meditation" that combines the best elements of both types of spiritual journeys.

To practice prayer meditation, sit quietly and center yourself as usual. But instead of focusing on clearing your mind, imagine yourself praying to God. Witness your prayer silently, objectively, without comparisons or judgments, and then say a prayer to God for yourself. Say a prayer for another person. Pray for everyone you know, and everything in your life. Continue praying steadily - ten times, a dozen times, or however many times it takes for you to feel as though you have prayed enough.

By actually witnessing yourself praying, objectively from the outside looking inward, you will discover that praying for others makes you feel good about yourself. So by practicing prayer meditation, you are simultaneously praying for other people while you are opening your inner self to the blessing of God making you happy and taking your troubles away. Combining prayer and meditation is the best of both worlds.
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies

Healing Prayers

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:35:00 +0000

Man has always been curious about supernatural powers that are not tangible, but which can be only experienced. Healing prayers is one of them. It can cure any illness if you believe in the divine power, even if the doctors lose hope. To know the benefits of healing prayers, read on...It is said that God does not give us more pain than we can bear. And with that pain, he also gives us solace, but we just need to pray for it. In the Holy Bible, it is said, 'ask and you shall receive' but many of us do not even have the time to ask. We search for happiness and consolation everywhere, but not in our minds. Yes, the joy, peace of mind, security, and an inspiration lies within you. You just need to recognize and accept God beyond your intelligence and logical abilities. Healing prayers are all about igniting the faith and beliefs and channelizing all the positive energies from the Higher source to the one who needs it. It is nothing but praying in the name of God, in which you push away the negative thoughts and concentrate on the positive ones, and ask God for what you want.

Healing Prayers for The Sick
We remember God the most when we, or our loved ones, are in pain due to sickness or any terminal illness, and all the efforts to cure them go in vain. In this situation, it is best to pray and leave everything to God. Prayer offers comfort in times of suffering and gives us hope. Many times sick patients give up hope and end up with negative thoughts like fear, worry, anger, despair, and grief, that causes mental blocks, halting or slowing down the curative process. But healing prayers have an affirmative effect, which is now an accepted fact by medical science. Praying and positive thinking releases endorphins in the body, which makes the person feel optimistic, happy, and content. This gives a person the strength to fight all odds, even those of terminal illnesses.

Bible Verses About Healing
There are many Bible verses about healing and praying, and the following are some of these verses which guide us on how to pray for spiritual healing.

Acts 3: 16 tells us "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see." This verse essentially means that you must have faith in God and the healing should be sought in the name of Jesus, who will make the sufferer strong, so that he can recover from the sickness.

In James 5:16 we are asked to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." and then told that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." It means that the honest, truthful and selfless man who accepts all his sins and prays for others is a strong person and will be healed by God.

In James 5: 14 -15 we are told to ask the elders to pray and their faith in God will heal us. The verse says, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."

Mark 11:24 – 24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." This means that you should be assured of getting whatever you have asked for in prayer. Start behaving as if you are already being healed, that will boost your confidence and you will be healed faster.

Luke 9:11 "He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing." It says that we must not hastily seek for healing but be grateful to the Almighty for this life, and appreciate the good things in life. This will give us the positive outlook towards life and help us heal faster.

Prayers for Terminal Illnesses
There are many terminal illnesses, but what terminates the patient is the fear of death. Cancer is one such disease which pushes the person into the girth of darkness and depression. Many cancer patients get shattered and devastated when they come to know about their illness. Many decide to fight back, but the chemotherapy takes away their confidence slowly with each falling hair. At this point, their faith needs to be restored in God by healing prayers. There are many elements you can include in prayer, when it comes to prayers for healing cancer, for example, you can pray that the medication works effectively and eliminates cancer, bless the person and the affected body part to function the way it was created by God, pray that multiplying of cancer cells is prohibited, command all the cancer spirits or death spirits to leave the body, and bless the healthy cells to live long, and ask the God or the Holy Spirit to motivate the patient to bear the pain and fight the ailment, etc.

Healing prayers do not impose any disrespect to medical treatment, but are an additional attempt to cure the illness. Healing prayers can be concluded as the state of mind which is hopeful, positive and peaceful. They say, if you want something desperately and if you pray hard for it, then the whole universe conspires for you to get it. So believe in yourself and always have a positive attitude, that can help you fight against all the mental, physical and emotional problems.
By Geeta Dhavale
Published: 6/16/2010

How to Pray Like Jesus Christ (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The article is further emphasizing the right way that believers should pray for immediate answers like Jesus Christ.Look Unto The Cross of Jesus Christ

You have to look unto the cross where the price was paid for the blessing you want. How? The cross we are referring to is the spiritual cross. He paid the price for whatever thing you desire so you don’t need to bother yourself.

In John 16v7, He said, ’it will be better for me to go so as to send you a comforter’. He died for us on the cross and right on the cross He is still praying for us.

Roman 8v26 says, "We do not know how to pray but the Holy Spirit prays for us. So whenever you want to pray, you have to look unto Jesus Christ on the cross where the price was paid for the things you desire.

Remember, Jesus has taken away the problem, so:
- Focus and continue to meditate the name of Jesus Christ.
- You must trust Him when you pray, believe that Jesus Christ is working out the answer.
- Trust Him because He said I am going and I shall send a comforter to give you power for witnessing.

He died in order that your sin might be forgiven. Jesus is still praying for you that is why there are answers to your request. He has done everything on the cross.
Luke 9v23 - forget yourself. He said to them all. If anyone would come after me, He must deny himself, carry his cross and follow me. This is self-denial.
- Separate yourself from sins -
- Deny yourself all the worldly things, which are perishable. Only salvation will last forever.
- Pursue the course of salvation, which is everlasting. How to Pray Like Jesus Christ (Part 2)
To further emphasise the best way to pray for instant answer like Jesus Christ
By Biodun Adesina
Published: 4/2/2010

How to Pray Like Jesus Christ (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:37:00 +0000

The article aims to show contemporary believers in Jesus Christ about how to receive instant answers to their prayers just like Jesus ChristOur Lord Jesus Christ prayed as if His prayer depends upon His father. He said,’ I do not do anything on my own I do what my father wants" (John 6:38). He says, He has no power of His own. He came from heaven to do the will of His father. That is the major difference between Jesus prayer and our own prayer.

We do not consider that we do not own ourselves. John 17:18 says, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. Verse 20 says my prayer is not for them alone. He is not doing things on His own. He is doing the will of His father. In our own prayer, we complain-asking, asking, asking and asking. So when you want to pray, you should be in an attitude of Jesus Christ

If you want to pray like Jesus Christ, you should be in an attitude of Jesus Christ.

How can we be in an attitude of Jesus Christ?
Is Jesus a man of sin? NO.
Is He a Holy man? YES.

So if you want to pray like Jesus, you must:

Possess the Character of Jesus Christ

Possessing the character of Jesus Christ means you should:
- Pray as if all things depend on God.
- Meditate the name of Jesus Christ and the blood of Jesus Christ.
- Depend upon Jesus Christ for all things.
- Separate yourself from sin.
- Allow God’s will to be paramount in your life

The relationship between God and Jesus Christ should be the relationship between you and Jesus Christ. Jesus will never do His own will. Never do His own will; you too should allow your will to be obedient to God’s will. John 3:38 says, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will of Him who sent me. So in your prayer, you have to be sure that somebody is behind you who is the Holy Spirit. You have to be spirit filled. How to Pray Like Jesus Christ (Part 1)
To emphasis how believers can pray for immediate answers to all challenges
By Biodun Adesina
Published: 4/2/2010

Healing Bible Verses

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:56:00 +0000

Healing Bible verses are powerful words that seek to help those in need. Here are a few healing bible quotes to motivate you.Life is roller coaster ride, with its share of ups and downs. When the downs grip you in shackles of misery, a few inspirational words of wisdom is all you need. Healing Bible verses have helped many over centuries to get over their mental and physical sickness. Thus these immortal words of encouragement have been worshiped for eons. Here's a small compendium of few Bible verses on healing to help you cope up with tough time. Read more on Holy Bible.

Healing Bible Verses

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:15-16

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
Luke 4:40

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:11

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.
Peter 2:24

Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
Mark 6:56

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wing's as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

God, who shows you his kindness and who has called you through Christ Jesus to his eternal glory, will restore you, strengthen you, make you strong, and support you as you suffer for a little while.
Peter 5:10

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won't be any more death. There won't be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.
Revelation 21:4

I'm leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So, don't be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters ... they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God.
Isaiah 43:1-3

He (God) comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:24

He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.
Psalm 107:20

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
Luke 8:47

He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."
Proverbs 4:20-22

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

Read more on:
Words of Encouragement from The Bible
Encouraging Bible Verses
Healing Bible verses seek to motivate its readers. I hope reading these healing bible quotes and verses has helped you gain a fresh perspective of strength to pull through downtime. Every down has an up, and so you shall be redeemed too. Believe so!
By Mukta Gaikwad
Published: 3/15/2010

Speaking in tongues - Biblical sieves

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:54:00 +0000

God is very much alive and working today as ever; the sieves given here will help you discern where you stand especially when it comes to speaking in tongues.
Enlarge ImageThe subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is still highly controversial among some Christian denominations. Several believe that some of the gifts are not present in the Church today while others believe they are all for today as well. I will not go into this subject now, but I will try to differentiate, try to set some clear delimitation when it comes to speaking in tongues.

How do you know your speaking in tongues is from Adonai, His Son Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit respectively? In my opinion, this gift is more difficult to discern because the other gifts are more obvious therefore less subjective. However, as Christians we should be able to make a clear distinction between the Holy Spirit and anything else, distinction made with the Bible, the Word of God. So if you one day receive this gift (as I did), how do you know it is from the right source, from the Holy Spirit?

The following questions were very helpful in my case and they offer several sieves to clarify your position:

1. Is it Biblical? Is the speaking in tongues a Biblical experience? If what happens to you is not Biblical, then there is no point going any further with the questions. But because the case of speaking in tongues is Biblical, we can go forward to check it. Right, so far the answer is "Yes".

2. How is its manifestation? Is it Biblical or not? In this case, does the speaking in tongues control you or do you control it? The Bible says that "The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32 ). So obviously, the Holy Spirit respects our will and will not produce chaos causing you to speak uncontrolled in the middle of the service or so. Adonai is the God of order.

3. You have committed yourself to God trough baptism and you have Jesus Christ as your Redeemer. Will any other spirit be able to cast out the Holy Spirit that God put in your heart? No. "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."1John 4:15

4. Will Adonai mock you giving you an evil spirit when you asked for His Holy Spirit’s gift? No! "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:11-13

5. You confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, your Savior. However, other religions’ priests do speak in tongues as well, but do they confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? No, they do not; they acknowledge whatever the spirits they invoke lead them to say. Yet they do speak in tongues, but is their speaking in tongues from Christ? No, obviously not.

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." 1 John 4:2-3
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves The Father loves His Child as well." 1John 5:1

6. The fruit of the Holy Spirit, are they present in your life? You should be able to answer "yes" and so should answer those closest to you who know your daily life because these fruits must be visible. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."1 John 2:3-4

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
1 John 2:10-11

Right, now you can ask yourself if you see a difference between "before" and "after" speaking in tongues experience. As for me, I saw some clear differentiations:

-a faith depth difference, I have seen and come to know for a fact that God has answered my prayer and demonstrated me that the gifts of the Holy Spirit exist and are available today as well;

- a deeper willingness to pray (my willingness to pray has never been so intense although I had it before and I liked praying);

- increased love for people and God then before, more understanding of the sinful human nature;

-the Bible is even more alive when I read it, it was alive before but now it is even more;

-a strengthening of the Christian faith testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of Adonai (God) and the Holy Spirit is indeed working, speaking, changing life to holiness;

-the power to forgive that by my own means …I would have never had, trust me!

God does not give you the gifts of the Holy Spirit when you are perfect - this would mean that no human being would ever get them during his life on Earth – however the gifts help you a great deal in the process of spiritual perfection, of living the holy life God wants us all to live in. May God protect us all against all evil!
By Claudia Miclaus

Is Evil part of God?

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:40:00 +0000

Everything has got its equal and opposite. A negative person has a positive person as his friend. A happy man HAS to have at least one grumpy friend who tries to make his life miserable. A spiritualistic person will attract a materialistic person. Similarly is evil the exact twin of the goodness that stands for God?Many say that God doesn’t know evil, because they cant explain why God, who is good, allows robberies, murders, disease, poverty and other terrible happenings that are going on constantly on this planet. These misfortunes are evil to us, but are they evil to God? If they were, why would God permit them? And if Evil does not come from Him, who is the Supreme Creator of all these things, where does it all come from? Who created greed? Who created hate? Who created jealousy? Who created anger? Who created harmful bacteria and virus? Who created sex temptation and the temptation for greed? These are not human inventions. Man would have never experienced them if they had not been created. He would never have created something that would act like slow poison on his species.

Many people explain that evil does not exist but is merely a psychological factor. But this is not so. The evidence of evil is here in this world. It cannot be denied. If there were no evil, why would Jesus pray, " Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"?

The truth is, we do find evil on the world. And where does it come from? From God himself. Evil provides us the contrast that enables us to recognize and experience goodness. Evil has to be, if there was to be any creation. If you wrote a message with white chalk on a white board, no one would see it. So without the blackboard of evil, the good things in the world could not be magnified at all. It is like watching a motion picture. What would happen if a producer showed a movie of only angels sitting around and looking good? He would soon have to close his business. A villain, for instance, in a movie adds to the charm and screen presence of the hero. Tougher the villains more glorified are the deeds of the Hero. Coming back to real life, we can say, for example, that Judas was Jesus’s best publicity agent. By his evil act, Judas made Christ eternally famous. Jesus knew the role he had to play, and all that was going to happen to him in order that he might demonstrate the love and greatness of God; and a villain was necessary to this enactment. But it was not good for Judas that he chose to be the one whose dark deed, by contrast, enrolled the glories of Christ’s triumph over evil.

It is hard to know where the dividing line is between good and evil. Certainly it is true that bacteria kill two billion people every hundred years. But to think of the chaos of overpopulation, if there were no death. And if everything here were good and perfect, no one would leave this earth on his own accord; no one would want to go back to God. Son in a sense, misery is your best friend, because it starts you seeking God. When you begin to see clearly the imperfection of the world, you will begin to see the perfection of God. The truth becomes clear now. God is using evil not to destroy us, but to make us disillusioned with His toys, with the playthings in his world, so that we might seek Him.

So evil is the test of God to see whether we choose Him or His gifts. He created us in His image and gave us the power to free ourselves. But we don’t use that power. At night, when we cease to be active, we all become God like. But in the daytime we become devils- not all of us, but most of us. Why not live with God in the daytime, for then we shall know no fear, we shall know no evil. It is easy to say this, but hard to practice it.
By Vishwas Purohit

How Does Satan Fit into God’s Perfect Plan?

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:39:00 +0000

Both Adam and Eve knew the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit. So what went wrong with God’s will for them to obey his command?By Allie McComas

In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. God decided to make Adam out of dust and create Eve from Adam’s rib. They lived in God’s presence in the Garden of Eden God planted just for them. Life for Adam and Eve would seem to be wonderful. Perfect, even. Then a serpent convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from that tree. Adam stood by, listened to the serpent’s sales pitch, watched Eve take a bite, and then took a bite himself. That tragic sequence of events changed our lives forever. So, the question is: What was that tree, with that fruit, and that serpent doing in the middle of God’s perfect creation?

The Bible says God put both Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God also instructed Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17). Eve received the same message as she stated she wasn’t allowed "…to eat it or even touch it…" (Genesis 3:3).

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was planted in the garden by God. God knew what was contained in the forbidden fruit. God created the consequence for disobeying the command. And then are we to believe God was "hoping" Adam and Eve would do as they were told?

The serpent "was the shrewdest of all animals the Lord had made" (Genesis 3:1). The shrewdest of all animals made his way into the Eden, found the tree, and found Eve at the right time in the wrong place. He then "tricks" Eve so she would take her bite, then, she got Adam to take his bite, and as they say, the rest is history.

Again, what was that tree, with that fruit, and that serpent doing in the middle of God’s creation? Simply, God put them exactly where He wanted. God was in control at that moment and his plan didn’t spiral out of control. Actually, God’s plan was very much intact at that moment.

Every Christian leader will state that Jesus’ only purpose was to be crucified and resurrected for our sin, the exact sin that entered the world via the fruit. Those same leaders don’t give any other reason or purpose why Jesus took the form of man and died a horrible death. If there isn’t sin, then by omission there isn’t a mission for Jesus to accomplish.

What was Jesus doing with God before the foundation of the world was laid (Ephesians 1:4-5, 1Peter 1:19-20, Revelation 13:8) if there were no need for Him?

The Bible says God created everything in six days. Everything. This is a theme stated throughout the Bible (Isaiah 45:6-7, John 1:3, Romans 9:18). What does "everything" exclude?

The Bible is inerrant and God is omniscient and omnipresent. God wasn’t hoping Adam and Eve would follow His instructions. He knew someone would eventually eat the fruit and introduce the world to Satan and sin. That was his unchanging plan from the beginning. God doesn’t change. God has a perfect plan that includes evil, sin, and Satan. Doesn’t one have to know and experience illness to fully appreciate good health? We appreciate good service because we all have endured poor service, or a good meal because we have experienced hunger pains. Without experiencing evil, even if it’s indirect, we cannot know how good God really is.

Christian doctrine states that God wants you to choose him. We refer to that principle as free will. Christian leadership will also tell you God doesn’t want "robots" because they cannot have relationships. Sin, Satan, and evil actually accomplish the task of giving us all a choice. The choice is between God and sin; between God and this world. Without sin, where is the choice? If God were our only choice, by definition there isn’t a choice.
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies

How can we recognize the Spirit of God?

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:37:00 +0000

In the Old Testament, New Testament and even nowadays we can see miracles performed. How can we distinguish between them? How can we know what comes from God and what comes from the enemy of God?How can we know if the Holly Spirit leads a person? How can you know that you are speaking from God when you speak in tongues and don’t understand what you’re saying?

It is normal to love your own children, isn’t it? Or…it should be. However, those of you who are parents know what the love for your children means.

Now if your child asks for some bread would you give him a snake?

1. Would God mock anyone? Would God deride a true believer to give him an evil spirit while the believer asks for His Holly Spirit? A God who has all the power, hates evil and is the very embodiment of righteousness and peace, could He do that? I don’t think so! Let’s take a look at what Jesus said:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

2. What are the characteristics of the Holly Spirit? How can we differentiate between God’s Spirit and other spirits?

a) The Holly Spirit produces obvious fruits:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 16-20)

b) No one can say Jesus is the Lord but trough the Holly Spirit and apostle John shows very clearly how we can recognize the Holly Spirit:

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:2-3)

3. Can evil spirits produce true holiness and the fruits of the Holly Spirit?

The gifts of the Holly Spirit can be imitated by demonic powers. Satan can also perform great miracles! For instance, priests from other religions (other then Christian religion) say that they do speak in tongues, and they do! What makes the difference? Do they confess that Jesus is the Lord? Do they believe in Jesus as being the Son of God? No, they do not!

The demons also believe in God but do they obey God? No, they don’t! Let’s see some verses in the Bible:

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" (James 2:18-20)

Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. John 2:22

He (the antichrist) will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

The man who says, "I know HIM," but does not do what HE commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4

Jesus says: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Mat 24:24-27

The characteristic of God’s presence is holiness and the acknowledging the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God according to the gospels/Bible. The Bible also warns us concerning the characteristics of the false prophets –they are godless and change the grace of God in immorality, denying Jesus Christ as well:

"For certain men whose condemnation was written about[a] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." Jude 1:4

To end with, I will just say may we all have a clear understanding and make a clear distinction between our enemy and our Lord Jesus Christ. God has the power to keep us safe until the day we will see HIM face to face!
By Claudia Miclaus

Do miracles still occur today?

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:36:00 +0000

Have you ever seen a miracle? Do you believe they still occur? Read this article and then decide for yourself...Pick up a newspaper today, and read all about rape, murders and the like.
But miracles? Not front page stuff, and it should be!

God is no longer "sensational"...
The average person in the United States has been "televangelized" to near death, and the result is a cataclysmic boredom with religion and anything to do with God.

Most people equate God with some little man (or woman) asking for money in exchange for their new book "How to prosper..."

What a shame.

Religion has brought nothing but shame and dissatisfaction, and people equate religion with Christianity - and Jesus Himself condemned religion, and religious people!

Unbelievable isn't it?

RELIGION WILL NOT SAVE YOU

I'd like to quote "Are you really a Christian?
What it means to be a Christian.
By Johnson Cherian, 1/19/2006 found at buzzle.com

"Being a Christian means to have an intimate relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s not enough to have a head knowledge of Christ; a heart knowledge and acceptance of Christ and His Word is essential and vital to being a Christian. "

Many of the "Christians" today are not Christians at all - they are disqualified because they have no relationship with Jesus Christ. They know OF Him, but don't know Him!

Want to see miracles?

Then become a real Christian...get to know Jesus Christ!

You'll not only SEE miracles - you'll experience them! By Michael Ingram

To Forgive Is Crucial

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Who can emphasize enough the power of forgiveness? It brings inner healing and physical healing too. Take a look and see what Jesus Christ, the Son of God has to say about it.
Enlarge ImageLack of forgiveness can block our access to the kingdom of God and the power of miracles: "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift " (Matthew 5:23, 24).

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive yours sins. "(Matthew 6:14, 15).

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked: Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered: "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt " (Matthew 18:21-25).

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).

The very first person you have to forgive is yourself. Most people fail to forgive themselves, not only others. People tend to reject what God has to say about forgiveness of sins: "as far as the east is from the west, so far he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12).

We can simply decide to forgive ourselves, and then do it. "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God" (1John 3:21).

We most obviously cannot keep sinning, and then expect forgiveness. We have to be continuously released from the awareness of sins and rebellion against God. But if we walk in the light of forgiveness, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sins. (1John 1:7).

The second person we have to forgive and free from our harm feelings is God. There are people who accuse God because of a child’s death, because a husband has left his family, for being sick, for not having enough money. They either consciously or unconsciously believe these to be God’s fault. There is a very deep grudge towards God. But we cannot bear grudge on God, and expect miracles from Him at the same time. So in every circumstance we have to ask ourselves if we blame God for the bad things that are happening to us at that particular point.

Thirdly, another person to be forgiven is very likely to belong to your own family. Family members tend to have hard feelings towards one another, although they claimed they had already forgiven each other. But we must get rid of these hard feelings and move on. Although this might seem of little significance, yet it may bother us a lot, and we have to set ourselves free from these negative attitudes.

Finally, we have to forgive everyone who has ever done us wrong. Although the hard feelings may have a strong justification, maybe that person has done you a lot of wrong, a terrible thing. You may have all the moral, legal and intellectual rights to bear grudge on that person. But if you want to experience miracles in your life, to see God at work, you have to forgive that person. You have to be determined, and keep forgiving that person until you feel free and cleansed of any resentment whatsoever, and even pray for that person. The law of forgiveness is very simple: forgive, and you’ll be forgiven. If we don’t forgive one another, God will not forgive us either.

When asked, most of us will agree we love the idea of experiencing miracles in our lives. But sometimes everything seems dim, doomed and far away, we feel lonely and depressed, for we lack the power to forgive. It’s really a matter of decision, though. And each miracle depends entirely on our relationship with God.

Oh Lord, help us forgive as You forgave us!
By Claudia Miclaus

True Greatness

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:15:00 +0000

True Greatness
What is true greatness of a person? Great people define it in simple yet deep terms while Jesus Christ gave the ultimate example of greatness :" He who is greatest among you will be your servant".Many times our eyes admire the successful people in business or different areas of activity; the more money, the better. Yet, God measures us by other standards, I am always amazed to see how easy it is to be great in the eyes of God… apparently easy, because it might be difficult, especially in our nowadays society when being the leader is the most hunted position; and I am not saying it is wrong to want to be the best in what you are doing! On the contrary, each of us should be the best versions of ourselves in whatever we are good at, however the "soft blanket of success" should be kept in its place and not over our eyes.

Jesus did not rebuke HIS disciples for their willingness to be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven! He simply tells them how to achieve that, here are Jesus’ words:

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes ME." Matthew 18:1-9

This means that we should have a forgiving and pure heart just as children do: "Brothers, don't be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature." 1 Corinthians 14:20"For everyone who takes milk is without experience of the word of righteousness: he is a child." Hebrews 5:13

So for the rest we have to be mature: "Yet when we are among mature believers we do speak words of wisdom; a wisdom not belonging, however, to the present age nor to the leaders of the present age who are soon to pass away." 1 Corinthians 2:6

"…Till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in Christ."Ephesians 4:13

The practical way to do that is presented very clearly by Jesus’ life but HE also put it in words for us saying: "Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves." Luke 22:25-27
I have also gathered some sayings of famous people as they saw greatness:

"Forget about likes and dislikes. They are of no consequence. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness." George Bernard Shaw

"Greatness, in order to gain recognition, must all too often consent to ape greatness." Jean Rostand

"There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it." - Seneca

"I don't confuse greatness with perfection. To be great anyhow is-the higher achievement." Lois McMaster Bujold

"A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness." Elbert Green Hubbard

"Poverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness. An appeal is a mask covering the face of tribulation." Khalil Gibran

"The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally - I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally - impossible for us to figure to ourselves what life would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards toward which we with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves." Theodore Roosevelt

"There are those who believe that a new modernity demands a new morality. What they fail to consider is the harsh reality that there is no such thing as a new morality. There is only one morality. All else is immorality.... If we are to fulfill our great destiny as a people, then we must return to the old morality, the sole morality." Theodore Roosevelt

There have been great kings and generous people, but has anyone been greater than Jesus Christ? No, He is the Son of God and I will conclude with HIS greatness recipe: "But he who is greatest among you will be your servant." Jesus Christ
By Claudia Miclaus

The Old Versus the New Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:14:00 +0000

The law of the Old Testament was fulfilled by Christ Alone, therefore the New Covenant is available today for all who want to receive God's forgiveness and salvation. See more.
Enlarge ImageThe second most important celebration in the Jewish Nation is Shavuot and it represents the day when the first covenant was given; (the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses on the Mount Sinai). However, trough His prophets, God announced the coming of a new, better Covenant with His people trough the Messiah, the Redeemer. That Redeemer came when God said He would come and He suffered as it was prophesied about Him, Jesus Christ died for our sins and today He is the High Priest and the Only Mediator between man and God.

"The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

"By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle:

"See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:

Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.

…When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ

When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Hebrews 8-9

Are you part of the New Covenant? If not, ask God to make you His child trough Jesus Christ His Only Begotten Son. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Whosoever includes you too!
By Claudia Miclaus

The Salvation Of The Soul

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:13:00 +0000

Rescued from the power and consequences of sin is wonderful and the Bible says we become a new creation. How is that though? If I am fat/thin when I am not saved, the moment when I am saved I will still be fat/thin. Where is the new creation? We already know from the Bible that in order to have access to Heaven, a person must be saved. The Bible teaches that salvation, as a plan, takes place until the moment we go to eternity. Now, usually, when we say that a person was saved, we mean that person accepted Christ into his life. Now, let me say that even though you were saved (at a specific time and place), you are still in the process of salvation. Your spirit is saved, but some other parts of you are not yet saved. The Bible says: "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) Yes, that is true, your soul is not saved yet!

Salvation takes place in three times: past, present and future. You were saved (that is your spirit) when you admitted you are a sinner and accepted Jesus as your personal Savor; that was in the past. You are in the process of salvation, now, in the present (salvation of the soul). And, you will be saved in the future, when God will completely take away sin from you (that is your body).

You might say, well, I think my soul is saved. I want to ask you to reconsider that. All those bad thoughts about your neighbor, wife, husband, parents, somebody from the church – do they come out of a saved soul??? I don’t think so! When you hate somebody – is that the proof of a saved soul? Is everything that your mind thinks and your heart feels proof of salvation? Not in my case, at least! John, the apostle, says in 1 John 3:9, that "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Well, you say, ‘I am saved’, ‘I am a child of God’, but the Bible says what is born of God cannot sin.

Do you sin? I do. What does that mean? Before answering, let me tell you that in this particular verse, John is referring to our spirit. Our spirit that was born from God cannot sin. And that is so true, your spirit and mine cannot sin. Why? Because it was born from God. It is His seed – and His seed cannot sin. In order to see what is not saved yet, just think of the sources of sin in yourself. One of them is your soul. Loving in a way we‘re not supposed to, hating others – just show us how sinful our soul is. And if something is sinful, that something needs salvation, it needs to be changed by God.

The Bible calls the salvation of the soul, sanctification. To sanctify means to make something that is sinful into a saint; it means to be "set apart" for God, for His service. This is the process through which the believer is gradually set away from sin, and becomes more and more dedicated to the standard of God’s righteousness. Titus 2:14 makes that so clear: "Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." This process takes place every day, every moment, until God will decide to move us to His glory.

In the Bible, we see three different aspects of sanctification:

1. The instantly sanctification is the position the believer receives in front of God the moment he accepts Jesus through faith. 1 Corinthians 6:11: "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." This is you position before God.

2. Progressive sanctification is the process of a man growing in righteousness; it is what "takes us ever higher" and "releases us ever more from under the power of sin." 2 Corinthians 7:1b: "…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The New Testament doesn’t have any shortcut to sanctification; it only encourages us to just dedicate to the old-fashioned but honored reading of the Bible and to meditate, pray, worship and self-discipline ourselves. This is your spiritual growth.

3. The final sanctification will happen only in heaven when God will completely remove sin from us. 1 John 3:2b: "…and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when HE shall appear, we shall be like HIM; for we shall see HIM as HE is." This is your eternal state.

We are at no. 2. Our soul is in the process of salvation, of being sanctified. The Bible says: "Be ye holy"
By Claudia Miclaus

The Salvation Of The Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:11:00 +0000

Can good deeds take someone to Heaven? If not, what can a human being to get there? God says that Jesus, His Son can take us there!In one of my previous articles I wrote about salvation, and I mentioned that salvation takes place in three different times: past, present and future. This word has three different tenses, but they all represent Jesus. He only is the author of salvation, no matter which one that is, and only He is capable of keeping it for you.

We all come to this world on a wrong path that is the path that goes to hell. It is not right what some people say, that if you’re born in a Christian family, you are definitely a Christian. No, no, no!

Being on the wrong path, your sure destination is hell. And do you know why? Because we all deserve it. Through Adam’s disobedience, his sin came upon all mankind, and because sin brings death, we all go on to spiritual death – which is hell. But God has a solution, the salvation of your spirit.

To justify means to declare somebody without sin. This is the act of God when He declares justified those who put their trust in Jesus. They are released from the guilt and the punishment of sin. Romans 5:1 says: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".

There are three different parts of justification:

1. Forgiveness of sin. Acts 13:38-39a: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [ Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

2. Taking away the guilt. Romans 8:1a: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

3. Giving the righteousness. In Romans 4:6 David described how happy are those "unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works". The next verse clearly shows that this is about a person who was justified through faith.

The ones that are justified, are not only forgiven, but also declared sinless and without any guilt. Their sin is completely erased and they are as they would have never sinned.

Our spirits are dead, and there is no way we can approach and please God. But when He becomes the Lord of our lives, through Jesus’ blood He sees us as like we have never sinned.

The source of justification is the grace of God. Bible says "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). Nothing else can justify you. No man, no other power, no other so-called god, only Jesus’ grace. The way we are justified is through His blood. Romans 5:9 says: "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Do you still think your good deeds will take you to heaven? Bible says, NO. Going further with this, based on the Bible I tell you that the thief that was beside Jesus went to heaven without any good deeds, he went because he accepted Jesus, but the richest man that gives all his money to churches, or to poor, or to orphanages, and doesn’t accept Jesus, will definitely go to hell. There is no other way. The condition of justification is faith in Jesus. The same Bible says: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ," (Galatians 2:16a). The thief on the cross had faith in Jesus. That gave him the ticket to Paradise. Do you have the ticket? The proof of justification is good deeds. Here we see the importance of good deeds. They are no use in salvation, they only prove you are saved. Ephesians 2:10 says: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

There are many who try to find another way to be justified. You can’t. In order to go to heaven after you die, you need your spirit to be saved. That is the only solution.

Please see my other related articles: The salvation of the soul, The salvation of the body.
By Claudia Miclaus

The Salvation Of The Body

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:10:00 +0000

Once saved, our body is the temple of the Holly Spirit, but why are we getting old and eventually die? Shouldn’t our body be instantly saved too?Salvation is like a tree. The most important thing is to plant it in your yard. Without that nothing matters. This is accepting Jesus; this is the salvation of the spirit.

After that, every tree will need some pruning, so that the fruit will come more abundantly. This is the salvation of the soul, when we take care of our ego, not cleaning it, but trying to remove its powers, living not for the flesh, but for God. Doing that, we can wait for the results: the fruits. Our believing in Jesus and our living for Him will come as a result, which is the final harvest: Glorification.

God not only justified you - He released you from the guilt of sin
God not only sanctifies you - He releases you from the power of sin
God will not only glorify you - He will release you from the presence of sin.

Glorification is going to happen when the believer will rise to the sky to meet the Lord.

In order to understand the word "glorification" we first need to understand the word "glory". This word is not to much used in our daily conversations, that is why it is a little bit peculiar. The word "glory" includes the idea of harvesting. The farmer meets many disappointments when he works during the summer; many times it is hot, he is thirsty or hungry; on the field he might meet snakes, bees, flies. But, in spite of all these, the time of harvest is always a time of happiness and joy; it is a glorious time for the farmers. This illustration shows us what the real meaning of the word "glory" is. Jesus spoke about a harvest at the end of times. Inn Matthew 13:30 we read: " and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

Glorification is the action when God transforms the body of the believer, into one without capability to sin.

The glorified believer will be released forever from the presence of sin (1 John 3:2). Then it will be only happiness, joy, peace, and a lot of singing. The suffering and the trials of this life may be painful, but the sum of it all doesn't mean anything compared to the final glory (Rom. 8:18).

"Are you saved?" Concerning your spirit you may say yes. But is your soul saved? Is your body saved? Are the bad thoughts you have against you neighbor a proof that your soul is saved? Is the hatred inside your heart a proof that you are saved? How about your eyes? Are they saved? When your heart is telling you to watch filthy movies, and your hands turn on the TV and your eyes watch it, is that proof of a saved soul and body?

How can you say that your soul has been saved when your thoughts are bad? Of course, the spiritual war is very much present and if your enemy attacks, your mind can also be attacked by evil thoughts you can’t control. However, I mean here the normal situations when you can control your mind very well but still you choose to have hateful thoughts instead of Godly thoughts.

How can anybody claim that his body has been saved when day after day he becomes older and weaker? Is the end of a saved body in the hands of some maggots? Your body will decompose and will stink; that is not the sign of a saved body to me.

The Bible says that the way we must worship God is in spirit and truth. Why? Can't you see? The spirit is saved, and cannot sin anymore, and the truth is the Word of God which is 100% perfect.

"Because Your loving kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips" (Psalm 63:3-5)

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing ".1 Timothy 2:8

May God sanctify and clean our whole being and may Jesus keep us safe until that day when we see Him face to face when our bodies will be transformed in a perfect one!
By Claudia Miclaus

Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:08:00 +0000

The central message of the Bible is the salvation of mankind trough Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Why do we need salvation? Can’t we handle it ourselves?According to the message of the Bible every human being comes in this world with the inclination of going on a wrong path. Of course, this doesn't mean that every new born child has the desire to rob a bank, but that we all are liable to do bad things. And because we sin, we need to be saved; we need somebody to take the guilt and the power of sin.

The greatest miracle in the Bible was not that the Jews crossed the Red Sea, nor that Lazarus was resurrected, but that a person comes to God, and becomes a new creature in Jesus Christ. Salvation means being set free from the chains of sin. In the Old Testament, sometimes, this word was used when somebody was rescued from danger. (Jeremiah 15:20). Other times was used when the weak was released from his oppressor. (Psalms 35:9-10).

Nevertheless, the word "salvation' finds its deep meaning in the spiritual sphere. The idea that every human being needs salvation is one of the most important teachings we find in God's Word.

The most important teaching in the Bible is that Jesus died for you and me. God is number one in the Bible, and nothing else matters if He doesn't take the place He should in your life.

Man is lost, he lives in a lost world, that sins more and more as time goes by. Everybody's first destination is hell. It is our destination because we deserve it; because we like sin, and we want to go there. We all know sinning is wrong. Bible says that if somebody had sinned only once, he would still go to hell. Do you know why? Because the wages of sin is death, salvation comes as God's solution for a hell-deserving man. And it is the only solution.

Salvation is the complete process when God unties sinful human beings from sin, and changes them completely, from the inside out. Salvation takes place in three different times: past, present and future. If you are a Christian, a person who accepted Jesus in his life, and somebody who decided to live for Him the way He demands, then we two can say: "We were saved from the penalty of sin (an act called justification); we are being saved from the power of the sin (an act called sanctification); we will be saved from the presence of sin ( an act called glorification).

When God gave us His Word, His intention was to make us know Him. He couldn't approach us in any different way, because we were so blinded by sin. Moreover, men couldn't approach God, because He is Holy. God sent us the Word that is Jesus Christ. He came as an incarnation of God's plan for people. Jesus was the Bible we have today in our hands. The authors of the Bible wrote only what He was, what He said and what He did.

Jesus' first word was: "Repent..." and that is because this is the main need of every man. Repent, come to God, accept Him, become His child, change your mind - this is the message of the Word.

I said before that the word salvation has three different meanings in three different tenses.

If my reader is a true Christian, then he knows how great that day when God changed his life was. Nobody could have stolen his happiness then. But that's only one step. There are two more to go. Every day, closer and closer to Jesus we can be saved from the power of sin. Every day, face to face to challenges of this world, face to face with the temptations of this world, we can overcome sin, of course, with God's power. And we are called to do that. God doesn't need vegetables in his church. You might say: "Well, I am saved, I know I will go to heave when I die, I can live the way I want to" No, that's not the Bible. You need to overcome, to be victorious in the battle against sin.

Then, God will save us from the presence of sin. Oh, what a day that will be!

God will completely erase sin from our lives! Let us live for Him and allow Him to do miraculous things in our lives. And let us see how He will save us from everything that belongs to this world.
By Claudia Miclaus

Dealing With Setbacks

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:08:00 +0000

Dealing With Setbacks
I lve this saying:"every set back is a set up for a greater come back". Is it true? Oh it is, see more why it is so in the following article.I am sure we all have experienced how at times when we simply did not understand why things and people turned against us- somebody let us down or we did not get that promotion we worked so hard for or any other reasons- we might have just doubted that God has something even better ahead. It is so easy to get discouraged in such circumstances, I know, I had my share so far too!

Yet, in the difficult times when your enemies seem to have the best of the situation and you are unfairly treated remember that this is not the end! Look at the Gospels, Jesus’ life didn’t end when people wanted it ended and it didn’t end when Satan wanted it finished! God used that setback for the most awesome of comebacks: Jesus Christ came back alive (and that is still a masterpiece to be completed - I refer to the whole plan God has - to bring Jesus Christ back on Earth for the second time). Yes, the Gospels do not end with the crucifixion but with the magnificent resurrection of Christ!

It is exactly the same principle in life, when people treat you unfairly don’t lose focus and don’t give in because that very situation is actually a test that will thrust you to the next level in your walk with the Lord! God only wants to bring you higher in everything and He wants all the best for you. He wants to bring you on the path of the destiny He designed you for.

Do you know that you are uniquely created for a very original and unique purpose? Something that no one can do better than you. For example if you have a good voice, a great singing gift, you are more likely to embrace a career in singing than a person who has no ability whatsoever to sing. This is plain and obvious, yet sometimes, the way we choose what we want to do is not always what God would advice us to do, but in His goodness, He will let us know the best choice for us.

On many occasions however, that what God calls "best" for us is so far from the point we are in at the moment, that it literally seems rather impossible to achieve; and it is impossible if we look at our own strength alone, but when God intervenes, His power, His love will bring you where you need to be. Just like with Moses when they had to cross the Red Sea and the enemies were behind God’s people, what seemed impossible (and was an impossibility in human terms) God made a wonderful way out: walking on solid ground, crossing the sea. God is a specialist in situations like these, His pleasure is to help, to guide, yet sometimes we expect things to turn out just like in a microwave oven- in 30 seconds!

With God is like with those GPS systems, He will guide you where you need to be using the best way! Therefore, regardless how far you departed from what God showed you to be the best for your life, if you ask for His guidance (and you really mean it!), He will show you the shortest way to the place you need to be.

The first step is the realization that God really exists and He rewards those who seek Him. When you start realizing this, you will go to the next step which is knowing how God sees things and you will find out that God is a Holy God, He loves people but hates sin. That is why He sent down to Earth His Son Jesus Christ- to save us from our sinful nature and to give us His Holy nature, to free us from the bondage of sin. That’s why we need to regret our sin and leave it, embracing God’s Holy Son Jesus Christ who paid the price so that we could stand right with God, the way God intended it in the first place.

Only now, after knowing Jesus Christ we can really enter the blessings and privileges God’s family has, that’s why, only when you realize how much you are loved and what a great sacrifice and price God paid to bring us all back from evil, you can really enter the destiny God prepared for you. You know, we are not a series of robots, we are custom made, we were handpicked by God Himself! You are on Earth now because you have a great destiny to fulfill but you can also settle for much less if you don’t ask for God’s advice!

I’ve seen it in my life so far, God has so much for us but we settle for so much less! He’s already done for me things I have never dared to imagine so I am expecting BIG things from God because He always went far beyond all I imagined!

That’s why, during a setback, don’t lose focus, ask God for wisdom and He will vindicate you infinitely better than you could ever vindicate yourself! Do your best to know His will for your life and dig your heels in it with trust and confidence that God will bring you out in a wonderful way!
By Claudia Miclaus
Published: 1/21/2010

Jesus’ View On Divorce

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:07:00 +0000

Divorce rates are going up…why? A study shows that for couples who pray together, the divorce rate is less than 1%. See more of what Jesus has to say about divorce.Divorce rate increases each day and the chances are that you have already been through such experience. The motives vary and are more or less subjective.

Especially when the two get married because of the right reasons (love, or at least they believed so at first) separation is a painful experience.

But how does Bible see divorce? I chose a passage describing this subject through Jesus’ eyes:

"When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Also, when he talks about divorce, Peter, the Lord’s apostle says:

"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?"1 Corinthians 7

"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers." Hebrews 13:4

God is the One who invented marriage, so it should work! It does work but it is not always easy, in fact it is obvious that the partners should make it work, preventing those situations where things might take the wrong way.

The partners who pray together, stay together.

"Most of the Christian couples that I know do not pray together. I know one Christian brother who flat out refuses to pray together with his wife. He says he prays by himself, but he won't pray together with his wife. Praying with his wife makes him feel too uncomfortable, so he won't pray with her. I hate to say it, but his views are not uncommon. Very few Christian couples actually take the time to pray together. Pollster George Barna recently reported his findings from interviews with 3,142 randomly selected adults, 1,220 of whom were born-again Christians.

•Of those who are non-Christian, 23 percent have seen their marriage go through the devastation of a divorce.
•27 percent of those who call themselves born-again Christians have been divorced. (That makes the divorce rate higher among Christians than non-Christians)
•And of those who label themselves "Fundamentalist Christians," 30 percent have experienced a divorce.

FamilyLife has surveyed of thousands of Christian couples and found that less than 8% pray together on regular basis. That is a shockingly low percentage. However, the statistics that I found show that of Christian couples who actively pray together, the divorce rate is less than one percent. Less than one percent! This begs the question: How often do you pray with your spouse? Don't include the mealtime blessing, that doesn't count. The response to the question is enlightening because most couples very rarely pray together, with the exception of the mealtime blessing. So why don't we pray with our spouses? I think it's because we just don’t realize the importance of prayer to our marital relationship. Most people acknowledge that prayer is very important to them but they simply fail to do it on any regular basis. The fact of the matter is that if we don't pray very much, then prayer is really not very important to us." Steven Wickstrom (2004)

Prayer is the key in everything; it is obvious that marriage makes no exception to this rule. Pray before you marry, pray during it and with God’s help, you’ll not have to pray when you divorce, because you won’t.

May God keep you and your marriage, safe!
By Claudia Miclaus

Faces of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:05:00 +0000

Kindness, pure love and mercy mixed with an accurate judgment and wholesome justice are features that can all be found in Jesus Christ. How would His face have appeared like?
Enlarge ImageThe personality Jesus Christ the Son of God and founder of Christianity, has always aroused people's imagination. And, of course, believers always tried to find out how exactly He looked like. And naturally, there are plenty of people who claimed to have seen His face in various places.

For instance, in Belvedere, somewhere near London, there was a man called Martin Gregory. In 2006 he discovered a very strange fern of asparagus. According to its owner, the asparagus was about ten years old. He was thinking that the plant was dying, and so he thought of putting it in another pot. That is how he discovered the "miracle": "I thought, good gracious! It's the face of Jesus!"

Another such example is said to have been noticed still somewhere in Britain. The picture was taken by a Chinese photographer who was riding his bike home one snowy day. He said he was troubled, because he saw most of his friends turning to Christianity, and he was actually looking for answers. So, on that day, while he was going home, he said in his mind: "Lord, if I could only see your face, I would believe." Then all of a sudden he could hear a voice saying, "Take a picture. Take a picture." That is how he discovered a strange, unexpected image on the roadway. He took a picture of the black earth and melting snow. When he went home and developed the picture, in that image actually appeared to him the face of Christ. And since then he became a Christian.

In the same way, lots of people claimed to have seen the face of Jesus in cloud patterns. As it commonly happens, such images actually appeared when people who took pictures of clouds developed the pictures. Many such figures and bearded faces have been seen in other natural phenomena like thunderstorms, hurricanes, or even in the Cone Nebula clouds. The so-called Cone Nebula, aka NGC 2264, stands for a region found in the Monoceros constellation. This zone was discovered in 1785 by William Herschel and it is located about 2,601 light-years from our planet.

At any rate, since all these claimed appearances hardly resemble each other, it's rather a tricky, debatable issue. Yet, to those really wanting to see the face of Jesus, I would like to re-tell the story of an Italian monk, called Epiphanius. One day, this monk realized he was endowed with a wonderful gift: that of painting beautiful pictures. His greatest desire was to create a masterpiece, representing the true face of Jesus. But he found himself at a loss when it came to finding the right model. He needed someone who expressed all the suffering, the love, death and resurrection, the human and divine of Jesus. And such a face was very hard to imagine, and therefore paint. So the monk got really anxious and decided to travel all around Europe, in order to find his inspiration. He would look at the faces of everybody he came across, but he simply couldn't find the right model for his creation.

One night, the monk had an unusual dream. He dreamt that an angel was taking him back to all the faces he had encountered during his journey. The angel showed him every detail that made the true face of Jesus: the joyful face of a newly-wedded wife, the innocence of a child, the strength of a peasant, the sufferance of a sick person, the kindness and tenderness of a mother towards her children, the fear of an orphan, the severity of a judge, the mercy of a forgiver, and the bandaged face of leper. So he got back to his monastery and started to paint.

An year later, the painting was ready, and he decided to show it to his fellow-monks. They were so deeply moved that they fell to their knees. The face of Jesus was so wonderful, like he was looking inside each one of them, calling them to Himself. But when being asked, Epiphanius couldn't really tell who his model was. The monk had actually realized that it was impossible to find the face of Jesus in just one man. He could see Jesus in every person.

By Claudia Miclaus

The Holiness of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:04:00 +0000

Guiltless and blamelessly innocent, the purity of Christ is the very nature of God: holly, which means to be separated from sin. That’s why the world hated Him and still does so today, but in the judgment day we will have to answer before Him.As the fist snowflakes of the year fall on a cold outdoors, my thoughts are swept ahead to the greatest time of the year…Christmas, even though it is only the beginning of November. The thing that my thoughts have landed on, is the person that Christmas is all about, Jesus Christ…but not just any aspect of Jesus, I want to take a look at the holiness of the One that gave his life for mankind.

Did you know that you can find Bible verses in the Old Testament that talk about Jesus Christ and His holiness, one of the verses that I will provide is from the Psalms. "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." Psalms 16:9, 10

We see here how the author of the psalm is exceedingly glad because he has the assurance that he is not going to hell, and that God will not let the Holy One to see corruption. The Holy One that David (the author) is talking about in these verses is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The best place to start talking about Christ is the beginning of his life on earth, as you will see in the next verse, the very beginning of His life on earth.

"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."Luke 1:36

The Angel Gabriel who came and told Mary that she was pregnant also said that the Child to which she would give birth was going to be a Holy child…and he was going to be the Son of God.

It was not just the Angel, Christ’ disciples also proclaimed the fact that He was Holy. Take a look at what Paul said about him. "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."II Corinthians 5:21

Take a look at what Peter had to say about our savior. "For the truth against the holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now Lord, behold their threatening: and grant thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; l and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus." Acts 4:27-30

Not only angels and disciples knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God, the demons knew it as well, as we can see in the Bible.

"And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to de with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." Mark 1:23, 24

It is strange that when we take a close look at the Bible we can see the Holiness and the divinity of Christ proclaimed by so many different types of people, from all walks of life, and not just people, we find that angles and demons knew about Jesus, they knew where it was that He came from and they knew who he was and what he was planning to do here on earth.

It is strange how in the days that we live in now nobody wants to talk about Jesus, nobody wants to acknowledge that fact that He does live and that He was and is the Holy One of God, these days if you here about Jesus all you here is someone making fun of Him is some way or another, all you hear is somebody degrading Him through bad jokes and worse things that are so perverted I will not mention them.

One day those people will stand before the judgment seat of God and they will have to explain why it is that they made fun of His son…I wonder what those people will say when confronted by God, what would you say. If you have not accepted Christ as your personal savior, you will have to answer to God as well.
By Claudia Miclaus

The Passion of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (SANTO LORENXO) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:03:00 +0000

Identifying God is not religion. Identifying what God wants is becoming true God follower. Learning from Buddha and Jesus is enough to understand God.Buddha believed the gods were like humans in that they also needed to be enlightened. With regard to the existence of some Supreme Reality beyond this world, the Buddha remained open-minded, non prejudiced and unconcerned.

Thus few of us believe Buddhism as an anti-God religion as Buddhists do not actively believe in or worship God. However the Buddha accepted the existence of the Hindu gods, but did not believe they were beyond the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The idea that there is a supernatural personality behind the universe is difficult to prove.

In short there is no sufficient proof for either the existence or the non-existence of any God.

This is not a question to prove existence of God. Or religious wise we fight to prove our god’s existence. We are blind if we categorize Gods among ourselves. Every one of us knows that there is no god as a person among us at this moment. Religion is the most popular and visible expression of fundamentalism but it is also significantly present in politics.

"Gods were like humans in that they also needed to be enlightened" is a most sacred and secure way to believe in gods. For me god is an example of perfection to which human kind always try to reach. God can be a leader whom we follow without any resistance to survive in the world. God exists with the possibility that they might show me the truth of their beliefs.

Many people are afraid of an honest and open enquiry into the question of God and God’s existence. Many people in religions seem afraid to listen to different viewpoints to their own in case they are led away from what they believe is the Truth. Many people who are not religious are afraid to listen to alternatives in case they are led into religion.

To the extend existence of God, I believe in a personality who born on earth to guide you on sacred path is Jesus. Honestly let it be either story or reality, I agree with Jesus as a passionate man!

Passion and prejudice govern the world, only under the name of reason. Prejudice is a path on which most of us walk. He simply lived his life to prove love and passion. If nothing else then believe the passion of Christ!

Latest movie on Jesus "The Passion of the Christ" is true sense movie describing how passionate he was! "The Passion of The Christ" is a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper.

Passion - The meaning of the word passion refers to any powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. Being passionate can mean boundless enthusiasm, or the object of that enthusiasm.

Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. Passion of Christ is a learning of being passionate for love, forgiveness and faith.

We are able to forgive those who wrong us is an indication to what extent agape love is being developed in us. Justice, Liberation, Inclusion, Healing, Wholeness and an abundant life fully connected to God.

I read the following prayer. Does it mean to us?

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised. Is this the life for you? If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you'll experience life to the fullest.

Everything is our belief. Actually speaking we don’t have time to think upon. Even you may not have time to read this again and again. We believe in thou (let it be any religion – a common man "God") only because we are taught in way.

We prejudice for bible or Quaran. We have neither read either of them. We believe God as religious people told it. We dislike religion because we had bad experience with religious people. For everything we are confused. Later we say, "God is love and forgiveness". Following god is following what thou want.

Read and forget. Go home and enjoy our daily life. God is in heaven and we are on earth. Why shall we worry for heaven when we are on earth? If you are passionate to know god, forget everything. Live your whole life. Analyze anything wrong which you did wrong. Think about love and forgiveness. Think about cruelty and prejudice. Or read those lives that lived to find same thing. That’s Jesus and other prophets stand!!
By Jay C