Have you ever wondered what happened to the Apostles and early church leaders? Fox’s Book of Martyrs can help answer these questions. John Fox was a radical Christian who dedicated his life to researching and writing about people who throughout history gave their life for the Lord.

Do you ever doubt whether or not what the people in the Bible were preaching is true? Then ask yourself, why did so many of them give their life teaching the Truth of the Gospel?

Fox’s Book of Martyrs [eBook/Adobe Acrobat PDF]

Here is a summary of chapter 1:

• Stephen – First person to give his life for his belief that the Gospel was true.
• James – One of the sons of Zebedee, was beheaded by king Herod Agrippa, A.D. 44.
• Philip – Scourged, imprisoned, and then crucified, A.D 54.
• Matthew – The tax collector, was slain with a halberd (an axe-like blade), A.D. 60.
• James – Half brother of Jesus, at age ninety-four was beaten and stoned by the Jews; and finally had his brains bashed out with a fuller’s club.
• Matthias – Originally chosen to replace Judas Iscariot, was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.
• Andrew – Brother of Peter, crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground.
• Mark – Supposed to have been converted by Peter, was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria.
• Peter – Was crucified upside-down, because he said he was unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as his Lord Jesus Christ.
• Paul – Formerly persecuted Christians and gave consent to the stoning of Stephen (the first martyr) was beheaded by Nero for preaching the Gospel.
• Jude – Half brother of Jesus was crucified at Edessa, AD 72.
• Bartholomew – Preached the Gospel in several countries, then was at length cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.
• Thomas – Originally doubted Christ’s resurrection (Doubting Thomas) was martyred by being thrust through with a spear by pagan priests.
• Luke – Wrote one of the Gospels, was supposed to have been hanged on an olive tree, by the idolatrous priests of Greece.
• Simon – Preached the Gospel in Africa, and then Britain where he was crucified, AD 74.
• John – The youngest Apostle was thrown into boiling oil but miraculously survived unharmed. He was banished to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death.
• Barnabas – Was of Cyprus, but of Jewish descent, his death is supposed to have taken place about AD 73.

As Christians we have the privilege of communicating with God through prayer.  The Bible assures us that God hears our prayers and He will answer them according to His will and timing.  Whether you agree or disagree with the decisions made by our President and other leaders in authority one thing is certain, we need to pray for them.

Here are some suggested ways to pray for our leaders according to the In Touch Ministries website…

Pray that our elected officials would:

1. Recognize their personal sinfulness and need for the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.
2. Understand their inadequacy for the task before them and their need to pray for God’s wisdom, knowledge and courage.
3. Reject all counsel that violates the spiritual principles of God’s Word and be willing to trust God to lead them in the right direction.
4. Resist the pressures of those who would lead them astray or tempt them to disobey the Lord and His will for their lives.
5. Work to reverse the trend towards ungodliness in our land and to restore America’s Christ-centered values.
6. Be prepared to make godly choices in the best interest of America, regardless of the cost.
7. Rely on the Word of God and prayer for strength and success.
8. Maintain dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness in office.
9. Strive to be a godly example to the men, women, and children of this land.
10. Remember that while in office, they are accountable to God for their attitudes, actions, and motives.

If God’s people pray consistently and passionately for those in authority, the entire nation will be affected. “The effective prayer of a righteous man [or woman] can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

Praying for The President [In Touch Ministries]

Amazon is giving away a new holiday song every day until Christmas. Right now they have Casting Crowns and Tori Amos MP3’s for download. Keep checking their website everyday to get your daily free song.

Amazon Says:
Every day through Christmas, we’re unveiling a new holiday song available to download free for a limited time. Check back daily to see what’s next.

Please Note: in order to download the song you will be prompted to install the Amazon MP3 Downloader application onto your computer.

Free Daily Christmas Songs [Amazon.com]

There are 5 WEEKS left before Christmas. Do you have a budget yet? Craig Ford, guest blogger at Christian PF, has written a great Christmas budget that will help you decide how to approach your gift spending needs. The best part about it, is that you will be able to have a debt free Christmas.

Christian PF says to add this spending rule to your budget:

How much you can afford to spend must be an amount you save in CASH. This is not an ‘if-I-were-rich-I-would-budget-this’ list. This is how much you actually have to give for Christmas. If the number is low, that is fine. Christmas is not about financially crippling yourself so someone can have a pair of socks that will go in the trash before January. Christmas is about expressing love and appreciation. Both of which can be done without money. Christmas can be enjoyed without money. Be sure that your budget is reasonable in relationship to your income. This can be done by making sure your total amount fits within recommended budget percentages.

How to setup your Christmas Budget [ChristianPF.com]

Nick Vujicic is an Australian man that was born without limbs.  Although many would find such an event a tragedy, in reality it was meant to glorify God.  Nick has been used by God to spread the Gospel in ways that are beyond our comprehension.

On his website Nick says:

I’m 26 years old. I was born without arms or legs and given no medical reason for this condition. Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, God has given me the strength to surmount what others might call impossible. Along with that, the Lord has placed within me an unquenchable passion to share this same hope and genuine love that I’ve personally experienced with more than two million people all over the globe.

Nick Vujicic’s Website [LifeWithOutLimbs.org]

Take a look at the following two videos to find out more about Nick.  If you have time, also view the sermon as it will be a true blessing.

Quick Interview with Nick:

Nick giving a powerful Sermon:

Sermon 4-27-08 Nick Vujicic from Highlands Church on Vimeo.

How are you managing God’s money?  Do you need help keeping track of your personal finances?  Perhaps you have heard of budgeting tools like Mint.com, Mvelopes by Crown Financial Ministries, or spreadsheets recommended by Dave Ramsey.  Everything we have including money belongs to the Lord.  As followers of Jesus we are called to be good stewards of God’s money.  It’s not the amount of money that’s important but what we do with what we have.

BibleMoneyMatters.com recently addressed this topic by posting: The Great Big List Of 75 Budgeting Tools, Finance Softwares And iPhone Money Apps

Here are some things to consider about desktop and online budgeting applications:

• Cost: Some are free and others offer free trials for a stated amount of time.
• Time: It takes time to initially get started and become familiar with the application.  However, after you have everything setup, many of the online products will automatically import your financial information on a daily basis.
• Security & Privacy: Some people have concerns about giving online companies their usernames and passwords.  These are needed in order to import the information from the accounts you want to keep track of.
• Tracking Options: Some tools allow you to view all of your bank accounts, credit cards, investments, retirement (i.e. IRA and  401K accounts), loans, frequent-flier miles, and real estate in one place.
• Availability: Desktop versions can relieve the concerns of having all of your information in another company’s datacenter.  However, online applications offer the flexibility of being able to view your data from any computer in the world.
• Perks: Many of the online versions offer text messages, email alerts, and reminders.  They will let you know when you are over budget or when big payments (i.e. mortgage and credit card bills) are due.  They can also let you know how you compare financially with others in your geographical area.
• Upgrades: Unlike desktop software like quicken, the online versions do not force you to pay for upgrades every few years.

Want to watch something that will equip and edify you in your walk with Jesus?  HisChannel.com is an online Christian TV network which offers free programs 24 hours a day, directly to your computer.  On the homepage  simply choose between live Christian TV or videos on demand.  Here is a list of what you can expect to find on HisChannel.com:

• Biblical teachings
• World News briefings
• Prophecy news
• Testimonial interviews
• Movies

Check it out and be blessed!

www.hischannel.com

Biblical Application = Godly Transformation

God accepts you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to keep you that way.  Godly transformation is a continual process.  It occurs as we understand and apply what we read daily in God’s Word.  The next time you read your Bible consider these 7 questions provided by Charlie H. Campbell:

1. Are there commands to obey?
2. Are there examples to follow?
3. Are there errors or stumbling blocks to avoid?
4. Are there sins to forsake?
5. Are there promises to believe and rejoice in?
6. Are there principles to live by?
7. Are there truths about God to trust in?

Charlie H. Campbell says:

The next time you read through a section of Scripture and are tempted to shut your Bible and say, “I don’t know how that applies to me,” refer to this list of questions and go back over the verses you’ve read and watch what happens. I bet you’ll be blessed. God’s Word is amazing and full of treasures for the person who is willing to do a little mining.

Questions to ask when reading the Bible [ABR Blog]

Would you like an outline on how to share the Gospel with others? Download this Romans Road cheat sheet to carry with you or give away. We put it together in an Adobe Acrobat PDF printable format. It contains verses from the book of Romans that will help a person understand what Jesus and Salvation are all about.

Download PDF file (full page)

Download PDF file (4 per page, for redistribution)

Can’t view the PDF file? Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

What is the Romans Road?

The Romans Road to salvation is a simple tool that explains what the Bible has to say about why we need a Savior, how your salvation was paid for, and how to receive the free gift of salvation.

Let’s see how the Bible answers the following questions:

Do you think you are good?
Romans 3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.

Have you ever sinned?
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Where did sin come from?
Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

What is the penalty for sin?
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Who paid the death penalty for you?
Romans 5:8 – God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How are you saved?
Romans 10:9-10 – if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

God’s Promise!
Romans 10:13 – For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Want to have a jungle experience on your next restaurant outing?  Then try Rainforest Cafe.  Here’s a $10 off printable coupon for you next $25 or more purchase.  The restaurant has talking animals and trees which are a hit with the kids.  Offer Expires 12/31/2009

Download Printable $10 off Rainforest Cafe coupon

Rainforest Cafe Locations [RainforestCafe.com]