He Refused to Drink It

Two amazing things took place just before the crucifixion of Jesus. First, someone was caring enough in the midst of that hardened crowd, to reach out to the Master and offer Him a way to ease His pain. Was this the standard thing to do? Doesn't seem to me that one would be "nice" to a murderer or thief. But somehow compassion reached the Son of God, as someone was able to see the senselessness of this particular crucifixion.

The other amazing thing is that Jesus refused to drink what He was offered. It's amazing to me because I tend to be an escape artist when it comes to pain and suffering. If they would, I'd let them put me out at the dentist's office.

But through the years I've been able to say with the Pharisee, I'm sure glad I'm not like the people of the world. I don't drink or do drugs or smoke. I don't alter my mind or body at all, and escape my troubles and fears by some substance. Then it hit me, not too long ago. I've been using the television to dull my senses to the pain of Christ in the world today.

By God's grace, on June 26 I was delivered from the real culprit of American society. There are many believers like myself who would never think of hitting the bottle, but when they need "fellowship", they turn on the TV. If they lack companionship, they turn on the TV. When things get tough, they turn to television. When they're feeling good, even about the Lord, they celebrate by watching a little TV. When their mind gets hungry, when they're bored, they lack vision, they want to relax, escape...oh for any number of reasons, television is king.

I believe now that the television-movie industry is drugging American Christians, de-sensitizing them to the realities of the Holy Spirit, and delaying any true revival.

Could it be that Christ Himself would like to be the One we turn to in all the above situations? Could it be that God would have us fill our minds with God's vision, not tele-vision?

How many times did I lose the program that God had just given me in His Word by having it buried in the program of some man. How many times have I laughed my way out of the deep walk in the Spirit He was desiring. How many hours-days-years gone, with no way of recovery...

I speak not as judge. I speak as one set free, who wants his friends to have the same joy. I have not regretted my decision. Though it is only 3 weeks old, life is already taking much better turns. I am thinking my own thoughts, going the way I was intended to go, hand in hand with Christ. Doors are opening. Life is fuller. I highly recommend a Hollywood-free life to all who can hear me.

If Christ Jesus refused to drink the cup that men gave Him so that He could drink the cup the Father gave Him, well, should that not be the Model I place before me?

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Action Plan For Success

Daniel and Paul Speak of Antichrist

Did Paul ever deal with the question of the antichrist? Most assuredly. And as one might expect, this passage, II Thessalonians 2, has been abused quite a bit through the years. Let's look at the first 12 verses.

In the first place, Paul meant in no way to divide the "coming" of Jesus from our "gathering" to Him. If he had meant to do this, surely He would not mention these events in reverse order. (I'm using the mentality of the "pre-tribulation" people who insist that there are two separated comings of Jesus in our future.) In fact, the order is correct, and it happens all at the same moment. Jesus comes to earth, and on His way to us we are gathered up from everywhere.

The church in Thessalonica had caught hold of a rumor that God's people had already been raptured up! Paul writes this note to them to settle forever the church's thinking about some secret unknowable rapture. He does in fact what Jesus does with this question. He places before the coming of Jesus, not a rapture but a very clear sign. Remember Jesus' sign (Matthew 24:15)? "The abomination of desolation." Something that God hates that brings His wrath down. For Paul it is the one who commits that horrible sacrilege. Thus it is the same sign spoken of by the prophet Daniel.

In his further comments he uses terminology straight from that book of Daniel that Jesus referred His people to. For example compare II Thessalonians 2:4 to Daniel 11:36:

2:4, "...who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped..."

11:36, "...he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods..."

Two events, says Paul, must come before the day of Christ's return. They can be viewed as two parts of the same event. First a slow but clear backsliding of God's people. I believe it could be so large in its scope that the Bible will be largely a forgotten, unknown Book. Remember the conditions at Jesus' first coming! The Scriptures had been hidden from the eyes of men so greatly that the clear prophecies regarding the when and where of His appearing were not commonly known.

So it will be, I believe, when He comes again. The Gospel message, though having gone everywhere, will have lost its grip on multiplied millions, as one can see in Europe and other parts of the West today. Christian values in society will be swept away by the "newer thinking". There will be a blending of church and world to the extent that lukewarmness will prevail and straightforward Biblical truths will be largely ridiculed or ignored.

Thus it will be easy for the second sign to occur, the rise of a lawless society headed by a lawless antichrist. The spirit of the age will be "liberty" which easily erodes into "lawless" ways, the "no one can tell me what to do" mentality.

Thus will rise, says Paul, "the lawless one", "the son of perdition." The self-exaltation and blasphemy which will be his hallmark have been documented not only in Daniel but in John's work, Revelation. The Spirit is saying the same thing many times, so we will not miss it. Or will we?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Powerful Beliefs In The Bible

The Sabbath Before Sinai

One can read the Bible as history or as a living Word with ramifications for his own life, here and now. While not ignoring valid historical methods of communication, I prefer to see this history as ongoing. I want to know, God, does this have anything to do with me, today? Let's walk through the Sabbath Scriptures with that mentality.

1. Following the account of creation are these words in Genesis 2:2-3.

"On the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

a. Who wrote this? Our longest tradition is that it came from the pen of Moses. Since Moses wrote it, some say that perhaps he had in mind the people of Israel before him in the wilderness. Perhaps, they speculate, adding the command just here was a motivation for them to keep this new invention called Sabbath, a gift to the Jewish people. When we take the maybes out, we're left with a statement spoken by God 2500 years before the man Moses lived! I do not doubt Moses' authorship, but I do doubt modern scholarship that speculates about human motivations, and questions authentic words from the Lord, trying desperately to confirm their own theological notions.

b. God had just finished his beautiful work of creation, which included one man and one woman. These humans were neither Jew nor Gentile. The need for calling out a special people to bring in a Messiah for sin did not exist, for at this moment, sin was nowhere to be found. There was only one class of humans, and during their existence He spoke these words.

God made this day holy for His own purposes, to declare to all ages that His work is completed and worthy of praise. This seventh day was to be a time of rest and rejoicing in the work of God. This is not speculation. God said it. Did He say it in the hearing of Adam? I would think it strange that humans never heard such a thing until Moses, but here the text is silent. We speculate that what would later be a 10-commandment practice, along with practices regarding respect for elders (later the 3rd commandment), keeping from adultery (7th) and murder (6th) , and stealing (8th), were somehow written in to the minds of men before being written down at Sinai. How it was written we shall not know for awhile. But that some communication was out there becomes obvious when the notion of the tithe suddenly appears in Genesis, and later this same tithe is incorporated into the legal system of Israel. Something is being said somehow. The point that is important to make here is that the day was set aside, that it was sanctified, long before the law that made it "official."

The question that must follow then is, if God blesses a day and sets it apart from the other days, can any man say that this blessing and sanctification is null and void? Can man either say, there is no day to be so revered, or, there is such a day, but it is not the seventh day? I do not answer this question, at least now, but it seems important that we take the time to try.

2. We must now skip those 2,500 years of history and come to the second book of the Bible, in the days of Moses. For this is the next mention of a special seventh day. Allow me to quote portions of Exodus 16:5, and 22-30.

"And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily... And it was so, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread... Then [Moses] said to them, This is what the Lord has said: Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord... [the next day] Moses said, Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field... The Lord said...See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath... Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day [to gather manna]. So the people rested on the seventh day [from gathering manna]."

a. Here is the historic moment when the Sabbath, for 2,500 years special to God, if not to his created beings, is handed over to the Jewish people. For some, the case is closed here. The Sabbath is Jewish. Next question, please. But first, is this the only spiritual benefit given the Jews? Are we willing to say that everything given the Jews is, therefore, Jewish, and not to be tasted by other people groups? The Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles is not so willing:

Romans 3:2, "Unto them [the Jews] were committed the oracles of God." Oracles are sayings. We're talking about the Scriptures. Not only the works of Moses , but also the histories, the Psalms, the prophets. All of these were first given to Israel. Later in Romans, Paul adds a few more items:

Romans 9:4-5, "...Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh, Christ came..."

We need to re-open the case. It is clear that things given to Israel are not only Israel's. Why, the very idea of one God vs. the multitude of gods in Moses' day and in Abraham's day, was a truth entrusted to Israel, but meant for any who will receive it. Preserved by Jews, but not for Jews alone.

b. Another point to be suggested here is that even at this point in the wilderness, the "law" had not been officially pronounced from the mountain-top. Here are simply the people of God being told of the ways of God, one of which ways included a seventh day rest. This was a teaching that had fallen into oblivion, for sure, but so also was the very idea of one God and only one. The world had gone into madness in its definition and worship of deities. Israel is now raised up to be the guardian of truth.

So before the Sinai experience, before the law of God was oficialized, there was a Sabbath Day.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Backup Plans Feel Good

The Call is to Die

It's been in the Scriptures all along. The invitation to come die with and for Jesus. I shall not try to explain it away. We must not only "hate" the world around us, but our own life too.

"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

It starts in the Old Testament. See Joseph off to give food to his brothers. Left for dead. The prophets one by one eating the sweet word of God, but when feeding it to those around them, one by one tasting the bitterness of death. Jesus Himself, and foremost, with His message to give, a life to live, but Who gives Himself freely in love to die. The apostles with that same message, but death is their reward too. They count it a privilege to die with Jesus.

Through the church's history the trail of blood is the pathway along which the narrow way winds. Enemies of the Roman State, then enemies of the Roman Church, and systems like it in many nations. Called to die for Jesus. Nothing has changed.

Why even in the last days, during the last trials of the church, a great company is ushered into heaven and the question rings out, "Who are these?" The answer is that these innumerable members of the Body of Christ got there, not escaping from, but right through the middle of, great tribulation.

Yes, far be it from the Scriptures to say that the "tribulation saints", as we love to call them, are the spineless backslidden Christian wannabes portrayed in slick books and movies in this post-Christian era. That they are some sort of second-class citizens who don't even merit the name "church". No, that same group is described later by John as beheaded witnesses who are lifted up to reign with Christ for 1000 years. They become the brightest stars the church has ever known.

Does the book-reading movie-loving "saint" of our own lazy culture think that somehow our own slovenliness at Christian warfare will be able in any way to compare with those luminaries? That we should be snatched up to glory while the enemy is raging at his highest decibels on earth?

The call is to trouble and suffering and death. If we suffer with Him, we reign with Him. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Those who will follow the crucified Christ must follow Him in this also. There are no exceptions. The one who dies for Christ seals the message of the cross that he has preached.

Even now, readers and listeners may be waiting for the softening of the blow. "Here is what that really means," he will say. No, there is no interpreting away of God's Word. The call upon our lives is the call to die. Yes, surely there is a crown. Yes, surely there is pure joy on the other side. But the other side is reached through the valley of a death chosen by us. A decision to take the cross and be crucified upon it in His time and place. For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. The cross is on the way to the crown. For so many of us we view the cross as "in the way."

Yes, death will come to all regardless of our choices. But how wonderful from Heaven's vantage point to see one who did not have to die, go ahead and give his life anyway.

We've heard the call to salvation. The call to the Spirit-filled life. The call to faithfulness. The call to growth and service. If we are to continue on with Him, we must hear the call to die.

Look for "Bob Faulkner" on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Ignorant Excuses Who Needs Them

If I Could Be Born Again

I have met only two North Koreans. Both times it was a great honor. On the last occasion, I proudly shook the young man's hand and promised to write to him. He does not know how much I owe him. He cannot comprehend the message he conveys to the West by his mere existence.

According to his testimony, there are several other things he does not comprehend. Like family, and friendship. Well, you'd have trouble with these commodities too if you had been born and raised in a Communist concentration camp. If the only life you knew was the animal-like existence of underprivileged humans whose only role in life was to keep the NK machine rolling smoothly for the dictator. If your parents were so abused by their "superiors" that they abused you in turn.

That was his life. Somewhere down the line someone truly offended the Dear Leader and his regime. So the family of that someone was considered a threat, and kept in a labor camp. Those who were given husband-wife privilege produced more slaves for the government. He was so produced. But there was no family life, no warmth, no affection. Parents, yes. But no parenting. Only work, beatings, eat, sleep, die.

One day a fellow laborer was talking about the outside world, and the thought of such a thing began to consume him. He had to escape.Through a series of incredible experiences he was able first to get to North Korea, then China, and eventually to South Korea.

He is still a young man, but has lived many lifetimes. Family members executed. Torture to his own body. The absence of friendship and nearly everything humans come to value as they exist here. Seemingly hopeless.

But here is where Christ comes in. Here is where He is shown to be mighty and truly different from all others who deal with us. "Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," He says.

One of the saddest moments of the young man's presentation was in response to a question about what he would like most. He told of seeing a mother in Seoul holding the hand of her daughter. That simple image captivated him. He told the questioner, "If I could be born again, I would like to have that."

And he was talking of being the child, not the parent. He simply wants to understand by experience what it means to be loved by another human being. Yes, it is the cry of all our hearts. How much more one who still cannot even comprehend it?

Will you pray that this young Korean man will know that love? And the love of friends, and the love of a woman, and the love of children, but above all the love of God that will communicate to him that all his offenses have been wiped clean, forgiven, erased. That he truly can be born again. That life can start over.

Here is our chance to personalize all this affection we feel for the Korean situation. Here is a chance to make a difference. Let us pray.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Norman Vincent Peal

When A Christian Dies

The coldness of the grave awaits every living being on this earth, there is no escape, no delay and no other recourse except the rapture, and even then, the body must still die. We see things in the physical most of our lives. We see the known and material things of this life, we see clouds, stars, sun, moon, automobiles, and every thing else that is physical. The Bible tells us that these things that we can see are temporal and not eternal. But what about the soul of man and especially the believer in Christ?

2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Living a life for Christ is an every day affair. We look not as the world looks, we hear, not as the world hears and we see, not as the world sees When the world looks at a disaster, the believer sees divine intervention, when the world sees hunger, the believer sees, man made famine, when the world sees death, the believer sees resurrection.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Paul tells us in Romans; For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We weep at the death of another Christian, for this is the Adam nature within all of us. We see a blessed hope for reuniting with them in the by and by. We see reunion with great joy and gladness but we still cry. We weep at the death of those that are lost, for theirs is a death within death. Their time is over for decision making and another second death awaits them. They die without hope.

For I, my self, am persuaded, that all of our grief will turn to joy at a time and place chosen by God. Jesus promised us that he would never leave us nor forsake us, this is also including the time of our death. The grave is not cold for a Christian but rather a place that the body can be rested and changed from mortal to immortal.
Sometimes our grief turns into Great in extent, quantity and duration; very extensive, sorrow.

We see someone that gave all for family, husband, wife, children and especially Christ. These Christians will be sorrowfully missed. They all give their heart and sometimes their very life to further the Doctrine of the Everlasting Father. For as Jesus stated about the little Girl, She is not Dead, but just sleeping. The most famous passage, to me in scripture, is;Jesus Wept.
John 11:35-36; Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Behold how he loved him! Behold how we loved our departed, sorrow, grief and tears are natural, and must be done to bring closer to our fellow Christians departure, to meet our Saviour. In over fifty years, I have seen many a loved one and Christian put beneath the ground, wondering what they were doing, how they enjoyed not having any more pain, suffering, aging and worry. How were they adapting to joy unspeakable and full of Glory and especially how they reacted to meeting Jesus face to face, this was always a wonderful thought to help me, grieve. Many years ago, the Children of Israel were tempting God and being skeptical as to Gods power, this were their words; Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

We as Christians believe in God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and Gods word, then as believers we must also believe in the resurrection of the Body and Spirit. The unbeliever, at death, takes a journey into darkness and flames, awaiting the final judgment, the Christian takes a journey into life everlasting with Christ awaiting the resurrection of their immortal body. So the question arrives to all that read this message, What will the journey at your death be like?

Mat 22:31-32; But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
The Christian must remember the promises of God when He stated; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Our Christian family's, Friends, and acquaintances, are not really dead but alive with Christ, we must all comfort ourselves with these words and seek a Kingdom above, for God is not the God of the Dead but of the living. Weep then not for the dead, but rather the living. ars.
This message is dedicated to all our brothers and sisters that have lost a loved one.

2Co 4:18 -
we: 2Co_5:7; Rom_8:24, Rom_8:25; Heb_11:1, Heb_11:25-27, Heb_12:2, Heb_12:3
for: Mat_25:46; Lev_16:25, Lev_16:26; 2Th_2:16; 1Jo_2:16, 1Jo_2:17, 1Jo_2:25
Rom 8:35 -
shall separate: Rom_8:39; Psa_103:17; Jer_31:3; Joh_10:28, Joh_13:1; 2Th_2:13, 2Th_2:14, 2Th_2:16; Rev_1:5
shall tribulation: Rom_8:17, Rom_5:3-5; Mat_5:10-12, Mat_10:28-31; Luk_21:12-18; Joh_16:33; Act_14:22; Act_20:23, Act_20:24; 2Co_4:17, 2Co_6:4-10, 2Co_11:23-27; 2Ti_1:12, 2Ti_4:16-18; Heb_12:3-11; Jam_1:2-4; 1Pe_1:5-7, 1Pe_4:12-14; Rev_7:14-17

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Lamb of God - How You Can Become Like Jesus

Lamb of God is one of the Names of Jesus Christ. It was the Name given Him by John the Baptist. He saw Jesus walking by, and he said, "Look! There goes the Lamb of God!"

Jesus was a little sheep. God was His Father and He was His child. God was the Ram protecting Him and nurturing Him. Jesus was the young growing up to be like His Father.

Christians are like sheep. Or they should be. They should be the flock of their Lord Jesus Christ. And they have another leader too--the sealed person. Why the sealed person?

Because he is a lamb just like Jesus was. He is the child of God his Father. And he is a sacrifice for his people--the people of God, just like Jesus was a sacrifice for their sins.

He was willing to lay down his life in order to be sealed. And just like Jesus the Good Shepherd, he is another good shepherd. He risks his life to protect his sheep just like the Father protects him.

He laid his life down once and God wrote His Name in his forehead. That was only the beginning. He laid his life down many more times and yet lived. He lost his life in this world and yet saved it.

You can have God write his name in your forehead too. Then you will be a good shepherd. After you have become a sacrificial lamb. You will grow up from one of the children to one of the fathers.

You will grow up from one of the followers to one of the leaders. The best of the leaders. Just like Jesus and His Father were and are. You can be sealed with the Father's Name and become like the Lamb of God.

Jason invites you to find out more about the Prophecy of Jesus by visiting Jason Witt dot org

A History of Iraq

Ancient Mesopotamia was settled and conquered by a number of ancient civilisations, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Chaldeans. Nebuchadnezzar II was a ruler of Babylon during the Chaldean Dynasty, he is mentioned in the Bible, constructed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the seven wonders of the world) and conquered Judah and Jerusalem. Various invaders conquered the land after Nebuchadnezzar's death, including Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, Alexander the Great in 331 BC and it was under Greek rule for two centuries under the Seleucid dynasty.

They were followed by an Iranian tribe named the Parthians who annexed the region, then the Sassanid Persians, with the Arab Muslims took control of the area in the seventh century. During the 1500s the region was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, this lasted until the outbreak of World War One when the Ottomans allied themselves with Germany. Britain invaded the country, capturing Baghdad in 1917, Iraq was carved out of the Ottoman Empire and Britain was given it's mandate.

Britain supported the traditional Sunni leadership over the burgeoning urban based nationalist movement, the mandate officially ended in 1932. The British installed Hashemite monarchy was overthrown in 1958, Brigadier Abd al-Karim Qasim led a new government which proclaimed Iraq a republic. Qasim was assassinated in 1963 when the Ba'ath Party took power under the leadership of General Ahmed Hasan al-Bakr and Colonel Abdul Salam Arif, nine months later Abd as-Salam Muhammad 'Arif led a successful coup, though the Ba'ath Party re-took power after the 1967 Six Day War. In July 1979 Saddam Hussein assumed power, starting a costly eight year war with neighbouring Iran which devastated the economy.

Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, when Saddam refused to withdraw, the Gulf War began with a US led invasion of Kuwait. Economic sanctions were imposed upon Iraq. In 2001, the US government began to call for regime change in Iraq, in March 2003 the US and UK with military aid from other nations invaded Iraq.

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net

How to Easily Prove There is a God

Proving that there is a God or a Creator is about the most simple thing you could ever do. And because it is so easy to do, it boggles the mind, that there are so many people in this world who can't see the simplicity in doing so.

You do not need any religion to do this. You do not need any religious leader to do this. You do not need any holy book to do this. You can do this without any assistance at all. Anybody, even a child, can do something as simple as proving there is a God.

Here is how anybody, who can read this article, can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a Creator does exist - because it is just a simple matter of visual observation and common sense deduction.

As you look out on this world, you are going to be able to see only "two kinds things."

First: You are going to see things that are made by people. You are going to see houses made by people. You are going to see cars made by people. You are going to see telephone poles, lawnmowers, bicycles, computers and thousands of other things made by people.

Second: You are going to see mountains, rivers, flowers, carrots, leaves, grass, planets, stars and thousands of other things that people DID NOT MAKE.

Now since it is a scientific fact and also just common sense, that nothing can make itself, then everything that you see, that man did not make - had to be made by somebody else, millions of times smarter than we mere mortals.

No mortal can make a flower. No mortal can make a dog. No mortal can make or create a planet, that billions of mortals live on and FLOAT - IT - IN - SPACE as easily as a child plays with a balloon.

Anything that you see, that man DID NOT MAKE had to be made by a Creator or it would not even be here in the first place - and neither would WE.

There are many holy books in the world, all proclaiming that "their God" is the only "true God." Most people adhere to the religion they were raised in and do not take an interest in other religions. One way that you can know the truth about all of these religions, is to study all of them extensively.

You can also take a "short cut" and read a book that God Himself wrote. Let Him tell you about all these religions, their gods - saviors - prophets, who started these religions and why they were started.

Oahspe is a history book going back over 78,000 years. Read about the huge continent in the Pacific Ocean "called Pan" that God sank beneath the surface and why He had to do it. Only a few escape that were on the highest points and in boats which floated off to other continents. Japan was a high part of that continent.

You will learn what has been going on in heaven and earth all this time. You will read how God inspired Europeans to sail to a new land (America) for religious freedom. http://oahspe.blogspot.com

Also, there are many diets in the world, but God knows more than anybody else what is best for us. Everybody else who makes food for our consumption is just after our money. http://gods-diet.com

Feeling the Philous Love

When you receive the Seal your love becomes the greatest of all loves known to people--the philous love. And that is when you become the friend of God and eventually His Bride too. When you are sealed you will love God and love other people with the greatest of loves, the philous love. The reason your love is the greatest is because of your self-sacrifice.

When you are sealed you are put under the feet of Jesus. That is when you let yourself die. And that is only the beginning. Then you will die daily, letting your old self perish and be replaced by the new living person God makes you.

It is the Commandment of Jesus that you love one another as Jesus loves you. When you are sealed you will fulfill this Commandment because you will love with the greatest of all loves. Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses but He also gave you the Commandment to love. And Jesus loves you with the love of friend and even the love of a husband for his wife.

"Greater love than this no one has," Jesus said, "that one should lay his life for his friends." You lay down your life at the feet of Jesus when you become sealed and then you lay down your life daily to receive new Life.

So you will have the greatest of all loves people can love with. You may not have the most passionate feeling of "love." But that is usually not love. That passionate feeling is usually something else, like lust or covetousness. You will have the greatest love spiritually. You will have the greatest love in God's eyes. And His Opinion is the one that matters. If you are concerned about what people think, then you will soon experience Judgment Day.

Judgment Day is only a number of short years away. And that is the Day when God will consider how well you followed what Jesus told you to do. And you know how you can follow His Commandment to the greatest possible extent.

"You are my friends," He said, "if you do as much as I command you." You will become the friend of Jesus by becoming sealed, for that is when you will die and have the greatest love, thereby doing what He commanded you. And to become the friend of Jesus you must love one another as well as love God. You must carry the message of the Seal to other people. But you are not limited to being a servant of God this way.

"No longer do I call you servants," Jesus said, "for the servant knows not what His Lord does. But I have called you friends, for all things which I heard of my Father I have made known to you."

So you become the friend of Jesus and not just His servant by doing His Commandments. And when you are sealed Jesus chooses you, for that is when He writes His Name upon you.

"You did not choose me," Jesus said, "but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should abide; that whatever you should ask the Father in my Name He should give to you."

When you are sealed you will bear fruit as the chosen of God. And you may ask God for something in prayer and He will grant it to you because you bear fruit for His Purpose when you receive the Seal.

Jason Witt is a sinner healed and sealed. He has been transformed by Jesus, who came and made His Home in Jason's heart and in his mind. Come and see what Jesus foretold that is starting to happen today. Jason Witt dot org

No Separation of Church and State

A lot of Americans really think that there is a clause in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution that says that there is a "separation of church and state". Larry King on CNN was flabbergasted one evening when a preacher told him that it was not there.

So what does the Declaration of Independence actually state? It says the following:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

In other words, in America, our rights come from God, our Creator, and not from a political party or the government. The Founding Fathers put this in there to differentiate the American model from the European model of government. In Europe, they had something called "the divine right of kings", which meant that God bestowed his blessings and rights on the King, who then doled them out to the populace as he saw fit. In America, however, the people were bestowed rights from God, and they in turned gave them to the government as they saw fit. In other words, the European model of governance was turned on its head.

The Declaration of Independence closes with these words:

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

The Founding Fathers knew that things would be tough, so they invoked God and His divine providence. The atheists in this country who go around saying that all of the Founding Fathers were more like them than religious people are dead wrong.

And what about the US Constitution, what does it say about religion? The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights to it says the following:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

What it plainly says is that Congress shall not pass a law mandating the establishment of a national religion. The framers were very cognizant of the laws of England, and how the Church of England (The Anglican Church) was the national Church, with the King of England being its head. It had been started by Henry VIII, when the Pope refused to grant him an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. The murderous reign of Henry VIII and his successors who killed Catholics by the thousands in the name of God was something that the Founding Fathers did not want for America.

However, years later, the so-called "Supreme" Court twisted its meaning and reinterpreted it to mean there shall be no religious displays or religious speech in or around government buildings, including the 10 Commandments on state property, prayer in public schools, or pastors/preacher endorsing political candidates. This bastardization of the religion clause of the First Amendment, which is grouped with the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom to peaceable assembly, and the right to petition the government, has led to the most hypocritical government stance ever. Why? Well, the 10 Commandments are on the wall of the Supreme Court, but evidently cannot be in a STATE courtroom in Alabama. Vocal prayer in public schools is forbidden, but Congress opens every session with a prayer by a federally supported CHAPLAIN. No religious symbols of any kind are allowed in public schools or courthouses, but there are crosses and stars of David on many tombstones, paid for with your tax dollars, in Veterans Administration cemeteries across the country. Additionally, every Army Post and Air Force Base has a federally funded chapel, with federally funded chaplains, that use federally funded bibles, candles, and communion hosts for their services.

The loud atheists among us would have you really believe that most of the founding fathers were something called "Deists", which are people who acknowledged some kind of deity, but not Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of us all. But, the last line of the Constitution reads as follows:

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names...

The phrase, "The Year of our Lord" can only refer to Jesus Christ, so the Deist argument is clearly erroneous.

In George Washington's farewell address, he states the following:

"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Here the Father of our Country plainly states that religion and morality are not only necessary for America's success, but that you cannot separate one from the other. A lot of people today are trying to do just that. But once you slice morality away from the basic tenets of the Bible, then anything goes, based on the charisma of the person espousing the latest craze, or the amount of advertising and propaganda being spewed forth on TV, or by how good it sounds on the surface, without taking into account the long range effects of it.

And then there is Honest Abe Lincoln and the civil war. His credo and that of the entire abolitionist movement was summed up in their battle anthem, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", which is a truly Christian Hymn if there ever was one.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
"As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal";
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally ...let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

Hallelujah means "Praise the Lord. It mentions " a fiery gospel" and grace. "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea". "Crush the serpent" is a reference to Genesis 3:15. The final judgement. Anyone who doesn't recognize the US government invoking Jesus in the battle to free the slaves is clearly blind.

In our time, a Baptist preacher, The Reverend Martin Luther King, led the battle for civil rights. This is all seen as right and good by just about everyone in America, and the fact that he invoked Jesus Christ from the pulpit to fulfill his mission for governmental civil rights is never even seen as a conflict of the "separation of church and state". But let preachers or priests today mention the candidates today who support the evils of abortion and 48 million innocent deaths from the pulpit, and a group calling itself the "Americans United for the Separation of Church and State" will try to haul them into court. It is indeed a hypocritical stance by the radical left in our country.

And then there are the official US government holidays of CHRISTmas and Thanksgiving, two religious holidays officially sanctioned by the US government. Millions of dollars of leave time are paid to government employees to not work on those days.

AND....The US Motto is "In GOD We Trust". It is on our money. In US courtrooms across the land, witnesses are sworn in with their hand on the Bible, taking an oath to tell the truth, followed by the words, "So Help Me GOD". The President of the USA takes the Oath of Office with his hand on the Bible, and swears on it to uphold the Constitution.

In summary, the alleged separation of church and state, a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson in a PRIVATE letter to the Danbury Baptist Church, is found no place in official government documents, except in a tortured reinterpretation of the Constitution by the courts.

Would that America trust in the Supreme Being more than in the Supreme Court!

http://www.CatholicBible101.com

The Blessing Of God Of The Kingdom Will Make You Rich

Some Christians may not know for sure God wants them to be rich but the Bible leaves no question about whether or not Christians are supposed to be rich. The Bible tells us we are not only to be spiritual rich but we are to be rich financially, experience financial wealth and have abundance of prosperity with plenty of money, plenty of gold and silver and plenty of the wealth of this earth.

I could list scripture after scripture that confirm without a doubt that God wants Christians rich. Here are just a few:

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord - it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. AMP

Proverbs 8:18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God). AMP

Psalms 112:1-3 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. KJV

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so
very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied). AMP

The promises in these verses are even for those in third-world countries, those with no training and even those who can't even earn a minimum wage. It can be done by THE BLESSING of the Lord.

Notice above in the scripture, Proverbs 10:22, it doesn't tell us a good job or a good economy makes a person rich, it doesn't tell us a degree from an exclusive university can make us rich, nor does it tell us even a rsum full of worldly credentials makes a person rich. No, the Bible tells us it is THE BLESSING that makes a person rich.

What I am saying is, Christians have to realize what THE BLESSING of the Lord is and the power contained in THE BLESSING that makes rich them rich. You begin to see the power of THE BLESSING when you look at Genesis 1:28,

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion KJV

God speaking THE BLESSING over Adam and Eve gave to mankind enough of His creative glory and power to sustain, uphold and prosper all creation forever. With THE BLESSING He released all the divine resources needed for Adam to expand the Garden of Eden until it filled up the whole earth.

God even rested on the seventh day and not because he was tired but because He was finished. After He released THE BLESSING He didn't have to come back to the Garden every day and bless Adam and Eve's every endeavor. With THE BLESSING given to them He could just rest and enjoy their fellowship, watch them exercise their dominion and THE BLESSING would do what He designed it to do for them.

Of course all of us know Adam sinned and messed up THE BLESSING plan of God. When Adam sinned he bowed his knee to the devil and instead of THE BLESSING working for him he had to start working under the curse of toiling for his living. But Adam's sin didn't stop God from starting over again with his plan to get THE BLESSING back on all mankind where it always was supposed to be and where God so desired it to be.

I want this article to cause you to realize from now on that God's will from the very beginning of His creation was that His children would be BLESSED and He hasn't changed His mind nor His will since then.

After the Flood, recorded in Genesis 6:17-22; 9:1, God started over once again with His plan to bless mankind through Noah's family. God releasing THE BLESSING on Noah's family said the same thing He said to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,

Genesis 9:1 AND GOD pronounced a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. AMP

Since Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth represented all races, all peoples, and all nations that would live on this earth, that would include us since we came from these sons; all mankind was once again BLESSED.

But the two sons Ham and Japheth departed from God's ways just like Adam. Instead of obeying Him and trusting in THE BLESSING to prosper them; they started their own system of commerce which we see in the world's system today of working and toiling for a living and looking out for old number one. It has to be that way because in that kind of system of working and toiling a person has to try whatever they can do to meet their own needs without God. In that system people try to satisfy their spiritual needs with material things which is materialism, but they call it prosperity. The person working out of the world's system believes that in order for them to be blessed they must be rich and so they have to spend their time struggling under a failing system to make money. Here is a scripture revealing this very truth,

Psalms 73:12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. KJV

Notice in this verse, "they increase in riches". This means it is all up to them if they are going to prosper and increase in riches. So in this Ham and Japheth's system of world economics; instead of trusting God they have to devise ways to increase themselves. That means if they have to come up with ways to increase that scam others; they have to do what they have to do. In other words, it is a dog eats dog system.

Shem, Noah's other son, stayed with THE BLESSING which is in the Kingdom of God's economy and with THE BLESSING we can operate in it as well.

According to Jewish history Shem became the king of Jerusalem; the man the Bible refers to as Melchizedek. He served as a priest of the Most High God. In Genesis 14:18-19 we read where he served Abraham covenant elements and transferred THE BLESSING Adam and Eve and Noah's family had received to Abraham..

Genesis 14:18-19 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: KJV

Melchizedek giving this blessing to Abraham, God was simply working to get THE BLESSING back on all mankind. THE BLESSING Abraham received included you and me so we too could live under the same BLESSING as you will see clearly in the following scriptures.

Genesis 12:3 .....and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. KJV

Galatians 3:13,14,29 gives us even more proof THE BLESSING of Abraham has come to Christians today in order to make us rich so we like Abraham could live in financial wealth in any place, at any time on this earth where God desires and needs us. Get this clear in your thinking, God gives each one of us an assignment and THE BLESSING goes with the assignment to provide for us no where we live and no matter the economy. So look at this scripture in Galatians as a guarantee that with your faith in THE BLESSING your prosperity has changed to rich, abundance, overflow, opulence or extreme best.

Galatians 3:13,14,29 Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified); 14 To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit. 29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. AMP

Galatians 3:14 plainly tells Christians in every nation today they now have the same BLESSING that was on Adam, Noah, Melchizedek and Abraham! THE BLESSING, as a result of what Jesus did on the cross, has come on us all no matter our economic situation, level of education or employment opportunities. It is THE BLESSING that makes each and every Christian rich and THE BLESSING adds no sorrow with the riches! Notice it is the grace of God through what Jesus did on His cross that delivered THE BLESSING into your life and delivered you out of the cursed based, toiling, failing world system where you are on your own to make a living. You are released today, if you will place your faith in THE BLESSING, by the grace of God into THE BLESSING Adam, Noah, Melchizedek and Abraham and their families lived in and became very rich.

Isn't that the best news you have heard in a long time? I am ready to hear some good economic news, how about you? We are only going to hear this good economic news out of the Kingdom of God that operates with THE BLESSING. This Kingdom operates in any nation of the world today for any person who will receive Jesus as their Savior and make Him the Lord of their lives.

If you haven't done so, just pray this simple prayer,

Jesus I confess I am a sinner but I believe that You died on the cross in order to pay the penalty for my sins and that You arose from the dead so that I could live a brand new life in You. Come into my life, Lord Jesus Christ. I give you complete control of my life.

If you prayed that simple prayer please let me know. I would like to send you some materials to help you further in your new life in Christ Jesus.

What I just shared with you from Galatians 3:13,14 is the good news every Christian needs to hear today so they are not struggling financially along with the rest of the world. Because THE BLESSING is now in operation in our lives we are released from that failing system of commerce the son's of Noah, Ham and Japheth originated. We don't have to come up with ways to get financial increase. We have, by Jesus Christ, been born again to live in a new Kingdom that has a prosperous, unfailing economy. Every Christian in any nation facing any bad economy, having received the promise of the Holy Spirit and possessing the very nature of God and God's abilities by THE BLESSING is freed from working and sweating for a living like those still under the cursed world's system. Christians living in the Kingdom of God have THE BLESSING making them rich. And instead of working for a living they can now spend their time daily doing their God given assignments.

I want to repeat over and over, THE BLESSING will operate for any Christian in any economy, anytime and anywhere they are. Christians cooperating with THE BLESSING, walking in faith and love will experience the New Testament prosperity no matter the circumstances around them. Here is the guarantee,

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. AMP

Do you still have doubts about all of this? Then you need to know what the BLESSING did for Abraham. God sent Abraham to a foreign land with no family, no established business connections and with nothing to depend on but THE BLESSING; and here is what happened to him,

Genesis 13:2 Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold. AMP

THE BLESSING worked the same way for Abraham's son, Isaac. God having released THE BLESSING on Isaac; he sowed in a land experiencing famine and received a hundredfold return on the crop he sowed for and then it didn't stop there,

Genesis 26:12-13 Then Isaac sowed seed in that land and received in the same year a hundred times as much as he had planted, and the Lord favored him with blessings. 13 And the man became great and gained more and more until he became very wealthy and distinguished; AMP

This scripture ought to be an encouraging word for those of you who live in an impoverished nation. Famine may be in your land but if you do what God tells you to do THE BLESSING will kick in. And no matter what is going on around you with God and with THE BLESSING working in your behalf what happened for Isaac in the next scripture can happen for you. You have the same BLESSING working for you!

He got so wealthy the king asked him to leave his country,

Genesis 26:16 And Abimelech asked Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too rich and powerful for us." NLT

Did you notice in this scripture that this man, Abimelech, living out of the world's system of finances had to ask a covenant man with THE BLESSING to leave his town because this covenant man was too rich and too powerful to stay there?

With this same BLESSING on us, people around us should take notice of the wealth and the power of THE BLESSING in our lives. That's when we can do some real evangelism. For that's the purpose of THE BLESSING in our lives that people ask us, "Who is your God?" Then we don't have to try and get them to receive a track or try and get them to go to church with us. They will volunteer to go to church with us or anywhere else, simply to be around us and see THE BLESSING making us rich. Every person on the face of the earth is looking for this kind of BLESSING in their lives because God created every person to want to prosper and be reliant on Him so He could bless them.

Isaac's son Jacob experienced the same kind of prosperity under THE BLESSING. Having left home at a young age with just the clothes on his back (Sounds like what people experience today a lot of times.), he worked for 14 years for his father-in-law who always was cheating him financially. But in spite of this man's thievery, with THE BLESSING operating in his life he continued to increase until he experienced financially just what his father and grandfather had experienced with the same BLESSING and became exceedingly prosperous.

Genesis 30:43 Thus the man increased and became exceedingly rich, and had many sheep and goats, and maidservants, menservants, camels, and donkeys. AMP

If what I have already shared with you doesn't convince you that THE BLESSING makes any person rich just look at Jacob's son, Joseph. He's next in line for THE BLESSING to work for him and hopefully if you will believe in THE BLESSING for you, you will be next in line.

Joseph was the only son of Jacob who truly believed in THE BLESSING, received THE BLESSING and operated in THE BLESSING. THE BLESSING got Joseph out of many situations including a time his brothers tried to kill him. Instead of killing him his brothers sold him as a slave and he ended up in the house of an Egyptian, Potiphar.

This man recognized THE BLESSING of the Lord on Joseph's life and saw that whatever Joseph did prospered so he put him in charge of his estate. He hadn't been trained to do this job but THE BLESSING taught him how to do it so well Potiphar didn't even supervise his work.

Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of wrong doing and so Joseph ended up in prison. But even in prison THE BLESSING worked for Joseph and the Holy Spirit trained him how to operate the prison and before long the keeper of the prison turned the whole prison over to Joseph.

You may be in jail today and reading this article, but with God and THE BLESSING in operation for you; if you are willing like Joseph, it will deliver you into your assignment for God and the prosperity of God. Just have some hope today in THE BLESSING and in your God given assignment to promote you.

The same thing is true for anyone no matter where God places you on your assignment. THE BLESSING will teach you how to do a job better than anyone else can do in the business and cause promotions you wouldn't normally get and so readily.

Let's read about THE BLESSING showing up in prison,

Genesis 39:21-23 But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and loving-kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison committed to Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever was done there, he was in charge of it. 23 The prison warden paid no attention to anything that was in [Joseph's] charge, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did to prosper. AMP

Are you getting a good picture of what THE BLESSING can do in your life as well? Get excited about THE BLESSING working in your life too!

We're not even finished with what THE BLESSING did in Joseph's life.

Years later when Pharaoh had a dream, THE BLESSING reminded Pharaoh's cupbearer, who was a former prison mate of Joseph; that Joseph could interpret dreams. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream.

The interpretation of the dream revealed to Pharaoh there was a great famine coming to his nation and the interpretation also gave Pharaoh a plan for provision for his nation that would take them through the famine.

So THE BLESSING brought promotion to Joseph again. He became the next most powerful man in the nation. With THE BLESSING Joseph wound up with the world's greatest storehouse of wealth under his command.

I want to remind you again that all of the wealth that came to these men Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph came because of THE BLESSING operating in their lives.

Galatians 3:14 tells every Christian that the same BLESSING has now come on them! THE BLESSING has come on everyone who has received Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives!

Galatians 3:14 To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles,....AMP

Can you now see why, if you never believed it before, every single Christian no matter where they are in the world is supposed to be rich; because every single Christian no matter where they are in the world is BLESSED with THE BLESSING and it's THE BLESSING that is making them rich!

This is so different from the world's way of thinking that they are blessed because they are rich and then they have to work so hard to make it happen.

God is telling Christians in this earth today, "No matter where you find yourself, you are rich because you are BLESSED with THE BLESSING! And as a result of THE BLESSING making you rich, you are not to seek after riches like the world does but instead you are to act like God did on the seventh day of Creation and simply entered into "the rest" of faith and let THE BLESSING go to work for you! Find your assignment and don't work there for a living but work for a giving and let THE BLESSING go to work for you there and increase you and increase the ministry, the business, etc."

Christians need to hear good news like this every day but they won't hear it outside of God's Word.

We are not to labor for a living for this is the only labor we are to do in this earth, for we which have believed do enter into rest....

Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.... KJV

God never intended for Christians to spend their time and efforts gathering up riches for themselves but rather He intended for them to labor in the Word, developing their faith to the point that they enter into His rest and just let THE BLESSING increase them.

By saying that I don't mean Christians don't have to work. Instead of Christians working "for a living", we will be working on assignments from God and doing what He tells us to do. And if He sends us to a job that pays minimum wage we must not complain. We must realize God has sent us there to bring THE BLESSING and the Kingdom operation through us to that place of business.

All we need to do is obey God and do our assignment and THE BLESSING will see to our prosperity. We could even end up owning the business. So we should start thanking God instead of complaining that He has sent us there. This is not a theory. It really works.

You may be so financially challenged today, but if you will recognize THE BLESSING of Abraham has come on you through Christ; just like Abraham and his descendents it will make you rich. The financial lack will only be temporary with THE BLESSING of Abraham working for you.

Realize that living by faith in THE BLESSING will do the same for you it did for Abraham when he put his faith in it.

Let's allow God through THE BLESSING to give us a testimony just like Abraham and his descendents of THE BLESSING making us rich.

So now is the time for us to put our faith in THE BLESSING so that it can go to work for us and make us rich immediately!

Let's make this confession: I am blessed coming in and I am blessed going out. THE BLESSING of the Lord makes me rich! I am not blessed because I am rich but I am rich because I am blessed.

Here are some confessions to help with your faith in THE BLESSING and see it operate in your life:

The Bible leaves no question in my mind God wants me as a Christian to be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8 AMP Galatians 3:13,14,29)

The scriptures leave me no doubt that I can and will prosper no matter if I am in a third-world country, have no training or can't even earn a minimum wage for it will be done by THE BLESSING of the Lord. (Proverbs 10:22 AMP; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8 AMP)

Proverbs 10:22 tells me having a good job in a good economy, having a degree from an exclusive university nor even having a rsum full of worldly credentials can make me rich but it is THE BLESSING that makes a person rich.

I realize what THE BLESSING of the Lord is and the powerful contained in THE BLESSING. (Genesis 1:28)

I was included when God spoke THE BLESSING over Adam and Eve in the Garden; giving them enough of His creative glory and power to sustain, uphold and prosper all creation. (Genesis 1:28)

With THE BLESSING God has released to me all the divine resources I need to expand the Kingdom in the earth. (Genesis 1:28; 2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP)

God's will is that I be BLESSED and He will never change His mind about it. (Galatians 3:13,14,29)

Instead of working and toiling to get ahead financially, I mediate the Word, developing my faith in THE BLESSING and into God's rest, allow THE BLESSING go to work and increase me. (Hebrews 4:3-11; 2 Corinthians 8:9, 9:8AMP)

I operate in the Kingdom of God with THE BLESSING making me rich instead of working out of that toil based system to meet my needs. (Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP, Philippians 4:19)

I no longer think like those operating in the world's system, that I am blessed because I am rich and then have to struggle under that failing system to make money; but it is THE BLESSING that is making me rich and there is no sorrow added to it. (Psalms 73:12; Proverbs 10:22 AMP)

I know for sure I have THE BLESSING of Abraham operating in my life wherever I live in the world because Galatians 3:13,14, 29 tells me THE BLESSING of Abraham came on me when Jesus on His cross purchased my freedom from the curse of working for a living. (Galatians 3:13,14,29)

No matter the economic situation, no matter my level of education and no matter my employment opportunities; the BLESSING is making me rich right now! (Genesis 26:12-13; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8 AMP)

THE BLESSING has released me from the failing system of commerce the son's of Noah, Ham and Japeth originated and continues on today. (Psalms 73:12; Psalms 112:1-3; Galatians 3:13,14,29)

I have a God guarantee, being in my God given assignment and walking in love and faith in THE BLESSING, THE BLESSING is working for me. (Matthew 6:33; 2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP; Galatians 5:6)

I have the same guarantee of wealth that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph possessed because the same BLESSING is working for me that worked for them. (Genesis 13:2; 26:12-13,16; 30:43; 39:2-4,21-23; 41:1-43; Galatians 3:13,14,29)

Financial lack is only temporary with THE BLESSING of Abraham working for me. (2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8 AMP)

I am expecting a greater testimony than Abraham and his descendents with the same BLESSING working for me. (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 13:2; Genesis 26:12-13; Genesis 26:16; Galatians 3:13,14,29)

I am blessed not because I am rich but I am rich because I am blessed! (Proverbs 10:22)

Janie Baer has produced a CD called God's Spoken Word and her website http://www.godswordalive.com offers products to help Christians use Bible scriptures in every day living finding the secret power of god's word and to help find the unconditional love of Father God. Janie also has a blog, http://www.godswordalive.com/blog Also on her site is Kingdom of God Prosperity Bookstore which offers bibles, audio bibles, music cds, music dvds, Children books & dvds, Christian books, Christian games and other products to help incorporate the Word into your life. She has also recently added Bible scriptures and confessions for healing and health, prosperity, Father God's Unconditional love and continues to add more all the time. She has applied these healing scriptures with her family for over 30 years and as a result they have not had a doctor, hospital or medical bill in all those years. They have just taken the healing Bible scriptures as their medicine as was written in Proverbs 4:22.

It's Not Cool to Worry

In our world today their is allot to be concerned about. Things like terrorism, crime, racism; or how about taxes, inflation and job loss. Truly we have allot we could be worried about. But I've found out that in order to function in life and overcome the obstacles we face, we need to give our cares,worries and frustrations to someone else. Someone stronger than us. We tend to lean and depend on our spouses or family and friends and that's awesome, but this support system can only take us so far and that's it. I've found on my journey that I really need a relationship with someone who's able to handle my worries and concerns that I face in my daily life. And that person is Jesus Christ.

I've found that through my relationship with Jesus I've been able to overcome some problems that would have taken me out of here if I had not have known Him. The bible says in 1st Peter 5:7 that we should cast all of our cares upon God because He cares for us and that includes worrying. When you worry you sin, and when you sin you miss the mark of God. Worrying about things can have a adverse affect on our body and it's ability to function properly. When improper stress enters the body it breaks down the body's immune system and causes us to become sick. Free radical cells come in when the body's immune system is weak, and worrying and stress help weaken your body's defense system.

To combat this we need to change a few things in our lives. First, we need to change our outlook on life. Start seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. You can always find something positive in a negative situation. Second, fill your mind with good positive and wholesome materials such as: the bible, positive inspirational music, uplifting reading materials like books and magazines and most importantly prayer. Tell God your problems. He will listen and no one else will know about it, and because you pray you will find yourself at ease with what you thought was a problem.

So don't allow life to get you so uptight. Just do the best you can with what you have and give the rest to God through Jesus Christ. And you will find that life isn't that bad when the right person has your back. You think about that, God bless.

The Cry

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies."-Psalm 40:1-4
April 4, 1968 shots rang onto a balcony in Memphis, Tennessee.

A voice cried out to God before a nation of people preaching the message of love and unity.

A voice that the enemies of God mocked, a voice that even his own people rejected a voice that was silenced by men but a cry that came before God was heard.

Those shots may have rang but a man that had seen the mountain top, a man that had a dream, a man that if he had of sneezed he wouldn't have been there to see blacks and whites go to school together, the man whose cry was heard.
Took his last breath and according to Jesse Jackson Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.'s last words were to musician Ben Branch he said in the meeting tonight make sure you play precious Lord take my hand.

Today, in the midst of Christian persecution, in the midst of the sanctity of marriage between a male and a female being destroyed, in a time where fornication is normal, abortion acceptable, and killing one another is expected. I cry out to God for a nation of believers precious Lord take my hand.

"Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever."-Psalms 28

1500 the birth of a new nation would begin as men were hunted like animals and sold like cattle. Men, women and children who were once from many different tribes and lands formed a new nation of people that would become known as Negro, colored, African American, or Black.

Through much persecution this nation of people would travel through the middle passage across the Atlantic Ocean 15% would die on the voyage. Sleeping in casket size man holes, chained to one another hand and foot, while the stench of blood and death filled their nose as they only could dream that God will hear their prayers and act.
An estimated 4 million would die on the journey so today the world may know the power of God to take people who were once considered 3/5 of a human being and use them to preach his word.

People such as Isabella Baumfree who had five owners and would eventually run away to her freedom and tell a nation of people Ain't I a woman.

She would go on to fight for abolitionist rights, and women's equality, she would preach the word wherever she could, she had to abandon her four children but she cried out for the freedom of a nation saying Ain't I a woman.
Isabella Baumfree would soon have her freedom bought for $20.00 and would change her name to Sojourner Truth and would soon tell the world "The Spirit Calls me and I must go."

I get on my knees just as Christ did in the garden of Gethsemane and cry until blood sweats from my veins because a nation of non believers distance themselves from God and a nation of believers are to cowardice to tell the world they need a savior. But I seek a day when we can follow our savior who said he is the way, truth, and the life. I seek him because I know the Spirit calls me and I must go and not only me but you also.

Today in the midst of a time were children are no longer a responsibility but are safe surrendered. In a time when social acceptance is more important than education. In a time when we are being told that all men evolved from monkeys and billboards are going up across the world saying there probably is no god so stop worrying I get on my knees with revival in mind.

Today is the day where we become the bride of Christ and not just people who say they believe. Today is the day when we are Christ mouthpiece and not just the silent majority. Today is the day where the church stands up and represents the truth and all those who are oppose to the vision let God do the separating. Tradition must die and the Spirit of Christ must live. For I know that the old nature died on the cross and he resurrected a new man. I look to the hills from whence cometh my help and I see my redemption draweth nigh.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.-Psalms 57:1-5

September 1957 nine black children were blocked from entering a school in Little Rock, Arkansas because men refused to believe that we are all created in the image of the most high God. On September 12, 1957 the council of church women called for a citywide prayer service and people gathered before the throne of the most high God and began to cry.

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."-Psalm 61:1-4
God heard the cries of those women because on September 24, 1957 President Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army to not sneak the children in the school but march them right through the front door. The guards would remain there the entire school year because God heard a cry.

Today in the midst of chaos when the world has turned its back on God. When prisons are the only answer for an incorrigible individuals. When children disobey parents and are becoming mothers and fathers as young as 12. When the stench of filth pours through movies such as Brokeback Mountain and the Davinci Code. When men claim to be Jesus Christ and lead a whole army of people to commit suicide in his name. I don't fret over evil doers I simply pray.
I pray for the coming of the Lord. I pray for the coming of Jesus Christ. I pray for the hope of this world. America is guilty before an almighty God and our president says change must come but I say the change is not in economics, foreign policy, war strategies, or healthcare. The change is not in blacks being allowed to control the white house. The change is in you because the change is repentance and returning back to the ways of the Lord. As M.C. Hammer would say we got to pray just to make it today.

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."-Psalm 34:15-19

Today we must cry for a nation who has considered the wages of sin as their only option. We must cry for a nation that calls evil good. We must cry for a nation whose leaders seek to please satan and have no intention on following the pathways of God. We must pray for a president who considers compromising the gospel in order to satisfy a nation that believes in many gods. We must pray for our preachers who have left God for money. We must pray for our church that refuses to offend a brother or sister but accommodates their sin. What kind of nation and people have we become before God? Does anyone take the bible seriously anymore? Does anybody consider that the bible is more than just words but it is the word of God given to men? We must pray for men and women who preach the word of God to make a name for themselves. Where are the people that worship Christ? Where are the people who stand in fear before an Almighty God? Where are the true believers?

"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."-Revelation 6:9-11

The Great Invitation is a collection of poetry that will inspire your soul. The desire mankind has is to live forever in peace, perfect health, and comfort. Fortunately God has extended his invitation of eternal life to all of mankind. It is our job to accept this gift and pass on the word to a friend. This book is available for purchase as a paperback and an e-book at http://sites.google.com/site/thegreatinvitation/ and I can be contacted by e-mail at servantjones4310@hotmail.com

Dan Brown

Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson

Spencer Johnson has done very well for himself by taking simple lessons and sharing them in short stories. It is not surprising that USA Today called him "The King of Parables." "Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You - At Work And In Life" is Johnson's newest parable, and like those before it, this book contains more than meets the eye.

The book is short, only 99 pages, and some of those contain only one quote. And like his other books, it is a smaller formatted hardcover. However, despite its length, there are some practical pearls of wisdom that if applied will make one's life more positive. It would be easy to dismiss this book as too simple, or too easy. After all, in the text Johnson refers to the story as common sense. But how many people actually apply the simple lessons of life? Treat others as you want to be treated is a universal lesson found throughout history, but do people actually apply it? Some do of course, but so many don't.

Often, we spend countless hours, sometimes even lifetimes, searching for some profound truth or magic moment that will enlighten us and make all of our troubles disappear and success and riches materialize in abundances we only dream about. While searching for the complicated, we sometimes fail to listen to the simple. We forget what we know. We don't apply the lessons we do learn because we are too busy looking for something greater.

What I like about "Peaks and Valleys" and the other books by Spencer Johnson is that they remind us of the simple, and encourage us to apply these simple lessons to our own lives. One of the lessons in "Peaks and Valleys" is to imagine yourself enjoying a better future in such specific, believable detail, that you soon enjoy doing what takes you there. This is not new. Earl Nightengale taught the same lesson in his "Strangest Secret." Nightengale taught "We become what we think about most of the time." Others have taught variations of this, and it is so simple that it is often overlooked.

Just because I have heard variations of this lesson before does not mean I didn't enjoy it here. Like the young man in this book, I too forget these lessons at times, especially when the hustle and bustle and stresses of today's world seem to overwhelm at times. The short time it took me to read "Peaks and Valleys" was a relaxing reminder of some important concepts that when followed make life better.

I would encourage anyone to take a little time for yourself, find a relaxing place, and enjoy this short parable by Spencer Johnson. Then take a little longer to assess how you can apply the lessons from this story to your own life. If you do, you just might find yourself enjoying more Peaks and realize your Valleys are not as bad as you thought.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He teaches people to live with the warrior's edge through his writing and speaking on a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his websites http://www.burrese.com and http://bennettlawofficepc.com

Dale Carnegie

A Simple Healing Meditation That You Can Safely Use Anywhere, Anytime

Recently I was reading a blog post by Anmol Mehta, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that he presented two different meditations that could be done while driving. For those of us who live busy lives and/or spend a good deal of time in the car, meditation while driving is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

His post got me thinking a bit, and it reminded me of a meditation practice I'd like to share with you that I learned during my Meditation 1 class at The Berkeley Psychic Institute last year. It is called the "Grounding Cord" and has several applications of benefit, including but not limited to:

• Increased focus
• Emotional healing
• Physical healing
• Increased feeling of being centered and grounded
• Ability to alter the known physical laws of the Universe

And of course the best part is, you can do it anywhere - even while driving! In fact, it is one of the few meditations which I think is especially helpful while driving. Here's how it goes:

• Find the base of your spine and touch it with your finger
• Imagine a cord connecting the base of your spine with the center of the earth
• Strengthen that cord and make it tight

There you go, that's 95% of the meditation! Seriously, it is that simple to start with, which is one of the reasons I am so fond of this meditation. The final step in using the grounding cord is actually using it for any of the above applications I mentioned.

For example, suppose you are feeling very uncentered... as though you just can't seem to calm down. Maybe you're having trouble sleeping. Just go through the above steps to establish your grounding cord, then imagine sending energy from you to connect you to the center of the Earth. Continue running that energy over and over, and within a matter of minutes you will feel more relaxed and grounded.

What about a headache? First establish your grounding cord. Then, create another mini-cord that connects your head to the base of your spine (so now you have two grounding cords connected). Then imagine that the pain from your headache is being sucked down one grounding cord to the base of your spine, and then finally being sent to the center of the Earth.

The best part about the grounding cord is you can have fun with it! Instead of just being a cord, in the headache example use a vacuum to suck the pain out of your brain and send it down the grounding cord. And suppose you don't like a little black cord. Change your grounding cord to a slinky! Or maybe something pretty like a waterfall or a rainbow, or if you really need strength change it to a link of chains.

The possibilities are endless as to what your grounding cord can look like or be. Use your imagination and make it fun. Also notice that I didn't say "close your eyes." Though it helps the first few times you practice the grounding cord, once you're familiar you can do it anywhere anytime. I sometimes even do it in the middle of a conversation if the person I am with is energetically draining.

You may be wondering about that last bullet in the list... altering the known physical laws of the Universe. Here's the deal. Stand up, establish your grounding cord, then make it as strong and thick as you possibly can. Focus and send as much of your energy as you can down that grounding cord, and continue doing this for a few minutes.

Then, while continuing to send as much energy down the grounding cord as possible, have somebody else give you a push. Not a gentle push nor a forceful one... but enough that it theoretically should make you wobble a bit. Maybe do this a couple times for good measure.

Next, imagine cutting your grounding cord off entirely. Now it's gone. Zip. Zilch. Nada! Have the other person push you with the same forcefulness again.

Now you tell me - what differences did you notice?

Chris Cade empowers people to discover their own personal truths through reading and writing spiritual stories and parables. For more information, visit http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com and http://www.SpiritualGrowthWriting.com

Copyright 2008, Chris Cade. All Rights Reserved Worldwide in all Media. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, do not include added text or links within the article, leave my name and author bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.

Get to Know Kabbalah Better to Achieve a Successful Life

Man is always on the lookout for the easiest path to greatness. Whether it's for career or business, we tends to go out of our way to take risks just to improve our current social standing. We might not realize it, but we tend to look to spiritual methods to satisfy our cravings for success - and one of the few religions that offer a quick and surefire path to greatness is Kabbalah.

The Inner Truth About Kabbalah

Many would say that Kabbalah is just like any other esoteric religion practiced many in modern society. In truth, Kabbalah offers the truth of the world that dates back since ancient times in the Middle East.

Mostly practiced by the Orthodox Jews, Kabbalistic teachings believe that the world was created by the one true God. This divine being created both heaven and earth using the 10 virtues or commonly called as Sephirots.

According to many of the high priests and patriarchs that supervises this religion, man can easily achieve the path to greatness and success by integrating these virtues into their daily life -- not just on a need-to-know-need-to-do basis, but following its teachings that will serve as the foundation of all their actions and decision.

Kabbalah And Man

Aside from the positive energies that is promoted by Kabbalah to help man achieve the peak of their career, the religion also speaks of possible hindrances that can pull a man down from their individual path to greatness. In most cases, the negative energies that come from both man and their immediate surroundings have the capability to destroy the balance in our life that will hinder us from getting what we want.

It is true that these negative energies pose much of a threat since we usually don't know what form they take or when they will shower you with their unwholesome influence. One such manifestation of these negative vibrations is often depicted as bad luck -- such as the existence of the Evil Eye.

Protection From Negative Forces

Keep in mind, however, that there are protections that will stop the flow of negative energies from affecting your life. Many religions have prayers, meditation, visualization, and other practices that will help you protect you from the effects of negative energies and imbalance. Among all these, the most successful prevention is through the use of magical accessories called Lucky Eyes.

These are accessories or trinkets that have the symbol of an eye in the middle that was said to absorb any negative energy in the immediate surrounding. You can practically see a lot of rich folks and popular Hollywood superstars wear these for protection as most people would often dub them as fashion.

http://www.luckyeyesinc.com/ - Kabbalah - Lucky Eyes

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company

Jesus Did Outline the Revelation

The Book of Revelation (or Revelation of Jesus Christ) is arguably the most complete future installment of God ever beheld by a man and subsequently addressed to the Church.

In this article, we will look at Chapter one, verse nineteen, and consider the instructions given by Jesus that virtually outlines the prophetic book.

It all began Sunday morning, 95 AD, somewhere on the small island in the Aegean Sea called Patmos. The Apostle John-having been banished to Patmos by Rome for his testimony of Jesus Christ-was in some remote corner of that island worshiping God. Then, as he knelt in prayer, he was confronted by Jesus Christ and instructed to record this Vision.

"Write the things which you have seen," Jesus told him, "and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this" (v. 19).

An earlier verse makes God's purpose clear: "the time is near" (v. 3). God wants us to know the prophecy because Jesus has completed the work of redemption on the cross, in turn starting the count down for what some refer to as "the sequel to the Cross", when Christ returns to gather His elect, vanquish His enemies, and redeem the planet.

Okay, now let's look at verse nineteen and see why it's the "key" to understanding the prophecy. Notice that John is instructed to write Revelation in three sections.

1. "Write the things which you have seen"
2. "Write the things which are"
3. "Write the things which will take place after this."

The phrase "the things which you have seen" is clearly in the past tense. John was instructed to write what he already witnessed. This concerns that which John had seen as he beheld Christ. Thus corresponding with John's eyewitness account of the risen and glorified Son of God as contained here in Chapter one.

The phrase "the things which are" is in the present tense. This concerns that which existed during the time of John, which is the Church. And as we will see, the next two chapters, Chapters two and three, surround the Church exclusively.

The phrase "the things which will take place after this" is in the future tense. This concerns the yet-future events shown to John beginning in Chapter four where he is taken in the "Spirit" to heaven and subsequently shown the future.

Study and contemplate this verse and consider these three parts. You'll discover that Revelation becomes more straightforward and your study of this great prophecy less chaotic.

About the Author

James Kobzeff has been a born again Christian and prophecy enthusiast for the past fifty years. He owes his biblical training to teachers such as Chuck Smith, Chuck Missler, J. Vernon McGee, and a host of biblical commentators. He maintains a blog titled Learn the Revelation simply to teach the Revelation. Why not start your study at => learntherevelation.blogspot.com