Several months ago, I was preparing for a Sunday sermon on thanksgiving. The Lord brought to my attention the Samaritan leper’s thanksgiving recorded in Luke 17 verses 11 to 19. This is a very familiar story among Christians. The story goes like this, there were 10 Samaritan lepers who asked Jesus for mercy. Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest. While going there, they found out that they were healed. Sadly, only one of them came back to thank Jesus.

Being a firm believer in expository preaching, I dug deep into the greek words used in the text. I looked up the greek words for “Thanks.” The word here is the word “eucharisteo.” This is where we get our word for “Eucharist.” Eucharisteo is also the same word used in the Gospels when Christs gives thanks for a meal. In the Epistles, the apostle Paul often uses this same word

Interestingly enough, eucharisteo literally means eu = good, well + a form of charis = to favor or thank; to respond to a good favor. Eucharisteo is also used as the verbs form of “favor” or “Charis” in Greek, the modern translation being “Grace.”

Looking at the Greek words and the Gospel story, it finally dawned on me that the Lepers were asking for “Mercy” but for one leper he got “Grace” instead, and he was responding to it thankfully.

There is a big difference between “Mercy” and “Grace” although we sometimes we used them interchangeably. But in reality they are not the same. To simply point out the difference, note that Mercy is “not getting what you deserve.” Grace on the other hand is “getting what you don’t deserve.” The difference is not just a matter of semantics. There is a huge difference between the two. Because of our sins we deserve to go to Hell. But because of God’s mercy we are spared from the punishment of hell. However the reason why we receive eternal life is only because of grace. We do not deserve the eternal life granted to us through the death Jesus Christ, but we received it because of GRACE.

Scripture tells us in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9 that “For by Grace are you saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not works lest any man should boast” The gift being reffered to here is “Saving faith.” What this verse is trying to tell us is that even the faith to believe in Jesus Christ is given to us by God. We are so depraved that by ourselves alone we do not have the natural ability to believe the promises of God. What we have is only natural faith. “Super natural faith” is required before we could fully understand what salvation in Christ truly means.

Thanks be to God for giving us “Supernatural faith,” for the faith to believe. Truly it is not because of our own natural ability that we have the faith to believe in Christ, it is only because of Him alone.

Because he realized that he was given this unmerited favor, the Samaritan Leper was so thankful that he “turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks”

He was then asked by Jesus Christ, “”Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

And I love this last part, Jesus continues and tells him “Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.” Literally he is saying to this Samaritan Leper “Your faith has saved you.”

Truly, the Samaritan Leper got more than what he asked for. He asked for mercy but he got grace instead and with that salvation. Being truly thankful is certainly is worth it !

WE absolutely love the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ~ because it truly reflects the human spirit, and the intense inner desire we possess to reach out and help others. A hallmark emotion of this show is “Delight” ~

* the grateful delight of the family, when they view their new home;
* the obvious delight of Ty and the design team, in sharing the home;
* the heart-warming delight of the builders and volunteers, who never fail to proclaim they receive so much more than they give!

Delight is a powerful emotion, and it truly opens the Consciousness to allow a free-flow of abundance and prosperity to come to you, in ways you would never begin to imagine!

In our Sunday service, we share a Prosperity Blessing during our offering time, in which we say together, “Divine Love, through me, blesses and multiplies all the I have, all that I give, and all that I receive.”

These words are actually a perfect outline for understanding an Extreme Level of Delight. Lots of individuals tend to think about money when they hear this blessing, but let’s “amp it up” into a description of our consciousness, and see where it take us!

Delight in all you have:

Of course, this means being grateful for the things we have without begrudging what others possess, or always longing for what you wish you had.

But let’s consider a deeper meaning: what about all the things we don’t necessarily feel grateful for? For example, things like illness, money problems, work issues, etc.? The real secret here is to live from a state of delight, even in the midst of these kinds of issues. Regardless of what we “have,” we are grateful! Not for but from! Living from that sense of delight in knowing we are one with God and all is well, we can recognize that any experience is simply “curriculum,” from which we can learn and grow.

Delight in all that you give:

This section of the blessing reminds us to delight in the things we give to others, but it means more than that. Become aware of other ways you give and notice if you are giving gratefully. We give through words; expressions; help; comfort; time. For example, we recently hosted some out of state friends. Ten of us celebrated their visit for a dinner, ranging from age 17 months to 89 years old! It was an incredible evening, where everyone gave their time, joyfully, to come together as family and friends. What a joyful celebration we all had!

Give joyfully! We pen the word “Gladly” on all our checks (right above the words “Pay to the order of”), and it helps us capture a sense of joy as we send our money out into the world. By allowing a sense of delight to flow through us, we are able to send that joy out to others through our words and actions. Giving with delight strengthens your prosperity, and the prosperity of everyone whose lives you touch!

Delight in all that you receive:

Reflect back on a gift you gave to someone recently. Recall your excitement in choosing it (or making it), and how you felt as you wrapped it up and delivered it. Now, imagine that you get no acknowledgement at all. Nothing is more disappointing than giving something, and not feeling a sense of appreciation on the part of the one you gave it to. It breaks the energy of the giving and receiving cycle.

Consider a compliment you received, that you denied and threw back at the giver! Think about offers for help, that you have glibly refused. When you do not receive with delight, you cut off the cycle of giving and receiving, and you put a kink in the prosperity flow into your life.

Experience shows that receiving with delight is the toughest challenge of all - especially when we find ourselves in a place of need, where we have to take help from others. But if we can just remember that by receiving with delight, we are actually helping those who are giving - and we are keeping that Giving/Receiving Principle alive and active in our lives!

Charles Fillmore is quoted as saying, “It has been found by experience that a person increases his blessings by being grateful for what he has. Gratitude even on the mental plane is a great magnet. When gratitude is expressed from the spiritual standpoint, it is powerfully augmented.”

When we live life from a Spiritual Consciousness of Delight - delighting in all that we have, all that we give, and all that we receive - we will discover that everything we ever need will flow to us as we become one with Divine Abundance.

It’s about the U. S. elections, our politicians and the divisiveness of politics.

Enjoy.

A SPIRITUAL SOLUTION

I have never been very “politically minded”, even though I have at
times tried to voice strong opinions around political matters. ‘Guess
it’s just not me.

As I watch the increasingly divisive nature of conversations between
Americans of all political persuasions, I am becoming more convinced
that we are all on the wrong tract.

“One nation, under God”, “E pluribus unum”, “In God We Trust”…Where
have we gotten the idea that combativeness is the solution to problems
that have a Spiritual solution?

Our founders knew it.

They left oppressive environs for the allure of freedom available
here. They faced untold hardships because they believed that “all men
were created equal”.

The venom of our words about the two presidential candidates indicates
one thing and one thing only to me…

FEAR is the motivator behind attacks.

We are afraid we’ll lose something we have or that we won’t get
something we want. Is our government the provider of these things? No,
of course not. God is the provider!

The problems we face in our world, the United States, our states, our
schools, our homes and most importantly, in our own lives have a
Spiritual Solution.

A Spiritual Solution is found only when we look within to God, Who is
present in some amount in every human being, whether that human’s “God
Qualities” are easy to see on the surface or hard to discern through
the thick layers of fear, anger and defensive posturing.

Could we just pray?

Could we just pray and KNOW that God is in charge and that we need to
adjust ourselves to His Will for us to love, accept and prosper
TOGETHER rather than individually?

Could we just pray, then?

Could we just pray and be interested in the good of all instead of the
fear that we will be cheated?

Could we just pray, then?

Could we just pray for a forgiving attitude, and a humble heart that
realizes that there is NO WAY that we, as humans have all the answers?

Could we just pray, then?

Could we just pray that our country will reunite UNDER GOD and His
ideals for us rather than dominate our political opponents, our
country’s adversaries, and folks that “don’t think like we do”?

Could we just pray, then?

Could we just pray that we will think less like our little “selves”
and more like our God?

So, BEFORE tomorrow’s election, and AFTER tomorrow’s election…

Could we just stop fighting, scratching and clawing and…

COULD WE JUST PRAY?

David & Charlsa Perdew
http://www.WorldWantingPeace.com

The name above all names is Jesus (see Philippians 2:9). This high standing was given to Him by the Father because Jesus accomplished what no one else could. What did He accomplish?

1. He resisted sin.

Jesus was tempted in the same areas we are, yet He never made a mistake (see Hebrews 4:15). Think about the phrase “all points” for a minute. This verse is telling us that that every temptation common to man including lying, stealing, bad thoughts, anger, etc. was thrown at Jesus. Yet He never fell for any of it.

“But Karin, Jesus is God. Of course He was able to stand against sin,” you might say. Yes, Jesus is God. However, we have to understand that Jesus did not exist on earth as God but as a man. Part of His purpose was to experience what we have to go through so that He could become a more understanding High Priest (see Hebrews 2:16-18). Jesus stripped Himself of the **privileges** of being God. Because He was infused with and perfectly yielded to the Third Person in the Trinity, He performed great miracles.

2. Jesus manifested the perfect will of God everywhere He went.

He told the truth, healed,cast out demons, met financial needs, and more.

3. He suffered the humiliations of a criminal although He was perfect.

He was severely beaten and called a liar yet He never retaliated. Finally, He was hung on a cross between two thieves. Still, He did not think of Himself. “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing,” He prayed. He entrusted the care of His mother to the disciple named John when He said: “Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.”

4. He became sin who knew no sin.

Jesus, who never sinned, became sin itself so that all who believe in Him could have right standing with God. We see lots of pictures of Jesus hanging on a cross but Isaiah prophesied that He would be severely disfigured (see Isaiah 52:14). This was the result of every sin and sickness known to man invading Jesus’ body.

5. He took our punishment in Hell.

I can’t imagine the torture Jesus went through at the hands of the devil and all his demons.

6. He rose in victory and power.

Jesus took the keys to Hell and Death and then made an open display of the devil as a defeated foe (see Ephesians 4:7-9).

Though His brief life on earth could not have been easy, Jesus remained focused on His mission and accomplished what no other had done: the redemption of all mankind.

Karin Peavy uses her pen to help change lives. She is the author of Hot Chocolate For the Spirit, a new Bible devotional that is chock full of scripture keys that will help you live your best now. Karin also publishes a weekly ezine that reveals the many ways God is moving in your life, sometimes behind the scenes, and perhaps in ways you never imagined. Visit http://www.karinpeavy.com to discover more Bible study resources.
Article Source: ArticleRich.com

Will

The co-founders of Unity, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, wanted a place where they could combine all of the ministries of their growing movement under one roof. They wanted a church home. It was 1902 and Charles felt it was time to select a building committee. The movement had just gotten under way and many people, including some of the Trustee members, felt that the building committee a bit premature.

At one of the early meetings, Charles brought up the idea of more space. One of the Board members started the building fund by jokingly giving a one-cent piece. Everyone laughed good-naturedly, finding his token contribution amusing - everyone, that is, except Charles.

His own trusted colleagues had laughed at his idea. Have you ever gotten similar treatment for an idea you had? When was the last time you were taken lightly, made fun of, or even ridiculed for an idea you had? What impact did the slight have on you? Charles Fillmore could have reacted in any number of ways. But he stood in his truth. He took the penny, thanked the member for his seed money, and blessed it.

To him the building fund was symbolically and literally on its way. Several months later, in February of 1903 in Unity Magazine, Charles gave subscribers “the opportunity of contributing any sum of money from 10 to one thousand dollars or more” towards the purchase of a site and the construction of a building. Unfortunately, by the end of 1903 the building fund had grown to 25! That brings to mind the story of the Unity minister who addressed her congregation and said: “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is we’ve got plenty of money to pay all of our bills and meet all our expenses. The bad news is it’s still in your wallets.

By 1905, two years later, the penny which started the building fund had grown to only $601. In spite of their disappointment the Fillmore’s continued to be committed to the building campaign. The building committee had discovered an eight-room house for sale at 913 Tracy Avenue, but the money they had accumulated was not nearly enough to even think about buying the property.

The Fillmore’s had prayed about it and believed that their prayers would be answered. They prayed to start each day and they prayed to end each day. They visualized. They affirmed. They prayed, believing their good would follow. Sound familiar? They prayed when they were inspired. And they prayed when they were tired. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore had PhD’s in prayer.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Unity Society of Practical Christianity a few months later, several people pledged a few hundred dollars apiece toward the purchase of the building. Their pledges were accepted graciously but the Fillmore’s seemed to be the only ones excited about the building fund.

Then one evening one of the Board members stopped by the Fillmore’s and said quietly that he had decided to mortgage his house in order to give Unity with the necessary funds. He wasn’t a rich man and he had a wife and four children to provide for. But he had worked with the Fillmore’s and had seen their generosity and commitment. He believed in their work and wanted to see the ministry grow.

His business colleagues discouraged him from taking such a drastic step. To them, Unity was not a good risk. They thought he was being brainwashed by this strange religious group and reminded him he had a family to support. Even some of the Board members in Unity believed he was giving a little too much. But he could not be talked out of it.

Because of his faith and enormous generosity, Unity obtained the lot on Tracy Avenue, and the rest, as they say, is history. By the way his daughter, May Rowland, became the Director of Silent Unity and served for over 50 years. Her book, Dare to Believe, is a Unity classic.

Unity Village was built on the faith of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, the faith of their sons, and on the faith of their friends and colleagues throughout the years. The Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, N.C. is built on faith too - the faith of its Board and the faith of its members. Cher and I have faith in USLC too!

We feel that the point where our collective consciousness, commitment, and talent meet the needs of people is where God wants the Unity Spiritual Life Center to be! And if we are where God wants us to be, there is nothing that can detract from the good that we can accomplish. And the same thing goes for each and every one of us: The point where your consciousness, commitment, and ability meets the needs of the world is where God wants you to be. And if you are where God wants you to be there is nothing that can keep you from your good or the good you can do.

Let us put the concept of NOTHING in perspective. It is important for your understanding of how well-connected you are to Spirit. The powerful concepts of Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omniscience have two incredible things in common. They both begin with the syllable “OM”. OM represents the Christ within us, the I AM Presence. It identifies our connection to Spirit. Both also have the “ni” in common. Ni is short for nil or nihil which signify nothing. So you see, there is nothing under heaven or on earth that can separate you from the all knowing, everywhere present, all powerful nature of God expressing in, through, and as you!

If you believe that, and if you truly know that within your heart, your life will be changed forever! You will walk more confidently sleep more peacefully and live more fully. There is NOTHING that can separate you from the life you want. Not your past. Not your childhood experiences. Not your bad experiences. Not your most ingrained habits. Not your lost opportunities. Not the old tapes running through your head. Nothing can separate you from your good except your disbelief in truth principles and your doubts of your unworthiness. Any separation caused by these false assumptions and your feelings of unworthiness is only a perceived separation.

You are an idea in the mind of the Creator expressing as you. The Unity Spiritual Life Center is an idea in the mind of Almighty God expressing as a community of believers. And everyone has a part to play in its out-picturing. “We live in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.” Those are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King. And they are applicable to us as members of this spiritual community, as visitors in this spiritual community, as citizens of this country, and members of the human race. We live in an “inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.”

Every time we pledge our time, our talents, and our money to this church we are going back to the future. Back to the earliest contributors who made Unity Village a reality. The penny that began what we know as Unity Village made it possible for us to meet there today because this ministry is an extension of that mustard seed of faith.

The Unity Spiritual Life Center is here by divine right! We open these doors because Charles and Myrtle Fillmore opened doors. We pray to the God of our understanding because our co-founders prayed to the God of their understanding. We let our light shine because the Fillmore’s let their light shine. We have the privilege and wherewithal of helping people understand that the Kingdom of God is within. The Fillmore’s believed it, and they believed it because Jesus the Christ taught it. And He said it because it is true.

Inscribed on today’s pennies are the words: “In God We Trust” and trusting in God is a basic ingredient on our truth walks. Whether it’s common sense or our sixth sense, it just makes good sense to trust the Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omniscience of a loving God. That realization will keep us on the right path.

Wisdom lifts up her voice. Do we hear her: “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” She is greater than fine diamonds. Have we desired her: “He brings low the mighty and exalts the lowly.” By her judges rule and kings reign. Have we discovered her: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Consider wisdom:

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth Eccl 7:2-4

Wisdom? A heart is improved by the sadness of the countenance? The house of mourning is more desirable than the house of feasting? But isn’t Christian salvation all about this wonderful, happy plan that God has for our lives? Why all this sadness, sorrow and mourning? Doesn’t the writer understand the ways of God? Surely he’s misguided - or is he? Is it possible that it is us moderns who are misguided regarding the ways of God?

Solomon understood this little known truth: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). He knew that “weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Solomon was convinced that without crucifixion there is no resurrection. Reader, is the contemporary Christian church greater than its Master?

Consider a baker meticulously mixing water, sugar, salt, yeast and flour. He mixes and punches; he rolls and kneads until the dough is perfect. His guests are screaming for the bread, but he knows he must be patient - the rising cannot be rushed. “Leave out the yeast!” cries a famished guest. “After all, the other ingredients are there.” But the wise baker knows that even though such a yeast-free concoction might taste similar to bread it would not really be bread at all.

From instant oatmeal to gourmet microwave dinners, if you want faster and easier, you’ve got it. Drive-through banks, drive-through restaurants, seeker friendly churches - it’s OK, leave the yeast out! We want fortune without work and Christian conversion without contrition - it takes too long to rise! Contrition? Contrition is the yeast in the bread of conversion. Contrition is the house of mourning. It is the sadness of the countenance. Contrition is the death of the seed - the weeping in the night. Contrition is the crucifixion of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, excuses and arrogance. Contrition is the sackcloth and ashes of the heart.

Without contrition genuine gospel salvation and revival are impossible. Please, don’t misunderstand. We can still play church (even mega-church) without contrition. We might have thousands at our crusades (and probably will) without contrition. Sinners can even recite rote prayers without contrition. We cannot, however, get one self-obsessed soul to repent and be genuinely saved without contrition.

Your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God…and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes, and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD (2 Chron 34:27-28).

The sacrifice of a rent garment is useless without the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart. Likewise, the sacrifices of church attendance, giving, and other spiritual activities are useless without a contrite heart. Without this inner contrition the Lord doesn’t hear. We can hire professional singers and professional preachers heralding revival, but without contrition - God does not hear and revival will not come. Without the yeast the bread won’t rise.

Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor 7:10).

Everyone should be a soul winner for Jesus Blog Article. What is soulwinning or winning souls? It is simply fulfilling the great commission that Jesus commanded us to go out to all the world and tell them how to get saved. Click Here to visit my soulwinning website. It will feature many more tips,products, and helpful books on soulwinning

Jesus wants us to tell others about Him so they can get saved. Than we are to tell them about baptism and help them grow in the Lord. Everyone must be a soulwinner for Jesus. In the Bible it says he who winneth souls is wise.

Not everyone will get saved when we go soulwinning but we must go. All we are is messengers. Jesus saves not us. We must not be afraid to tell others about their need of salvation. Hell is real. Heaven is real too.

Jesus needs soul winners to tell everyone about Him and His saving power. Do you have relatives or friends who might not be saved. They need the free gift of eternal life too. Jesus paid for it on the cross. He wants to give everyone eternal life.

Jesus Christ will go with us and help us witness for him. The Holy Spirit will help us to be bold. Let us be soulwinners for Jesus all the time. The Gospel is so simple. Even children can understand the Gospel message.

I will be posting many articles about soulwinning and give helpful tips that others have shared with me. I will also be posting my favorite soulwinning stories on my website. Please read Mark 16:15. It is my favorite soulwinning bible verse. Remember that Jesus gets all the Glory for everything that happens! Click Here to visit my soulwinning website.

Jesus talks a lot about ‘overcoming’ in life. This side of the cross, we are told that we overcome by receiving from God. The New Testament talks a lot about receiving from God. The Old Testament was just the opposite. It was one of giving to God: obedience by keeping the law, and by repentance, and by sacrifice and offerings. But in the New Testament things changed. As Paul says ‘all things became new’ (II Cor 5:17).

The Old testament talked a lot about coming into atonement, or ‘right standing with God.’ In fact, page after page after page in the Old Testament describes this process — mainly by means of sacrifice and offerings. The Apostle Paul only mentions the atonement one time in all of his writings (and he wrote over half the New Testament). He writes: “You have now RECEIVED the atonement” (Rom 5:11).

A few verses later he writes, “Much more they who RECEIVE abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17). Paul says if we will just receive from God — (1) his grace, and (2) his gift of righteousness — then we will reign with Christ.

It’s very hard for human beings to receive. Our inclination is to give to God. We think it’s our behavior, performance, and obedience that God wants. Naturally, God doesn’t want people running around doing bad things. But he knows that correct belief is much more important than good behavior. Correct belief will eventually produce good behavior, but good behavior will never produce correct belief.

God wants us to simply learn to receive from him. He know his principle far better than we ever will: “As you sow, so shall you reap” (Gal 6:7). When we receive God’s good gospel seed into us, then this seed produces good roots. Jesus says two different times, “No good root produces bad fruit.” It’s actually the oldest truth in the Bible. Genesis 1 talks about seed ‘producing after its own kind.’

God knows you can’t grow apples by planting pumpkin seeds. To grow apples you have to plant apple seeds. It’s a very simple truth.

When we allow God to sow his good gospel seed into us, then he knows good things will come out of us. Paul says it’s the gospel that brings forth good fruit from us (Col 1:5-6). Take time to really let the good seed of the gospel into your life — all of God’s love, peace, joy, righteousness, goodness, and everything else good. Then watch the good fruit come forth from you. This is allowing God to complete the good work he has begun in you (Phil 1:6).

Roger and Eileen’s ministry shares living practical gospel Christianity — how to live a powerful, practical life in peace and joy do to the working of the gospel within us. Visit our ministry web site: http://www.ThePracticalGospel.com
Subscribe to our short twice a week newsletter. Send a blank E-mail to: GospelSnapshots@Royal-Responder.com

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

Prayer definitely works and is still working today as it did thousands of years ago. There are many that have experienced it’s power.

Just when you wonder when are things going to get better…prayer gets answered! And most of the time it will be better results than what you imagined! A powerful true experience of what prayer can do for those who have faith in it and in God.

I was really getting to the point of utter frustration involving the numerous business ventures I had invested in over the last few years.

One of my ventures was my own business as a real estate photographer and was just starting to market my service. Then the realtor companies were stating that real estate is booming and houses were selling without pictures and they were right, it was the beginning of a real estate boom…not what I wanted to hear!

After many attempts at trying to get this business going with little success, I just broke down and prayed out loud to God telling him that evidently this isn’t the work that he had planned for me. And then I asked him to please show me what he would like for me to do.

The next day, I was remembering that I had sold a certain product line in retail quite a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. So I thought what can I lose by just checking into it again? Then I called a friend that I hadn’t talked to for quite awhile and she was selling this line and was doing pretty well with it.

After calling her, she said that she was retiring soon, and referred me to another lady in the business. I then spoke with her, and we really hit it off over the phone. I had never met her in my life, but she seemed very nice and helpful. All of a sudden, in the middle of the phone conversation, she said that sometime in the early part of next year, she will be retiring and has quite a few representatives that she makes commissions on, working for her. She then asked me if I would be interested in taking them over at that point.

I wanted to shout out my answer, but managed to contain myself and said I was very interested. After the call had ended…I was dancing with joy! I thought this is so amazing, especially since she really didn’t even know me.

Then that wasn’t all…this next part of my experience is even more amazing! My Christian friend and her husband whom I had originally called about this business, had put their house on the market so they could retire and travel. They had it up for less than two weeks and received a cash offer for the total amount they were asking…wow! Then guess what happened next…she called me and asked if I would take over her customer base of over fifty regular customers … WOW! Anyway, I think you know my answer.

Then I thanked God for his blessing with his answer to my prayer!

So in conclusion, if you are feeling like giving up, and have been really discouraged with your work or personal life, just ask God for his help. Then pray daily and give thanks to him too, have faith, and your prayers will be answered in the way that is best for you!

Verona Raymond. “Living Life with God’s Purpose in Mind”. Verona maintains Christian websites filled with uplifting Christian articles and information. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active. http://christianarticles.christianrhapsody.com
Article Source: ArticleRich.com

Teaching children to pray can be accomplished with consistent application of 6 simple techniques.

1. Are you seen praying? Your children will learn to pray and will see the importance of praying when they see you praying. Leave your door open when you pray so your children will see your example.

2. Lost toys. I encourage my children to kneel down and say a prayer when they cannot find their lost toy. You will notice these prayers become quite fervent. Afterwords make sure your child finds the lost toy and then point out that Heavenly Father heard their prayer.

3. Use rituals. Children love repetition and meal times, bed times and waking up make good starting points. Prayers very quickly become something that is done at these times and is not burdensome to our children.

4. Teach the power of personal prayer. Accepting Jesus Christ into our lives is a very powerful experience and it comes through personal prayer. Our children can tell God anything and this is an important step.

5. Stage Fright. Do you ever feel nervous praying in public? Sometimes, just praying in front of my family makes me nervous. I try to remember though, that this is helping my children when they hear me pray.

6. Flexibility. Teach your children that a short prayer is more important than no prayer at all. If you are hurrying out the door and are loading up in the car and you have forgotten morning prayers, at least have one of the children say a prayer while you are driving.

Families that pray together will stay together as the saying goes. Prayer teaches reverence and humility. When children pray for lost toys and other things it develops faith at a very early age.

Did you ever wonder why the Bible is so hard to read? It’s simple really. God is looking for people who are willing to pursue Him. The Bible is like a gold mine. Now, if I were to give you a real live gold mine, would you just walk in and pick up the gold? No, of course not. You have to dig for it, but the reward is incredibly valuable. I promise if you dig into the Bible you’ll find secrets FAR more valuable than just gold.

The Bible is also like is a jigsaw puzzle. It’s not until you complete it that you really start to grasp the whole picture. I encourage you most strongly to make a decision to read the whole Bible. My secrets in this article will help you.

1.) Get A Version You Can Understand. The Living Bible is the easiest to read, but it is a paraphrase, not a translation. This means that the translators tried to translate the meaning of the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, not the exact words.

The New American Standard Version (NASB) is generally accepted as the most accurate modern translation. It was translated with the benefit of the findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1946) and the storeroom of Ezra (Egypt, 1872) which were not available in earlier English translations. It is still somewhat difficult to read, however.

The New International Version (NIV) is another painstakingly accurate modern translations, but it is very readable. It too is highly recommended.

The King James Version and The Catholic Bible are the classic American Bibles, but they can be very difficult to read. If you are a member of a church, your Pastor or Priest may have a specific version that they recommend.

2.) Every Time Before You Read: Ask God to open your eyes and your heart to His Word.

3.) This Is The Order In Which To Read The Bible: The Bible is broken into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the history of creation and the Jewish nation, along with stories, writings and warnings from God’s prophets.

The New Testament is the story of Jesus and the early Christian church along with instructions on how to be a Christian. We live under the New Testament - which is a new way of life which God set up through Jesus.

The first 4 books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and are known as “The Gospels.” (This means “Good News”). These are 4 different versions of the same story - The Life of Jesus. They are 4 eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life.

So read in this order:

Matthew, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians

Mark, Acts, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians

Luke, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James

John, 1&2 Peter, 1,2&3 John, Jude, Revelation

4.) Read One Chapter At A Time. This will take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

5. ) You Will Need The Following Tools: A pencil and a ruler.

6.) This Is How You Use The Pencil And Ruler: When you read, underline anything that strikes you as important or interesting. When you finish the chapter, look back over the things you’ve underlined and draw a box around the most important thing in the chapter.

When you finish a book, review your boxed verses and make a double box around the most important verse of the book. Doing this is simply a tool to help you realize what you’re reading. You will get much more out of reading the Bible this way.

7.) When You Finish The New Testament, START OVER - you will be amazed at how God’s Word is new & fresh every time you read it.

8.) After You Have Read The New Testament, Then You Can Add The Old Testament. Read the Old Testament in the order in which it appears in the Bible. To read the whole Bible in a year, you’ll need to read 1 chapter of the New Testament and 5-7 pages of the Old Testament.

Here’s the way to know the number of pages you’ll need to read: Take the total number of pages in the Old Testament and divide by 200. Let’s say the result is 5. Your goal will be to read 5 pages of the Old Testament 20 times a month for 10 months. Aim for everyday, but 20 times is the monthly must-have goal. This gives you 2 months of extra built-in leeway and 10 days leeway per month. If you get bogged down reading the Old Testament, turn to Psalms and Proverbs. But never give up reading the New Testament for the sake of reading the Old Testament.

9.) The Best Thing You Can Ever Do For Your Spiritual Life Is To Read The Whole Bible EVERY Year. WHY should you do this? Because it is where faith comes from. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17And how important is faith? This is what the Bible says: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6

10.) Note This Web Site: www.biblegateway.com. This is an incredible on-line concordance. A concordance lets you find a Bible verse by any single word you can think of. For example: You can type in “love” and it will give you every singe verse containing the word “love.” They have this for every well-known version of the Bible in many languages.

In Conclusion: This plan will effectively help you to read through the Bible. You will find that the Bible is “alive.” You will be reading along and - BAM! - something will jump off the page at you, like it was written ONLY for you for this EXACT moment of your life. It is AMAZING and it will happen over and over. It is no wonder that millions of lives have been changed by the Bible and that a surprising number of people have even given their lives so that you might have the right and the ability to read it.

Do you know how to hear God?

William Verch is the author of a Special Report entitled “How To Hear God Speak.”  For a limited time, enjoy a complimentary copy at www.TheWayGodWorks.com You will be pleased with this unique resource for helping you to be able to know God’s voice.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

About The Author

Since 1975 I’ve helped in the Body of Christ as a missionary, elder, pastor and Christian counselor. My strength lies in helping Christians become overcoming and victorious in their walk with God.

Visit my website http://www.afindersworld.com.

It will help in finding Christian instruction and overcoming devotionals on relationships,communicating with God and spiritual victory. Also shopping for Christian books,Christian music and gifts.

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SOMEONE CARES FOR YOU

He knows your present circumstances.  He knows your very thoughts.  And he is calling to you now. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11.29).  Rest - real rest - from the burdens of life, is what Jesus Christ offers you.  Rest from fear and guilt, from worry and frustration, from loneliness and disappointment.

If you are struggling under life’s pressures.  He offers to bear your burdens with you: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29.30).

If you are searching for peace of mind and soul.  He offers you is peace. “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Yes, Jesus cares for you.  He god the son, became a man to redeem you from the consequences of sin.  In his 33 years on earth he suffered refection, abuse and cruelty.  He endured hunger, thirst and pain.  And he died upon the Cross of Calvary to fulfill God’s plan of salvation: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for  ou iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  When he arose from the grave he triumphed over sin and death, promising all who will receive him: “Because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19).

You can be sure that this very moment Jesus cares for you and wants to meet your need.  For the risen Savior is both God and man: being man he understands your every need;being God he is able to deliver you.

Because Jesus lived upon earth as a man, he understands your feeling and need. We can all encounter all these by praying this simple prayer:

“Lord, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins and rise from the dead so that I can know your forgiveness and live with you forever.  Right now I ask Jesus Christ to be my Savior so that I can live as the special creation that you intended me to be“.

I found this piece of paper that was thrust into my hand by a perfect stranger a comfort, I keep it in my wallet and when I am feeling down and overwhelmed with life, I take it out and read it.  Once i have read it, I don’t feel as if I am alone anymore.

Thank you for letting me share this with you.  So when someone you don’t know pushs a piece of paper into your hand as you pass by them, take a look at it and read what it says, sometimes there is a wonderful message, just like the one I got.

To that stranger, I say thank you.

Mary Anne

When reading Jesus’ words in Mark 11:22-24, I have never known whether the mountain he mentions is symbolic or real. The Bible simply says, “’Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ’I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’”

If Jesus didn’t mean a real live mountain, then the symbol of the mountain could be anything from a mountain of problems to a mountain of debt. The mountain could symbolize any big problem that we face and that we feel we can’t budge.

I have heard some teach that the mountain symbolizes the Law of God, and that He’s really teaching that we can have forgiveness by faith. And when we read Mark 11:25, I can see how that might be one way to interpret this verse. I just wonder why He gives us such a big promise as, “Whatever you ask for in prayer,” if all He really meant was forgiveness.

But if Jesus was talking about a real mountain, it could mean that we have the power to change the physical universe, and that our faith and our prayers are far more powerful than we have ever imagined. It would mean that we could go far beyond just changing our situation, because we can literally change the world.

For the moment, let’s just forget the mountain. What difference does it really make if He meant a symbolic, or a real, mountain?

What does it mean to us that Jesus said, “if anyone…does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him?”

The first thing it means to me is that I have a very small, limited picture of what faith is able to do. It means that I need to open my eyes to just how big and powerful God is, and that I need to constantly remind myself, “With God, all things are possible.”

The second thing it tells me is that my problem isn’t a lack of faith; it’s an abundance of doubts. Those doubts can come from being unclear about what we want and extend to being unclear about God’s love and power. If I doubt God’s love for me, my faith will suffer.

Finally what these verses tell me is that my faith needs to be in God, and not in my faith. It’s not about what I believe in, but who I believe in. When I believe in God, all things will be possible because He is the one that makes them possible.

The same faith that helped David defeat Goliath is in everyone of us. In “Taking On Goliath - How To Unleash The David In All Of Us,” author Rob Marshall shows you how to unleash your faith, overcame any obstacle, and live your dreams.
http://www.TakingOnGoliath.com

Article Source: ArticleRich.com
http://www.articlerich.com/Article/Faith-That-Moves-Mountains–First–Forget-The-Mountain/82725

The name above all names is Jesus (see Philippians 2:9). This high standing was given to Him by the Father because Jesus accomplished what no one else could. What did He accomplish?

1. He resisted sin.

Jesus was tempted in the same areas we are, yet He never made a mistake (see Hebrews 4:15). Think about the phrase “all points” for a minute. This verse is telling us that that every temptation common to man including lying, stealing, bad thoughts, anger, etc. was thrown at Jesus. Yet He never fell for any of it.

“But Karin, Jesus is God. Of course He was able to stand against sin,” you might say. Yes, Jesus is God. However, we have to understand that Jesus did not exist on earth as God but as a man. Part of His purpose was to experience what we have to go through so that He could become a more understanding High Priest (see Hebrews 2:16-18). Jesus stripped Himself of the **privileges** of being God. Because He was infused with and perfectly yielded to the Third Person in the Trinity, He performed great miracles.

2. Jesus manifested the perfect will of God everywhere He went.

He told the truth, healed,cast out demons, met financial needs, and more.

3. He suffered the humiliations of a criminal although He was perfect.

He was severely beaten and called a liar yet He never retaliated. Finally, He was hung on a cross between two thieves. Still, He did not think of Himself. “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing,” He prayed. He entrusted the care of His mother to the disciple named John when He said: “Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.”

4. He became sin who knew no sin.

Jesus, who never sinned, became sin itself so that all who believe in Him could have right standing with God. We see lots of pictures of Jesus hanging on a cross but Isaiah prophesied that He would be severely disfigured (see Isaiah 52:14). This was the result of every sin and sickness known to man invading Jesus’ body.

5. He took our punishment in Hell.

I can’t imagine the torture Jesus went through at the hands of the devil and all his demons.

6. He rose in victory and power.

Jesus took the keys to Hell and Death and then made an open display of the devil as a defeated foe (see Ephesians 4:7-9).

Though His brief life on earth could not have been easy, Jesus remained focused on His mission and accomplished what no other had done: the redemption of all mankind.

Karin Peavy uses her pen to help change lives. She is the author of Hot Chocolate For the Spirit, a new Bible devotional that is chock full of scripture keys that will help you live your best now. Karin also publishes a weekly ezine that reveals the many ways God is moving in your life, sometimes behind the scenes, and perhaps in ways you never imagined. Visit http://www.karinpeavy.com to discover more Bible study resources.

Article Source: ArticleRich.com