Knowing Our God Given Purpose; No Ordinary Knowledge

By Dale Linton

Knowledge that is derived from truth that feeds our spirit; which is our source of life, is referred to as “the bread of life”.

John 6:47, 48 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

I am that bread of life.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Our tendency, as Christians, is to feel as if we already have a “full knowledge” of truth, when the reality is that we may have only experienced truth in an “introductory phase” of God given knowledge. This is exemplified extremely well in the story of Nicodemus. (more…)

“Wait Upon The Lord”

By Steve Countryman

Nothing can separate you from the love of God. God who cares enough about you that He not only knows you better than you know you but God wants to be involved in EVERY decision you make. Not just the big ones but ALL of them. When Jesus lives within you it is in every day living. It is the habitation of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father. Not visitation like on most Sundays but a daily habitation. “But I’m not worthy of God’s habitation?” Jesus makes you worthy and deserving. Sin and un-forgiveness are the two things that will remove you from God’s presence in your life. I said His presence not His love. The truth about removing God’s presence is that God doesn’t remove Himself from us but by our sin and un-forgiveness that we remove ourselves from His presence. (more…)

How God Identifies Himself

By Cory Tucholski

“It’s interesting how God defines himself. He told Moses that he is the God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He did not define himself by his omnipotence or his omniscience but by his personal relationships with these common men.” (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11747) (more…)

Wintery Theology

By Anthony Weber

An unexpected storm dumped about 2 feet of snow here in Traverse City last night. Snow blanketed everything, as if Thomas Kinkade had personally orchestrated the event. The view from my window this morning was stunning.

But the beauty of winter is a mixed blessing. While the snow hangs delightfully on the trees, and my boys made a 6-foot-tall snowball, and snowmobilers are out in force, there is downside. Thousands are without power, a lot of people ended up in the ditch, and the city declared a State of Emergency. (more…)

Where are you?

By Okwudili Umeweni

I have walked with God in my few years of being a Christian and have found His presence the sweetest and best place to ever be. One thing I so much enjoy about His presence is that you not only enter into it but can also carry it wherever you go. It is the best place anyone can ever be full of security. Little wonder the Word of God says:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” [Psalms 91:1,2] (more…)

The Jailhouse Gospel

The Jailhouse Gospel
By Jerry Ousley

Over the years I’ve visited a few jails where people who have gotten into trouble have been arrested, felt the guilt of their crime and asked for a minister. Generally these folks know that they have done wrong and want to make things right. There are those who have been called by God to minister to prisoners and it is a ripe and open field of opportunity for the Gospel. (more…)

Butterfly Moments

Butterfly Moments
By Laura Swindon-Ross

When I was a child, I used to say prayers for butterflies. Sweet, slightly naive petitions like: “God, please save this butterfly with the broken wing. Help it to get better and make it fly among the flowers again, just like it used to. Thank-you, God. I love you God. Amen.” And then I would either put the poor sick foundling butterfly in a jar which Mom supplied, or together, Mom and I would let it go in the garden, setting it on a dewy leaf or a pretty flower, and then having said the miraculous prayer, we’d go on our way again. (more…)

Oh Martha! Oh Mary!

By hannah IDOWU

MARTHA, DO YOU BELIEVE?

You have worked so hard to make a living,

you have looked everywhere searching for a solution

you have called on every person you think can help you out of the sticky situation (more…)

The Power Of Giving-A Must Have Key For a Prosperous Life

By Ngozi Nwoke

How much of the giving power do you have? The wisdom of giving cannot be over-emphasized. How disposed you are to giving determines your level of prosperity. A giving person will always enjoy a prosperous life. This article gives the relationship between giving and a prosperous life.

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty- Proverbs 11:24 (KJV)

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again – Luke 6:38 (KJV) (more…)

Thanksgiving for the year that was

Thanksgiving for the year that was
By beatrice ofwona

Thanking God all the time is a prerequisite of the Christian prayer life. Philippians 4:6-7 educates us on this, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’. When we do this then a further promise is made in the verse that follows, ‘And the peace of God that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’. We should therefore thank God at all times, in good and in bad situations; in good because He is once again blessing us and in bad because He is growing us in faith. (more…)

HUNGRY FOR JESUS

By SIXTUS ONYEANUSI

Vs1.

Like a sponge that has long been dry

Like a deer runs to the water

Like a child to the mother cries

So my soul leaps for the altar

To be at the feet of my Lord
(more…)

Recognizing Jesus Christ’s Kings

By Carl Marshall

The two responsibilities that we are given in this world are to enrich the life of our body, and spirit. Our body’s desire may not be that of our spirit, which at that time, we may have already given privilege to the evil one, who uses such opportunity to interfere with the life we lead. In the beginning Adam and Eve had only one temptation, and that was a fruit tree in the garden of Eden, but today, we are overwhelmed with temptation. The price for sin is death, but Jesus Christ has paid that price, and has given us our day of independence. As babes we are not able to choose whether or not to be born, but being born of the spirit is our choice. Observe the foundation of Christian living (we must believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, Second is to have faith, and third, we carry our cross, but must follow only the Son of God) our needs are met by faith but not all our needs are known by us. God knows all our needs and so he told us to baptise because there is a need for it. (more…)

Lust

By Jerry Ousley

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines lust as being “Sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to falling away from God.” It also says, “Lust, the origin of sin, has its place in the heart, not of necessity, but because it is the center of all moral forces and impulses and of spiritual activity.” In other words, lust isn’t some strong physically necessary reaction but comes first from within the heart of man the seat of our soul. We are not compelled to do it naturally but it must be given thought and then put into action. (more…)

The Blessedness of Patience

By Yooko Dawson-Andoh

Ordinarily, patience is not one of the virtues strongly desired, sought after or prayed for because of its nature. Patience is not glamorous, attractive, or appealing in the midst of congregation of believers as the gifts of the Holy Spirit and God the Father 1 Corinthians 12:-10, Romans 12:6 and James 1:17. And yet when you possess this virtue, it makes you stand out and noticeable amongst Brothers, Sisters and even those who are not of the same faith. When the degree of prevailing conditions are very hot or of such intensity that makes you jittery, desperate or loose hope of the promises of God, patience displays its qualities that enable you wait for the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ. For without it, desperation can lead you to wrong choices and decisions that end you up in paths of destruction. (more…)

Easter In Norway

By Leonard Granger

LEN’S LINES —A little Religion on a Positive Note by Len Granger

The world celebrated Easter Sunday, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, in many different ways. When I think of Norway, a land of the Vikings with ice and snow, few people probably know the Norwegians have some of the strangest traditions. Mickey Bambrick, a column writer for the La Conner Weekly News, La Conner Washington, visited the homeland of her ancestors over the Easter holiday, and was really surprised how Norway was so different. (more…)