Christ Teachings

Every Soul Counts to God. If we only knew the value that He places on each soul! Many people today are satisfied to live their lives apart from God, without allowing Him to have the proper amount of influence and control in their daily lives. People often make decisions that limit what God can do in them and with them.

God is waiting to be sought and pursued by us. He desires fellowship with us, yet we often shut the door to Him. He desires continual, true communion with us through His Son, Jesus Christ. He desires a relationship.

Your pursuit of God demonstrates your passion for Him and also your desire to have a relationship with Him. All that He asks is that we seek Him, in faith, with all of our heart. God truly delights in being pursued by us.

God extends His free gift of Salvation, by His grace, to all those who would truly believe in Jesus Christ, and in His finished work. “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” Acts 16:31. We must be willing to have faith in Jesus Christ with our entire life and our destiny, and not doubt Him in any way. There should be a genuine repentance that we demonstrate for all of our sins. We must turn around our life and stop sinning, having full faith and confidence in Jesus Christ, who is our only true hope for eternal salvation.

Just as we strive to develop relationships with people, we should also work to develop our relationship with our Heavenly Father through getting to truly know Jesus. Jesus is glorified and revealed by the Holy Spirit. See John 16:13-15. We get to know Jesus through reading The Bible. “…thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

Remember, that you are important to God, and that every soul counts. Live your life in a manner pleasing to Him, always knowing that others are watching you. Your life might be the only testimony for Jesus they see.

May God bless you as you walk out your salvation in fear and trembling before Him. May His love be rooted and established in you daily.

“THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope…” Romans 5:1-2.

Adam Woeger is a Christian minister, evangelist, and author. He offers many free Christian books and Christian resources on the Delivering Hope web site.

This is a story of a Filipino Woman-of-Substance. She was my Mother.

We were a Migrant Family who moved out, in Yr 1953, of rural agricultural Mindanao to re-settle in urban Manila City, Philippines. I am the eldest of 7 Children – 4 Brothers and 3 Sisters. Unfortunately, my youngest Brother died as a Child – in a swiming accident in the City. As Father’ health was never good in the City, he would frequently re-visit his hometown rural Cebu where he died at an early age of 48 years old.

Mama struggled on with life, all by herself, to feed her 6 growing-up children, and to pay the high cost of quality education for all her children. As strangers in the City and with no relatives to depend upon, Mama secured for her brood a 1-unit, low-cost, long-term, lease-to-own, 2-bedroom bungalow in a Gov’t-owned Housing Project. For many years, we had to survive by Mama’s low Salary Income as a Gov’t Employee. When each of us graduated from College, one after another, she continued on living a Life-of-Purpose – by building a respectable 2-storey Residential House, by extending financial assistance to her Sisters-in-Need residing in the province, and by securing a Family Burial Lot in a well-planned Privately-owned Memorial Cemetery. Mama died at the old age of 84 years old.

Mama was a Catholic. As a bright young girl studying at Sta Teresa Academy (Cebu), she learned her Catholic Faith taught by the Missionary Belgian Sisters at that time. She recognized JESUS as her personal Savior – and Redeemer of the World. She willingly offered all her day-to-day sacrifices upon the Altar-of-the-Lord. And Sunday would be the Lord’s Day.

She insisted that all of us would walk all together to church for Sunday Mass. Our neighbors would jokingly liken us to a train. Holy Week was observed with confessions, fasting and abstinence. The Dawn Mass on Resurrection Sunday was celebrated in ecstacy. As Christmas was always celebrated with the longest period of joy, I once asked Mother which event would be the most important. Her quick reply was: “Resurrecion Sunday. If CHRIST did not rise from the dead (as he had promised) then JESUS could NOT have been our Savior. Our sacrifices in Life would then have no meaning as there would be no AfterLife in the Kingdom of God.” Mama was a Catholic Teacher-of-Life – and she continues to enlighten and to inspire me as she is now in heaven.

Many churches today are struggling to survive. Pastors and church leaders seem to get a lot of pressure when their churches fail to grow. Churches are living organisms, and as such they are not intended to remain the same. If they are nourished, they grow. If they are underfed and neglected, they go the other direction and begin to die. The church depends upon the condition of each individual member for it

God

Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! : An Internet Forum

An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user-generated content. A Forum is simply where people connect, discuss, share and learn. Forum topics vary greatly and can be about almost anything. Commonly forums can be about games, TV shows, mobile phones, websites and even people. CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST FORUM at www.celestialforum.com is an example. People can view or read discussions from outside a forum but cannot partake in such discussions if they are not registered.

Membership

Membership is free on the Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! Registered members of a forum, who are identified by unique usernames, may have additional privileges, such as the ability to edit their previous posts, start new topics, upload pictures and control their individual settings and profiles.

The Celestial Church of Christ Forum has been developed based on a word from God that:

“the online forum would be a portal of information to the whole world, where people would come, search and get solutions to their problems from what members of the Celestial Church of Christ and forum members have discussed”

The CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST FORUM! has various forums and boards like:

GENERAL CATEGORY- This is a forum for Celestial Church Of Christ Parishes and Their Locations. General Discussion; Introductions and Current events.

SPIRITUAL- This is a forum for Bible Study and Discussions; Celestial Church of Christ Hymnals; Prayer Chains and Requests and Ministries/outreach Discussions and Testimonies.

BLUEPRINT FOR CHURCH DEVELOPMENT

MEDIA, BOOKS & WRITING- This is a forum for Gospel Shows and Broadcasts; Poetry and creative writing, where you show others your poetry and read others’; and Book Discussions to review books that you have read and discuss related topics.

PEOPLE- A forum for discussing issues dealing with being parents and/or marriage; singles, courtship and dating and a place for teens to hang out and talk with each other.

EDUCATION, CAREER, FINANCE, BUSINESS, JOBS & SELF IMPROVEMENT- This is a forum for discussion of education, educational resources and opportunities; career talk; financial talk; business opportunities; job opportunities and recruitment programs; self improvement, motivational & inspirational principles.

ENTERTAINMENT- In this forum, entertainment is discussed in terms Music; Movies & Reality Shows; Sports; Fashion & Style; Comedy & Jokes and Games, etc

HEALTH- Health Issues, Food is discussed here.

PUBLICITY- Where News & Announcements are to be posted; there is also “Advertise Here”, to give your personal businesses and programmes publicity.

PLACE YOUR SUGGESTIONS- Suggestions

What are the Benefits of Joining the Forum?

Contribute your ideas to impart the whole world. Share Information with millions of internet users. Get current information of what is happening around the world. Learn from peoples’ contributions and get solutions to your questions and puzzles. Connect yourself, your parish with people and other parishes around the world. Publicize your ministries and outreaches, church activities and programmes, expertise, personal businesses, FREE.

Join Celestial Church of Christ Forum & Online Discussion Board; Discuss Various Topics. Share Information, Learn & Connect With People around the World. Publicize Your Programmes, Expertise & Businesses To Billions Of Internet Users. Register FREE!:

www.celestialforum.com

Join Celestial Church Of Christ Forum! & Online Discussion Board. Get Information. Share, Learn, Connect With People Around The World & Publicize Your Businesses & Programmes To Billions Of Internet Users. http://www.celestialforum.com . Invite Everyone.

Recently I wrote a bit about the value of a pay-per-click (PPC) search marketing campaign as a part of your online church marketing. I

Three different players started at cornerback opposite Donovan Warren this season and Michigan lacked depth at the position all year. Help will come along in the class of 2010, however, now that Pittsburgh Penn Hills

Below is a list of link building strategies to get you started as you add link building to your church marketing strategy. It certainly isn

The Thanksgiving Code: Five Hidden Symbols of America’s Holiday

The real story of Thanksgiving reads like a Dan Brown novel. It involves a little-known web of secret societies, biblical imagery, presidential power, and lost books. A few years ago, I set out on a 10,000-mile journey through the hidden symbols of American life that became the basis for my new book, “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story.” One afternoon I was invited to join the all-male, secret society based in Plymouth, Massachusetts that is the keeper of the Thanksgiving flame. Thanksgiving begins in America’s hometown when these men make their annual sail across Plymouth Harbor to the off-limits island where the pilgrims spent their first Sabbath. What I learned on this trip would forever change how viewed America’s holiday.

Here are Five Secrets of Thanksgiving:

1. The Secret Society That Invented Thanksgiving.

The Old Colony club is the “oldest gentleman’s club” in America. It was founded in 1769 to avoid the “many disadvantages and inconveniences” of intermixing at local taverns. On December 11 that year the club started celebrated the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock. Since the term pilgrims was not in use at the time, members referred to their celebration as “Old Colony Day,” later “Forefathers’ Day.” They ate baked whortleberry pudding, clams, codfish, venison, eel, and cranberry tarts. It is the first recorded celebration of the pilgrims’ landing and introduced the tradition of future Thanksgivings.

2. The Little Known Connection Between Thanksgiving and the Bible

The first national day of Thanksgiving came about in 1789, long before Thomas Jefferson described a “wall of separation” between church and state in America. The idea came from Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, who helped design the Great Seal and was the founder of the American Bible Society. Boudinot introduced a measure into the U.S. House of Representatives to initiate a “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” to acknowledge the “many signal favors of Almighty God.” When his colleagues objected, he cited biblical precedent. Congress eventually passed a resolution and George Washington issued a proclamation on October 3, saying, it is “the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”

3. How a Manuscript Lost for Two Centuries Led to Modern-day Thanksgiving

The fullest account of the Mayflower passage comes from the memoir “Of Plymouth Plantation,” written by Plymouth governor William Bradford between 1620 and 1647. The manuscript remained in Bradford’s family for a century, unread by the public at large, before being left in the tower of the Old South Meeting House in Boston. When the British occupied the tower, the manuscript was lost for the next century. It appeared in London in the 1850′s and was finally published in 1856, kicking off a revival in the popularity of the small band of pilgrims who landed in Plymouth in 1620.

4. Why the Pilgrims Preferred Thanksgiving to Christmas

The pilgrims were deeply focused on the Old Testament narrative of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. William Bradford called King James “the pharaoh.” On The Mayflower the pilgrims said their journey was as important as that of Moses. And the first thing they did upon reaching Cape Cod was get down on their knees and thank God for allowing them to cross their own Red Sea. Even the Bibles they carried on The Mayflower were emblazoned with an image of Moses on their title pages. As the Rev. Peter Gomes told me, “The pilgrims weren’t trying to recreate the biblical narrative. They were trying to fulfill it.” Their biblical literalism was so pronounced they refused to celebrate any holiday not mentioned in the Bible — including Christmas. In their first year in Plymouth, the pilgrims worked on Jesus’ birthday.

5. The Connection Between the Statue of Liberty and Thanksgiving

In the 1860′s, America lovers in France decided to honor the American journey of freedom by building a Statue of Liberty. Sculptor Frederic Bartholdi chose the Roman goddess of liberty as his model but he imported two icons from Moses to bring her to life. First, the rays of sun around her head and second, the tablet in her arms, both of which come from the moment Moses descends Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Two-hundred fifty years after the pilgrims likened their journey to Plymouth Harbor to Moses, the Statue of Liberty welcomed millions of immigrants to New York harbor with the exact pose of Moses at the climax of the Five Books. On the statue’s centennial, Ronald Reagan harkened back to the pilgrims’ arrival in America:

“Call it mysticism if you will, I have always believed there was some divine providence that placed this great land here between the two great oceans, to be found by a special kind of people from every corner of the world, who had a special love for freedom and a special courage that enabled them to leave their own land, leave their friends and their countrymen, and come to this new and strange land to build a New World of peace and freedom and hope.”

Since its inception, Thanksgiving has always been about the sacred relationship among God, the people, and America, the new Promised Land. At its heart is the biblical figure of Moses.

Bruce Feiler is the New York Times bestselling author of “Walking the Bible” and “Abraham.” His latest book is “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story.”

The Thanksgiving Code: Five Hidden Symbols of America’s Holiday

The real story of Thanksgiving reads like a Dan Brown novel. It involves a little-known web of secret societies, biblical imagery, presidential power, and lost books. A few years ago, I set out on a 10,000-mile journey through the hidden symbols of American life that became the basis for my new book, “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story.” One afternoon I was invited to join the all-male, secret society based in Plymouth, Massachusetts that is the keeper of the Thanksgiving flame. Thanksgiving begins in America’s hometown when these men make their annual sail across Plymouth Harbor to the off-limits island where the pilgrims spent their first Sabbath. What I learned on this trip would forever change how viewed America’s holiday.

Here are Five Secrets of Thanksgiving:

1. The Secret Society That Invented Thanksgiving.

The Old Colony club is the “oldest gentleman’s club” in America. It was founded in 1769 to avoid the “many disadvantages and inconveniences” of intermixing at local taverns. On December 11 that year the club started celebrated the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock. Since the term pilgrims was not in use at the time, members referred to their celebration as “Old Colony Day,” later “Forefathers’ Day.” They ate baked whortleberry pudding, clams, codfish, venison, eel, and cranberry tarts. It is the first recorded celebration of the pilgrims’ landing and introduced the tradition of future Thanksgivings.

2. The Little Known Connection Between Thanksgiving and the Bible

The first national day of Thanksgiving came about in 1789, long before Thomas Jefferson described a “wall of separation” between church and state in America. The idea came from Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, who helped design the Great Seal and was the founder of the American Bible Society. Boudinot introduced a measure into the U.S. House of Representatives to initiate a “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” to acknowledge the “many signal favors of Almighty God.” When his colleagues objected, he cited biblical precedent. Congress eventually passed a resolution and George Washington issued a proclamation on October 3, saying, it is “the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”

3. How a Manuscript Lost for Two Centuries Led to Modern-day Thanksgiving

The fullest account of the Mayflower passage comes from the memoir “Of Plymouth Plantation,” written by Plymouth governor William Bradford between 1620 and 1647. The manuscript remained in Bradford’s family for a century, unread by the public at large, before being left in the tower of the Old South Meeting House in Boston. When the British occupied the tower, the manuscript was lost for the next century. It appeared in London in the 1850′s and was finally published in 1856, kicking off a revival in the popularity of the small band of pilgrims who landed in Plymouth in 1620.

4. Why the Pilgrims Preferred Thanksgiving to Christmas

The pilgrims were deeply focused on the Old Testament narrative of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. William Bradford called King James “the pharaoh.” On The Mayflower the pilgrims said their journey was as important as that of Moses. And the first thing they did upon reaching Cape Cod was get down on their knees and thank God for allowing them to cross their own Red Sea. Even the Bibles they carried on The Mayflower were emblazoned with an image of Moses on their title pages. As the Rev. Peter Gomes told me, “The pilgrims weren’t trying to recreate the biblical narrative. They were trying to fulfill it.” Their biblical literalism was so pronounced they refused to celebrate any holiday not mentioned in the Bible — including Christmas. In their first year in Plymouth, the pilgrims worked on Jesus’ birthday.

5. The Connection Between the Statue of Liberty and Thanksgiving

In the 1860′s, America lovers in France decided to honor the American journey of freedom by building a Statue of Liberty. Sculptor Frederic Bartholdi chose the Roman goddess of liberty as his model but he imported two icons from Moses to bring her to life. First, the rays of sun around her head and second, the tablet in her arms, both of which come from the moment Moses descends Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Two-hundred fifty years after the pilgrims likened their journey to Plymouth Harbor to Moses, the Statue of Liberty welcomed millions of immigrants to New York harbor with the exact pose of Moses at the climax of the Five Books. On the statue’s centennial, Ronald Reagan harkened back to the pilgrims’ arrival in America:

“Call it mysticism if you will, I have always believed there was some divine providence that placed this great land here between the two great oceans, to be found by a special kind of people from every corner of the world, who had a special love for freedom and a special courage that enabled them to leave their own land, leave their friends and their countrymen, and come to this new and strange land to build a New World of peace and freedom and hope.”

Since its inception, Thanksgiving has always been about the sacred relationship among God, the people, and America, the new Promised Land. At its heart is the biblical figure of Moses.

Bruce Feiler is the New York Times bestselling author of “Walking the Bible” and “Abraham.” His latest book is “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story.”

Well, one of the fastest ways for a church to rebound is through a fundraiser. Your church can set up a fundraiser and make lots of money without too much trouble at all.

Why A Church Fundraiser?

Church fundraisers do more than just make money for the church

You Are What You Think About

As Christ explained to us, “Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.” This is not a promise of help but an explanation of how your world comes to be. You have received what you asked for. You have found what you sought. And, what was opened for you was the door that you knocked on.

When you dig deeply, you will see that this is true.

Being is closely related to believing. And, do yourself a favor and find a way to believe in whatever good you desire, right now. If you are believing “some day I will….” then it will always be in the future and never be in the now. This belief is akin to asking.

Christ said, “Ask and you shall receive” and when we read the story of his miracles and healing, He never healed some one tomorrow but always in the instant they asked or in the instant that they believed. Remember the lame man who knew that if he could just touch Christ’s garment he would be healed? Indeed, he was healed as soon as he reached the hem of the garment. He didn’t even ask. “Everything is possible for him who believes” said Jesus another time.

If you are limited in your wealth right now, this is who you are being. This is who you believe that you are. Change your beliefs and you will change your circumstances. You are what you think about. Focus on how you always got what you needed. Take that certainty, and develop a new feeling that matches your desired outcome. This will move you to another reality that will match what you desire rather than your present accidental circumstance.

Desire is a Gift to Move Us to Be More

You know that feeling of just getting by? Does it feel good, or not? You know that thought, “There has to be more to life than this.” Is that a good feeling or not? These are thoughts we might have as we begin to expand our desires.

Belief in lack doesn’t serve us well, but belief in more does. Does that make sense? Let’s look at it a little further.

When you believe that the world’s wealth is limited, you will worry when some one or some country is getting more. Worry will cause more things to worry about to come into your life. You see? Thoughts coming from limitation or lack don’t serve you well.

On the other hand, if you believe that the world’s wealth is unlimited, then you will always be free to seek more without any worry that you are taking from someone else. When I think of natural resources, I have a hard time with abundance, but when I think of wealth as generated by new ideas or new inventions, then I can more easily see that it is not limited.

For example, when Apple and Microsoft were begun, there was no market for personal computers. They created their market without taking from any other market. People still bought wicker lawn furniture and TV’s. They continued to put gas in their cars. They just added PC’s to their list of desires. And look at how that industry spawned numerous other internet industries such as search engines (Google) and internet banking and internet buying and trading and internet information (Mindbridge-LOA).

The Universe is continually expanding and Source wants you to be a part of it. Don’t hold back. Desire more and let your intuition guide you to an expanded life. Think about that. Become that person. This is the reason we were given the instructions, “Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.”

For more inspirational, advanced spiritual work, go to http://www.mindbridge-loa.com/mindbridge_passageway_to__the_Universal_Laws_subscriber_page.html and sign up for a free subscription.

Nancy J. Stremmel is the co-owner and developer of: http://www.Mindbridge-LOA.com the compendium of information on the Law of Attraction. She is a writer, licensed Social Worker, educator, artist and therapist. She believes that everyone can make the Law of Attraction work for them.

Growing Up

It’s a funny thing about growing up Catholic. You learn your Baltimore Catechism, so you know the rules. You go to Sunday Mass, and learn quite a few prayers and songs. If you’re an altar boy (as I was) you get to understand the Mass pretty well.

Many of us drift away in our young lives, and many make their way back to the Church. We feel special. After all, there are something like 1.5 billion of us around the globe, we have the Pope as our spiritual leader, a man respected by world leaders everywhere. We must be blessed.

Many of us, though, don’t know anywhere near as much about the teachings of the Bible as our counterparts in other Christian faiths.

How Can That Be?

We go to Sunday Mass every week. But it lasts only an hour, has a limited number of readings included and even those are in a rotation that repeats a lot of the same readings year over year. Daily Mass offers a little more exposure to Scripture, but very few people attend and it’s still not enough.

As anyone who has invested time in Bible study will tell you, there’s an awful lot of information in those Books. Amazing stories, important teachings, a few conflicts and lots of food for thought and reflection.

Personal Responsibility

We need to take it on ourselves to read the Bible, to participate in Bible study with others, to talk with other Catholics and non-Catholics about what we learn, what we believe, and the things we struggle with as we try to live our faith.

I wish I had figured this out earlier in life, but the good news is it’s never too late for the Good News.

No time to read the Bible? For your subscription to a daily 5-7 minute Bible recording straight to your inbox, please visit Listen to The Word.

Thomas O’Dea is a businessman who founded Listen to The Word to help people like himself, who need a little help making sure the priorities of everyday life don’t overwhelm the priorities of living a good Christian life.

Art is an interesting topic that covers some of the best paintings including 1ds paintings, Jesus painting, and mormon art and at the same time encompassing some of the real masters, that has been done over different generations by some of the renowned artists and in different cultures. Christian paintings and 1ds paintings are best known paintings since a long time, and have managed to create the love of art in number of peoples minds. Religious paintings have also managed to show some of the best works of modern times artists. This form of art has also managed to bring society and religion closer to each other.

There are a number of people who feel that west has simply moved away from the liking of religious arts and Jesus painting and has become much sterile. Others feel that they can respect this form of art as it has provided the basic foundation for most art lovers. There are a number of modern artists who have managed to show their talent making use of this form of art especially 1ds art and mormon art. Some of the best religious art and Jesus painting have managed to make use of some of the most famous scenes from biblical times.

There are also other religions who have flourished in this form of art even though they have been making use of different forms of art. Western renaissance art is closely related to religious art forms and displays works that reflects emotions and symbols and is very much similar to abstract forms of art. This form can be seen reflected in a number of LDS Art art, Jesus painting and mormon art styles. Some of the best religious paintings and Jesus painting still remains very much popular amongst older generation of art enthusiasts, but have literally struggled to be popular amongst various young generation art lovers so they can fit the modern décor of your homes.

There are a number of people who feel that these tradition styles of Jesus painting certainly does not match the modern décor of the modern homes. It is expected that the future forms of LDS Art and mormon art can in fact be more closer to abstract forms of art that is more colorful and still rests on the traditional biblical themes. These forms of art is expected to move the love of art between the two worlds. It certainly does have the power to take over everyday world along with Christian myths. There are also a number of 1ds art lovers who like converting some of the traditional forms of Jesus painting into abstract forms that is in fact more colorful and energetic as compared to the traditional form.

There are also a number of modern artists who have managed to convert some of the best biblical themes into modern art form as art and religion has managed to have a much deeper impact on the minds of modern art lovers. Some of the best Jesus painting, mormon art and 1ds art have also dominated conscience of human beings in a number of ways.

if you are looking for best quality LDS Art and Jesus painting you can always log on to http://www.ldsartshop.com for best deals

My wife, Denise and my daughter Michelle and I have traveled throughout North America preaching and singing in churches, seminars, and conferences. Often we are asked why we are not burnt out after years of ministering. The answer is obvious, if the lamp is full of oil it will never burn out!

We stay in the Word of God and we stay in fellowship with the Spirit of the living God and our lamps stay full of the oil of the Holy Spirit. When there is plenty of oil the flame for God will always burn and there will never be any burn out!

Things happen that would cause anyone to step out of the victory found in the Word of God. But just like Paul made a choice so do we.

Romans 8: 37

A ramshackle Detroit church whose small but dedicated congregation provides services to homeless, hungry and addicted people, got a major shot of hope Monday morning as crews began rebuilding its roof — thanks to about $70,000 in donations from around the world.

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If you are a person (and most of us are) you can create a Facebook profile to reconnect with old friends, stay in touch with family and friends and meet new people online. Churches, on the other hand, cannot create a profile as profiles are restricted to individuals. Churches have to create a Facebook Page which works a little differently than a profile.

Your Church’s Facebook Page:
The Facebook Page for your church is a good way to get your church into the social networking scene. With Facebook being so popular, having your church where people are and having your church involved where your members and others are involved is a great way to connect with people.

The Facebook Page allows your church, as an organization, to have an official presence in Facebook, which is great for church marketing.

• The first step is to add a good profile picture. Many churches use a photo of their church building. That’s fine, but I’d encourage you to use pictures of people. People connect better with people than with buildings and after all, the church is the people, not the building.
• Next add the church’s contact information and some descriptive information about the church. If you have a church website, be sure to include the web address for the official church website.
• From there you can add whatever information/content you want. You can list events, publish photos and pictures, create discussion topics, and add notes.

Update, Update, Update:
Even more than with your church website, it is important to update your church’s Facebook Page. Most people on Facebook check Facebook a lot. Having new content on your church’s Facebook Page gives people a reason to check the page whenever they are on Facebook and that keeps them connected.

Updating the page doesn’t mean that you have to constantly be adding event or photos, it can simply be putting a message on the wall, perhaps a Bible verse or short “message of the day”. Also, unlike your church website, the adding of new content to the Facebook Page can be done by every member of your congregation. Encourage your congregation to write messages on the wall, post their own pictures and videos, and participate in discussions. The more interaction from your members, the better.

Be Personal:
Having your members posting on the church’s Facebook Page is not only helpful because it adds new content, but also because it makes the church more personal. Facebook is all about people connecting with people. Most of the communication that goes on in Facebook is about the little, personal things in people’s lives. People on Facebook are looking for that kind of personal information and interaction. By allowing the personal side of your church to come out on your Facebook Page, it makes the church more attractive to people, especially unchurched people who think the church is all about rules and religious practices.

Sending Updates
You can also use your church’s Facebook Page to communicate with fans (members of the church) that aren’t currently on the church’s Facebook Page using the Send an Update feature. This feature sends a message to the fan’s Facebook Profile. Sending updates can help send information to church members and also bring them back to the church’s Facebook Page. You can also use the Facebook Page to distribute blog articles, but I’ll discuss that in a future article.

Publicize Events
One other neat feature of the Facebook Page (and profiles) is that events can be made public. One of the options you will have when you setup an event in your church’s Facebook Page is to “Publicize” the event. By publicizing the event, it adds the event into the Facebook event database. People who are not fans (and fans too) who search through Facebook events will be able to find your church’s events. This is especially useful for events like concerts.

So, go ahead and get started. Create a new “Face” for your church. People are social. The church should be too.

Kurt Steinbrueck is the author of the Church Marketing Online blog. He has been providing Christian search engine optimization services for church marketing solutions and private school marketing. You can find the original article at http://churchmarketingonline.com.

Bishop Thomas Tobin’s request that U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), refrain from asking for Holy Communion seems, to me, to be an eminently reasonable one. While not a Catholic, I understand the hierarchical nature of the church and the role that doctrine plays within it.

To put it simply, and with the greatest of respect, the Catholic Church is not a place where “free-thinking” about doctrinal issues is encouraged. There is such thing as absolutely truth and not all things are relative or left to the discretion of the believer. As such it seems to me that Rep. Kennedy — should he continue to choose to call himself a Catholic — should show appropriate deference to church teachings, in this particular instance that life begins at conception and abortion, therefore, is a sin.

By asking Kennedy to act of his own volition, rather than threaten to deny him the sacraments or ordering those subservient to him in the church to refuse to offer them, Bishop Tobin is encouraging the Congressman to consider his commitment to his faith — something one should argue is the appropriate role for a member of the clergy. Instead, the issue is being spun as a case of a church trying to impose its will on freely elected politicians who represent a cross-section of the world’s religions, something prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, or so most people believe, pointing to Jefferson’s use of the phrase “wall of separation between Church and State” to underline the point.

Unfortunately for them, the line as written appears nowhere in the Constitution. Jefferson, it needs to be said again and again, was not in the United States when the Constitution was written and was not part of the Constitutional Convention. The phrase reflects his own opinion, written while president, in a 1802 letter to a Baptist congregation in Danbury, Connecticut.

In that same letter, Jefferson opines that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God,” which, in this case, can be construed to include Bishop Tobin, acting for the Roman Catholic Church. Nowhere does he suggest that the church, any church, should be prohibited from enforcing its own disciplines within its own walls among its own members, even where matters of public policy are concerned.

In civil society we look to our institutions of faith to define the right and wrong positions on moral issues, like abortion. The secularists would likely have it otherwise but the establishment of morality is not a state function. The state’s coercive powers make that a dangerous position to advocate, whereas, to paraphrase Stalin “How many tanks does the pope have?”

The purpose of the First Amendment, said those present at its creation, was to protect the faithful from coercion by the state, to provide freedom of conscience so that, for example, Catholics could not be forced to become Anglicans, as had occurred almost 250 years previously during the reign of Henry VIII. It’s purpose is not, as currently construed by the dominant political and media culture, to protect the state from interference from the church, as broadly defined, though it is difficult to see how Bishop Tobin’s request constitutes interference. If Congressman Kennedy wishes his church to consider him a Catholic in good standing, then he best pay attention to its concerns and act accordingly.

Peter Roff is a senior fellow at the Institute for Liberty and a former senior political writer for United Press International.

Bishop Thomas Tobin’s request that U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), refrain from asking for Holy Communion seems, to me, to be an eminently reasonable one. While not a Catholic, I understand the hierarchical nature of the church and the role that doctrine plays within it.

To put it simply, and with the greatest of respect, the Catholic Church is not a place where “free-thinking” about doctrinal issues is encouraged. There is such thing as absolutely truth and not all things are relative or left to the discretion of the believer. As such it seems to me that Rep. Kennedy — should he continue to choose to call himself a Catholic — should show appropriate deference to church teachings, in this particular instance that life begins at conception and abortion, therefore, is a sin.

By asking Kennedy to act of his own volition, rather than threaten to deny him the sacraments or ordering those subservient to him in the church to refuse to offer them, Bishop Tobin is encouraging the Congressman to consider his commitment to his faith — something one should argue is the appropriate role for a member of the clergy. Instead, the issue is being spun as a case of a church trying to impose its will on freely elected politicians who represent a cross-section of the world’s religions, something prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, or so most people believe, pointing to Jefferson’s use of the phrase “wall of separation between Church and State” to underline the point.

Unfortunately for them, the line as written appears nowhere in the Constitution. Jefferson, it needs to be said again and again, was not in the United States when the Constitution was written and was not part of the Constitutional Convention. The phrase reflects his own opinion, written while president, in a 1802 letter to a Baptist congregation in Danbury, Connecticut.

In that same letter, Jefferson opines that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God,” which, in this case, can be construed to include Bishop Tobin, acting for the Roman Catholic Church. Nowhere does he suggest that the church, any church, should be prohibited from enforcing its own disciplines within its own walls among its own members, even where matters of public policy are concerned.

In civil society we look to our institutions of faith to define the right and wrong positions on moral issues, like abortion. The secularists would likely have it otherwise but the establishment of morality is not a state function. The state’s coercive powers make that a dangerous position to advocate, whereas, to paraphrase Stalin “How many tanks does the pope have?”

The purpose of the First Amendment, said those present at its creation, was to protect the faithful from coercion by the state, to provide freedom of conscience so that, for example, Catholics could not be forced to become Anglicans, as had occurred almost 250 years previously during the reign of Henry VIII. It’s purpose is not, as currently construed by the dominant political and media culture, to protect the state from interference from the church, as broadly defined, though it is difficult to see how Bishop Tobin’s request constitutes interference. If Congressman Kennedy wishes his church to consider him a Catholic in good standing, then he best pay attention to its concerns and act accordingly.

Peter Roff is a senior fellow at the Institute for Liberty and a former senior political writer for United Press International.

A mother’s wails rang out Monday at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit as she mourned the loss of her 15-year-old son, who police say was shot execution-style by his father as the naked youth begged for his life in a vacant Highland Park lot.

Pictures of a smiling Jamar Pinkney Jr. flashed on two movie screens before the nearly 1,600 mourners who packed Monday’s funeral service. A spray of roses and a red silk ribbon with “Mama’s Big Boy” sat on the casket of the King High School sophomore’s casket.

On a stand next to the casket was Jamar’s jersey from the Detroit Shamrocks of the Pop Warner football league, the number 56 emblazoned on the front.

A dozen members of King High’s ROTC stood in uniform at the front of the church as Jamar’s principal, Deborah Jenkins, tried to console Jamar’s mother, Lazette Cherry.

“All I can say is your son, wherever he walked, everyone had the same comments,” Jenkins said. “He was generous, he was kind, many of the children claimed him as their best friend. And anytime they had a down moment, it was Jamar comforting them and making them feel better.”

His father, Jamar Pinkney Sr., is being held in the Wayne County Jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 16 shooting. He is accused of killing his son after hearing the boy may have molested his 3-year-o

Christ the King junior quarterback Terrel Hunt envisioned a better ending than the 1-8 record his team posted this season.

But this Thanksgiving, he’ll be reflecting on a lot more than football. His mother, Katrina Hunt, is fighting cancer head-on and with a positive outlook.

“I’ve just been fighting it all the way and just taking it a day at a time,” said Katrina, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April. “I’ve just been trying to stay positive and so much more, not for me, but for my son. I’m living life on life’s terms.”

When they celebrated Terrel’s birthday at Six Flags last summer, she got on all the rides with her son. She attended almost all of CK’s football games this season, and always offered her loudest support from the stands.

“She just . . . keeps going,” Terrel said.

When Katrina started feeling stomach discomfort in October of last year, she quickly dismissed it. But as fall turned to winter and Terrel began to play for Christ the King’s JV basketball team, the irritation was lingering.

“I kept going through the pain,” Katrina said, “and popping Advils.”

Soon enough, she was experiencing shooting pain. Katrina told herself she’d go to the doctor if the pain was still bothering her when basketball season ended.

Bloodwork didn’t reveal anything, but a CT scan in April brought the news that Katrina hoped she’d never hear.

She couldn’t believe the doctor’s words.

“He told me I have ovarian cancer,” she said. “I told him, ‘You sure it’s me and not the patient next to me?’”

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005, 19,842 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 14,787 women died from the disease.

“My first thought was: ‘Don’t tell anybody, keep it a secret’,” Katrina said, her eyes welling with tears as Terrel handed her a paper towel.

“I prayed on it and asked God, ‘Why Me?’” she added. “I’m a good person, do right by everybody, always put people before me. I couldn’t understand why me, but I knew I didn’t want to do that to my family.”

She had to break the news to Terrel, and it wasn’t going to be easy. Just two days earlier, they had watched his game tape and shared a laugh over her audible “Baby-Boy” chants.

“I told him we need to talk,” Katrina said. “We sat down and we prayed before I told him. He was devastated.”

Sitting in the living room of their Rosedale home last week, Terrel remembered how his mom broke the news.

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The Washington Post Magazine’s "Unspun" interviews take a look at the person behind the position in local government and politics. See excerpts of this Sunday’s edition below or read the full article. Did you play any sports in high school? Ran track. Dashes, 100-yard dash. … I wasn’t a distance runner, unless I was being chased in the neighborhood. What’s your guilty food indulgence? Apple pie, and if you put some ice cream on it, I’m in trouble. If you had all the money in the world, what would you buy? I would probably buy a good life for other people — give it away. Because if I had all the money in the world, that means that no one else has any money. What music are you listening to right now? Really, I listen to a lot of gospel music. … I’m getting into that. It’s more easy on the mind, and [it's] the way I think, too. It’s more pleasant on my brain. Are you religious? I’m religious in my beliefs. It’s not a pressing issue, but I find … in the Bible, there are a lot of parts that apply to what I do every day. … It’s all about glorifying God. What have you never done that you’d like to try? I’ve done skydiving. I’ve never done bungee jumping, but in the Marine Corps, we did a lot of crazy things. … Maybe I’d like to be rich to give away all the money. — Jonathan Mummolo

The Washington Post Magazine’s "Unspun" interviews take a look at the person behind the position in local government and politics. See excerpts of this Sunday’s edition below or read the full article. Did you play any sports in high school? Ran track. Dashes, 100-yard dash. … I wasn’t a distance runner, unless I was being chased in the neighborhood. What’s your guilty food indulgence? Apple pie, and if you put some ice cream on it, I’m in trouble. If you had all the money in the world, what would you buy? I would probably buy a good life for other people — give it away. Because if I had all the money in the world, that means that no one else has any money. What music are you listening to right now? Really, I listen to a lot of gospel music. … I’m getting into that. It’s more easy on the mind, and [it's] the way I think, too. It’s more pleasant on my brain. Are you religious? I’m religious in my beliefs. It’s not a pressing issue, but I find … in the Bible, there are a lot of parts that apply to what I do every day. … It’s all about glorifying God. What have you never done that you’d like to try? I’ve done skydiving. I’ve never done bungee jumping, but in the Marine Corps, we did a lot of crazy things. … Maybe I’d like to be rich to give away all the money. — Jonathan Mummolo

Don’t think that the bad economy hasn’t affected all areas of our lives. The downturn has hit every sector of our society and hasn’t left out churches either.

In a new survey conducted by Lifeway Research of 1,000 pastors who were asked about the impact of “recent problems in the economy”, they found the following:

* 62% have had more requests for financial assistance from outside the congregation.

* 40% have members of their congregations who have lost their jobs.

* 37% have increased spending from the church budget to help those who are in need.

* 31% have explored starting new ministries to aid the disadvantaged.

* 31% have had more requests for financial assistance from members of their congregation.

* 27% have paid for more ministry items out of their own pocket than normal.

So, what does all this mean in how churches react, grow and actually prosper?

Well, for one thing, that it means that churches are going to need to evolve. Obviously, some churches are getting it while it is disappointing that only 31% are thinking about adding new ministries. Because even if your church is currently offering aid, shouldn’t you also be thinking about how to better meet your congregants needs?

“…we meet people at their point of need…not throw content at them”

The economy is bringing about an increased cry for both financial and spiritual help. Not totally unexpected, but the churches who are meeting the needs both spiritually and otherwise are benefiting the most.

Tony Steward from the online LifeChurchTV said the following in an recent interview about his online church: “…we meet people at their point of need not throw content at them”

What Tony and LifeChurch is doing for online church, brick and mortar churches need to emulate as well. Churches that want to prosper and build their brand should be thinking of the ministries that they might be able to offer.

People are seeking help any way they can get it. What is your church doing? Are you able to help by providing ministries that can offer support for those who have either lost their job or are fearful about their status with their current one? Those are the outreach services that will help to cement your brand and insure your place within the community.

Helping out and being helped at the same point of need.

Some of those outreach ministries could include:

Prosperity/abundance classes for those in financial fear

Ministries to support the unemployed

Creating a Benelovent or Compassionate fund for those in need

Getting involved in service projects in area schools, hospitals, and homeless shelters.

Because doing any of the above not only helps the people you reach out to, but also those who do the reaching out (and some of those are both at the same time)

In reaching out, you build your brand!

And building your church brand is important. Your brand is how you are perceived, the type of people you attract and maybe more importantly the kind of like minded people that support what your church stands for.

Some Questions You Might Ask Of Your Church Regularly

1. What are the challenges that attendees are facing and how can the church address those in a loving and compassionate manner?

2. Can your church be the bully pulpit for spurring action within the community?

3. Do you currently have a budget and/or process to help those with immediate needs?

Want to learn more about church marketing? Or did you read something here that you want to discuss more? Perhaps you have a project that you need help on or at least want to bounce ideas off. We are there for you!

We welcome your feedback at Unity Church Marketing. Or follow our tweets on Twitter at http://twitter.com/johnpanico

We think church can and should be more. We hope you do as well!

By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday completing a 2005 U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal would boost investment opportunities in his country, a hopeful sign for U.S. companies eyeing India’s potential $150 billion market in power plants.

Singh, speaking to U.S. business leaders on the eve of talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, said India’s ambitious infrastructure build-up would propel growth amid a global slowdown and be open to foreign investors.

“We are currently finalizing the details that will make the agreement fully operational,” he said of the civilian nuclear deal. “This will open a large area of commercial opportunity.”

Singh and former U.S. President George W. Bush signed the deal in 2005, but India’s parliament has to debate a new law to limit U.S. firms’ liability in case of a nuclear accident. The United States has still not signed a nuclear fuel reprocessing agreement with India.

The Indian prime minister did not elaborate on what might be announced at his White House summit on Tuesday regarding the unfinished nuclear deal. But some experts familiar with the talks have said the two leaders might issue a joint statement on implementing a deal that would open India’s potential $150 billion market in power plants to U.S. suppliers.

Singh said he and Obama would sign a set of agreements on energy security, clean energy and climate change to deepen cooperation in an economic relationship that has grown rapidly since India began opening its economy 15 years ago.

India’s economy was hit by the global crisis and growth moderated to 6.7 percent in 2008 and was likely to grow 6.5 percent this year. But Delhi expects the growth rate to get back to 9.0 percent within three years, Singh told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a speech.

He urged the U.S. business community to take advantage of an improved approval and implementation process for infrastructure projects in India and to look at public-private sector projects being signed by his country’s federal and state governments.

“We need massive investment in energy, transport and urban infrastructure to be able to support a high rate of economic growth,” Singh said.

Two-way trade, was just $5 billion in 1990 and $14 billion in 2000. But commerce rose to nearly $50 billion last year, according to U.S. figures, making the United States India’s largest trading partner.

Tuesday’s summit is expected to highlight improvement in U.S.-India ties during the past 15 years and underscore shared values between the world’s two biggest democracies. But Singh also underscored that India’s view on climate change differs from that of the United States and other industrialized states.

“India was a latecomer to industrialization and as such we have contributed very little to the accumulation of greenhouse gases that cause global warming,” he said in a separate speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Singh said his country wanted to join a global solution as long as it did not come at the expense of economic development and called on developed countries to make more resources and technology available to help poor nations fight climate change.

Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar told a separate gathering of businessmen that India-U.S. trade had doubled in the three years before the global financial crisis erupted last year and that U.S. exports had tripled during that period.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Bill Trott)

By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday completing a 2005 U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal would boost investment opportunities in his country, a hopeful sign for U.S. companies eyeing India’s potential $150 billion market in power plants.

Singh, speaking to U.S. business leaders on the eve of talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, said India’s ambitious infrastructure build-up would propel growth amid a global slowdown and be open to foreign investors.

“We are currently finalizing the details that will make the agreement fully operational,” he said of the civilian nuclear deal. “This will open a large area of commercial opportunity.”

Singh and former U.S. President George W. Bush signed the deal in 2005, but India’s parliament has to debate a new law to limit U.S. firms’ liability in case of a nuclear accident. The United States has still not signed a nuclear fuel reprocessing agreement with India.

The Indian prime minister did not elaborate on what might be announced at his White House summit on Tuesday regarding the unfinished nuclear deal. But some experts familiar with the talks have said the two leaders might issue a joint statement on implementing a deal that would open India’s potential $150 billion market in power plants to U.S. suppliers.

Singh said he and Obama would sign a set of agreements on energy security, clean energy and climate change to deepen cooperation in an economic relationship that has grown rapidly since India began opening its economy 15 years ago.

India’s economy was hit by the global crisis and growth moderated to 6.7 percent in 2008 and was likely to grow 6.5 percent this year. But Delhi expects the growth rate to get back to 9.0 percent within three years, Singh told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a speech.

He urged the U.S. business community to take advantage of an improved approval and implementation process for infrastructure projects in India and to look at public-private sector projects being signed by his country’s federal and state governments.

“We need massive investment in energy, transport and urban infrastructure to be able to support a high rate of economic growth,” Singh said.

Two-way trade, was just $5 billion in 1990 and $14 billion in 2000. But commerce rose to nearly $50 billion last year, according to U.S. figures, making the United States India’s largest trading partner.

Tuesday’s summit is expected to highlight improvement in U.S.-India ties during the past 15 years and underscore shared values between the world’s two biggest democracies. But Singh also underscored that India’s view on climate change differs from that of the United States and other industrialized states.

“India was a latecomer to industrialization and as such we have contributed very little to the accumulation of greenhouse gases that cause global warming,” he said in a separate speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Singh said his country wanted to join a global solution as long as it did not come at the expense of economic development and called on developed countries to make more resources and technology available to help poor nations fight climate change.

Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar told a separate gathering of businessmen that India-U.S. trade had doubled in the three years before the global financial crisis erupted last year and that U.S. exports had tripled during that period.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Bill Trott)

Jesus Christ is the most influential figure in all of history. Whether or not Christ really was the son of God, his impact on society has been more monumental than any other character. Over the millennia, countless gatherers have followed him, and even today, Christianity is by far the largest religion in the world. If you stop to think about it, it is quite awing that one man has had such a profound influence upon the entire world.

The actual name of Jesus was Jesus of Nazareth, and after his death he was given the name Christ, which means Anointed One. He was born somewhere between 7 and 2 BC and died between 26-36AD. The specific dates are unknown, as the two gospels that describe Jesus’s birth and death are somewhat ambiguous. His birthday is celebrated on December 25, which is around the date that his birth is estimated at. Christians believe that three days after Jesus died, he was resurrected, and was present on Earth for forty days until his body ascended to Heaven. He is seen as the Messiah, and as one who died for all of mankind’s sins. In addition, he is the second segment of the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, Holy Ghost).

While Jesus Christ is primarily associated with Christianity, he is also referenced in other religions. In Islam, Jesus is seen as a prophet, but he is not believed to have any divinity to him. Therefore, they do not believe they he was ever resurrected, but instead, after his death, his body immediately ascended to heaven. Muslims do believe Jesus performed miracles, just without divine influence.

The life and story of Christ is told in the New Testament, which includes the important collection of gospels. The gospels are four canonical books that provide a complete overview of Jesus and all of his teachings. The four books are of Mark, Luke, John, and Matthew. Each one has a different view of Jesus’s life and provides detailed information, and while they do follow some similar themes, they often are quite different. When all of the gospels are combined, an extraordinary depiction of Jesus can be concluded.

Jesus’s birth is perhaps one of the most identifiable things about him. According to the Bible, Mary begat Jesus despite the fact that she was a virgin. This phenomenon is explained by the Holy Ghost, who is supposedly responsible for impregnating Mary. People believed in Jesus since he was born in such an unorthodox way, and it is probable that Jesus would not have had as monumental an effect if not for this part of his life.

When it came time for Jesus to die, he was about thirty years old. He had gathered a large following and was seen as the King of the Jews by many. Jesus foresaw his own death, and even the method in which it was to happen. At his final Passover seder, known as the Last Supper, Jesus himself told his disciples that one of them would betray him, and that betrayal would result in his ultimate demise.

Shortly after that, Judas betrayed him and had him arrested by the Roman Empire. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, did not believe that Jesus deserved to be executed, as he did not commit any crime against the Romans, and he was not plotting to overthrow them. When he gave the people the choice of freeing Jesus or another criminal, named Barabbas, the people chose to free Barabbas, and thus Jesus was crucified.

If you want to meet Christians who share the same interest as you please visit our Christian social networking community.

Jesus Christ left all His glory in heaven and came down on earth to die for the sins of the human race. He willingly laid down His life to redeem us from both the consequences and penalty of sin. People of all races and ages can find new life in Him if they chose too. For God so loved the world that He gave His own son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Below are the 5S’s of Jesus Christ

Search- Jesus searches every sinner where he/she is on the face of the earth. He uses different means including: His word, the Holy Spirit, circumstances around us, dreams and many more so that every individual will not have an excuse for not hearing from God.

Save- Jesus saves every one who accepts Him after being found. The saving grace of Jesus is such that none of the human race will perish but have everlasting life. He saves us from both the consequences of sin such as sicknesses, poverty and misery as well as the penalty of sin, which are death and the everlasting suffering in hell. Because He formed you, He is able to transform you.

Sustain- Jesus is the creator and provider of all our needs. If he feeds the birds and wild animals which are of less importance, what about you who is made in His likeness and was given the ability to look after the rest of the creatures? He tells us not to worry about what to eat or feed on but to pray and put our trust in Him because He cares for us.

Satisfy- Jesus Christ provides the peace and satisfaction that cannot be got from anything else in this world. Believing in Him gives everlasting joy and comfort despite the hardships that may be prevailing in our environment. He fills up the vacuum in every heart that usually yearns for more and grants satisfaction in all situations.

Send- Jesus does not only save you to remain in the comfort of your home but to go and tell others about what he has done for you. This sharing will bring medicine to the many who are undergoing many forms of suffering resulting from sin and this will give you credit before God hence rewards.

The author is an education officer, Science teacher, Evangelist and businessman. If you would like to learn more from him feel free to follow the links below:

http://godandsciencerelated.blogspot.com/
http://makeenoughmoneyfromhome.blogspot.com/

I was watching a movie the other day that was called, “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. It got me thinking about what Christians truly believe in. They seem to believe in almost anything, that Christian leaders are telling them and rarely question the information that they are receiving.

My case for Christ is going to be a little different than Lee Strobel’s. I’m going to suggest that Christians who believe everything that was mentioned in this movie, need to think again. It’s time to do a little research on your own and quit listening to so-called religious scholars that just don’t make any sense, any more.

At one time it meant something to be honest. It actually meant something to tell the truth for the betterment of mankind and not the enslavement. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.

To make a statement like, “I did all of the research and now I know that everything about Christianity is true,” can be very misleading, especially to people who haven’t done any research themselves. These types of movies often appeal to gung ho Christians, but don’t do humanity any good.

The manipulation of Christianity and Bible verses by intelligence and creative people, has led to the enslavement of people that choose to follow others without doing the homework. My case for Christ is a lot different than those opinions of biblical experts that were shown on this program.

It’s going to take some time to find the truth and if you sincerely want to create your own case for Christ, you’re going to have to do the research. Don’t get caught up in everything that you read, hear or watch. Including the information that I am giving you. If you really want the knowledge, you’re going to need to do the work.

Click Here Now For Some Unbelieveable Bible Facts

If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES – Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing.

A pearl makes a bold statement and women just love them for this. Even a simple strand of pearl looks pretty and certainly adds complement to the outfit worn with it. Women wearing simple cashmere sweater for a Sunday mass or a business suit for some professional gathering, if adds a demure strand of pearl with their apparel is likely to ignite competence and maturity by her appearance.

The simple appearance of pearl necklaces creates a dramatized impact and radiates a distinct style. For a more commanding and confident manifestation, you may try a double-strand or triple-strand pearl necklace. Such triple strand pearl necklaces however demand a unique style in the persona who is carrying her, to match their elegance. There pearls necklaces definitely asserts a lady’s smartness and boldness and facilitate them in making a statement of their own.

Craving for drama and flair: Lustrous Pearl Necklaces

Wearing beautiful pearl necklaces can help you get confidence and that too in very impressive manner. Some necklaces feature small pearls towards the clasp and larger pearls descending towards the strand’s center. The diverse sizes of such necklaces create movement and flow. They radiate an energy that is graceful yet vibrant.

Pearl necklaces come in amazing styles and sets. A pearl necklace in combination with a pearl bracelet and earrings creates a mesmerizing look that conveys success. Try wearing a pearl set, whenever you desire to present yourself to the world. The understated luxury of a pearl set glows with elegance, warmth, and a touch of mystery.

Traditional pearl necklace is strung together on a silken thread. A woman can find hand-knotted pearls in a row to make a beautiful and gorgeous necklace.

The article is contributed by a professional content writer, having experiences of working in different industries. For further information on Freshwater Pearls and pearl necklaces please visit at http://www.alohapearls.com/

There are occasions when people find that life around them has become extremely routine. The day to day tasks make everyone tired and we all want to take a break from the monotony. People nowadays hardly have the time to even sit down at home and take dinner along with their family members. The end result is that most of them start forgetting their roots and forget the fun that a get together provides. However, all is not lost.

There are still various means by which one can get together during the weekend and meet other members of their religious community. It is but natural for Christians to seek solace with people of the same religion to share their thoughts, their joys and sorrows. Apart from this one also needs to give their mind a bit of rest from the daily routine and this can best be provided by the silent and peaceful atmosphere of a church. Residents of North London can now spend their weekends in meeting other members of their religious communities and at the same time purify their soul through prayer and worship in the local churches.

They should spend some time to recall the words of God and know more about the divine healing powers of God. The extra load on your conscience can easily be lifted in the confines of a Church after you have confessed your sins in the presence of the Lord. Every one is born with certain inherent powers, but due to the way they lead their day to day life, they hardly have the opportunity to discover these powers. A visit to a Christian church allows people, especially those within the community, to get back to their roots and do a bit of soul searching.

The powers of the Lord are immense, but to avail of these powers we need to visit him. For a long time, people residing in North London were facing a scarcity of churches. Now the church has resolved all these problems. It is not that these churches are meant only for Christians. Visitors to these Church will be amazed to find people from different cultures and ages congregating at this church.

New Christians can also avail of Bible classes, of water baptism, and, if you are so interested, you can also avail of counseling sessions or Sunday sermon held by the Christian churches or you can contact them for CD recordings of their services to listen to at home or in the car.

So, if you are feeling down, troubled or are grieving and need support, or if you want to share your joy and happiness with others or just want something to break the daily routine, visit a local Christian church and find happiness in the Lord’s word and join other like-minded Christians in the same.

By: Aimee Mann

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Aimee Mann. It is high time that you found out that something hidden in your soul and see how the power of Jesus has transformed peoples lives by visiting the Christian church in North London. The Victory in Christ church is based in Enfield, North London UK.

Many fall foul of the religious system this side of the gates of eternity; and by ‘religious system’ I mean humankind’s religious constructs and constraints that handcuff the ability for deity to break through and make a real spiritual difference in a believer’s life. It happens in the world’s religions and the root cause is selfish, unreconciled humanity.

A dangerous precedent is set when this occurs. People, and especially outsiders, begin to see the fingerprints and grip marks of humanity all over the spiritual–it crowds out any viable spirituality. It humanises what was never supposed to be.

Christianity is especially prone to this. This is probably because the concept of grace, as the key differentiation between Christianity and other world religions, is particularly sensitive to human disturbance. Worldly haranguing religious leaders, in their legalism, will smother the Spirit’s gentle grace the moment they open their mouths and converse with people. It’s apparent very early.

These leaders are the overwhelming minority. I mean, I don’t actually know one of these–yet, they must exist by virtue of the stories we’re told.

It needs to be said that:

Just because most confessing Christians can’t or don’t live truly after Jesus (as much as they can) isn’t Jesus’ fault. Some people blame Jesus or God (apparently these two entities are separate according to some) for how their lives have turned out or how Christians i.e. pastors ‘have treated them.’ But, these people forget very quickly; they’ve not dealt with God, but with fallible human beings.

Pastors are no more perfect than the next person, and the vast majority will quickly point that out themselves–in fact, their theology is proved correct when they do this. Sure, they must deal with many of their own moral issues and approach a higher standard to serve adequately in the church, but perfect people they will never be–of all people, pastors know this. They know how imperfect humanity is. It is self-evident.

This takes us back to the hurt, disenfranchised person; “stung” by a church or by some negative or unloving experience of church.

Enter the inevitable paradoxes, the sweet at-times bitter ironies that confound the human being in his or her proud godless state:

Hurt people are amazingly consistent in their modus operandi–their own perception is they don’t hurt; they get hurt. They have an acute sense of the external locus of control. It’s the thing of, ‘Stuff happens to me,’ meaning they have a victim complex. To generalise and stereotype, they externalise everything and become responsible for nothing–not even that which would help their cause.

Another rampant sign of hurt people: aggression. Aggression equals fear. The aggressive personality is almost always the manifestation of an un-self-loved person deep down.

And at root–what is the source problem?

They’ve also not dealt with their own feelings of rejection. They’ve not sought God’s unconditional acceptance to ameliorate their own sense of unacceptance. Yes, the very people who reject Christ and his church are shrieking in the fear deep down–and Jesus is the only One who can save them!

What a mess! There are many unfortunates. The only thing we can pray for is the people least likely to surrender, will.

And this attends to something all people must account for: rejection and acceptance. There is nothing more profound to human experience than this. No matter how well loved we were as children, we have all felt–and are all plagued by, to varying degrees–sweeping rejection.

The unfortunates who can never constrain their fear long enough to see and admit this will crash into a Christless eternity, and that collision course beckons, even now.

The truth is we’ll always feel rejectable until we’ve genuinely felt the loving embrace of Christ–the One who never condemns, because grace can never condemn.

In Summary

There are genuine cases of people being hurt by churches. The perpetrators could not possibly know Christ, and I’d posit that they’d not dealt with their rejection, experienced Christ’s cross or swam in his unconditionally accepting grace.

Love cannot hurt. Neither can grace. But hurt people hurt people–whether these are inept ministers or the hurt people themselves. Yes, many times the people hurt in church simply haven’t dealt with their own sense of clinging rejection; they’ve not truly been introduced to the abiding grace of unconditional acceptance.

Hurt? Look within.

The line of folk waiting to see the doctors ran all the way down the street. The sun beat down on them, making them sweat in the 90-degree heat, but they didn’t care. They wanted help. One weary woman gripped the ticket numbered 394 that would allow her into the medical clinic when it was her turn. Jose Coto emerge from the medical tent, she flagged him down to ask,’How many of us will you see today?’
Dr. Coto grinned, and with compassion answered her with’todo’-the Spanish word for all.Just as Jesus never turned anyone away who came to Him for a miracle, this medical clinic would not turn any one away, either. The girl sighed in relief. And a little of Jesus came alive to her in that moment. This past April, Richard Roberts, his girl Jordan, associate evangelist Adrian Compton, and a bunch of doctors, nurses, and others visited Nicaragua to share the message that God still saves, heals, and delivers people today, just as He did in Bible days. Their mission : to bring the living Jesus to folk of all ages, social positions, and industrial conditions.
One of 40 countries that God has called Richard Roberts to reach, Nicaragua is the largest Central American country, roughly the dimensions of Long Island. With coastal beaches, tropical lowlands, mountainous highlands, and volcanic regions, Nicaragua is a country of great beauty. Over 46 p.c of Nicaragua’s almost 5.9 million people are underemployed. They have jobs, but often can’t work enough hours or earn enough pay to support themselves. Roughly 32 percent cannot read or write. The country is subject to tremors, one of which destroyed the center of Managua, the main city, in 1972.
The best Miracle of AllSalvation!
Both nights, thousands of people gathered in the piazza de la Revolucin to enjoy worship from local Christian musicians, recording artist Ruth Mixter, and the ORM worship team, controlled by Jordan Roberts and Adrian Compton.
The piazza the site of the Sandinista revolution of 30 years back now became the site of miraclesand of a new kind of revolution, one that is’s born of Almighty God in peoples’s hearts. ‘Great faith is something that comes from the inside,’ he told them. ‘You already have religion, because the Bible says God gave it to you. many people gave evidence of precisely that saying they had believed God and received miracles. One man, who earns his money as a seller during plaza events, came up to the platform carrying his supply of cotton candy. He had come to the rally to work that night, but God had more in store for him. Jumping for joy, he declared that while he was selling food, he was healed of a tumor on his back.

About Richard Roberts

Richard Roberts is a person aflame for God and filled with the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ for sick and hurting folk. His conferences across the US and around the planet are marked by an incredible move of the Lord, resulting in all types of physical, psychological, emotional, financial, and non secular healings. Richard announces,’Christ was born to step into this world to bring healing and deliverance, and that’s the call of The Lord God on my private life-to reach out to people during their troubles and heartaches, to pray and believe God, and to bring them His Word of hope and healing.’
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Richard Roberts is a man on fire for God and filled with the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ for sick and hurting people. His meetings across the United States and around the world are marked by a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit, resulting in all types of physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual healings. Richard says, “Christ was born to step into this world to bring healing and deliverance, and that’s the call of God upon my own life-to reach out to people during their trou

Practicing one’s religion requires faith and faith-building efforts. We use prayer, scripture reading, meditation, and a combination of all three to make our faith grow, hopefully. But what a very great and unforgettable joy it is during those moments when we know. We no longer simply believe. We know.

Faith, or belief, can lead to rare moments of knowing. I mean an unquestioned awareness of the ultimate reality, that God reigns in glory and that His power and His love are beyond any description. Because we cannot explain such an experience, He sometimes renders physical proof right before our eyes in the form of miracles. Then there is nothing to explain.

When we witness a miracle, we can tell others what happened. We don’t have to explain, because the event is not debatable. Something happened undeniably, and the cause could only be God Himself.

A few people came to my little chapel yesterday for Sunday mass, and I told them about a few times the Lord made His presence known to me. They all had tears in their eyes as I recounted these miracles, but when I told the true story of a girl in a wheelchair the tears ran down their cheeks.

She was only 17 years old, paralyzed from the chest down by a terminal illness. Her mother, who wheeled her into my office, carried a heavy, thick folder holding all the medical reports proving that the child would be dead within months. Their pastor had referred them to me for grief counseling.

Hardly able to speak, interrupted by sobbing, the mother said her daughter had been in diapers for three months. Not only could she not move, she could not feel.

I do not often claim that God has spoken to me, but this time He did. It was almost as though he was screaming in my ear that this condition was not His will. So instead of starting the grief counseling, I started to pray.

Mother and I both laid hands on her head and prayed and prayed. As we continued to ask the Lord for His will to come forth, the girl started wiggling her little feet.

Then she started pulling herself around the office by dragging at the carpet with her toes so that the wheelchair would move forward. Her Mom began to cry as I got choked up and as the child started giggling.

Next, she was out racing back and forth in the long hallway. Then, in a loud voice, she cried, “Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom!”

Now filled with confidence that the Holy Spirit was with us, I told them that she would be walking within the next ten days. They left my office knowing that my words were true, that the Spirit was speaking through me.

The next day I went into my office as usual, and as I was rustling around, the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, “Last night I went roller skating with my friends.”

That same day she went back to her pastor. When he saw her walk into the room and stand before him with a great big smile on her face, he fell apart. He went into such an emotional upheaval that he needed to go home.

The story was on the front page of the girl’s local newspaper, but no-where was it mentioned who had prayed over her. Every single person who saw the account in print had to conclude that God had acted. No person had brought about this miracle. For at least a moment, the readers must have joined the mother and daughter in an experience of knowing.

By: Fr. Heyward B. Ewart, III, Ph.D.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Fr. Heyward B. Ewart, III, Ph.D. is president of St. James the Elder Theological Seminary, a very low-cost distance learning institution for all denominations. His bio appears on the seminary website, stjamestheelderseminary.org.

Proclaiming A Personal Relationship With Christ

So many preachers teach that by being born again in Jesus Christ, man will be saved from the eternal punishment decreed by God as payment for one’s sins. Simply believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus and accept Him as one’s personal savior, man is already a born again Christian. So many has been led to believe that this is enough to achieve salvation from eternal damnation.

With this kind of belief, it is not important for man to join any religious organization and that it is not necessary for one to belong to a church. Faith alone in Christ and having a personal relationship with Him is enough to attain salvation.

True enough, God appointed Christ as the savior and not the Church or any religious group. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who will save and not the Church. Does joining a church organization really has nothing to do with God’s divine plan for the salvation of man? Can man really do away with the Church?

The True Relationship With Christ Is Being One With Him

On the other hand, there are those who preach that the Church of Christ is important and necessary for man to be saved. Do they replace Christ with the Church as the appointed savior? How about a personal relationship with Christ? Is it no longer needed?

Preachers of the Church of Christ claim as written in Ephesians 5:23, that it is the Church that the savior Jesus Christ will save. It is therefore necessary for man to be a member of the Church of Christ if he wants to be saved and that it is not true that man needs only to have a personal relationship with Christ.

In Colossians 1:18 of the New King James version, we find: “He is the head of the body, the church.”

While in Ephesians 5:23, NKJV, “Christ is the head of the church, and He is the savior of the body”.

Being one with Christ is the true relationship with Him. We can only achieve this by being a member of the Church founded by Christ Himself. It is the Church that has union with Christ and this union is inseparable. Man cannot just accept Christ while rejecting the Church or man cannot just accept the Church while rejecting Christ.

Examine this fact that Christ established a church and said this church is His (Matt. 16:18). Why would He have built a church and identified it with Him if it is not important in fulfilling His mission as the Savior?

The Widely Accepted Belief

“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (Heb. 9:28, New International Version). God decreed that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) in the lake of fire which is the second death (Rev. 20:14). Man needs to be saved from this, so God sent His beloved Son who gave His life and precious blood for the salvation of man. The common understanding and belief is that the whole of mankind has benefited from His death on the cross, the grace of Christ’s salvation. A careful examination of God’s will reveals that this is not so.

The Lord Jesus Christ Fulfilled The Will Of God

The mission of Christ as given by God, is to save mankind from eternal punishment. The Lord Jesus carried out this mission without violating any of God’s laws.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17, NIV).

Christ did not violate this law that god decreed on sinners:

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin” (Deut. 24:16, Ibid.).

Can a father redeem his son or take his child’s place from the punishment of sin by dying on his child’s behalf? Can a child die for his father to save him? Definitely not. The law clearly states that each is to die for his own sin. If Christ died for other men and took their place for the death sentence that God imposed because of their sins, Christ violated a law of God.

So how did the Lord Jesus Christ fulfill the mission given to Him by God without transgressing the law? Now, here, the Church is necessary so Christ founded one. We find in the teachings of Apostle Paul:

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23, NKJV).

There are two entities being joined here. The head, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the body, which is the church. In the sight of God, Christ and the Church constitute one man.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (II Cor. 5:17, King James Version).

Can you see the marvelous design of God? One new man was created when Christ established His Church and Him being the head of the body which is the Church.

Can Christ answer for the sin of the Church? Yes!

Will He violate the law that says each to die for his sins? No!

It becomes perfectly lawful for Christ to answer for the sin of His Church because it is not another entity distinct and separate from Him, it being His body.

“God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (IICor. 5:21, new Living Translation).

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” (Eph.2:14-15, New King James Version.)

When it comes to salvation, one cannot ignore the Church. We cannot reject the Church which Christ heads. Christ and the Church, its unity has everything to do with salvation.

The Union Between The Church And Christ Cannot Be Separated

There is another important analogy wherein the Bible stresses that the Church and Christ cannot be separated. The Apostle Paul wrote this to illustrate the oneness of Christ and the Church:

“As the scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the Church are one” (Eph. 5:31-32, New Living Translation).

The union of the husband and wife was instituted by God through marriage. As it is His will to make the husband and wife one, it is also God’s will to bring those whom Christ will save into the Church and make them one. This will allow Christ to save the sinners without violating God’s justice that each man shall be punished for his own sin.

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body” (Eph. 5:23, Today’s English Version).

Just as God wants the union between the husband and wife be inseparable, so also is the union between Christ and His Church.

“What God has joined together,” said our Lord Jesus Christ, “let no man separate” (Matt. 19:6, NKJV).

The Master Plan Of Salvation By God

So, what is God’s master plan of salvation?

Man has to be a member of the body of Christ which is His Church. Inside the Church, man becomes one with Christ, thus, having a true relationship with Him. Man becomes part of the body of Christ which He will save, part of the one new man created by Christ when He established His Church and headed it.

“May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the church through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:21, Living Bible).

Having faith in Christ and accepting Him as one’s personal Savior is indeed important and necessary. But, we should not stop from there. That is not sufficient in attaining salvation. If we really acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we need to be a part of His body, the Church which Christ heads. We need to be inside the Church which he purchased with His own blood.

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation)

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47, King James Version)

Angel Mandap is an active and proud member of the true Church of Christ. She’s very active in an outreach program to help the out of school youths and the older members as well in finishing their high school studies. This project is under the supervision of the Department of Education and the New Era University wherein Angel is now the Assistant Head Instructional Manager in their locale.

Angel Mandap’s blog “Spiritual Welfare, Eternal Security, Wisdom, Faith, Help For The True Christians” was created to share the best in Angel. Her faith is the best she can share. “Those who have been delivered by God from condemnation to salvation should also share this gift of salvation to others, proclaiming the good news to all especially to their loved ones who belong to other religions.

Trying to win people over to the true Church of Christ is the best and noblest thing that a brethren can do. This is actually pulling souls out of the fire: “But others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 1:23 NKJV)” For more articles based only on biblical truth visit http://helpme-pls.co.cc.

How should we approach the God the Father? How should we really begin and end a prayer to God? Did Jesus say that he is the ONLY route to the Father?

It is true that Christ said that:

“No one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Elsewhere we read:

“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim 2:5)

Well, everyday we entreat people to pray for us and would not hesitate to shout “Amen!” to any prayer that sounds just right in our ears. Even the Bible encourages us to pray for one another:

“Therefore confess … and pray for one another … The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” (James 5:16)

“You also must help us in prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.” (2 Cor 1:11)

Ordinary human beings had prayed for other people and God heard their prayers:

“Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and healed his wife and his female slaves so that they bore children.” (Gen 20:17)

“Now then, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live.” (Gen 20:7)

“Go to my servant Job … and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.” (Job 42:8-9)

In the New Testament, we hear James urging the faithful to:

“Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” (James 5:16)

Paul, even as powerful as one might think, finds it necessary to solicit for the prayers of others:

“Pray also that God might rescue us from wicked and evil people; for not everyone believes the message.” (2 Thess 3:2)

The Church did not cease to pray for Peter when he was imprisoned:

“So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” (Acts 12:5)

Clearly, Christ is not the only intercessor between God and man. We can ask our fellow men and women to pray for us, to intercede for us before God. It is biblical and we do it everyday. And John tells us that the prayer of a saint is efficacious:

“The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” (James 5:16)

Let us mark the angels out for some examination. Angels perform a special role in the life of every Christian. God has assigned a guardian angel to each person, who provides spiritual and physical protection to the individual:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their (guardian) angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 18:10)

As our spiritual guards who stand in the presence of God, we can appeal to them to intercede for us before God Whom they behold face to face. Jesus provided an example:

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53)

“He will give his angels charge of you to guide you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you cast your foot against a stone.” (Psalms 91:11-12)

The Old Testament is full of instances of angels bringing messages from God to men. Angels are not only messengers from God to men, they are also messengers from men to God. So they can and do indeed take our prayers and petitions to God just as they bring messages from God to us:

“Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold censer, and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints (that is, the righteous people on earth) upon the golden altar before the throne and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hands of the angels before God.” (Rev 8:3-4)

Angels have been helpful to men; that was why the dying Tobias could say in thanksgiving:

“Blessed art thou, O God and blessed is thy name for ever, and blessed are all thy holy angels.” (Tobit 13:14)

Michael and the good angels beat Satan and his cursed legion once (Rev 12:7-9). If we appeal to Michael and the other “holy angels” in time of need, especially to help us ward off the attacks of Satan and the evil spirits, they will beat them again. It is therefore proper and biblical to pray to God through His “holy angels”. If ordinary people on Earth can pray for people efficaciously, how much more should we not ask the angels and saints who stand in the presence of God to pray for us?

Besides praying to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, we should also pray through, and implore the angels and the saints in heaven, and especially the Mother of God – the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us as they are close to God. God allows it. The Bible says so.

The author is primarily concerned with searching the Scriptures for biblical proofs of Catholic doctrines, teachings and practices. A compilation of his work can be found at: http://www.DefendYourCatholicFaith.com.

Remember when so-called Bible thumpers considered rock-and-roll the devil’s music? That rebuke was inoperative Saturday night at the Patriot Center, where Christian performer tobyMac delighted a sell-out crowd with a different sort of thumping. He calls his style "urban rock," and it blends brisk rapping and slamming guitar with strands of funk, reggae and pop-gospel.

A Northern Virginia native who came to prominence 20 years ago with dcTalk, tobyMac fronts a crack band and runs an energetic show. Four of the six musicians accompanying Mac were on a high riser, so as to not get in the way as he and three other vocalists rocketed around the stage like a slightly better-choreographed Beastie Boys. Wearing tighter jeans than Elvis ever dared, Mac explained that the group was there to "drop a joy bomb on Fairfax, Virginia."

Aside from praising God, Mac extolled understanding and inclusiveness — his mostly African American band is named for one of the songs it performed, "Diverse City." Indeed, Mac seemed to embrace almost everything, from the Ohio Players’ "Love Rollercoaster" to the identity-theft-protection company whose video ads ran alongside snippets from timeworn holiday TV shows. One of the evening’s biggest ovations was not for Mac’s new single, "City on Our Knees," but for Linus’s "Charlie Brown Christmas" reading from the gospel of Luke.

The headliner was preceded by three acts that record for his label, Gotee: hip-hopper B.Reith, goth-rocker Stephanie Smith and emo-punk band Relient K.

Smith announced that her "favorite way to praise Him is through music" and then performed not "Amazing Grace" but "I Love Rock and Roll." Relient K interspersed its originals with testimonies to Jesus and an arrangement of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" that recalled Sid Vicious’s "My Way" — but without the snarl, of course.

– Mark Jenkins

Remember when so-called Bible thumpers considered rock-and-roll the devil’s music? That rebuke was inoperative Saturday night at the Patriot Center, where Christian performer tobyMac delighted a sell-out crowd with a different sort of thumping. He calls his style "urban rock," and it blends brisk rapping and slamming guitar with strands of funk, reggae and pop-gospel.

A Northern Virginia native who came to prominence 20 years ago with dcTalk, tobyMac fronts a crack band and runs an energetic show. Four of the six musicians accompanying Mac were on a high riser, so as to not get in the way as he and three other vocalists rocketed around the stage like a slightly better-choreographed Beastie Boys. Wearing tighter jeans than Elvis ever dared, Mac explained that the group was there to "drop a joy bomb on Fairfax, Virginia."

Aside from praising God, Mac extolled understanding and inclusiveness — his mostly African American band is named for one of the songs it performed, "Diverse City." Indeed, Mac seemed to embrace almost everything, from the Ohio Players’ "Love Rollercoaster" to the identity-theft-protection company whose video ads ran alongside snippets from timeworn holiday TV shows. One of the evening’s biggest ovations was not for Mac’s new single, "City on Our Knees," but for Linus’s "Charlie Brown Christmas" reading from the gospel of Luke.

The headliner was preceded by three acts that record for his label, Gotee: hip-hopper B.Reith, goth-rocker Stephanie Smith and emo-punk band Relient K.

Smith announced that her "favorite way to praise Him is through music" and then performed not "Amazing Grace" but "I Love Rock and Roll." Relient K interspersed its originals with testimonies to Jesus and an arrangement of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" that recalled Sid Vicious’s "My Way" — but without the snarl, of course.

– Mark Jenkins

If you are a Christian and are seeking advice on how to pay your mounting monthly credit card bills, then it is worth your while to look into obtaining Christian debt help. There are many Christian services out there and they are more than willing to listen to you and help you come up with a workable solution to your financial problems. They look at your debt from a Christian viewpoint and are there to help you every step of the way.

Christian debt counselors are there to help Christians walk the road to becoming debt free. They will give the right guidance and assistance to make your life just a little easier. The day to day stress of your heavy debt will be lessened and you will have more time to again focus on your Christian beliefs and lifestyle. These counselors will help you consolidate and settle your debts and give you inspiring credit counseling as well.

When you visit a debt relief company, you will meet with a credit counselor who will help you determine if it’s possible to lower your monthly payments with your creditors. There are credit card companies that are often more than willing to reduce your interest rate substantially so that your monthly payment likely will decrease as much as 70%. They would rather get some money than no money and that is why credit card companies often are able to lower the rate you pay. Credit counselors are often able to get interest rates reduced to 8% or less. If you are being penalized with late fees, debt relief companies can often help here also. They will work with your creditors to eliminate late fees and over-the-limit charges whenever they can.

Christian debt help is out there just waiting for you to seek it out. Don’t be hesitant or embarrassed to at least take the opportunity to find out if there is something you can do to make your life better by eliminating your debt. Trained Christian counselors are there to be by your side and act as your advocate when dealing with your creditors. You will find them to be compassionate, friendly and knowledgeable.

Matt writes more about christian debt help at http://www.christian-debt-programs.com

According to the riches of Christ

Thank God for things like Vacation Bible School as they require God

True to the nature of the wisest of story tellers the Sovereign One, who is called Yahweh by the Hebrews, caused to be formulated in the ancient Scriptures a story that men of unbelieving hearts often refer to as something of a fairy tale.(Genesis 6:1

Right confession = speaking only what God says

Whatever you fix your eyes upon grows within you.
Whatever grows within you, you become.

My spirit is joined to the Holy Spirit, so I no longer live alone, but Christ energizes my spirit and lives out through me, restoring my heart, my soul and my body. I can do all things through Christ Who lives within me and Who strengthens me. Christ is my hope of glory. I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. I am strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for in Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him I have been made complete.

I am joined to Christ. Christ is formed within me, and I am clothed with Christ. I am saturated with Christ, through and through. On whatever level of myself I look, I see Jesus.

I have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. I stand holy and blameless before God in love.

I have received God