Archive for December, 2008
12.31.08
Posted in Religion & More at 11:52 pm by admin
The Will To Do is the greatest power in the world that is
concerned with human accomplishment and no one can in advance
determine its limits.
The things that we do now would have been a few ages ago
impossibilities. Today the safe maxim is: “All things are
possible.”
The Will To Do is a force that is strictly practical, yet it is
difficult to explain just what it is. It can be compared to
electricity because we know it only through its cause and
effects. It is a power we can direct and to just the extent we
direct it do we determine our future. Every time you accomplish
any definite act, consciously or unconsciously, you use the
principle of the Will. You can Will to do anything whether it is
right or wrong, and therefore the way you use your will makes a
big difference in your life.
Every person possesses some “Will To Do.” It is the inner energy
which controls all conscious acts. What you will to do directs
your life forces. All habits, good or bad, are the result of what
you will to do. You improve or lower your condition in life by
what you will to do. Your will has a connection with all avenues
of knowledge, all activities, all accomplishment.
You probably know of cases where people have shown wonderful
strength under some excitement, similar to the following: The
house of a farmer’s wife caught on fire. No one was around to
help her move anything. She was a frail woman, and ordinarily was
considered weak. On this occasion she removed things from the
house that it later took three men to handle. It was the “Will To
Do” that she used to accomplish her task.
Genius Is But A Will To Do Little Things With Infinite Pains.
Little Things Well Done Open The Door Of Opportunity For Bigger
Things.
The Will accomplishes its greater results through activities that
grow out of great Psychic – Concentration in acquiring the power of
voluntary attention to such an extent that we can direct it where
we will and hold it steadily to its task until our aim is
accomplished. When you learn so to use it, your Will Power
becomes a mighty force. Almost everything can be accomplished
through its proper use. It is greater than physical force because
it can be used to control not only physical but mental and moral
forces.
There are very few that possess perfectly developed and balanced
Will Power, but those who do easily crush out their weak
qualities. Study yourself carefully. Find out your greatest
weakness and then use your will power to overcome it. In this way
eradicate your faults, one by one, until you have built up a
strong character and personality.
Rules for Improvement. A desire arises. Now think whether this
would be good for you. If it is not, use your Will Power to kill
out the desire, but, on the other hand, if it is a righteous
desire, summon all your Will Power to your aid, crush all
obstacles that confront you and secure possession of the coveted
Good.
Slowness in Making Decisions. This is a weakness of Will Power.
You know you should do something, but you delay doing it through
lack of decision. It is easier not to do a certain thing than to
do it, but conscience says to do it. The vast majority of persons
are failures because of the lack of deciding to do a thing when
it should be done. Those that are successful have been quick to
grasp opportunities by making a quick decision. This power of
will can be used to bring culture, wealth and health.
Some Special Pointers. For the next week try to make quicker
decisions in your little daily affairs. Set the hour you wish to
get up and arise exactly at the fixed time. Anything that you
should accomplish, do on or ahead of time. You want, of course,
to give due deliberation to weighty matters, but by making quick
decisions on little things you will acquire the ability to make
quick decisions in bigger things. Never procrastinate. Decide
quickly one way or the other even at the risk of deciding wrong.
Practice this for a week or two and notice your improvement.
The Lack of Initiative. This, too, keeps many men from
succeeding. They have fallen into the way of imitating others in
all that they do. Very often we hear the expression, “He seems
clever enough, but he lacks initiative.” Life for them is one
continuous grind. Day after day they go through the same
monotonous round of duties, while those that are “getting along”
are using their initiative to get greater fullness of life. There
is nothing so responsible for poverty as this lack of initiative,
this power to think and do for ourselves.
You Are as Good as Anyone. You have will power, and if you use
it, you will get your share of the luxuries of life. So use it to
claim your own. Don’t depend on anyone else to help you. We have
to fight our own battles. All the world loves a fighter, while
the coward is despised by all.
Every person’s problems are different, so I can only say “analyze
your opportunities and conditions and study your natural
abilities.” Form plans for improvement and then put them into
operation. Now, as I said before, don’t just say, “I am going to
do so and so,” but carry your plan into execution. Don’t make an
indefinite plan, but a definite one, and then don’t give up until
your object has been accomplished. Put these suggestions into
practice with true earnestness, and you will soon note
astonishing results, and your whole life will be completely
changed. An excellent motto for one of pure motives is: Through
my will power I dare do what I want to. You will find this
affirmation has a very strengthening effect.
The Spirit of Perseverance. The spirit of “sticktoitiveness” is
the one that wins. Many go just so far and then give up, whereas,
if they had persevered a little longer, they would have won out.
Many have much initiative, but instead of concentrating it into
one channel, they diffuse it through several, thereby dissipating
it to such an extent that its effect is lost.
Develop more determination, which is only the Will To Do, and
when you start out to do something stick to it until you get
results. Of course, before starting anything you must look ahead
and see what the “finish leads to.” You must select a road that
will lead to “somewhere,” rather than “nowhere.” The journey must
be productive of some kind of substantial results. The trouble
with so many young men is that they launch enterprises without
any end in sight. It is not so much the start as the finish of a
journey that counts. Each little move should bring you nearer the
goal which you planned to reach before the enterprise began.
Lack of Perseverance is nothing but the lack of the Will To Do.
It takes the same energy to say, “I will continue,” as to say, “I
give up.” Just the moment you say the latter you shut off your
dynamo, and your determination is gone. Every time you allow your
determination to be broken you weaken it. Don’t forget this. Just
the instant you notice your determination beginning to weaken,
concentrate on it and by sheer Will Power make it continue on the
“job.”
Never try to make a decision when you are not in a calm state of
mind. If in a “quick temper,” you are likely to say things you
afterwards regret. In anger, you follow impulse rather than
reason. No one can expect to achieve success if he makes
decisions when not in full control of his mental forces.
Therefore make it a fixed rule to make decisions only when at
your best. If you have a “quick temper,” you can quickly gain
control over it by simple rule of counting backwards. To count
backwards requires Psychic – Concentration, and you thus quickly regain a
calm state. In this way you can break the “temper habit.”
It will do you a lot of good to think over what you said and
thought the last time you were angry. Persevere until you see
yourself as others see you. It would do no harm to write the
scene out in story form and then sit in judgment of the character
that played your part.
Special Instructions to Develop the Will To Do. This is a form of
mental energy, but requires the proper mental attitude to make it
manifest. We hear of people having wonderful will power, which
really is wrong. It should be said that they use their will power
while with many it is a latent force. I want you to realize that
no one has a monopoly on will power. There is plenty for all.
What we speak of as will power is but the gathering together of
mental energy, the Psychic – Concentration power at one point. So never
think of that person as having a stronger will than yours. Each
person will be supplied with just that amount of will power that
he demands. You don’t have to develop will power if you
constantly make use of all you have, and remember the way in
which you use it determines your fate, for your life is moulded
to great extent by the use you make of your will. Unless you make
proper use of it you have neither independence nor firmness. You
are unable to control yourself and become a mere machine for
others to use. It is more important to learn to use your will
than to develop your intellect. The man that has not learned how
to use his will rarely decides things for himself, but allows his
resolutions to be changed by others. He fluctuates from one
opinion to another, and of course does not accomplish anything
out of the ordinary, while his brother with the trained will
takes his place among the world’s leaders.
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Posted in Religion & More at 11:25 pm by admin
Jeremiah 14:14-14:14. What is Deceit? The intentional misleading or beguiling of another; in Scripture represented as a companion of many other forms of wickedness, as cursing (Psa 10:7), hatred (Pro 26:24), theft, covetousness, adultery, murder (Mar 7:22; Rom 1:29). The Revised Version (British and American) introduces the word in Pro 14:25; 2Th 2:10; but in such passages as Psa 55:11; Pro 20:17; Pro 26:26; 1Th 2:3, renders a variety of words, more accurately than the King James Version, by “oppression,” “falsehood,” “guile,” “error.”
The face of deceit is not always an ugly one sometimes it comes in the form of a smile, a wave, an angel of beauty and glorious appearance. Sometimes it comes in the form of a sweet smelling rose or a friend. Sin doesn’t always take on an appearance of ugliness, sometimes its beautiful. Some of the most beautiful things that we see in this life are sometimes the most deadly. The Face of Deception takes not only thankfulness away from among men [we forget, or fail, or wont acknowledge God for the substance of our life], but also lifted up with the glorious words of lewd persons [people with only their interest in mind], that were never good [the plans of these people are evil in nature], they think to escape the justice [Judgment] of God, that seeth all things and hateth evil.
Oftentimes also fair speech of those that are put in trust to manage their friends’ affairs hath caused many that are in authority to be par-takers of innocent blood, and hath en-wrapped them in remediless [no way to escape] calamities:
Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of their lewd [vulgar] disposition the innocence and goodness of princes.
Jer 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not [Many preach and teach in their own name, they were neither called nor ordained by God for service], neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination [Division comes with false, preachers, teachers and Prophets], and a thing of nought [Their words will come to nothing, neither can they save nor prolong the judgment], and the deceit of their heart[They have lied to themselves].
Deceit sometimes says one thing and then does another, it twists the truth into a lie so conveniently that we have a hard time telling the truth from a lie. Have you ever been deceived by a pretty face or a friend that confesses that you are the center of their world, just to be put down in front of someone else? You’ve all seen the face of deceit, on television, a handsome face a pretty smile, great swelling words of utopia in this world and all the while these faces attempt to rob you of your finances and livelihood in the name of God. Or have you considered that a man can lie to himself? Why would a man lie to himself, you may ask, its simple many people deceive themselves to gain self importance, self pride, not wanting to admit that there are limitations to their very existence or to justify the evil that they have done to someone else.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
These men that Our Lord speaks of are liars to themselves. They know the truth but still they become involved in the cares of the world and self-pride, bringing themselves to believe a lie and have pride in lying to others. These deceivers are not only deceiving themselves but they deceive those who are not strong in the faith or in the word of God. They’ve pulled a veil over their eyes and try to put a veil over the eyes of others. Hearing that they cannot understand and seeing that they cannot perceive, the blind leading the blind, both heading for a Devils Hell. The face of deceit loves company, just as Satan wants to drag as many with him to Hell as He can. Deceit knows no boundaries, love, hate, compassion or guilt. Sometimes the face of Deceit is the one in the mirror, that is the greatest deceiver of all.
Jam 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Ask yourself a question and be honest with yourself; Have you ever heard a sermon that touched your heart and then without taking the steps to change your life or give yourself to Christ, you let that moment slip away into history? Have you looked in the mirror later at home still under conviction and said to yourself, “That message was for someone else”? If you said yes, then you have deceived and lied to yourself, I’m afraid my friends, that decision may come back to haunt you.
Psa 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
A good description of Satan and the face of Deceit. So then what can we do about the Face of Deceit?
Psa 101:7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
There is nothing wrong with stopping it at the door, you know whom you can trust, you know whom you can believe.
My dad told me a long time ago; “Son, You can lock out a thief but its hard to lock out a liar.”
Come out from among the world and be ye a separated people. This, starts at home, start controlling what you, watch, read, hear and invite into your home, make it a place that Jesus would be pleased with. Take back possession of the blessings of God, go to that enemy camp and reclaim all that God desired you to have, take back your home and branch out from there. Those of you that are lost, take back that face in the mirror, when the Holy Spirit draws you, take back your inheritance that Satan tried to steel, give your life over to Jesus and take back the time you lost. Don’t let that Face of Deceit steel from you ever again. What do you do after you’ve taken it all back; Dan 12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Start taking back your, friends, loved ones, family and enemies, show them the face of deceit, put a bright spotlight in its face and be a witness of the graciousness of God.
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R. Smith Sermons International
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/
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Posted in Internet Technology Resources at 4:29 pm by admin
A big and always growing mobile UK market following the rule of introducing the next iphone has made it unusually hard for customers to compare phone special offers. Most of the time, there are abounding aspects that customers need to look into when making mobile phone comparisons that some of the very most key ones get missed out.
As a result, you forever end up having a phone which is either too expensive or a phone which is not perfect for your phone usage profile. And so we discuss in this guide about the 2 very most essential things that mobile phone customers should forever look into when making cell phone purchases. This might often help customers land a mobile phone that at least meets the standard criteria people are looking for. Find the best Samsung phone deals online with MobileShop.
The total cell phone market is booming on the basis of brilliant features like mp3 players that keep getting added everyday. Nevertheless, a very large majority of folk acquire cell phones based on their appearance, brand and good hype only to regret later on when folk find that their great mobile phone lacks a greatly basic feature like sending text or video photography. Lots of phenomenal dear phones sell on the basis of hype, brand and looks at price tags that are unjustified if you look at the lack of high end features. For e.g. the most current Apple iphone does not let customers forward messages to all. Unfortunately, this phone’s target audience, early twenties, gets to regret the absence of this cell phone feature only after spending weeks worth of salary on it. So make sure that your outstanding new mobile phone has all the features you require before paying up. Since mobile organisations will never tell mobile customers about the breathtaking features like mp3 players that their phones lack, researching online mobile articles is the greatest way to do it.
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12.29.08
Posted in Religion & More at 7:10 pm by admin
What is Reverence?
Matthew 6:9-6:13 (NIV, NIRV, TNIV, KJV)
Reverence? What is A new look at Matthew 6:9 thru 13. Many call Matthew 6:9-13, The Lords Prayer but it actually isn’t. Its the prayer that Jesus gave to us, so in essence its our prayer. What I want to do is break it down to make it more personal. How many here today love Jesus? How many here today love God? How many here today do the commandments of Christ? You know, Love your neighbor as yourself, pray for those who despitfully use you, forgive others, pray for your enemies, ect, ect, ect? If you are sure, then this is your prayer. Mat 6:9 …Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Now lets make it personal, between you and the Father. 1.”Our” Belonging to, in possession of, to abide in oneself. God belongs to us and we to the Father. By the purchase of our body and soul with the blood of His Son. 2.”Father”A man who begets or raises or nurtures a child. To procreate (offspring) as the male parent. To act or serve as a father to (a child). To create, found, or originate. To acknowledge responsibility for. Isn’t the meaning of Father, everything that God is? “To acknowledge responsibility for.” God acknowledges us as His children, His seed, His Creation and he fully takes responsibility for us. To Teach and Nurture, to Feed and cloth, to Save and protect. Now what about those who refuse God as Father, refuse His Chastisement? Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. “Bastard”, The Talmud and the rabbis are probably therefore right in explaining mamzer, not illegitimate children in general, but those begotten in incest or adultery: from mazar, “to be corrupt.” The only other occurrence of mamzer is Zec_9:6; “a bastard (a vile alien) shall dwell in Ashdod.” One who is without the conjoining of Father (God) to themselves. We must look at this from the spiritual and not the physical for all children have a physical father(dad). 3.”which art” “Which Art”, residing at, being in a certain place or time, without doubt as to where or who.Positive. Without our Faith knowing where God our Father resides, we would not believe in a Diety, that is in controll of all manner of life. We must first believe in Heaven and Hell, Reward and punishment, Resurrection and Damnation, on a grand scale, up to and including, the very soul that makes us who we are. Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 4a.”in heaven” 4.”IN” Within the limits, bounds, or area of: From the outside to a point within;. To or at a situation or condition of. 5.”Heaven” The sky or universe as seen from the earth; the firmament.The abode of God, the angels, and the souls of those who are granted salvation. An eternal state of communion with God; everlasting bliss. Any of the places in or beyond the sky conceived of as domains of a divine being. A place of great happiness, delight, or pleasure: Jesus promised all who believed in Him a place. John 14:2-3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Heaven is not the place that Jesus spoke of, but a place in the Family of God, an abiding of spirits together as one with the Father.
6. “Hallowed”Sanctified, Blessed, Holy, Sacred..
7. “be” Happen, occur, take place. 8.”thy” your; belonging to you 9.”name”
1.El-Elyon as “Maker of heaven and earth.”
2.El Olam “God of Eternity.” 3.EL Berith “God of the Covenant.” 4.EL Roi “God of Vision.” 5.EL Hoseem “God of Creation.” 6.Elohim ” Creator of the Universe.” 7.Eloi, “My God.” 8.Yeshua “The Lord of Salvation” 9.Yahweh “Jehova is the Lord,The Lord of Miracles.”.
10.Yahew Jireh ” The Lord will provide.” 11.Yahweh Nissi, ” The Lord is My Banner.” 12.YAHWEH MEKADDESH, “THE LORD Sanctifes.” 13.Yahweh Shalom “The Lord of Peace.” 14.Yahweh Sabaoth.”Lord of Hosts.” 15.Yahweh Rohi,”The Lord is my Shepard.” 16.Yahweh Rophe,”I am the Lord that Heals You.”
17.Yahweh Tsidkenu, The Lord is our Righteousness.” 18.Yahweh Shammah, “The Lord is there.” 19.Adon. 20.Adonai 21.Jehova Adonai.
22.Yeshua-”The Lord Of Salvation”
10. “Thy kingdom.”The domain in which God is dominant 11. “Come”Move toward, travel toward, approach,Reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress,Come to pass; arrive, as in due course. 12. “Thy will” Decree or ordain,A fixed and persistent intent or purpose. 13. “be done” Gods Intent and purpose to come about, into existence. 14. “in earth, as it is in heaven.” In the un-limitless expanse of His Power and Reign.
15. “Give us this day” Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 16.”our daily bread.” The Spiritual bread of the Word of God. 1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
17.”And forgive us”Alleviate or remove, Free from a burden, evil, or distress, Grant exemption or release. 18. “our debts,”Anything that is owed to someone else, The state of being legally obliged and responsible. 19. “as we forgive our debtors.” “Anyone that owes us,
20.”And lead us not into temptation,” God never leads us into temptation but our prayer here is stating that we desire God to correct our wavering from the right path, back to where we should be. Our temptations come from our own lusts and being weak in the flesh ,we are dependant upon God to help our short comings. 21.” but deliver us from evil:”Recover or preserve from loss or danger. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. So as you can see, The Lords Prayer is our own personal prayer to God. Our future lyes with Him and His mercy. Take the Scripture personally as thou it was written especially for you. For It Was. ars
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Sermons International
www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/
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Posted in Religion & More at 4:33 am by admin
The push to democratize the world is gaining momentum around the world since the recent demise of communism. But that alone isn’t the reason for the renewed interest in democracy. If you were to question those seeking democratization anywhere in the world, you would be surprised to find their reasons have little to do with patriotism or national pride. The answer is always the economy.
The rest of the world wants what America and Western Europe have, and that simply put is, plenty of everything. Materials and goods coupled with the hope of the good life are driving the world to democracy. The day of revolutions that are driven by the desire to be free of tyranny is almost dead. The common desire to have a higher standard of living, to be secure and to he in need of nothing is what drives the winds of democracy. Alone this seems like a good desire but if it is the only desire it will culminate in sure disaster.
Were the United States to undergo a full economic collapse, the will and the resolve for independence would be hammered and twisted more easily than we might expect. Picture a nation one moment clamoring for lower gas prices, a greater supply of beanie babies and Madonna paraphernalia suddenly finding itself in desperate need of virtually every basic consumer item needed just to live. Enter antichrist, with a new and tested economy that is lifting nations out of poverty all over the world. Make no mistake about it; even though it seems hard to see this happening, when it does the ears of our nation will be well attuned and inclined to take the offer. As a nation we have shown that we can hardly endure the lack of only some of the consumer goods we have grown accustomed to. The lack of almost every one of them would drive most Americans to a pact with the Devil himself.
This is a picture I can easily see happening and it conjuncts with the revelation God gave to me many years ago. God indicated to me that we will not he missing a few things, we will be in need of everything. Extreme poverty and scarcity means just that. The old adage that mans extremity is God’s opportunity is about to he engaged full force.
Unfortunately, we always think of mans extremity as being when he has reached the end of his rope and has gone about as low as he can go. In our case, the extremity is that we have gone as high as we can go. In America we now hear terms like extreme sports, extreme wealth or extreme lifestyles, and that is just what it is. God is going to use this extremity as much as he does when people reach their all time lows. In this case he will simply pull the rug out from under us. It won’t be a television survival show trying to pass itself off as reality, it will he reality waking us up to the hardship of survival. We will tumble down a steep embankment, going from plenty to nothing in less time than it takes to say America. Anyone undergoing such a sudden change is thrust into a search for the way out as fast as possible. There will he a way out, but it will come from the most unlikely place, the very heart of the kingdom of darkness.
On my own I wouldn’t dare propose the notion of a financial collapse to the richest people on earth during the peak of their power. Life is hard enough without telling people something they would rather not hear anytime, much less at this time. I knew I’d sound ridiculous, but I also knew that I had little choice. I guess I’m in good company since Rev David Wilkerson of The Cross and the Switchblade fame made similar predictions over a quarter century ago.
What amazes me the most is that when I first received this revelation I had no means of understanding how it could he possible? But God is gracious and has given me more insight into just how and more importantly why this must happen to America. He left off telling me just when this is going to happen but I am growing more sure every day, that it is only a very short time from now
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is,
http://americanprophet.org
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12.27.08
Posted in Religion & More at 7:09 pm by admin
One of the most important questions which needs to be answered today is the title of this article: “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” The answer to this question is important for those professing to be Christians and sinners alike. Why? Because the answer is given in the Bible and it is specific. The main thrust of our ministry is the admonition of those professing to follow Christ to be “Doers of the Word,” or as the NIV renders it “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) Allow me to paraphrase this another way: “Do not listen to what men teach, and let them deceive you. Do what the word says.”
Some men would have you believe that all that you must do to be saved is to “call upon the name of the Lord.” They even give you a sample “sinner’s prayer” to pray, and having prayed that prayer they declare, “praise God, you are now saved!” But is this what the Bible teaches? The scripture which is used to prove this teaching is Romans 10:13, where Paul says, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
I once heard a very wise preacher say, “If you ever put an interpretation on a scripture that makes another scripture appear to be wrong, then you have the wrong interpretation.” Let’s examine Romans 10:13 to see what Paul is really teaching. First of all you need to know to whom Paul was teaching in the book of Romans. To properly interpret scripture, you must know to whom the message was given. In Romans, Paul is teaching the Christians in the church at Rome which had former Jews as well as Gentiles. Therefore, the book of Romans is a treatise of some things which should be considered by both Jew and Gentile.
Chapter ten teaches that Israel rejected Christ, but this did not mean that Jews could not accept Christ. In verse twelve Paul writes, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” In other words, both Jew and Greek (Gentile) can call upon the Lord for salvation. If either a Jew or a Gentile seeks salvation through Christ based upon the New Testament teachings, they shall receive salvation. Then Paul reaffirms what he said in verse twelve by stating in verse thirteen, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” In other words, it doesn’t make any difference if you are a Jew or a Gentile, if you call upon the Lord for salvation, you shall receive salvation.
Now please note that Paul was not teaching on the subject of HOW you receive salvation, but WHO is eligible to receive salvation.
There are many other “plans” for salvation which have been developed by men. Some say you have to have that “special feeling”, others say you have to “pray through,” and still others will put some other form of man-made qualification on receiving salvation. No person here on earth will ever produce a plan of salvation equal to, or that will take the place of, that plan which Christ gave us. The New Testament gives us the plan of salvation which was given to the Apostles by Christ, and was practiced by them throughout their ministries.
So what is the plan of salvation? The plan of salvation consists of five steps, all of which are necessary for the person to receive salvation and gain the eventual reward of eternal life with Jesus Christ. Those five steps are: Belief, Repentance, Confession, Baptism, and Faithful Living.
Belief
Belief, or faith is the first step in receiving salvation. Paul, in his epistle to the Romans says as much, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed.” (Romans 10:14a) How do we develop this faith or belief in Christ? Paul continues the above passage by saying, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14b) And, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) So we see that we come to a realization that God does truly exist, and that He is able to do that which He has promised, by hearing the word of God. Of course this usually happens by listening to a preacher, Sunday School teacher, Bible study, or some other means of learning what God tells us in His word.
This should go without saying, but I shall say it anyway, faith (or belief) is absolutely necessary if we are to receive salvation. How can we have dealings with One who is unseen, and whose chief rewards lie beyond this present life, unless we believe that God exists and will bring eternal life. We see this explicitly spelled out in the Bible, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
We also read in the Bible that our faith must be in Jesus Christ, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)
Faith was also preached by the Apostles, “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (Acts 16:31) Jesus Himself emphasized faith when He said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
Repentance
The result of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is repentance. Not just saying, “I’m sorry for the sins I’ve committed,” but a deep feeling of remorse in the knowledge that we have not been pleasing to God. In the same way that faith is not merely intellectual agreement that God does exist, repentance is not merely acknowledging that we have sinned and saying, “I’m sorry.”
Let’s compare for a moment a child who has been caught breaking his parents’ rules. He may acknowledge that he has broken the rule, and he may (probably will) say, “I’m sorry and I won’t do it anymore.” But his real motive may be to avoid the punishment that his parents have warned him would be given to him if he disobeyed. However, given the opportunity, he may break the rule again, and not feel any guilt unless he gets caught again. This is not repentance.
On the other hand, if the child realizes that his disobedience has caused his parents to grieve (as God does for our disobedience), and he decides that he is going to do his very best to not break his parents’ rules again, we would say that he has shown repentance.
It is the same with us when we become Christians. We need to be repentant for our shortcomings toward God, and strive to not repeat our errors in the future.
Repentance then, is a change of heart and mind. Unless we change the way we live, we have not repented. Unless there is a re-orientation of the ethics and values in our lives, there has been no repentance.
Repentance is a command in the Bible: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30,31) It is also a warning. Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)
The gospel message produces repentance. When Peter was preaching to the people on the day of Pentecost he said, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) We read in this same account that thousands were added to the church that day.
God’s love for us also produces repentance in our hearts and lives. You don’t need to study the Bible very much to realize just how much God really loves us. God’s love for His creation, man, is all through the Bible. Romans 2:4 brings this into focus: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Confession
A person shows that he is not ashamed of Christ, or to be know as a Christian, when he confesses Him before men. We see in the book of Romans that the confession should be made with the mouth: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Romans 10:9,10)
We also see that the confession should be of Christ, or that we believe that Jesus is the Christ. In Matthew, Jesus was asking His disciples who the people said that He was. Then we read, “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:15,16) It should be before witnesses. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
And finally, confession should precede baptism. In the account of Philip preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch we find that the Ethiopian made his confession prior to Philip baptizing him. This account is in Acts 8:35-38.
Baptism
You must come into contact with Christ’s death. This is done through baptism. Baptism depicts a death to sin or a coming alive in Christ. It also is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Baptism is commanded by Christ as we see in Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It was also practiced by the apostles. In the book of Acts (which could also be referred to as the book of conversions), there are eight accounts of people being saved. In each account, baptism was part of the person or persons being saved. For example, in Acts 2:41 we read this passage, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Read each of the eight accounts:
Jews on Pentacost ………. Acts 2:36-38
The Samaritans …………… Acts 8:12-13
The Ethiopian Eusuch …… Acts 8:35-39
Cornelius (1st Gentile) ….. Acts 10:34-48
Lydia ………………………… Acts 16:14-15
The Jailor …………………… Acts 16:25-34
The Corinthians …………… Acts 18:6-8
The Ephesians …………….. Acts 19:1-5
Paul ………………………….. Acts 22:16
Baptism brings remission of sins: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16) And also, baptism saves us: “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21)
Faithful Living
Through faith, repentance, confession and baptism we receive the salvation promised by God through His son Jesus Christ. But this is not where the process stops. In some respects, it is just the beginning.
We must continue to live faithfully. Faithful living means continuing steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in observing communion, and in prayer. (See Acts 2:42) We should study our Bible. A daily walk through God’s word is important to spiritual growth. We should grow in the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22,23) We should be a soul winner, sharing our faith in Christ with others. We should have Christian virtues. (See 2 Peter 1:5- 
And we should worship regularly with God’s people. (See Hebrews 10:25)
So, what must you do to be saved? The answer, as given in the New Testament, is faith (or belief), repentance, confession, baptism, and life-long faithful living. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please consider carefully what You have read here. Being a Christian is a wonderful life.
All scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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12.26.08
Posted in Religion & More at 10:28 pm by admin
Church of God minister Arlen Berkey, in “The Work of God in the Laodicean Era,” makes a statement nobody in God’s Church would disagree with: “The whole world will soon know about the two witnesses. They will not be welcome by this world.”
We are not responsible for how the world reacts to these two men (it does NOT say ministers), however, we should question whether the two witnesses will be welcome by God’s Church!
Does that sound preposterous? Presumptuous? Not if you’re well-versed in holy Scripture! It was often the religious who opposed the Prophets and it was the religious leaders who stirred up the people to cry out against Jesus: “Crucify Him!” There is nothing new under the sun.
The two witnesses will be sent by God in the spirit of Elijah. The chief spokesman between the two will hail from the royal house of David and fulfills the Elijah role and will shake up the earth by his God-given MESSAGE and MIRACLES! (Zechariah 12:8).
Herbert W. Armstrong, in the spirit of Elijah, laid the foundation for such a great Work, and restored precious truths to God’s CHURCH. Jesus Christ will restore God’s government to the entire Earth (Acts 3:21). The interlude finds the leader of the two witnesses, in the spirit of Elijah/HWA, restoring truth to the NATION of Israel (Malachi 4:4). There is no contradiction. This is based upon the Law and the Covenant and is testifed to by the Prophets.
Some might initially resist God’s choice of men to fulfill the controversial roles of the two witnesses (Jeremiah 15:10). Even Moses’ met rejection by his own people God sent him to save (Acts 7:25, 35). Moses and Aaron met first with the elders of Israel before going before pharaoh (Exodus 4:29). God’s Church will know the identity of the two witnesses before the world sees them take the stand in Jerusalem.
God’s apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong, saw we must reach “the cities of Judah” and yet God didn’t permit him to do it. But God will give Judah His Message, last but not least! God has been raising up someone for this very purpose (Isaiah 41:27).
Herbert Armstrong also began to see that God’s Church has a divine commission to help physically prepare for Christ’s coming to Jerusalem: a Mideast Mideast Commission. Read and believe it for yourself in Mr. Armstrong’s autobiography and wonder why you haven’t heard any of your ministers preaching about it or chomping at the bit to get it done.
Soon the the two witnesses will rise and shine in this world of darkness, and finish the Work that God has given us to do. Jesus Christ is returning in this generation! May we be found worthy to escape the nuclear blitzkrieg about to strike, and to stand before Christ when He returns to claim David’s Throne in Jerusalem!
Here’s some kosher food for thought:
Will an earthquake bring water to the deserts? Preparing the way for the Church of God to enter “Her Place?” (Isaiah 43:20).
For Zion’s Sake,
David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Visit the Beyond Babylon blog.
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Posted in Best Gender Issue Tips at 9:18 pm by admin
In this article, I’ll describe the vital missing ingredient without which improving your self-esteem is almost impossible. I’ll review why self-esteem is important, I’ll show you why certain types of advice do more harm than good. And – most important of all – I’ll tell you the secrets of how to build and maintain your own self-esteem at an appropriate level.
The vital missing ingredient:
I like to define self-esteem simply as the extent to which we like and respect ourselves. In addition there’s a really important bit of reasoning; a bit of reasoning that works in the real world and it will work for you. Here it is, in a simple equation:
self-esteem = DOING WELL x feelgood factor
It’s the “doing well” element that’s been missing all these years in so many of the self-esteem books that stuff the bookshelves of almost every library you’ll ever visit. Even in our schools the doing well concept has been devalued, to be increasingly replaced by suggestions that we are all equally good irrespective of how well we do. Did you know that many schools in the UK are now refusing to include competitive activities on Sports’ Day in case the losers suffer a loss of self-esteem? How is such an over-protective attitude by their mentors going to prepare children for the tough world they will face as adults, where competition for jobs and so on inevitably results in “losing” and rejection?
Sport’s Day competitions are a form of playing which, if managed in an enlightened way with clear and fair rules, adds value to children’s lives EVEN if they lose!
I passionately believe that you have to do something well in order to feel good about yourself. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you have to be excellent at everything (such expectations would be absurd), but you do need to recognize the difference between doing something well and doing it badly or without care.
Look at that simple equation again: you can tell yourself a million times a day that you deserve to feel great, and you might – just might – manage to push up your feelgood factor. But unless you start to do something well at the same time your self-esteem just cannot rise. I’ll illustrate this further with an example towards the end of this article.
First, let me emphasise the point one more time. Doesn’t it follow that doing something a bit better today than you did it yesterday would be a legitimate reason for you to feel good about yourself? Can you see what would happen? You’d have BOTH elements of the self-esteem equation in place and your self-esteem would go up!
Try it for yourself!
Don’t worry – I’m not suggesting that we should all aspire to win medals for something or obtain straight A-grades if we study. No, I’m talking about doing well in the things that matter to us, and those things vary from person to person. Things such as getting along with your partner, overcoming irrational and disproportionate feelings of jealousy, studying hard, putting in a day’s work that you feel proud of, or maybe even something physical like losing weight if that’s an important objective for you.
Here’s a very quick but powerful exercise: write down a list of 10 things that really matter to you, active things like “feeling close to and connected with my partner”. Then put a check-mark by the ones where you’re doing really well. Do you see how those things are affecting your self-esteem? Imagine how your self-esteem would rise if you made some improvements in those areas that matter to you over the coming weeks. And if you don’t know quite what you can do differently, this website is here to help you make the best possible choices.
But, make no mistake, maintaining healthy levels of self-esteem takes a bit of effort.
And rightly so. You live in the real world, not a fantasy world. Whether you are a good swimmer, or a good painter, or a good mother, or a good girlfriend, depends on a great many things that you DO, not just on what you think of yourself after consuming a heady cocktail of self-affirmation statements served up out of the back of the self-esteem bandwagon.
The REAL recipe for success
Improving your self-esteem is a journey that requires from YOU some commitment to do well in those aspects of your life that matter most to you. It also requires a bit of effort to turn that commitment into results. Remember that equation again:
self-esteem = doing well x feelgood factor
Embarking on that journey can be a bit like deciding to climb a steep hill. In spite of the teachings from some quarters within the “self-esteem movement”, you can’t get to the top by closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, telling yourself that you special and deserve to be at the summit… without moving a muscle.
Your motivation to climb that hill is much stronger if you can visualize the steps you’re going to take to get to the summit, how exhilarated you will feel when you approach your target, and how proud of yourself you will be for having shown the determination to make such terrific progress.
And you don’t have to climb that hill alone, or without help. Selfesteem4women.com has been created to help women around the world fulfil their unique potential. It has exactly the route-maps and resources that you need, and we are standing by to support any of our members who need additional guidance as they work through our Self-help Programs.
I created www.selfesteem4women.com because I felt that the “self-esteem movement” has for a long time been sending out superficial messages and in some cases doing more harm than good.
I wanted to share some of the useful things that I’ve absorbed in my own life, having first learned about my own self-esteem the hard way because I stumbled along a few paths that hurt me. The pain helped me to grow up, but I made mistakes along the way that I’d like to help other women to avoid. Over the last thirteen years I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of women, and I’ve amassed a great deal of empirical evidence that has allowed me to be very confident about what works and what does not.
I believe that self-esteem is very important, and have dedicated my work time to helping women everywhere bolster theirs.
If you would like help to build more confidence and self-esteem then please visit the website: http://www.selfesteem4women.com?ad=goart
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12.24.08
Posted in SEO Parlor at 8:28 pm by admin
Most webmasters have no idea on how to make a search engine friendly web site. If you are one of them this will all change by following these steps below.
1. Research keywords – Before you start to build your web site you should research your keywords or your site may get hurt in the short term. Use the keyword research tool, use Overture to research the most popular keywords that are related to your site. Overture will show you how much traffic each keyword has got in the past 30 days.
2. Create a list of about 50 to 100 keywords that you can include within your web pages. After having completed the above research, you should have found the keywords that were searched on most frequently, but few competing sites.
3. Write a paragraph of at least 250, but better with 500 words of text for the top of each web page. Put your keywords within this text, but be careful because you could repeat your keywords to much and make sure the paragraph makes sense with all those keywords, remember visitors are more important then the search engines.
4. Optimize meta tags – Meta tags have lost there touch with most search engines, but they still help! The most important meta tags are the keyword and description meta tags. Include your keywords within each of these meta tags. Your keyword meta tag should include the most frequently used keywords contained within your web page, but keep it short to about 10 to 15.
5. Title Tag – The title tag is one of the most powerful on-site SEO at your disposal, so use it wisely. Put your most important keyword in the title close to the beginning as posable, keep it short and to the point.
7. Optimize your site size – Too many images or very large images on your web page will slow down your server and cause slow loading times for your site. Slice large images into smaller pieces with a graphic editors. Also to long of pages and to much text will do the same.
8. Find backward links – Web sites that link to yours raise your link popularity. Search for web sites that are compatible with yours. Write articles that are related to your site and submit them to sites like Articlecity.com.
Matt Colyer began as a SEO Specialist in 1997. He founded Superior Webmaster in 2004 as a source of articles and tutorials for Web site owners looking to improve their Web site.
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Posted in Best Gender Issue Tips at 8:01 am by admin
The best labor tips for an expectant mother are listed below. These tips are all based on relaxation. You will see why this is so important for your body. I hope you will find these labor tips for your natural childbirth helpful. RELAXATION
Relaxation is one of the most helpful techniques for pain relief. Let your body do what it is supposed to do. While your uterus is contracting, relax the rest of your body so your energy isn’t working against you. Relaxation is something that should be practiced throughout your pregnancy. There are several different ways to do this. Working with your labor partner throughout your pregnancy to find out what works for you. For me, it was to have my husband stroke my hair. For someone else is may be massage. It’s funny to think that relaxing is a SKILL. The following are some suggestions to try for relaxing.
* Massage
* bathing or showering
* listening to music
* deep breathing
* meditation
* Yoga poses
* visualization
MASSAGE
Massage is a wonderful labor tip. Having your partner give you a massage not only relaxes you but it also gives your partner a chance to be a part of the labor process. It promotes closeness and intimacy. And also, as I said above, relaxing takes practice, so that means that you’ll also have to practice massage. You need to find out what works for you and what relaxes you. And heck, asking for practice massage is a good way for you to get a massage every week or so? Good idea huh gals?
Bathing or Showering
Bathing is an obvious labor tip. I shouldn’t need to explain how wonderful a bath feels even if your aren’t in labor. Just having the feeling of the water on your body is an instant massage. Not the mention the buoyancy of the water takes the pressure off Mom, especially if she is having back labor. I have to say that taking a shower was the best way for me to deal with my labor pain. I just didn’t ever want to get out of the shower.
Music
Music can be such a relaxing medium. It can take you to another plane of consciousness. It can also evoke such memories and choosing the right music that puts you in the place of total relaxation is a powerful feeling. This is something too, that should be practiced throughout your pregnancy. Experiment with different types of music and see what mood it puts you in. Try something new, you may be surprised. Another benefit of doing this is that having music surround you that comforts you during your pregnancy will make you a happier and more content pregnant woman. And we all know that a happy preggers makes for a happy baby. Your little one can also benefit from the tunes.
Deep Breathing
An often overlooked labor tip, breathing, is something that also needs practiced often during your pregnancy. Deep breathing can do wonders for a stressed out or nervous mom in labor. In Yoga it is called Pranayama breathing. This type of breathing can be detrimental in pain relief. Breathing correctly or concentrating on your breathing will help oxygenate your blood which in turn oxygenates the baby. I think this is such an important tool to use.
Meditation
Meditation is a deep form of relaxation. Being able to be still and concentrate on positive images instead of dwelling on pain can not only help with pain relief but can also help you along in your labor. For you,the laboring mom, to be able to be totally relaxed and to have a grip and feeling on what your body is doing and feeling can only speed up labor and have the body do what it knows how to do. Letting your mind relax and give your body the chance to do the work. Meditation can be anything from just sitting in a quiet room with peaceful thoughts, listening to soothing music, practicing the Pranayama breathing, or actually doing yoga. There are aids out there to help you practice meditating.
Yoga Poses
Practicing yoga during pregnancy can give you the tools you need to help with pain relief during labor. As stated above, the breathing techniques are of high value and if you have done yoga in the past you know the feeling you get right after your practice. You have a feeling of peace and inner strength. One of the most important poses to do during pregnancy is the cat or the Bidalasana pose. A variation of this pose is similar to the pelvic rock exercise. This position is so important because of the benefits to your body which in turn, benefit your baby. This exercise relieves pressure on the lower back and increases circulation and can improve digestion. But most important, is that this position gives the baby the most room for movement and can sometimes help in repositioning the baby from a breech position. This pose is also very helpful in labor. This pose was one that helped me the most. This pose is done by getting down on your hands and knees, knees spread shoulder width. Now, arch your back and then release, tilting your pelvis while doing this. During labor, just being in this position can help the pain, this position was very helpful to me during my labor.
Visualization
Visualization is a form of meditation. This should be practiced often as should all of these forms of relaxation. Try to pull out a memory of something positive, run this story over and over through your mind. Make this memory a trigger for you feeling peaceful and centered. you are getting very sleepy, you are getting very sleepy….OK Just wanted to make sure I still had ya 
Think about the first time you met your partner and the things that made you get those butterflies… think about your favorite vacation when you were truly relaxed and content. maybe picture how you will feel when that precious little life is handed to you for the very first time.
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