Story - God is good all the times

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows "why" of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, it was not so complete to be offered to the gods.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately.

"My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger, therefore, remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong."

Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God, don't be in a rush.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

The path of God and his word are perfect, without any impurities.

The Meaning Of The Blood Of Christ

The Meaning Of The Blood Of Christ

 The phrase “blood of Christ” is used several times in the New Testament and is the expression of the sacrificial death and full atoning work of Jesus on our behalf.

 References to the Savior blood include the reality that He literally bled on the cross, but more significantly that He bled and died for sinners.

The blood of Christ has the power to atone for an infinite number of sins committed by an infinite number of people throughout the ages, and all whose faith rests in that blood will be saved.

The reality of the blood of Christ as the means of atonement for sin has its origin in the Mosaic Law.

Once a year, the priest was to make an offering of the blood of animals on the altar of the temple for the sins of the people.

 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”.

(Hebrews 9:22).

 But this was a blood offering that was limited in its effectiveness, which is why it had to be offered again and again.

This was a foreshadowing of the “once for all” sacrifice which Jesus offered on the cross (Hebrews 7:27).

Once that sacrifice was made, there was no longer a need for the blood of bulls and goats.

 

The blood of Christ is the basis of the New Covenant.

On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus offered the cup of wine to His disciples and said,

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).

The pouring of the wine in the cup symbolized the blood of Christ which would be poured out for all who would ever believe in Him.

When He shed His blood on the cross, He did away with the Old Covenant requirement for the continual sacrifices of animals.

Their blood was not sufficient to cover the sins of the people, except on a temporary basis, because sin against a holy and infinite God requires a holy and infinite sacrifice.

 “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”.

 (Hebrews 10:3).

 While the blood of bulls and goats were a “reminder” of sin, “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19) paid in full the debt of sin we owe to God, and we need no further sacrifices for sin.

Jesus said, “It is finished”

as He was dying, and He meant just that - the entire work of redemption was completed forever, “having obtained eternal redemption” for us.

(Hebrews 9:12)

Not only does the blood of Christ redeem believers from sin and eternal punishment, but

“His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God”.

 (Hebrews 9:14 NCV).

This means that not only are we now free from having to offer sacrifices which are “useless” to obtain salvation, but we are free from having to rely on worthless and unproductive works of the flesh to please God.

Because the blood of Christ has redeemed us, we are now new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and by His blood we are freed from sin to serve the living God, to glorify Him, and to enjoy Him forever.

Are You Waiting to be Called?

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.

 

Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed.

When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. 

A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on.

They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet.

They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants,

"Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying,

"Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said,

"I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message
in Morse Code:

'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

We are so busy living in a world that is full of noise and clatter, like that office.

People are distracted and unable to hear the still, small voice of God as He speaks in creation, in the Scriptures, and in the life and work of Jesus Christ.

 So, are you listening, or are you waiting to be called?

Is Michael the only archangel?

Is Michael the only archangel?

The word "archangel" occurs in only two verses of the Bible.

First Thessalonians 4:16 exclaims,
"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

Jude verse 9 declares,
"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said,
'The Lord rebuke you!'"

The word "archangel" comes from a Greek word meaning "chief angel."

It refers to an angel who seems to be the leader of other angels.

Jude verse 9 uses the definite article "the archangel Michael," which could possibly indicate that Michael is the only archangel. However, Daniel 10:13 describes Michael as "one of the chief princes."

This possibly indicates that there is more than one archangel, because it places Michael on the same level as the other "chief princes."

So, while it is possible that there are multiple archangels, it is best not to presume upon the Word of God by declaring other angels as archangels. Daniel 10:21 describes Michael the archangel as "your prince," and Daniel 12:1 identifies Michael as "the great prince who protects."

Even if there are multiple archangels, it seems that Michael is the chief among them.

Is there an angel named Raphael in the Bible?"

No, the Bible nowhere mentions an angel named Raphael.

Only two angels are named in Scripture - Gabriel (Luke 1:26) and Michael (Daniel 12:1), the latter designated as an "archangel" in Jude 9. The angel Raphael does appear in the apocryphal book of Tobit (or Tobias), which is considered inspired by the Catholic Church. In that account, Raphael disguises himself as a human, keeps the younger Tobias safe on a journey, chases away a demon, and heals the elder Tobias of his blindness. Because of these actions, Raphael is considered by Catholics as the patron of the blind, of travellers, and of physicians.

In the book of Tobias, Raphael identifies himself as one of seven archangels "who stand before the Lord" (Tobit 12:15).

Raphael also offers prayers on Tobias' behalf, and Tobias, in turn, thanks the angel because he is "filled with all good things through him" (Tobit 12:3).

John sheds some light on the religious notions in the time of Christ.

"A great multitude of sick people" are sitting beside a pool in Jerusalem, waiting for "the moving of the water." They believed that an angel would descend from heaven and stir the water, making the pool a place of healing for them. Jesus approaches a man who had been infirm for 38 years and asks him if he wants to be healed.

The man's sad, superstitious reply is that he cannot be healed, because he cannot get into the pool quickly enough.

Jesus then bypasses all superstition and shows His power to immediately heal the man (John 5:3-9).

Although the Book of Tobias was not included in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint did include it; therefore, the story of Raphael would have been familiar to almost everyone in Jesus' day.

It is quite possible that the "angel of the pool" the sick man was waiting for was, in his mind, Raphael.

It is interesting that Raphael never shows up in John 5.

It is Jesus, not an angel, who "heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103:3).

Dressing Modestly - Godly Women

Dressing Modestly - Women Carry Almost All the Attention..

 

"What does it mean to dress modestly?"

 

In describing the mode of dress appropriate for women in church, the apostle Paul exhorts them to dress “modestly” with “decency and propriety” then goes on to contrast immodest dress with the good deeds which are appropriate for those who profess to be true worshipers of God.

 (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

Modesty in the way we dress is not just for church; it is to be the standard for all Christians at all times. 

 

The key to understanding what constitutes modesty in dress is to examine the attitudes and intents of the heart.

Those whose hearts are inclined toward God will make every effort to dress modestly, decently, and appropriately. Those whose hearts are included toward self will dress in a manner designed to draw attention to themselves with little or no regard for the consequences to themselves or others.

A godly woman endeavors to do everything with a “God-ward” perspective.

 She knows that God wants His people to be concerned for His glory and the spiritual state of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

If a woman professes to be a Christian and yet she dresses in a way that will unduly draw attention to her body, she is a poor witness of the One who bought her soul by dying for her on the cross.

She is forgetting that her body has been redeemed by Christ and is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

She is telling the world that she sees her own worth as purely physical and that her attractiveness to others depends on how much of her body she reveals to them. Further, by dressing in an immodest fashion, displaying her body for men to lust after, she causes her brothers in Christ to sin, something condemned by God (Matthew 5:27-29).

Proverbs 7:10 mentions a woman

 “dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.”

 Here we see the description of one whose heart condition is displayed by her manner of dress. 

 

The Scripture says that a woman is to dress modestly, but what exactly does that mean in modern society?

 Does a woman have to be covered from head to toe?

There are cults and religions in the world that demand this of women. But is that the biblical meaning of modesty?

 Again, we have to go back to the matter of the attitudes of the heart.

If a woman’s heart is inclined toward godliness, she will wear clothing that is neither provocative nor revealing in public, clothing that does not reflect negatively upon her personal testimony as a child of God.

Even when everyone else in her circle is dressing immodestly, she resists the temptation to go along with the crowd.

 She knows these types of clothes are designed to draw attention to her body and cause men to lust, but she is wise enough to know that type of attention only cheapens her. The idea of causing men to sin against God because of her dress is abhorrent to her because she seeks to love and honor God and wants others to do the same.

Modesty in dress reveals a modesty and godliness of the heart, attitudes that should be the desire of all women who live to please and honor God.

Remembering Staines - Another Thomas!

The Australian medical missionary Mr. Graham Staines (1941-1999) and his two sons were burnt alive in the tribal State of Orissa, in 1999.

 Though the killing of the Staines has left a stain on Indian soil, they are grains of wheat which are fallen on the ground to give plentiful harvest. Apostle Thomas was martyred in Chennai.

The Church in India is strongest in this city!

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) penned,

 "Divine presence made the martyrs as willing to die as to dine!"

God in answer to the prayer of the Church sent an angel into the prison chamber to release Peter.

What our prayers can do for the persecuted at critical hours and perilous situations cannot be underestimated. When challenged before martyrdom, Bishop Polycarp (70-160) replied,

"Eighty-six years I've served Christ and He never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?"

Henry Vos shamed his persecutors with the words,

"If I had twin heads, they should all be off for Christ!"

Tahir Iqbal, a Muslim convert, before he died in a Pakistani prison in 1993, declared,

"I'll kiss the rope, but I'll never deny my faith!"

 Every Christian must read Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

The martyrs shook the powers of darkness with the irresistible power of weakness. How much the persecuted need our prayers!

It's repeatedly observed in mission fields that the malignant opponents get powerfully converted and become mighty exponents of the Bible.

This is what our prayers for the persecutors do.

Stephen's prayer deeply impacted the young man Saul.

 When this persecutor of Christians became a preacher of the gospel, people said in amazement,

 "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this Name in Jerusalem?" (Acts 9:21; 22:19,20).

The last prayer of William Tyndale (1494-1536), the Reformer and Bible Translator, before he was strangled and burnt, was,

"Lord, open the eyes of the King of England!"

The Lord answered his prayer, and the King authorized a Bible translation.

Who has not heard of the King James Version?

Any attack on the Church must primarily be discerned as the direct activity of wicked spirits. Spiritual powers cannot be combated by numerical or physical strength. Fasting prayers in secret are more effective than protest fasts in public.

 Restudying of the Book of Acts will keep us in the right perspective.

---

Lord's willing Lamb - Jesus Christ

When we celebrate Palm Sunday
We are celebrating a great event. As we see Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey and allow the people to praise Him as king, there are many things we can learn. But there is one aspect that is fascinating as it deals with Passover. 

  
We know that Passover was only four days away which made the day of the Triumphal Entry the tenth day of the month. We can see the significance of this when we read...Exodus 12:3, 5-6, which says,

Speak unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house:
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

As Jesus was riding in and the people were crying “Hosanna in the highest,”
Unknown to them they were selecting the paschal lamb for sacrifice; the one and only sacrifice that can take away sin and cause death to pass over us.

Praise God for His willing Lamb.

How do we (to) Please God?

How do we Please God?
1. By exalting Jesus Christ, His Son

Matt. 3:17

New International Version (©1984)
And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

 

Col. 1:15-19

New International Version (©1984)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him..

2. By proclaiming the message of the cross (I Cor. 1:18-2:5)
3. By believing in God and his promises (Heb. 11:6)
4. By asking for wisdom (1 Kings 3:10, Col. 1:9-14; James 1:5-8)5. By staying away from sexual sin (Eph. 5:3,4,10; 1 Thess. 4:1-8)
6. By sharing the gospel with unbelievers (I Cor. 9:14-27, 10:31-33)
7. By giving to others in time of need (Phil. 4:10-20; Heb. 13:16)
8. By submitting to authority (Rom. 8:7-8, Col. 3:20; 1 John 3:22)
9. By praising God for all things (Ps. 69:30-31; Heb. 13:15-16)

Prayer That Brings Miracles

PRAY THIS PRAYER OUT ALOUD, EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!!! DO IT NOW!!! IT WILL TAKE FEW MINUTES TO GO THROUGH.
I started not to do this, but as I read it....
I understood God to say, 'You need a miracle tomorrow' so here goes... Prov. 29:25
You never know When God is going to bless you!
Good things happen when You least expect them to!

"Dear Almighty Lord God Jesus Christ, I thank you for this day, for this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
I thank you for my being able to see, and to hear, and to speak, and to feel, and to taste of Your good creation this day and every day.
I'm blessed because you are such a loving and such a forgiving God, and such an understanding and caring God.
You have done so much for me and yet you keep on blessing me.
Forgive me this day for everything I have ever done, or ever said or ever thought that was not pleasing to you. I say I am so sorry.
I now repent and ask for your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe O God
From all danger, hurt, and harm.
Help me to start this day and every day
With a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.
Let me make the best of each and every day,
To clear my mind so that I can hear from you.
Please broaden my mind so that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper
Over things I have no control over, for all things are working together for my good and God's Glory.
And when I'm pushed beyond my limits, give me the
best response, a response which says Alleluia, and
Praise the Lord, and Thanks be  unto the Most
High God Almighty, I know that when I can't
pray, You listen to the prayer of my heart.
Continue to use me to do your will.
Continue to bless me so that I may be
A blessing to others.
Keep me strong so that I may help the weak...
Keep me uplifted so that I may have
Words of encouragement for the discouraged.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way, that they come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, even through this Prayer I am now praying.
I pray for those that are misjudged
Misguided, misused, and misunderstood.
I pray for those who don't know you intimately.
I pray for those who will delete this prayer
without sharing the Love of God with others
I pray for those that don't believe.
But I thank You, that I do believe
That God changes people and God changes things.
I pray for all my sisters and brothers.
For each and every one of the family members
In their households. I pray for peace, love, and joy in their homes; I pray that they are out of debt
And that all their financial needs are met, and they have more than enough to be a blessing to others.
I pray for every eye that reads and says this Prayer
That they come to know that there is no problem, no circumstance, no situation that is greater than God, for God is greater than all, God is greater in all, God is greater through all, and God is greater upon all.
For God, the Most High God Almighty of all the Universes is truly the Greatest of All.
I pray for all my enemies, and those who have used me and abused me, and have lifted up their hands and their tongue against me. I now forgive them for all they have done. In Jesus Name, all my enemies are now forgiven, and I pray God forgiveness upon all my enemies, for they do know what they are doing, for I am a Child of God.

So every battle that I have ever encountered in my life is now in God's Loving hands, for You, O God  fights all my battles for me.
I pray that these words be believed, received and accepted
into the hearts of every eye that sees them
and every tongue that confesses them
in name of Jesus Christ, I pray believing,
receiving and accepting God's miracles in my life this
day and every day, for God's Divine favor is now my
heritage, in Jesus Name. Amen and Amen! It is 
done! O' Praise The Lord! Alleluia!
God Bless You!! ! ! !

Just repeat the phrase below and see how God moves!!
God I so love you and I need you. I confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, my Lord, my Savior, and my King, and I confess this day and every day that I am highly FAVORED by God and man.
Please come into my life, Lord Jesus Christ and change my heart now!
Let's take this Prayer around the World.
You will receive a miracle tomorrow.
Don't ignore this and God will bless you.
Know that you are already blessed
By the person who sent this to you.

Characteristics of a Godly Woman

Characteristics of a Godly Woman
by Matasha Allen

 

Are virtuous women an endangered species?

 What makes a God-fearing, virtuous woman? She is a woman with the strength of an army- God's army, that is.

 She is a woman who is efficient, valiant, and strong.

Her strength is obtained through years of waiting on the Lord, prayer, and devotion to the Word of God.

A God-fearing woman has Jesus as her first priority.

 She knows that doing God's will for her life is more important than doing what she wants to do. She is blessed by God and the favor of God is upon her life. She refuses to live beneath her privilege as a child of the King because she knows her worth. 

God has blessed her with everything she needs to fulfil her role as a child of God.

A Godly woman doesn't use her abilities to take advantage of others.

She uses what God has given her to glorify Him in all she does. She knows that she is intelligent, competent, and a valuable asset to the kingdom of God. She deserves to be cherished.

She possesses Godly wisdom, prudence, reliability, and trust.

She is praised and appreciated by her family.

 If she is married, she is a crowning joy to her husband, the icing on his cake. Her husband should be a Godly man with a vision and who knows how to encourage and positively influence his wife. 

The two of them complement each other and know that marriage is a partnership, not a temporary agreement.

A true woman of God is sent by God to fulfil her role in God's divine plan.

She has vision and can see potential where others see emptiness.

She is both spiritual and practical, applying the Word of God to her life. She lets her Light shine and does not waste time doing unproductive things or throwing pity parties. She knows how to be content in all situations, how to be business-minded and has a benevolent heart.

A Godly woman thinks before she acts, knows how to comfort and encourage, accepts and gives nothing less than the best, and does not let outside influences stop her or her household from achieving their full potential because she is covered by the blood of Jesus.

Women of God, we are royalty!

 Let's not live beneath our stations as princesses! We are special because our Heavenly Father cherishes us.

Why Our Good Works Cannot Save Us?

Why Our Good Works Cannot Save Us?

But why is it that good works cannot save us?  Here are five answers to that question.

 First, good works can't cancel your sin but sin ruins your good works.

Suppose you invite me over for breakfast one morning and offer to fix a three-egg omelette. As you begin to cook, I smell a putrid odour coming from the kitchen.

 What's that awful smell?

Oh, it's just a rotten egg. But don't worry, I added a few good eggs that will cancel out the rottenness.

 Do you think I would eat your omelette?

Not for a million dollars.

Why?

Because goodness doesn't cancel rottenness but rottenness ruins goodness.

 The same is true in the spiritual realm. You can’t be good enough to cancel out the putrid effect of your own sins.

Second, good works can't save you because God doesn't grade on a curve.

 He demands absolute perfection.

If you understand the Bible, you know that it only takes one sin to send you to hell.

 Let's suppose that you somehow only committed three sins a day.

That's impossible for most of us because we commit that many sins before getting out of bed in the morning. But let's give you credit for being very, very good. And let's further suppose that you never committed more than three sins a day for your entire life.

That would be over 1000 sins a year, which would mean that in 70 years you would end up with over 70,000 sins on your record.

Now let's further suppose that those sins were really speeding tickets.

 If a police officer stopped you for running a red light and discovered that you had 70,000 outstanding speeding tickets on your record, what would he do with you?

 You'd end up in jail so long they would throw away the key.

Do you think God is any different?

 But you and I commit far more than three sins a day. Our sins are like a mountain-so high we can’t climb over it, so wide we can't walk around it, so deep we can't tunnel under it. Our sins are so great that our works could never save us.

Third, good works can't save you because you can never be good enough long enough.

Just when you get a "good streak" going, you sin and have to start all over again.

Fourth, you can never be sure you've done enough.

That's why most religious people have no assurance of their salvation.

 They truly believe that being good will get them to heaven.

But as we've already seen, "doing good" is never good enough because we can never do enough to pay for our own sins.

There is one more answer to consider.

 Good works can't save you because if they could, you wouldn't need Jesus at all.

Why would Jesus die on the cross if somehow you could save yourself?

When we get to heaven, no one will be able to say,

"You and me, Jesus, we did it together. I baked the cookies and you died on the cross."

It's either all by Jesus or all by your own efforts – and nothing in between.

Excerpted from Ray Pritchard, "Sola Fide: By Faith Alone," Series: The Four "Solas," © 1997,