August edition of the shepherds without borders li by Bishop Steven Liberty Sr.

AUGUST EDITION OF THE SHEPHERDS WITHOUT BORDERS LIGHTHOUSE BUGLE GLOBAL OUTREACH 2014 Theme : “IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY,

AND SEEK HIS FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL THE LORD THY GOD OPEN UP

”

HEAVEN, FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND.

Killed for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ !

Millions of Assyrian Christians flee their home in the wake of IS killings? Beheading entire families including little children .

Gaza Christian Leader Says Hamas Used His Church to Launch

‘

Missiles at Israel I am crying out – the world has to wake up!Father Gabriel Nadaf Letter of support for Israel !

Ebola virus continue to rise to an epidemic level in West Africa !

Who are the Yazidi’s Angelic or devil worshipers as claimed by the Muslims who are persecuting them along with Christians in Iraq ?

Child Abuse in Pakistan ....

TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents pp.2-10

Letter from the Editor in Chief : “IF MY PEOPLE....” pp.11-15

The Healing of Our Land Begins With the Humility of our Hearts. By Marilyn Orton : President of Women Of Worth Int. 16-19

STILL AGAIN ON LOOKING FOR "PLATFORMS" and OPEN DOORS KUPE pp.20-21

BY : PEARL

'LET GOD ARISE!" WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN pp.22-26

TABLE OF CONTENTS

pp.27-36

God: His word and His will and His way By C. Elden McNabb

CHALLENGES CHRISTIANITY FACES TODAY IN A DARK WORLD OF STRIVE & CONFLICT ! Pp.37

Gaza Christian Leader Says Hamas Used His Church to Launch Missiles at Israel pp.38-39

The Christian family refusing to give up its Bethlehem hill farm By Daniel Silas AdamsonBethlehem pp.40-51

Israeli Christian Leader: “We Must Unite Against Terror” By: Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency pp.52-55

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CRY FOR HELP ! pp.56-59

MY VISIT TO THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA! BY : EVANGELIST DAVID KING SOLOMON pp.60-63

Broadcast Volunteers Who Risked Their Lives to Bring the Gospel to Ukraine Brutally Beaten to DeathBy NRB Staff

pp.64-67

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME AND THINK! GIVE A KID A CHANCE : WOMEN OF WORTH INTERNATIONAL pp.68-69

An article on marriage from my perspective : Pastor Vivian Noskey pp.70-71

Moses took the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 4:20, NKJV). BY: Kathi Macias pp.72-74

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STOP THE GENOCIDE pp.75

POEMS BY : CAROLYN ISPEAKLIFEINCHRIST PULLEN pp.76-78

My life is an open book By : Pastor Joel McNabb pp. pp79-89

Dealing With the Stress Messes of Life By: Marilyn Orton pp.90-91

Humility By: Angel Fulkerson pp.92-100

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Smug : By Jeff Godsown pp.101-105

"I DON'T KNOW WHY" WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN pp.106-110

HUMILYTY BY : BABSIE HANNAH VAN DER BERG pp111-112

HEALING OUR LAND THROUGH HUMBLENESS!!! BY : APOSTLE JESSIE STRIGGLES pp.113-114

COMMUNICATING WITH GRACE & CONFIDENCE (PT 1-4) BY KAREN ZEIGLER 115-134

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Woman Thou Art Loosed! BY: DELIA ANN THUMBADOO pp.135-138

BIBLICAL GIVING FOR COVENANT BLESSINGS Part 1 BY : Pastor Wole Gbogboade pp.139-148

FOCUS ON EBOLA BY : Evangelist Favor Liberty pp.149-175

Kathi Macias Devotional pp.175-178

TABLE OF CONTENTS

"BE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!" WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN pp.179-183

YAZIDI’S

DEVIL

WORSHIPERS,

ANGELIC

WORSHIPERS,

RELIGIOUS SECT, CULT, OR MIS-UNDERSTOOD & MIS-INTERPRETE PEOPLE ? BY EVANGELIST FAVOR P. LIBERTY pp.184-192

Have you been taken captive??? By: Kenneth White pp.193-196

TABLE OF CONTENTS

"Thus said the LORD; Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live.” ARE YOU READY? 197-220

pp.221-222

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING BY: DAISY JACKSON

Letter from the Editor in Chief : “IF MY PEOPLE....”

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, Once again we bring you the August edition of the Shepherds Magazine with the theme : “IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY, AND SEEK HIS FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL THE LORD THY GOD OPEN UP HEAVEN, FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND.”We are proud that regardless of various setbacks

we are actively taking the WORD to 75 nations across the globe and our audience continue to grow ; most especially in trouble spots across the world. We are more than bless by your faithfulness , prayers, love and support.

We are most grateful to many of you who take time of not only to contribute articles but to share this magazine with your friends and families ;both saved and unsaved. Today we can boast in the Lord that we are not only a Shepherds news organ but fast growing as a study material for some who can not have direct access to

Christian materials: because of laws which hinder them to have anything Christian. .We now bring news from various trouble stops in order to try and give our audience a general picture of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in the vineyard without prejudice or fear of who thinks what or who says what; as long as it is right in the eyes of the Lord; while at the same time taking the Gospel to those very trouble spots. In this edition you will find news from Christians facing

persecutions because of their faith marginalized because of segregative policies, child abuse ,

;

encounters with terrorist, pestilence eating the fabrics

of some nations etc. You will hear the views of people in the vineyard making news from Gaza, Iraq, Israel and

even a special feature on a minority group persecuted alongside Christians in Iraq who worship â&#x20AC;&#x153;fallen

Angelsâ&#x20AC;? . Of course there is our regular articles of inspiration, education and entertainment.Indeed we are very proud of you. And for those of you who do not know who we are ; here is a brief highlight: The Shepherds Magazine is the voice of Shepherds Without Borders Lighthouse Bugle Global Outreach; which comes out once monthly to highlight messages, news, visions, projects, strength & weakness of the United Body of the Kingdom of God. Inspired Shepherds come together monthly to write message etc for the community of God chosen.

Every shepherd chosen, charged, and called by God (YHWH) to care for His flocks is officially a member. Shepherds serve as an ambassadors of the Kingdom of God , advocates for petitioning God for mankind, administrators for the handling and distributing the truth of God's Word and they need a watch tower on the hilltop to help them not to crash against the stones of temptations placed in their path by the Devil. This magazine is the shepherds consultant for wisdom and direction when it comes to how the work of the Kingdom of God is being carried out in different places around the world. It is also a confronter of the evil practices that are carried out in the name of the kingdom of God. It is no respecter of any particular doctrine, tradition, color, language, social status, or geographical locations. It is the voice for the United Kingdom of God's body of workers in the vineyard here on earth. This magazine is the discussion leader of any topic concerning the Kingdom of God and the warfare of God's people. Here you will see and post the work you do for the kingdom; however it should be clear that every work you see here is the responsibility/views of the writer who placed it there and not always necessarily the views of everyone. It is a medium to serve as an encourager for the shepherds around the world who are striving to get the truth of God's Word out even at a risk to their own families and lives. As a spotlight, we intend to also serve as a ground inspector of the work of every ministry we can and highlight their strengths and weaknesses.

Shepherds, we say a big welcome to you and your flocks. Let this place be a companion and knowledge dispenser, a place where you can rest and discover your God given talents, your historian where you can view the past and log the present, the nurturer of your visions, your opportunities spotter, and critic. I know many times when you are in the wrong and we speak about it, you might be hurt, go home and pray about it, and please come for a second look. Partake and make this place a home away from home. Make this place a secret corner for airing your views and questions that have been bothering you for a long time. Please allow Shepherds Bugle to help you develop your ministries and broken lives. From comments , reports and messages in responses to our previous editions ; we can only look up and praise God for the work He continue to do through us free of charge ! Your continuous prayers and support matters a lot . Please feel free to suggest ways and means by which we can improve this fast growing media united evangelism tool for the Glory of God! And until I meet you in the next edition ; I wish you Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blessings . Your Servant in the Vineyard ; Editor in Chief : Evangelist Favo

The Healing of Our Land Begins With the Humility of our Hearts. By Marilyn Orton : President of Women Of Worth Int. We look everywhere for a “How-to” for prayer. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject. Some of them go into great detail. Go into your prayer closet and close the door and pray. Pray as you go through the day. Have a prayer list of people to pray for daily and then put the praise by it when the prayer is answered. Find someone to agree with you in prayer. Join a prayer group. Pray the Lord’s Prayer daily. While all of this is admirable and at times necessary, you will notice that they all have one thing in common. Do something! Doing something really gets our attention. We look for the magic action that will fit every need, solve every problem, sort of “a one size fits all” action in prayer. Give it up! There is none. God is less impressed by what we do than what we are. So he says, “If you are serious about healing your land you must begin with humility.” He is requiring what He has always required to get His attention. Humility now is no different than what we each did when we came to the Lord in repentance, the first time.

Do you remember that day? You saw the horrible reality of what you were before a holy God. You saw there was absolutely nothing you could do to save yourself. You not only said, “I am sorry, God” you repented. You saw the evilness in your own heart and were horrified at how it looked. You turned from your sin and from that day you went in an entirely different direction. When God says “humble you” it is not just a simple outward action. It is the very essence of who we are. It isn’t something that we do, it is something we know to be true about how sinful we really are, and are capable of most anything imaginable, given the right set of circumstances. Humbling ourselves is a matter of the heart, and is the core of how we see ourselves and live our lives. God is not asking for a one time commitment here. He is asking us to see ourselves as we really are without Him, and what we know ourselves to be when we put aside our mask we flash to the world. James 4:1-3 reminds us that if we are proud, self-seeking and demanding our own way, that we are adulterers and enemies of God. God wants the whole heart of His people, not merely a daily duty of praying with mere words. God looks past the words and centers on the motivation of what we are asking.

God is not concerned about the posture of our body when we pray. We can pray standing up with our eyes open, or eyes closed on our knees, or at any time or place. What He is looking for is the posture of our hearts. Are we submitted to Him in humility or demanding our own way? Do we want answers to our prayers or do we want to see God glorified? If we struggle with prayer we probably have a problem with our hearts posture towards God, for that dictates every aspect of our lives. Biblical prayer and humility must begin with God, and honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness. So how do we get in condition to humble ourselves so that we can effectively pray for our nation? John Stott has it right when he says “Nothing in history or the universe cuts us own to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, until we visit a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross that we shrink to our true size.” When we see Jesus there bearing our sin, we see exactly what we deserve from God. Then, and only then, can we begin the transparent and honest walk to humility. Many of God’s people are not getting what they have prayed for, and it is not because they don’t have enough faith. It’s because they don’t have enough humility. The same is true in praying that God will heal our land.

God promises to listen and heal our land in direct response to our humbling ourselves. His promise is that He will personally and providentially support the humble. What does this have to do with praying for our land? Just about everything. The foundations of our nations are crumbing because of pride, greed, and the false idea that people or programs or organizations will solve all of society’s ills. Self is not the answer. Self is the problem. When we humble ourselves God promises to hear and respond. He never breaks that promise. There is not one time in the Bible where men humbled themselves before God and he does not hear and respond. Not one time. Yes, we are His people. Yes, He wants us to pray. Yes, He wants to heal our land. But He will not heal and respond until we individually, genuinely and intentionally see ourselves as we really are, ask for His forgiveness, and bow in humility before Almighty God. Only then, can we can expectantly and joyfully watch Him do what He has promised to do……forgive our sins and heal our land!

STILL AGAIN ON LOOKING FOR "PLATFORMS" and OPEN DOORS BY : PEARL KUPE It is interesting that we seem to seek "platforms" and open doors in the cities and in certain "recognised" ministries and what seem to be "Big Churches". The truth of the matter is that there are still billions of people around the world who are not saved. These people are in the Villages, in the trains, buses, shops, offices etc. In other words, if we are REALLY serious about looking for platforms to preach and truly genuine in our Evangelistic and Ministry call, we would actually realise that there is NO shortage of platforms. Platforms and Open doors are all around us, not just in Big "ministries" and so-called big conferences. I thank God for every opportunity He gives me to share the gospel with the cashier in Pick n Pay grocery store, the lady who is serving me at the spa, the waiter and waitress who serves me in the restaurant, the airline representative at the ticket counter etc etc.

Every place is a platform that God has given us to evangelise and express His kingdom There are some of us who have not even shared the gospel with out own families and relatives around us and YET are looking for BIG international platforms, The Prophet asked the 2 Kings 4 woman-"What do you have in the house" Beloveds, let us start where we are at and God will be faithful to move us up as we are faithful and obedient. We need a change of MINDSET concerning "Platforms" and Open Doors! SELAH

'LET GOD ARISE!"

WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY Psalms 68:1 says, 'LET GOD ARISE, LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERD; LET THEM ALSO THAT HATE HIM FLEE BEFORE HIM. And the 3rd vs. says, "BUT, LET THE RIGHTEOUS BE GLAD; LET THEM REJOICE BEFORE GOD; YEA, LET THEM EXCEEDINGLY REJOICE. Saints of God, Did you not know that God came to live on the inside of you and I the moment we accepted HIm as our Lord and Savior HIS Spirit is alive and in us who believe in HIM and have welcomed HIM inside our mind, heart, soul and spirit. Though you may have been young when you accepted HIM and didn't know scripture then as you should know now.....you came as Jesus said, " come as a little child" and with an humble heart. He knew you had to grow up and mature and develop and that is why He has admonished us to study to show ourselves approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Lord also knew that we would have enemies who would fight against us and belittle us; undermine us, disrespect us and disregard all that we would preacn and teach about, which is the truth from the word of God The devil doesn't want us to let the truth be known because then, he will be exposed. All those who walk in darkness, do so because they don't want the truth to be exposed. They prefer darkness over the light so that they can continue doing the evil works of the devil and think they're getting away with it. Too many times, the Saints of God have been hindered from doing what they have been called to do because those in leadership postion and power are under that controlling force of darkness that wants to rule over them in a wicked way and not allow them to be used in the way the Lord would have them to be. But, NO WEAPON THAT IS FORMED AGAINST THE CHOSEN OF GOD SHALL PROSPER WE CAN REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH AND HE CANNOT LIE It doesn't matter what people say who are negative critics and who are jealous of you and I because we speak with holy boldness the truth and have no shame They will have to give an account one day and the true , righteous judge will allow us to point them out to HIM and He will judge them with a righteous judgement on HIGH

REJOICE

So many times, the disciples of old had to flee for their very lives because the Pharisees and Scribes and High Priests were out to kill them to prevent them from going against the Pharoah of their time. They wanted only to believe in what man had said they should do, but not to allow the disciples to teach /preach what Jesus had taught them, which was the TRUTH So, you see child of God, we are not the only ones who have been persecuted for righteousness sake. We needn't be surprised that we will suffer persecution when we try to witness of the truth , which is the word of God. Some pastors, who are supposed to be led by the Spirit of Almighty God, are not allowing themselves to be led by God's Spirit, but are speaking only what the feel the people want to hear. And that is only so they can keep those large tithers in their churches and not lose anyone who has benefited them as a pastor. They disregard the fact, that it's not all about them, but that it should only be all about JESUS

There are even many singers who are singing an untrue gospel. If you listen to their words, they sing around the name of Jesus, but don't mention HIS name. In other words, they may sing about love, but it's in such a way that the world understands. Not a true believer in Christ will accept it as true gospel because it appears that they are ashamed to own Christ or call HIS name. And then , the musicians are playing jazz, blues rythem, hip hop, etc. but not truly gospel melody in their songs. Sometimes, when we turn on the radio that's supposed to present gospel music, we can't tell the difference in gospel as compared to secular music Well Saints, it's time to LET GOD ARISE SO THAT THE ENEMY WILL SCATTER And all of those who hate to hear the name of Jesus, know that it is because they are haters of the truth. And even the "anti-Christ" is present in the world today. So, we need to be aware of that. For I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES Others who have a problem with hearing the name or saying HIS name publicly, are anti-Christ because their should be no shame in speaking the name of JESUS, whether in public or in private. They manage to cry out to HIM when they find themselves in a crisis of some sort, but not in their everyday walk. Some don't want to be called a Christian, either, because that represents Christ , the anointed one and HIS anointing manifested in our walk, as well as our talk.

We should all REJOICE in knowing that so persecuted they the prophets who went before us and JESUS HIMSELF suffered so very much on the cross at Calvary for us to be ashamed. Instead, we need to be so very grateful and show forth our thanksgiving in our walk every day. We should be EXCEEDINGLY GLAD AND REJOICEFUL IN KNOWING THAT OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD AND HE LIVES WITHIN US And since He does live, we should LET GOD ARISE THAT WE MIGHT GO FORTH MIGHTILY AND SEE THE ENEMY SCATTER Are there any righteous among you the Lord Then, you should do as I day when I awaken ....REJOICE KNOWING IN WHO THE ONE AND

Do you really love do each and every EXCEEDINGLY IN ONLY TRUE AND

LIVING GOD IS. ...JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE US FROM THIS CORRUPT , EVIL WORLD So, why not let HIM ARISE IN US AND GIVE HIM ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR DUE HIM

God bless you all, Prophetess Sister Mary

God: His word and His will and His way By C. Elden McNabb

For almost two thousand years, God has blessed the world with multitudes of sincere, dedicated, wellmeaning ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, thousands of which were active in the first century A.D., bringing the fledgling Jewish Church to its fullness, and then launching the new generation of Christianity among the Gentiles.

About seven years after the ascension,‖ near the time when the Twelve Apostles ordained The Seven‖ (Acts 6:1-8), Jesus made a special trip back to earth, and, among other things, appointed Paul to be The Apostle to the Gentiles‖ (Acts 9:1-18; 1 Cor. 15:1-8). Paul boldly went about that work, fulfilling the volume of prophecy which Jesus had assigned to him: A light of the Gentiles... for salvation to the ends of the earth‖ (Col. 1:25; Isa. 49:5-6; Acts 13:46-47). The gospel spread among the Gentiles, and it was not long until some of the Jewish believers began to insist that the Gentile converts be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses, or they could not be saved. The contention was so great that they decided to go to Jerusalem, to the Apostles and Elders to settle the matter, and help to maintain the unity of the faith (Acts 2:42). The council was called and there was much disputing.‖ Then Peter gave his testimony of the events concerning the house of Cornelius, and Barnabas and Paul added their testimony. When the multitude quieted down, James, who was the judge among them in those days, summarized the matter. Then he said, My sentence is that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them, that they abstain from Pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:12-20).

God had His way, and only four necessary‖ rules were laid upon the Gentile believers (Acts 15:1-32). It was this example of the new Priesthood‖ in action which created a condition that would allow the Gospel of Redemption to survive unto the coming of the Bridegroom (Heb 7:11- 12). God had nullified the law, as it pertains to justification, by the death of Jesus on the cross (Rom. 7:1-6). The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom‖ (Mark 15:38), as God threw open the Holy of Holies‖ to show that we would all have access to God by the Holy Spirit, and every man give account of himself to God. And Paul said, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need‖ (Heb. 4:16). Jesus became our high priest, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. And the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law‖ (Heb. 7:11- 12). So when Jesus returned to His Father, the priesthood of Aaron with his two sons, and the three sons of Levi, had to forfeit the Priesthood to Jesus with His two: Apostles and Prophets; and His three: Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers.

Yet God retained the Law of Moses, as Jesus said, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill‖ (Matt. 5:17). From that time forward, it was the fulfilling of prophecies which was the basic identifying mark of every move of God. Almost all, if not all, of the things which were mentioned in the New Testament had been written before in the Law and the Prophets. Amos expressed the point, saying, Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets‖ (Amos 3:7). And Jesus put it ever so beautifully in Matthew 11:13, saying, “All the prophets, and the law prophesied until John.” That is The Word of God, by Jesus Christ. As time progressed, sectarianism developed among those who believed the Gospel, with its divisions and sundry doctrinal variations. God knew that would happen, and He set the very essence of simplicity in the process of redemption and living a life in Christ Jesus, saying A highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools shall not err therein‖ (Isa. 35:8). And by Paul he said, Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm‖ (1 Tim. 1:5- 6). Today, anyone who is born again, if they will keep their heart pure, their conscience clear, and their faith real, will retain their redemption, and have hope of the resurrection of the dead. Numberless, dedicated, born-again ministers, Gentile and Jew, la- bored through almost two thousand years of persecution, sacrifice and death to bring the light of the gospel to the ends of the earth. We are there now, at the very end of the Grace Age. “Repentance and remission of sins” has now been “preached [in the name of Christ] among all nations” (Luke 24:44- 48), and the time of the end and great change is upon us. This is good news! This is great news! Jesus is coming soon! When God sends Jesus back here for His marriage, and to rule the world for a thousand years, He will leave the right hand of His Father, and leave His work as the mediator between God and man. He will not be prophet, priest, and king.‖ He spent three and a half years being the Prophet, and almost 2,000 years at the right hand of God exalted‖ (Acts 2:33), being the Priest of the Most High God. Jesus will come again very soon, according to prophecy, and, being exalted even further, shall sit upon the Throne of David, King of the world‖ (Heb. 12:1-2).

When He does, He will have a priest at His right hand, just as His Father has. As Jesus prophesied, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne‖ (Rev. 3:21). God did not quit working when redemption and justification by faith had been instituted. The emphasis simply shifted to a spiritual level. The apostles and prophets of Jesus became the foundation of the New Testament Temple, and the Church became that Temple; a holy habitation unto the Lord, according to prophecy (Eph 2:13-22). It is time now for the redeemed among the Gentiles to fulfill their volume of prophecy in the Old and New Testaments, and finish the work of building the spiritual Temple of God, for which Jesus and Paul laid the foundation (1 Cor. 3:9- 11). Somewhere between A.D. 33 and today, some of those sects, in direct contradiction of Jesus, began to erroneously promote that One third of the Bible is prophecy, one third of the Bible is history, and one third of the Bible is poetry,‖ or some similar numbers. What He said, in Matthew 11:13, was, All the prophets and the law prophesied until John (the Baptist).‖

So today, we have the option of believing that the words of Jesus are true, or miss out on most of the prophetic truths which the entire Bible embodies. The Law of Moses will ever be with us, until it is all fulfilled (Matt. 5:18). For Jesus said, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away‖ (Matt. 24:35). The truth is, Jesus never said anything except that which His Father told Him to say, and God cannot lie (John 8:26-29). Prophecy yet unfulfilled is the reason that Jesus has not yet come back to receive us unto Himself. Some sects insist that Jesus can come back at any time. The problem with that is that Peter told us, God ... shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began‖ (Acts 3:20-21). And we who believe can, and will, know what those prophecies are, sometimes even before they are fulfilled. For that is the hallmark of God’s Church with Apostles and Prophets, unto whom only it is given to be able to search out the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:1-5).

John made that point so very clear in his introduction to The Vision of All,‖ The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Isa. 29:11-18). John began the book with these words, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. (He did that, not only so the apostles and prophets would know what it is before it happens, but, also, so they can deliberately fulfill some of it.) Blessed is he that readeth (explains), and they that hear (understand) the words of this prophecy, and keep (fulfill) those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand‖ (Rev. 1:1-3). We have at least three such events related to us in the Acts of the Apostles. The first one is the deli- berate fulfilling of Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8 in the replacement of Judas by Peter with The Twelve (Acts 1:12-26). Another one is the ministry of Paul and Barnabas going to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47). We have come to the brink of the end of the Grace Age, and to the time for the revelation of Jesus Christ to be understood. Whereas, God gave Israel 430 years from the promise of Abraham to its fulfillment (Gal. 3:17), our promise was given in the narrative of Noah and the Ark. The Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years‖ (Gen. 6:1-3).

In Nahum 2:1-4, with Rev. 2:26- 27, we are told that a man will make the preparation for the second coming of Jesus in the days of automobiles. And He told us what we must do when we see that time arrive, saying, Keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; That is to say, Prepare for the battle (Joel 3:9-11). As the Grace Age ends, we must stand against the Beast with the mark, and watch the way of Holiness, so we will not lose the favor of God, and gird ourselves with the word of truth (Isa. 33:6) for stability and strength, and to fortify ourselves more fully with the power of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8) more than we ever have before. Charles Duryea marked the approximate beginning of that 120 years when he began to market his automobiles in Springfield, Massachu- setts in 1893. Another 120 years would place us very close to 2013, and if I use the term about 120 years,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; as Luke did in Acts 1:15, we can conceive it being even a year or two closer than 2013. As I said before, we have come to the brink of the very end of the Grace Age. I am not positive how, or in what order, all of the details will play out, but when Jesus leaves the Throne of Grace, He will not be dealing with sin and redemption anymore. He will come when the Bride has made herself ready for the wedding, and will not engage in work or war for a year (Deut. 24:5).

Let us take the challenge in 2 Corinthians 7:1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.‖ Some group of believers will take that challenge. It is called The Bride, the Lamb’s Wife. And unto her shall be granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints... Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God‖ (Rev. 19:7-9). There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?‖ (S. of S. 6:8-10). It will be a glorious time for all who are blessed to be there. And if you will work at it, one of them just might be you.

CHALLENGES CHRISTIANITY FACES TODAY IN A DARK WORLD OF STRIVE & CONFLICT !

Gaza Christian Leader Says Hamas Used His Church to Launch Missiles at Israel

Archbishop Alexios of Gaza shows CBN the spot in the church compound where Palestinian terrorists fired rockets at Israel. (Image source: CBN/YouTube)

Hamas’ use of mosques to hide its rockets and attack tunnel entrances has been decried by Israel, but the eyewitness account of the leader of Gaza’s tiny Christian community suggests that the terrorist group also fired rockets at Israel from a church compound in Gaza, exploiting Gaza’s Christians as human shields. Archbishop Alexios, spiritual leader of Gaza’s Christian population of 1,500 showed a reporter for CBN News how Palestinian militants used the roof terrace outside his office from which to fire rockets into Israel.

Hamas and other terrorist groups have been using residential neighborhoods and sensitive sites like mosques, hospitals and schools from which to fire their rockets, according to evidence cited by the Israel Defense Forces and media outlets, including the Washington Post. The group evenused a hotel where the international media has been staying for cover. Alexios said that Israeli bombs struck the area of a mosque that sits close to the church, though it’s unclear if this was as effort to target rocket launchers in the area. TheBlaze is also unable to verify the claim that it was Israeli bombs, as many sites in Gaza over the past month have been struck by Hamas rockets aimed at Israel which fell short. The Christian leader described the Taliban-like shariah rule imposed by Hamas since it took over the Gaza Strip in 2007. “Islam is the rule of this place and whatever Hamas says we must obey or face consequences,” he said. Alexios has opened his church to 2,000 Muslims seeking shelter from the fighting. “Christ tells us we must love each other, our neighbors, and our enemies,” Alexios told CBN News. “No other religion says that except the Christian faith.” “We are disciples of Jesus [and] we must give love to everyone without condition,” he said.

The Christian family refusing to give up its Bethlehem hill farm By Daniel Silas AdamsonBethlehem http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27883685

A Palestinian Christian family that preaches non-violence from a farm in the West Bank is battling to hold on to land it has owned for 98 years. Now surrounded by Israeli settlements, the family is a living example of the idea of peaceful resistance.

On his farm outside Bethlehem, Daher Nassar is picking apples from the ruins of the orchard he planted at least eight years ago. The fruit is scattered across ground freshly opened and imprinted with the tracks of a bulldozer. At the field's edge, branches reach out from inside a mound of earth, the bark stripped and mangled, unripe almonds still clinging to the trees. On 19 May a Palestinian shepherd from the village of Nahalin was out at first light and saw the bulldozer at work in the field, guarded by Israeli soldiers. By the time Nassar arrived the whole orchard - the best part of a decade's work - was gone. His English is far from fluent, but there's no mistaking the pain in his voice: "Why you broke the trees?" A spokesperson for the Israeli military authorities in the West Bank said the trees were planted illegally on state land.

Nassar's sister, Amal, has a different explanation. The government, together with the Israeli settlers who live around the farm, is "trying to push us to violence or push us to leave," she says. Amal insists that her family will not move from the land, nor will they abandon their commitment to peaceful resistance. "Nobody can force us to hate," she says. "We refuse to be enemies." That phrase, which is painted on a stone at the entrance to the farm, was first used by her father, Bishara Nassar. Long before the concept became widely known among Palestinians, he taught his children a theory of non-violence that was rooted in his own Christian beliefs. Bishara ("Gospel") Nassar was a child when his father bought this land in 1916. Even at that time, as World War One transformed the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire limped to an end, Palestinian Christians were beginning to emigrate. After the war of 1948 the Christian exodus from the West Bank quickened, and Bishara, who was a gifted preacher and accordionist, began to travel round the nearby villages, singing songs and leading Bible study in family homes. Music and stories, he thought, might deepen the faith and lift the spirits of Bethlehem's Christian children, encouraging them to stay.

Bishara also came to believe that the Christian community had a special role to play in building a more peaceful future.

"My father always said, 'We will never achieve peace in Palestine and Israel just by shaking hands - we need to work on people, to start with the grassroots'," says Amal Nassar. "So what we do now, as a family, is fulfilling the dream of my father that people can build bridges, for hope, for understanding, reconciliation, dialogue, to achieve peace. This is the idea."

Guided by that vision, she and her brothers have transformed the farm into a centre for peace-building and non-violent resistance called the Tent of Nations. For more than 20 years they have held workshops here, welcoming Israeli students, rabbis, and peace activists, as well as groups from across Europe and America. They run summer camps for local schools, teaching Palestinian children about non-violence and encouraging them to develop a love for the land by working and playing on the farm. This is especially important, says Amal Nassar, for a generation that has grown up in the refugee camps and urban sprawl behind Israel's separation barrier. She also trains Palestinian women in non-violence, while her mother - Bishara's widow, Milada - cooks traditional food for the day's guests.

Amal Nassar (in the white T-shirt) singing with volunteers at the Tent of Nations farm

Milada Nassar says her husband would have been proud of what his children have created. But in the years since his death in 1976, the family's commitment to non-violence has been tested in ways he could never have imagined. At that time the West Bank had been under Israeli military rule for almost a decade, and Jewish settlers were just beginning to move into the area south of the farm. For the most part, though, the hills around Bishara's land were still open countryside, farmed by Palestinian families or used as grazing by shepherds. In the 40 years since, Israeli settlements have been built on every one . There are five settlements in total, the nearest so close that the settlers' voices carry across the valley to the farm. The most recent, Netiv Ha'avot, is little more than a strip of houses encircled by coils of razor wire and festooned with Israeli flags. The largest, Beitar Illit, is a town of more than 40,000 people, a blaze of lights on the hillside at night. All of them are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

As they watched the settlements rise around them in the 1980s, the Nassars began to worry. Their farm was in a prime location, close to the main north-south road through the West Bank and on high ground. In 1991 their fears were confirmed. The military authorities declared that more than 90% of the farm now belonged to the State of Israel. Gush Etzion, one of the biggest settlement blocks in the West Bank, looked set to expand on to the Nassar farm. The Nassars, though, refused to leave, or to see the land divided. And virtually alone among Palestinian farmers, they had the documents they needed to launch an appeal in the Israeli courts. In 1924, realising that the Ottoman Empire was finished and worried by rising tensions between Arabs and Jews, Bishara Nassar's father had registered his property with Palestine's new imperial rulers. The British issued land deeds that specified the size and borders of the farm, and Bishara's father, who was a literate man, held on to the documents. Almost 70 years later, those papers would form the basis of a legal case that has been in front of the Israeli courts for 23 years. It remains unresolved.

Official copy of the 1924 land deeds "They know very well that the Palestinians cannot afford to defend the land," says Amal Nassar, "so they give up hope and leave." But the family have somehow found the money and determination to keep their appeal alive

double treesâ&#x20AC;? Daher Nassar

I will plant more trees,

When they were informed, after 10 years in the military courts, that their Palestinian lawyer was not eligible to contest the case in Israel's supreme court - because he carried West Bank identity papers - they found an Israeli firm willing to take it on. When they were told to provide a land survey, they hired (at a cost of $70,000) an Israeli surveyor, and sent him to consult maps and documents in the imperial archives of London and Istanbul. When they were asked to bring witnesses in support of their claim to have farmed the land for three generations, they hired a bus to take more than 30 Palestinian villagers to the military court near Ramallah. "We had to wait five hours outside the court under the sun," remembers Amal Nassar. "And then, after five hours, a soldier come out, they say, 'We don't want witnesses, go home.' "Every time they see you are ready to meet their demands, they ask [for something] more and more difficult, [so] that you say 'I am fed up, I cannot.' Yes, this [is] always the process. We know it. It's a game to push us to leave." The way Amal sees it, the Israeli military and the settlers, having failed to evict the family by legal means, are now trying to force them out. She remembers the settlers who uprooted 250 young olive trees in 2002, and who permanently closed the road to the farm with rubble. The demolition orders posted on the gate, threatening to destroy the Nassars' home and water wells.

The soldiers who, in 2009, forced her 72-year-old mother out of bed at gunpoint in the middle of the night and made her wait in the cold while they searched the farm.

Vehicles park where the road to the Tent of Nations farm is blocked The Israeli authorities in the West Bank insist that by destroying the Nassars' orchard and posting demolition orders on the Tent of Nations, they are simply enforcing planning regulations. "We are not intimidating the family," said a spokesperson for CoGAT, the body responsible for implementing Israeli policy in the West Bank. "We are not doing any of those steps in order to make the family leave. We are enforcing the law."

The Israeli military did not respond to the specific allegations made by the Nassars, but they, too, denied that the family is subject to a campaign of harassment: "The assertion that the IDF seeks to intimidate as a means of eviction is farcical, and an absolute contradiction of the reality on the ground in Judea and Samaria [West Bank]. The reality of Judea and Samaria, in which acts of Palestinian terrorism and extreme violence continue to rise, presents a complex security challenge. Nonetheless, the IDF remains committed to fulfilling its mission of safeguarding security and stability in the region, in a highly professional manner based on the morals and code of ethics that stand as a pillar of all IDF activities." Amal Nassar's younger brother, Daoud, is not impressed by the moral code of the men who uprooted his orchard. But neither is he angry: "We are willing to build up a better future in a non-violent wayâ&#x20AC;Ś without hatred," he says. "Our response to this injustice will never be with violence, and we will never give up and leave."

Palestinians have a word that captures this refusal to be provoked or demoralized: sumud. Sometimes translated as 'steadfastness', sumud describes the stubborn, patient determination to stay on the land and to carry on in spite of all the difficulties of living under military occupation. It is a quality embodied by Daher Nassar, who, even as he walks across a scarred and empty field, is imagining the orchard he'll harvest 10 years from now. "I will plant more trees," he says. "Double trees."

Israeli Christian Leader: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Must Unite Against Terrorâ&#x20AC;? By: Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israe li-christian-leader-we-must-unite-against-terror/2014/0 7/21/0/?print

Photo Credit: Moshe Milner GPO / FLASH90 Father Gabriel Nadaf, one of the heads of the Greek-Orthodox church in Israel and a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, called on the international community Monday to support Israel's government and Operation Protective Edge, and to unite against terrorism "in order to safeguard the Holy Land." In a letter to ambassadors from various countries stationed in Israel, Nadaf called for support both on for the IDF as it engages in military conflict, and also for diplomatic support for Israel. "Edmond Burke, the 18th century Irish philosopher and political theorist, said, 'The only thing necessary for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.' Therefore, we are all brothers in the face of evil, with no regard to religion, race, and faith.

The outcry about the atrocities we are crying out together. As the spiritual father of the Israeli Christians Forum, who encourages the recruitment of Israel Christians to the IDF and full integration of Christians into the Israeli society, I would like to turn to you with a plea to support and back Israel, our Holy land, and its defense forces. The country is under fire and our soldiers are fighting against terrorist organizations, whose sole purpose and goal is to destroy the State of Israel." "In the name of the Israeli Christians, I am crying out to the whole world: Wake up! Terrorism acts donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow any chance for peace. If Hamas doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t safeguard its own people, Israel cannot be held responsible for their safety. Hamas is supposed to be protecting its own people but unfortunately, like all the terrorist organizations, it does the opposite, takes advantage of the Civilian Gazan population, and sacrifices its people (women and children). Therefore, the death of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza is the sole responsibility of Hamas. They are the only ones to blame, " said Father Nadaf. "Israel complied with Egyptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offer of a cease fire, but Hamas refused. Israel cannot sit idle while the barrages of rockets are being fired on its civilians and it cannot allow the infiltration of terrorists into its space through tunnels whose sole purpose is killing Israeli civilians.

The one big difference between Hamas and Israel is that the lives of Israeli civilians are very precious to the State and it will do everything in its power to protect them, regardless of religion." The letter continues to describe the plight of Christians in Gaza: "Since the takeover of Hamas of Gaza, it has done everything to force the Christians to disappear and flee from Gaza. They hate the Christians no less than they hate the Jews. Hamas is part of the Al-Qaida ideology and resolutions cannot be reached with them. Their refusal of the cease fire is a clear testimony to that." Father Nadaf criticizes the world's response to Hamas aggression: "Instead of reinforcing the State of Israel and the security it provides for the Christians and all of its citizens, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being boycotted and there are continued attempts to weaken it, which will lead to us becoming an easy prey like all the countries around us. The State of Israel is at the forefront of the battle against the terrorism that is trying to swallow the whole world. The flame of terrorism is going to reach every corner of the world and no country will be immune from the terrorist attacks. What is happening in Syria, Iraq, and Gaza will be happening in your country if you continue to do nothing."

Father Nadaf finally relays a call for action: "Therefore, we all have to come together in unity and uproot terrorism. We should not be complacent and accept terrorism as a fact of life. We have to stop being indifferent about terrorists, who are exploiting our freedom and good spirit. I am calling on you, on behalf of the Israeli Christians, to support the IDF and the State of Israel in Operation 'Protective Edge' and to fight terrorism with us, in order to protect the Holy Land. For, if God forbid, our country falls in the hand of terrorists, a catastrophe will befall the entire world. May God bless you and bring justice and peace to the world. Amen!" Father Nadaf is a strong supporter of Arab Christians joining the IDF and is considered the spiritual father of the Israeli Christians in the IDF. He has been attacked repeatedly because of his support of Israel, his family has been attacked and threatened, and the church has even threatened to excommunicate him. About the Author: Aryeh Savir is director of the International division of Tazpit News Agency.

CRY FOR HELP ! LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "There is a park in Mosul," Mark Arabo told CNN during a Skype interview from San Diego, "where they actually beheaded children and put their heads on a stick and have them in the park." Arabo, who is a prominent Chaldean-American businessman and met with other leaders of his community in the White House last week, has called upon American political leaders to grant asylum to about 300,000 Christians fleeing the ISIS invasion. In the name of mercy, please give today to help these people. "The world hasn't seen this kind of atrocity in generations," he told CNN. He's mostly correct. Although genocides have happened repeatedly throughout history, including famous genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, as well as Cambodia, the genocide perpetrated against Christians and other minorities is extreme, partly because it is being gleefully publicized.

The terrorists who have invaded Mosul and other ancient Christian communities in Syria and Iraq have made music videos of themselves murdering civilians and captured soldiers. They are literally enjoying the act of killing and the fear and suffering experienced by others. This sadism may be the purest manifestation of evil witnessed since the Rape of Nanking during WWII. Already, several images have emerged of Christian children beheaded by ISIS, merely for being Christian. According to Arabo, women are being raped, then murdered, and men are being hanged. These are the people who were warned - convert to Islam of be put to the sword. Even families that pay the tax, mandated by ISIS for Christians who remain, are now being victimized. The women are allegedly being taken from their husbands and made into "wives" belonging to the ISIS fighters. This means they can rape them and even kill them, if they do not subsequently agree to convert to Islam. Not all Christians could flee, perhaps because they were caring for elderly relatives or small children or had some other reason they could not walk out of the city and trek across the desert. Perhaps some thought paying a tax would save them and their homes and businesses.

Still, in another part of Iraq, refugees retreated into the mountains where they have been surrounded by ISIS rebels who are now waiting for them to starve and die from exposure. What is happening in Iraq and Syria, especially to Christians, is not hyperbole. The pledges of ISIS must be taken seriously. They have carried out every threat they have made. They have shown no mercy to children or their mothers. They revel in killing and are nothing more than an army of religious zealots and psychopaths. Their numbers are growing because nobody in the world is doing anything to stop them. Every murderous, blood-lusting Muslim who can reach the area is flocking to join ISIS and participate in the killing spree. This is no longer an issue for Iraq alone to deal with. The entire planet has a solemn responsibility to deal swiftly with ISIS and to neutralize their threat to all civilized people. That the world sits and watches is the epitome of shame and an indelible blight on humanity.

Please do something now!

And in his weekly address Saturday, just days after he authorized airstrikes in Iraq, President Obama revealed that along with protecting American interests, one of the reasons he decided to intervene in the Iraq crisis was the threat of genocide to religious minorities. "The terrorists that have taken over parts of Iraq have been especially brutal to religious minoritiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;rounding up families, executing men, enslaving women, and threatening the systematic destruction of an entire religious community, which would be genocide," said Obama. In a statement Thursday after Obama authorized the airstrikes, Arabo said the Iraqi Christian community were thankful for President Obama's decision. "We wholeheartedly stand by the Obama administration in its push for targeted airstrikes and a humanitarian mission in Iraq. This is a step in the right direction for our global community. We commend President Obama for referring to this massacre as a targeted 'genocide'," he said.

MY MISSION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA! I'm a young passionate servant of God, called to serve Humanity in the Northern Region of Nigeria. A full time missionary/Evangelist and a Founder of Destiny Outreach Ministeries International a.k.a. Destiny House. Mission has been all i do to save a Generation, in the cause of the mission, i founded an Organization that is known as Destiny Foundation which all we do is to see the best in everyone's life! Because Christ created us to be special. MY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD! Although the field has not been bird of roses, but the lord has been by our side in shielding us in all Remification. Our Visits to encourage the parents of the Chibok abducted girls has always been successful not until on the 4th August we had an attack by the Boko Haram (Terrorists) and all we have were collected , which are cameras,laptops,phones and money.

And they told us to take our bibles and Burnt our Mission Bus, but God so kind; Immediately they have Burnt down The Mission, thinking what to do to me and my team, the Army appear from nowhere and they all flee away. Indeed, we all loose hope thinking that's the End, But God Show up when we have already giving Up. At the time of writing we have no picture, but by his grace! Next update will be with pictures. OUR CAMP (DESTINY FOUNDATION)! Its a place made for those who lost there homes as a result of escaping there dear lifes. We welcome anyone to our camp. ENCOURAGEMENT TO MISSIONARIES! If you're a called missionary, keep doing what you're doing! A day will come that the master will not forget your labour of love. CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD! We have alot of challenges but God has been by our Side, restriction of movement, lack of fund,Mission Bus and a lot. Please we all need your prayers because Christians are being killed on daily basis. We love you all. Our Contact +2348036743065, +2348074749662. Email:davidsolomonministry@gmail.com

MY VISIT TO THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA! BY : EVANGELIST DAVID KING SOLOMON My first visit to see the chibok abducted girls in Sambisa Forest were the Terrorist (Boko Haram) held them Hostage! Sambisa forest, is located at Gwoza local government in Borno State. Nigeria (Northern Nigeria). I and my team took the courage too visit them in that forest, but it was not all that easy going into the forest. It's a place that even the military can't find there way into the forest, but with much prayers and fasting; we ask the lord to soften their Heart even before we Get there! Low and behold, it was just God if not they would have finished I and my Team. Immediately they saw us, they thought it was the military that disguise them selfs as Missionaries to attack THEM, but they were giving order not to shoot at us

FACE TO FACE WITH THE TERRORISTS(BOKO HARAM)!

LEADER

THE

They took us and ask reason for visit, but i demanded to meet with their Leader (ABUBAKAR SHAKAU). They told him (ABUBAKAR SHAKAU) a pastor want to see him and he was suprise that a pastor can come to see him without FEAR! His statement was; Who's That PASTOR? We heard some discussion with him and i demanded to see the Abducted girls which (WAS our ASSIGNMENT) and he said some have been taking away from the country and i can only talk to few but not all that are available A agreed. I AND THE ABDUCTED GIRLS. When they were told a pastor is here to visit them, joy overwhelm their Heart and when I saw Them Tears drop in my hears and the children beging to weep I Had to Encourage Them and told them it will soon be over. That was how the time they gave me was off and we left the camp with joy accomplishing our mission. Two days after our visit, two among the girls we spoke to refus to be converted to Islam and they buried the two girls alive. Pray for them, they need it. SAVE A SOUL, SAVE A GENERATION.

Broadcast Volunteers Who Risked Their Lives to Bring the Gospel to Ukraine Brutally Beaten to Death

By NRB Staff http://jerusalemchannel.tv/broadcast-volunteers-risked-li ves-bring-gospel-ukraine-brutally-beaten-death/ Four young Far East Broadcasting Company ( FEBC ) volunteers who were recently captured by pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine were brutally beaten to death simply for being Christians, according to a report issued by the organization. “These men volunteered for FEBC with zeal, passionately helping to spread the Gospel throughout Ukraine,” according to the report. “We are deeply saddened and shocked.”

Just weeks prior to this horrific tragedy, FEBC’s Eastern Ukrainian broadcast tower in Slavyansk – that for months has been in the middle of the fighting between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian central government – was shot down and completely destroyed. While FEBC is still broadcasting in Western Ukraine and reaching millions there, they are now looking for a new location to resume broadcasting to Eastern Ukraine. “We are doing everything we can to give hope to people in a seemingly hopeless situation, but more than ever, we are desperate for your prayers and for God to move in the lives of the people of Ukraine,” the ministry shared. “Please pray for those who continue to serve and risk their lives every day to see the Gospel go forth. Pray for peace in Russia and Ukraine.” FEBC has been actively broadcasting in Ukraine for the past two decades through local stations. In 2012, their first FM station was opened in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, drawing many to a saving knowledge of the Lord.

According to FEBC, Ukraine is at a critical crossroad: politically, economically and spiritually. Although we know that the blood of these martyrs will be the seed of the church in the Ukraine, still we grieve whenever the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s messengers are treated with brutality. The spiritual battle that is raging over the Ukraine is surely one of the flash points of the Last Days for all watchmen on the walls to cover in intercessory prayer: 2 Timothy 3: 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. . . .

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME AND THINK!

DON’T THEY HAVE RIGHTS TO GROW NORMALY LIKE YOUR CHILD, TO FOOD, SHELTER & EDUCATION ? You can donate on our website www.wowintl.net Either Paypal or Credit Card. Thank you!

Women of Worth International www.wowintl.net

WOW has started a school in Multan Pakistan. It is run by WOW Coordinator Naomi Sardig. The teachers donate their time. We have a long list of children who are waiting for someone to purchase the books they need to go to school. Will you give a kid a chance? You can donate on our website www.wowintl.net Either Paypal or Credit Card. Thank you!

Women of Worth International www.wowintl.net

An article on marriage from my perspective : Pastor Vivian Noskey 1) Forgive from the heart.... Treat your spouse the way you want to be fir given too.... 2)Never go to bed angry... Let go of all anger so Christ can fill you with His Spirit of love and forgiveness 3) Don't hold onto secrets that will bring harm to you or your spouse. Forgive quickly 4) Love and respect your husband or wife like its your last day in earth. Cherish them. Love for real. Deep tyre live. Not phoney love

5)pray together! 6) Read together! 7) Worship God together. Don't separate and worship at different churches 8) save money ... And sacrifice and bless unite spouse for something they really like! 9) hug and kiss your spouse at least three times a day. One for Father, Son and Holy Spirit 10) be thankful for your spouse. There's good in him or her. Think on the good of him or her

Moses took the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 4:20, NKJV). BY: Kathi Macias Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;For You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4, NKJV). I recently had the opportunity to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” with a neighbor named Dave. Dave had never professed a belief in Christ or even acknowledged God at all, except to use His name as a curse word. Apart from that, he was a nice man and an enjoyable neighbor, as well as a law-abiding citizen. When he became extremely ill and the doctor said he would not be leaving the hospital alive, some of his family members who knew I was a licensed minister contacted me and asked me to come and see him. My husband and I went immediately, and it was obvious the moment we saw him that he was in his last hours of life. Hooked up to tubes and needles and machines, he seemed to be in a coma, though the doctor said he was nearly certain Dave could hear us. I began to talk with him about the only thing that really matters in life, and that’s a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

His eyes fluttered open, and he gave me a brief smile of recognition. I could tell from his eyes that he was listening. We had a short but meaningful conversation about his need to receive Jesus as his Savior, then we prayed together. I saw a peace wash over Dave’s face as his body relaxed. When I asked him if he understood what had happened and knew Jesus stood ready to walk him through the valley of the shadow of death, he nodded and whispered, “Yes.” A few hours later, he completed his journey through that valley and into the Father’s arms. Some of his family members and friends came up to me afterward and said things like, “I know Dave is at peace now” or “I believe Dave is in heaven now.” Their reason for believing this? All declared the same thing: “Dave was a good man.” Sad. Yet how many believe that same lie, that any of us could possibly make it to heaven based on our own “goodness”? Jesus was quite clear when He said, “No one is good but One, that is, God (Matthew 19:17). Moses came to understand this crucial truth. A former shepherd who was used to carrying his own rod and staff as he protected the sheep in his care, Moses dared not go into Pharoah’s presence depending on his feeble human strength. Instead he “took the rod of God in his hand” (Exodus 4:20) before beginning the process of leading the people of Israel out of slavery.

King David knew this truth as well. Also a former shepherd, the Psalmist declared, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” He knew, particularly as he so often faced the threat of death from those who hated and persecuted him, that only God’s road and staff could lead him safely home. Dave is safely home now, not because he trusted in his own rod or staff of frail human goodness, but rather because he finally put his trust in the perfect goodness of God’s rod and staff. At that point he received comfort and assurance that he no longer needed to fear walking through the valley of the shadow of death, for his newfound Savior would carry him. Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2) alandkathi@ca.rr.com www.kathimacias.com

POEMS BY : CAROLYN ISPEAKLIFEINCHRIST PULLEN

Beloved, Although your load is heavy and you feel alone, you are not alone. Our Marvelous, Compassionate, and ALMIGHTY GOD, Loves and will Never Forsake You. In HIM, you can Always Trust. HE Is With and For You. Give HIM your burden(s) and HE Will Heal You, in JESUS' Name! When You Are Alone ~Author Unknown~ The pain you feel when you're all alone a feeling to me, that's very well known The thoughts in your mind, are not very clear as you feel on your cheek, that burning tear It eats you up, and tears you apart as you try to heal your broken heart We all have this feeling deep down inside although for some, they have denied The painful truth of what they feel and by themselves, they can not heal

So ask the Lord for his healing hand and walk you through that burning sand To the end, where you can heal and the feeling of contentment you can feel He turns away no one, who has the Trust So open your heart, to him you must

PSALM 103:1-5 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless HIS Holy Name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all HIS benefits: 3 WHO forgiveth all thine iniquities; WHO healeth all thy diseases; 4 WHO redeemeth thy life from destruction; WHO crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Do not allow your weeping to hinder your sowing; for in due time, the LORD will richly reward you, in JESUS' Name!

Beloved, No matter how baffling, brutal, chaotic, enormous, depressing, frustrating, hopeless, intense, painful, shameful, traumatic, or wretched your condition, Please Know that GOD IS GOD and Hold on to HIS Promises! For HE Has Promised Strength, Restoration, Shelter, Protection, Peace, Joy, Hope, Healing, Deliverance, Counsel, Comfort, and to Never Leave Nor Forsake You! Thus Beloved, It Is Well with You. Your Turmoil shall become your Testimony of Victory in CHRIST JESUS. ~Carolyn ISpeakLifeInCHRIST Pullen~

My life is an open book By : Pastor Joel McNabb Humbling ourselves before our Maker, that we may stand in the day the Books are opened in confidence. He has given life to all who will come to Him broken and contrite heart, and He will heal all who will. Let His write your life’s story today, you will never be the same. “The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah” (Psa. 87:6). The day that God created Adam, He summoned some of His angelic scribes to write a new book in heaven, called the Book of Life. Many people think our names are written in this book when we repent of our sin, but the following verses show that it existed in Moses day. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Who- soever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book‖ (Ex. 32:31-33). King David also cried out for the Lord’s adversaries, Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous‖ (Psalm 69:28).

From Adam until now, all human beings, as they breathe in the breath of life and become living souls, have their names written in that book. Their lives are then recorded, and everything that they do or say is written down. Jesus even said, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment‖ (Matt.12:36). See-ing this passage more clearly gave me great concern and made me more aware of my speech and actions. I am in my fifties now and have spoken many idle words since the time of my birth. I can see the need to pray in the manner that Jesus taught: Forgive us our debts‖ (sins). Can you imagine the volumes of books that there are in heaven now from the creation of Adam? The Library of Congress could not even come close to God’s storehouse of books in heaven. King Solomon even said, Of making many books there is no end‖ (Eccl. 12:12). Everything we say or do is recorded. Take a few minutes and let that soak in. I thought of what James said, “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). I want to have a closer relationship with the Lord and not offend Him in anyway. I know that we are not perfect yet, but we should be aware that God is listening, and there is a record being made. When we come face to face with our Maker, and the books are opened, how will our life story read?

The thought that God was placing our names in the Book of Life the day we were born never really occurred to me, until I saw that there were other books that are mentioned in the Bible, and you could find your name in those books also. Since childhood, I was taught that God was going to send Jesus back to judge the world. If I believed in the Son of God and that He died for my sins, my name would be automatically placed in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Before Jesus paid the price for our sins on Calvary, He sent 70 men out to every city and place where He would go. On their return, the 70 thought it was great and rejoiced that devils were subject to them through Jesus’ name. His response was, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven‖ (Luke 10:20). Jesus’ statement here tells us that their names were already written down, though His blood had not yet been shed for sin. So, if our names are written in the book of life on the day we are born, what did Jesus dying on the cross do for us? We are all familiar with what Jesus told Nicodemus, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God‖ (John 3:3). Nicodemus did not understand. Jesus was comparing a spiritual birth to a natural birth. After His resurrection, Jesus came to His disciples.

That night, He breathed on them and said, ―Receive ye the Holy Ghost,‖ and they came alive spiritually (John 20:22), just as God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). We become new beings new creatures in Christ Jesus when we are born of the spirit. When this occurs, God has our names written in another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life, because Jesus is the Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world. At our natural birth we entered the world and inherited the sinful nature because of Adam’s sin; yet God wrote our name down in the Book of Life. Sin is the enemy that can take our names out of the Book of Life. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (James 1:15). We may have sin and still be alive until it has taken over the whole body and death comes. If sin runs its course, our names will not be found in the Book of Life. The Lamb’s Book of Life gives us access to God, which was lost when Adam sinned. Jesus, the spiritual Adam, has shown the way of life without sin. He came that we might have life: more abundant life. Now, what we do as spiritual beings is also recorded. For 6,000 years, the angelic scribes have been busy recording all that mankind has done, filling the heavenly library with an untold number of books waiting to be read on the Day of Judgment.

Once you are born again, the Lord’s recorders are busy listening; they are paying close attention as there is also another book being written: the Book of Remembrance. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him’ (Mal. 3:16-17). Jesus spoke that the kingdom of heaven was like a treasure hid in a field, which a man found, and for the joy of it he went and sold all that he had, and bought the field. The Lamb’s Book of Life is for whosoever will accept Jesus as their Savior. The Book of Remembrance is for those that have a love of the truth and search the scriptures with one another to find out more about the Lord and His will on Earth. Jesus came and His blood was shed for many (the field), but what He was really looking for was the treasure: His Church. Paul told the husbands to love their wives, as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it; so He could sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word. “hat He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).

Yes, this is a faithful saying, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, but the idea that being born again automatically makes you the wife or bride does not leave room for The Book of Remembrance. Being born again gives us the power to become the sons of God, and to see and enter the kingdom built upon the foundations of Apostles and Prophets, the precious stones that are the city: the Bride in Revelation 21. If you have gotten together with other saints and searched God’s word often, your name may be in this book, and God will also write your name in another book called the Book of the Holy City (Rev. 22:19). The Day of Judgment is coming and all will have to give account of the deeds done in their body. To say that anyone who doesn’t accept Jesus Christ will go to hell, is to say that God is unmerciful. If all it takes is to be born again to get your name in the Book of Life, why did God wait so long to send Jesus to the earth? During the 4,000 years before Calvary, did anyone have a chance at eternal life? What about those who lived before God gave the Law to Moses? Jesus said, “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11). These men were not born again, yet Jesus knew they were going to sit in the Kingdom.

Their faith was counted as righteousness. Also, all those who have tried to live to the best of their conscience, and as righteously as they knew how, will be judged accordingly. Let us not confuse the words “righteous” and “holy” Abraham was counted as righteous, but this did not mean he was holy. And what of Noah, who was perfect in his generation, and a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). None of these had the atonement of the blood of Christ, but God called them righteous. Abimelech, king of Gerar, was given a dream from God when he took Sarah (not knowing she was the wife of Abraham). Yet this king was so righteous, that God kept him from sinning by taking another man’s wife (Gen. 20:1-6). The way of holiness can only be attained by the blood of Jesus Christ and a wayfaring man though a fool should not err therein, for it is a free gift. Time and chance happens to all men. While those who were born before Jesus came to earth were not necessarily all lost and sentenced to the lake of fire, this free gift of salvation allows us access to, and assurance of, eternal life, our sins having been forgiven by Jesus’ blood. King David, a man after God’s own heart, was not born again, but will be there at the Day of Judgment, seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise to him, when Jesus sits on his throne in Acts 2:29,30.

This Day of Judgment is the thousand years that Jesus reigns on the Earth. ―But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day‖ (2 Pet. 3:8). But Peter also said, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pet. 4:17-18). We must make our calling and election sure, and the only way to do that is to be sure our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, having our hearts covered in his blood when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Those that suffered and died as martyrs before we had access to redemption from our sins, did so that they might obtain a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35). They believed, and it was counted as righteousness, and they will have a reward. Their names will be found in the Book of Life, even though not in the Lamb’s Book. When Jesus comes back, the books will be opened.I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were openedâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; (Dan. 7:9-10). This is at the beginning of the 1,000 years, when Jesus sits on the throne of David. The term cast down here does not mean destroyed, but rather established, where Jesus can sit in judgment till He has put all things under His feet. See 1 Cor. 15:24-28. There are two resurrections: the first, at the beginning of the 1,000- year reign of Christ, when the dead in Christ shall rise (1 Thess. 4:16 & Rev. 20:5-6). Those who get up at this first resurrection will not be judged at the second resurrection for they are blessed and holy. This includes those who suffered persecution and were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. Rev. 20:6 is very clear: the second death has no power over them, and their reward is secure. After the 1000-year reign ends and Satan is destroyed, it will be time for the great white throne of Judgment when ALL the dead shall rise. Every man will be judged according to his works and the books will be opened. We see no mention of believers in Jesus here; only those who had not gotten up in the first resurrection. If their names are not found in the Book of Life, the sentence will commence and to the lake of fire they shall go.

The time is coming to give account of our lives. Very soon, Jesus will sit on His throne and command that the books be opened. First, He will open the Book of Remembrance and find the names of those who have diligently sought and feared him, who make up His sanctuary on Earth. “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev.22:7,12). If your name and life story is in that book, it is because you have believed and done the will of the Father. Life and life in Christ are free gifts. What you do with these gifts after you have received them will determine how God will reward you. After that, Jesus will look at those before His throne, and call for your book to be opened; this is the time your life’s story will be read, for we spend our years as a tale that is told (Ps. 90:9). What you have done with the knowledge that has been revealed to you will determine what books your name will have been written in. As a human being, if you have heard of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and repented of your sins, your name will be in the Lamb’s Book of Life and you will be assured of life everlasting. Do you have the confidence today that your name is in one of these books? If not, I would encourage you to take a good look at your life. Look at what you have done with what you know.

The old hymn comes to mind, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine”. I want to be able to stand before the throne of the King and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your Lord. I see your name on the list. You may enter” (See Matt. 25:21.) May the Lord give you this blessed assurance. Paul said, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27). By the grace of God I shall stand and be counted. May you do the same in Jesus name. Amen! Remain Humble knowing if our name is not in the Book of life we will be forever in darkness. The Lord is ready, willing, and able to heal all the brokeness of our lives, when we call on His name.

Marilyn Orton

Dealing With the Stress Messes of Life By:

Life is literally filled with unanticipated, unwanted storms. These “stress messes” of life surge across everyone’s horizon. The massive blows and shattering blasts can leave us battered, bruised and on the verge of shipwreck. It would be easy to lose our courage, reach our wits end and find ourselves tossed about in search of an anchor. God’s Word is the anchor that will keep us from drifting in the storms of life. Like radar, it guides us in the darkest night, and acts as a compass that pilots us through things we cannot see. If ignored, we will end up dashed to pieces on unseen and unwanted circumstances and problems. Our ship will come apart. It might even sink. The good news is that in His Word we find that Jesus never said He would be a bridge over troubled waters. He has promised so much more. He promised to go WITH us through the troubled waters. He may not always chose to calm the storm, but His Word and His presence will calm US in the storm.

When you are reading the Bible….remember “The Author will always be present.' He will personally show you how to navigate life’s appointed storms, deal with the aftermath, and anchor your soul to the Rock which cannot move.

Humility By: Angel Fulkerson Early this morning I was asked to share about “humility.” (Psalm 10:17) My first thoughts flying thru my head were “wow God, I have all of these church meetings… and our #7 grand-baby could be born any moment… hubby has been having so much trouble breathing so I need to do a deep clean around here… I have to cut the grass and do the laundry… my sister needs help getting a frig… my mom needs me to come help her with her legs working less and less for her and my mother in law… I need to head up to the hospital to visit and send a few prayer cards out… and I need time to write those inmates, CJ needs YOU, save him… and LORD, can you just heal my back… it hurts so bad… and I need a real job, one that pays money… I have to prepare for the James lesson and the Haggai lesson… and now…”

And I sensed the hand of God touch me, not to heal me or help me… but to quiet me so I could hear the Holy Spirit gently remind me that even though I go into prayer mode when feeling over whelmed, I am complaining… and complaining is a sin, yes, even when I am complaining to God. (Philippians 2:13 -15) He taught me this so long ago and you would think that I would have overcome it by now but it’s a sin I struggle with every day. It’s odd that I could actually sin while talking to God, who would have thought (James 4)… but quite often sin and no sin ride the sides of a very fine line and which side of the line we choose can have us walk and talk with the Most High in an awesome personal relationship –OR- we choose to separate ourselves from Him embracing things we desire, things and thoughts of selfishness…my wants… my—my—me--- yes, complaining is a far cry from humility… maybe a part of the opposite of humility. Complaining reveals a lack of faith (Hebrews 11:6)… complaining is demanding that God do things our way, expressing to God we have a plan we want Him to join us in doing…when in reality, God knows what is best—He loves us and invites us to join Him in what He is doing… to join Him in what He knows is best for us… but the keyword is that He “INVITES” us to join Him.

(Acts 2:38-39) He will never leave us nor forsake us but how often do we choose to leave Him because we do not get our way… or because the road we travel is getting a little hard… He is still there with his hand out saying “come to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) God’s rest and peace strengthen us for the journey but so often we want him to take the journey for us or at least be the mode of transportation… I was co-sharing with a group of women recently about the importance of good physical health, as well as good spiritual health. The Word of God is powerful, a two edged sword for us to use in spiritual warfare. (Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6) It’s a part of our armor… but imagine your sword being chipped and broken, maybe even having parts missing… You see, the Bible is full of Truth but we often skip over parts we do not like… or we allow the power of the Word to lessen because we change the truth to make a story sound better or maybe we simply are repeating something we heard, that was changed and we did not realize it… but we want to walk in the power of God’s Word, the fullness of it so we need to learn it and walk away from the greediness of it that causes us to walk in sin like in complaining to have self-gain, yes, even self-gain in the kingdom.

You see, God is the only one who should be receiving the gain and in all the we do and go through… His rest… His peace… a knowing of His love for us and for others… should be our goal AND HOW DO WE GET HERE… H-U-M-I-L-I-T-Y! Yes, this morning in starting my day, I felt overwhelmed and found myself complaining to the very God that would bring me through the day… and at that very moment that His hand set upon me, I had a choice to make… a side of the line to choose… and I know Bishop had no idea of all I had to do today, but God did and He won’t give me more than I can handle… and God would not have asked me to share about Humility if he did not think that I could do it so I agreed, promising to have it delivered tonight…

Right after I made that choice, there was a knock on my door. (1Peter 5:5) It was 90 year old George. I take him meals a couple of times a week and help him with housework and yard work. We talk about Jesus and morals and everything that needs to get done, and that there is always tomorrow to do whatever else God has for us. If I did not have peace before, I had it now and that was another hour out of my day… (2 Peter 3:8) An hour sitting in the presence of God with someone who was lonely but he left as though he had many friends with him… and as I watched him walk away I could only thank the LORD for that hour... for me… for him… and for God who would be strengthening us both for the day’s journey but it did not change the fact it was not going to be easy nor was my load necessarily going to lighten. I was reminded of Joseph and a very pregnant Mary who had to travel to Bethlehem… she had quite a load to carry for she soon would be delivering Jesus in more ways that anyone ever probably imagined… people like to tell this story about Mary and Joseph traveling on a donkey but the truth is there is no mention of a donkey.

The donkey added seems to make the load they had to carry to be not as hard, not as heavy… the donkey possibly makes the trip seem easier… the donkey might represent a status or position, you know, in owning an animal… but take a moment to really look at this situation as it is written: Luke 2 New International Version (NIV) The Birth of Jesus In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. ----- Wow! Not only is there no mention of a donkey but no room, and no mention of a barn… just a manger. This woman was carrying Jesus, our Lord and Savior—and she delivered him—a King, the Word Made Flesh, God’s only son and the journey was not made easy yet the allowed themselves to go the course with God, humility.

Me, I did my things needing to be done for the day (Colossians 2:23, Proverbs 15:33)… and before I finished it all, my husband was pulling into the driveway so I greeted him at the door. He was surprised at all I did with my back hurting and as we chit chatted I started to get dinner and he said “no, let’s order out. I have a little extra cash and I want you to have a break.” I thought about my complaining this morning and silently asked God to forgive me again and to please keep reminding me not t complain. How humbling to get a blessing like that out of the blue… We finished dinner and then I sat against the heating pad, pulled up my computer and started writing. I don’t even think my husband realizes he does this but when I am praying or writing or sharing about Jesus with someone, he pulls his old guitar up in his lap and starts playing and singing… tonight he did it again… ♪♫¸.•*¨*•♪:*´†`*:♫•* *•Humble thyself is the sight of the LORD ♪♫•*¨*• ♪♫ Song after song he plays and sings gently across from me as I sit and write… what is it to be humbled? I am so humbled right now but what is this? How does one flow in humility? Let’s look up the meaning: hu•mil•i•ty (h)yoo militē/ Noun. -a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness. hum•ble h mb l/ adjective. -having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance. He is still playing. The presence of God is here.

Because someone was stirred to ask me to share about Humility, I have humbled myself all day-- made my importance less than the importance of others… in preparing the bible studies… in sitting with a 90 year old man… in delivering meal… praying for people… sharing communion with someone in their sick bed… in walking the dog… cutting the grass… writing notes to people in jail… prayer cards for those suffering with sickness, meetings and more… I could have just did my own thing… even now as I write, my husband is not busy with me and not busy with worry about his breathing but instead he is humbling himself in the sight of the LORD, singing to him without a worry… I think I will join him… and my prayer is that you will also let it all go and just humble yourself in the sight of the LORD and receive His peace, His rest for you see when we allow ourselves to walk in humility we only then can be lifted up. (Matthew 23:11-12) Jesus is our greatest example saying that the greatest among us is a servant to all… humility. It is in giving that we receive (Luke 6:38)… humility. When we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:7–8)… humility. Yes, I am going to sing to the LORD now, with my husband… and if you all are singing to the LORD where you are… then, together we are humbled in HIS sight… in HIS presence… James 4:10 KJV Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Luke 14:11 NLT For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 1 Peter 5:6 KJV

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Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Father God help us to have humble hearts and minds before you, and all mankind so that YOU are glorified and others are drawn to YOUâ&#x20AC;Ś thank YOU, in Jesus Name, amen God Bless you! With love in Jesus Angel

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Smug : By Jeff Godsown This is a story about today’s Christian,wait a minute; this is about all Christians throughout time, the difference between then and now is the blatancy of attitude. I grew up in the back hills of this country;some people called us hillbillies, though at that time, school was what was handed down from father to son, the proper values were there. There was no Bible to look at or read, and for the most part, well let’s just say reading wasn’t a stylish thing back them. The thought behind family values had to do with putting something on the table, trying to keep the family healthy, and keeping warm in the winter. The friendly neighborhood general store wasn’t just around the corner like we see today, it was many miles away, and seldom easy to get to, plus you needed money to get something, and we were still working off the barter system. We were all raised in a hand me down world, but though that is true, we learned to appreciate and take care of what we had or got. Luk12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that wise and good steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Luk12:43 Blessed is that servant,when his lord when he cometh, shall find him so doing.

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Though the idea of religion was hand-me-down,the hand-me-down came from the example of a living epistle, and though few read and even fewer had books, we learned Godly principles from the people around us. Today’s hand-me-down religion, is so far off the mark, it’s not only wrong, but its values are pathetic and so are those displaying it. The whole, “if it sounds good or if it feels good” minus the truth of God’s Word, has led far too many to being smug in their attitude and demeanor. This smug attitude has led those involved into believing themselves better than others and leaves me wondering from the things I’ve heard and seen; where is the love of the Lord? I have been involved and watched churches go out, saying they’re going to reach the lost, but let something disturbing happen or be said, that doesn’t go along with the person(s) thinking, and I guarantee you will see the dark side of the moon and a well-defined smugness come out, that will just floor you. My favorites are, and don’t get me wrong, I also have done or said things I’m ashamed of, “just who do they think they are?” followed by many expletives, not fit to mention. 1Pe2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

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1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 1Pe 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 1Pe 2:18 Servants,be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 1Pe 2:19 For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. Every word we speak in public and every action we live, is something that someone somewhere sees, and shows others what and who Christ is, in our lives. If what we speak or how we act or react is no different than the world, then why would any want to become a Christian? If our smug attitude is a put-off to others,why would anyone want to know Christ, if the Christ they see in us is no different than the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion?

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We not only are an offence to Christ, but also to those who are watching and listening to us; 1Pe2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: where unto also they were appointed. Has our smug attitude destroyed our witness? Though there is no way any of us can go back and change our words oractions, we can move forward in Christ and in the love of the Lord, for all to hear and see, setting the perfect example in our daily death and carrying of our cross. This is only one of the reasons why we are told to examine ourselves; 2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? To have a smug attitude is to act like a reprobate, and what kind of example does that set for others? The other thing goes like this; how can we possibly examine yourselves according to the Word of God, if we do not have the Word of God alive and in charge of us? How can we possibly show forth His marvelous light, if His light is not in us or if we choose to think ourselves better than others, with a smug attitude? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well past time we got over ourselves,remembering where we came from before Christ was introduced into our lives, and repent of our smug attitude. Point blank and simple, a smug attitude is nothing more than a white-washed fence, or a clean on the outside cup, while what lies behind the surface is still darkened by evil!

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Though again, we may not be able to go back and change things, we can start to make a difference, if we just fully submit to God, Amen!!!

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"I DON'T KNOW WHY

WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN

The song by Andre' Crouch says, "I DON'T KNOW WHY JESUS LOVES ME. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE CARES. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE. OH, BUT I 'M GLAD, SO GLAD HE DID!" There are sooo very many "whys" we could ask the Lord when we don't understand what's going on in this world we live in. Like, why are there wars and so many people dying and it seems to be for no good reason to us who prefer PEACE Why was there war in Iraq? Why is there war in Israel? What about the Syrians? Why are Jews and Christians still at war ? Why is there war of POVERTY all over the land, but especially in third world order countries, such as Africa and India And it seems that no-one hardly cares. Just a few faithful, loving caring , giving individuals want to give and try to help feed the hungry and clothe the naked as Jesus instructs us to do in HIS word.

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Why is it that some who are rich and more than able do not wish to give to the poor and needy ones Well, you can look it up in the scripture where it talks about the rich man and Lazarus (luke 16:19). The rich man refused to feed the poor man , Lazarus, but instead made him eat crumbs from under his table. But, when Lazarus died, he was found in the bosom of Abraham and was doing so much better that the rich man who died and went to hell and begged for a drop of water to be placed on his tongue, and God afforded him the opportunity to look up into heaven and see how Lazarus was being shown love and well taken care of while resting in the bosom of Abraham. We must watch out how we treat the poor people in the world. Why is there diseases and pestilences in the world and even among Christians The Ebola Virus that has killed 700 people in West Africa and has many afraid that it will spread all over the world and even in the USA we have one that is coming back from Africa and will be placed in quarantine, etc. and other viruses such as cold around the world, who can know if even the doctors who are so knowledgeable, but yet haven't even found a cure for the common cold WHY IS THERE NO BALM IN GILEAD THE ANSWER IS YES, THERE IS MEDICINE AND THERE ARE DOCTORS, BUT THEY ONLY KNOW IN PART AND SOMETIMES WHEN THERE ARE SOO MANY WHO ARE SICK AND AFFLICTED, THEY RUN OUT OF MEDICINE.

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Like with the flu viruses, they encourage people to take the flu shot and then they run out or it seems not to be very affective to some people so they don't want to take the shot, etc. I can only tell you what the word of God says in Matthew 24th chpt. and in Mark 13 th. chpt. , HE SAYS, NATION SHALL RISE AGAINST NATION AND KINGDOM AGAINST KINGDOM; that THERE WILL BE WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS; DISEASES AND PESTILENCES IN THE WORLD; LOVE WILL WAX COLD AND MOTHER SHALL BE AGAINST DAUGHTER AND FATHER AGAINST SON; THE ANTI-CHRIST IS PRESENT IN THE WORLD ALREADY; AND SOME WILL RISE AND SAY "I AM THE CHRIST AND FALSE PROPHETS WILL ALSO ARISE AND FOOL MANY PEOPLE; HE SAID THESE THINGS MUST BE, BUT IT IS YET NOT THE END, BUT ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE BIRTH PANGS OF THE SIGNS OF THE END TIMES.

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So, you see, we cannot understand all that is going on in the world. We would have to lose our minds or go "crazy" trying to figure out all that is going on and try to answer the question WHY ONLY THE LORD JESUS HAS THE ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS AND HE WANTS US TO TRUST HIM AND ONLY HIM IN ORDER THAT HE MAY GIVE US PEACE , EVEN IN THE MIDST OF CONFUSION, TURMOIL AND STRIFE. JESUS IS THE PRINCE OF PEACE AND HE SAYS, COME UNTO ME , ALL THE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN; AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. (PEACE) ACCEPT JESUS AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR AND HE WILL GIVE YOU PEACE EVEN WHEN WAR IS PRESENT AROUND YOU. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN ISRAEL OR ANY OTHER WAR ZONE THAT'S IN THE WORLD, BUT THERE ARE WARS EVEN IN THE BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT THE USA FINDS ITSELF IN. THE PRESIDENT TRIES TO TELL US THAT THINGS ARE LOOKING UP AND WILL GET BETTER IN THE WORLD. WELL, THAT'S JUST POLITICS TO TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR. BUT, AGAIN, THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US THAT THINGS IN THE WORLD WILL NOT GET BETTER. IT SHALL BE ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH IN GOD THAT SHALL SURVIVE THESE END TIMES. ONLY THOSE WHO PUT ALL OF THEIR TRUST IN GOD WILL FIND FOOD EVEN IN THE LAND OF FAMINE.

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ONLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND THAT HE IS ALSO EL SHADDAI, THE ALMIGHTY; ALL POWERFUL, ALL SUFFICIENT GOD WHO SHALL SUPPLY ALLL OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY. NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY OR SHALL GO ON IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED NOT TO WORRY NOR FRET BECAUSE, IF WE TRUST IN GOD, HE WILL SEE US THROUGH . YES, WE SHALL HAVE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, BUT HE SAYS, "SEE THAT YOU BE NOT TROUBLED." HE IS THE GREAT I AM AND HE SITS HIGH AND LOOKS DOWN LOW, BEHOLDING THE EVIL AND THE HOLY IN EVERY PLACE." HE NEVER SLEEPS, NOR SLUMBERS. HE IS EL ELYON, THE MOST HIGH GOD SO , PUT YOUR TRUST, ALL OF YOUR FAITH, BELIEF AND HOPE IN GOD. DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON HIM, FOR HE PROMISES NEVER TO LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US. AND HIS PROMISES ARE YEAH AND AMEN. HE IS NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE, NEITHER THE SON OF MAN THAT HE NEEDS TO REPENT. IF HE SAID IT, (AND HE DID) HE WILL DO IT! YOU CAN COUNT ON GOD, THE FATHER, IN THE MIGHTY , MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS LOVE YOU ALL IN CHRIST JESUS, PROPHETESS SISTER MARY

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DER BERG

HUMILYTY BY : BABSIE HANNAH VAN

The import ants of this virtue springs from the fact that it is found as part of the character of God (Ps113:5-6. God is represented as being incomparably high and great, and yet he humbles Himself to take note of the things which are created, while in Ps. 18:35 the greatness of God's servant is attributed to the humility (gentleness) which God as displayed towards him. In the New Testament at Mt 23:12 and parallels, the same word is used to express the penalty for arrogance abasement) and the prerequisite of preferment (humility). in the first case it is a condition of low estate which will be brought about through the judgment of God. In the second it is a spirit of lowliness which enables God to bring the blessing of advancement.

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Paul too, in Phil. 4:12, uses it to describe his affliction , but goes on to make clear that the virtue lies in the acceptance of the experience, so that a condition imposed from without becomes the occasion for the development of the corresponding attitude within. In the same Epistle (2:8) he cites as an example to be emulated the humility of Christ, who deliberately set aside his divine prerogative and progressively bumbled himself, receiving in due time the exaltation which must inevitability follow. Like all virtues, humility is capable of being simulated, and the danger of this is particularly plain in Paul's letter to the Colossians. Whatever may be the true rendering of the difficult passage in Col. 2:18, it is clear tat here and in 2:23 the reference is to a sham. In spite of all the appearances of humility, these false teachers are really puffed up with a sense of their own importance. Setting teir own speculative system over against the revelation of God, they deny the very thing which by their asceticism they seem to proclaim. Paul warns his readers against this pseudo-humility and goes on in 3:12 to exhort them to the genuine thing.

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HEALING OUR LAND THROUGH HUMBLENESS!!! BY : APOSTLE JESSIE STRIGGLES The Lord thou God is speaking here in 2 Chronicles 7:14. He wants us to know He can and will shut down Heaven. He says IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY, AND SEEK HIS FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL THE LORD THY GOD OPEN UP HEAVEN, FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND. You must obey me, seek me, trust and know that I am He that sits on the throne. You must come to me in repentance and turn back to me. I told you a broken and contrite I would NOT deny. A humble heart!! Meekness, great humility will I hear you.

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Healing your land, meaning your mind, your broken heart, your body and YOUR FAMILY. Do NOT be concern when I pluck one out of the land or deny their petitions because of high mindedness, lack of humility even no need for me. Do not be conform to this world, for you are in the world, but NOT of the world. Psalm 24 clearly tells you I own everything in it even all that you own. I can bless you, but I won't because of your lack of humility. I can heal your land, but I won't for your lack of meekness and humility. You won't repent, nor pray, nor bow down and worship me in spirit and in truth with a grateful heart of what you have even now from me. You lean to your own understanding and your friends opinions. You don't hunger and thirst for me, I told man shall NOT live by bread alone. You must come to me my way ONLY. You being wicked know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more I would love to give to you. I told you NO GOOD THING WILL I WITHHOLD FROM YOU, but NOT in disobedience,,,,,ONLY IN GREAT HUMILITY WILL I OPEN UP HEAVEN FOR YOU. GBU AJS

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CONFIDENCE (PT 1)

COMMUNICATING

WITH

GRACE

POSTED BY KAREN ZEIGLER Let’s face it communication is complicated. We communicate with our facial expressions, our body language, our actions, and our words. And if by some miracle we can perfect our delivery there is still multiple uncontrollable factors with the person(s) we are communicating to – their mood, their life circumstances, their opinions of us. Yet as Christian leaders we can’t through in the towel on communication. Scripture makes it clear that the power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) so for those desiring to be leaders it’s a key element to our effectiveness. There seems to be two prevalent camps we can fall into as Christians when it comes to communicating about God. And let’s face it once you make it known that you are a Christian, EVERYTHING you communicate is about God. The way you talk about your bad experience in traffic communicates something about your God.

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The way you talk about an experience with a clerk at the grocery communicates something about your God. Those who have not yet met your God are listening to everything you communicate to decide whether or not this God or this life with God is attractive to them. The first communicate camp we may fall into looks like this

We focus on truth, the doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ts of being a Christian. The way we should live. This style of communicating about God puts us on the same side as God and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s those who have not experienced God yet in their lives be separate from us. In their eyes there is a big chasm between them and God (and us) and far too many hoops to jump through to make it to the other side. This method of communicating rarely works and the effort seem to outweigh the benefit, so why bother.

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Then there is the grace extreme (camp #2). Christians that fall into this camp are often heard saying “I may be the only Jesus a person sees”. While that may be true their actions are often the equivalent of hanging a doormat around their neck that says “Walk over me because I’ll forgive you”. While people may indeed walk over you, it generally doesn’t lead them to God because who wants a push over God. People want to follow a leader and a God that stands for something they can believe in. Yes truth is important. Yes grace is important. Jesus delivers both as described in John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. When we communicate with grace and truth the picture looks a lot more like this

We become the true leaders we are called to be. Our communications are a reflection of Jesus – full of grace and truth.

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We are on the same side of the chasm saying “I’m not perfect but I have found the way to God – follow me!” So how do we communicate with grace and truth (i.e., confidence…more in a few minutes on that)? First we’ll start by defining them and then over the next couple days we’ll look at 3 very different communications Jesus himself had with others. We’ll look at a conversation he had with a random person, a conversation he had with a subordinate (a Disciple) and a conversation he had with a group of peers (the Pharisees). What does grace look like? I find there are 3 key elements that are helpful when it comes to communicating grace. Our communications are full of grace when they are  Useful – actionable, relevant and intended to be of service to the other person or the situation  Unifying - accepts the person and acknowledges their perspective; even when viewpoints may disagree  Kind - respects the dignity, aspirations and frailties of all parties. In tough conversations we do this by focusing on the behaviors and not the person. What does confidence look like? Confidence at it’s core is – truth. In fact, one definition from Dictionary.com is Certitude; assurance Communicating truth is communicating with certainty and assurance in what you’re saying. It’s not communicating what you “think” or what you “feel” it’s communicating what you KNOW.

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And when we communicate what we know, whether it’s our own personal truth or the truth of the scripture that we have believed and seen proven true, we communicate confidently. But I get it. It’s easy to understand definitions and theorize what communicating with grace and confidence is, but what does it really look like? Luckily for us Jesus himself gave us lots of examples and over the next couple days we are going to look at three specific communications of his. Jesus communicates to the random sinner Jesus communicates to a subordinate (a Disciple) Jesus communicates to a group of peers (the Pharisees) Coincidentally, it’s the very same people types we as leaders talk to every day. ;) To make sure you don’t miss the next few posts be sure to sign up on the right of this to receive posts via email so that the rest of this series will come straight to you in your inbox. No worries if you change your mind you can unsubscribe at any time. Also this series is based on a message I delivered to my local Becoming a Confident Woman in Leadership group. If you live in #SWFL you can join us for the next group . This group meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month and you can find the latest event on Facebook by searching “Becoming a Confident Woman in Leadership”.

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COMMUNICATING CONFIDENCE (PT 2)

WITH

GRACE

AND

POSTED BY KAREN ZEIGLER

Welcome back to part 2 of Communicating with grace and confidence. In our first installment yesterday we covered a lot of ground. For example, we covered: The two extremes that Christians often fall into when it comes to communicating (all Grace or all Truth) We learned that our goal is to communicate with both grace and truth just as Christ modeled both. John 1:14

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Grace in communicating is always useful, unifying, and kind And the truth/confidence connection To view yesterday’s post in its entirety click here. Today we are are going to look at the first of three communication scenarios in which we see the greatest leader of all time (Christ) communicating with grace and truth. Tomorrow we’ll look at communicating to a subordinate (Pt 3) and the next day communicating with peers (Pt 4), but for today we are going to look at Christ’s interaction with a stranger, a random sinner that God brought across his path. For you this could be the clerk at the check out, the individual you strike up a conversation with while you wait for service in a restaurant, or someone a friend might introduce you to. It’s a person that you aren’t technically influencing (aka leading) at this moment but how you communicate with them will determine whether they’ll consider you as a person worth following in the future. Let’s dig into Christ’s response to a sinful woman John 8: 1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

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5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”11 “No, Lord,” shesaid.And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Bonus information: I don’t know about you but I love it when I learn new things about a particular passage. Especially one like this that is so familiar to me. So indulge me if you will for a minute and let me share a couple interesting (non-communication related points) I learned while I was studying for this message. 1. This passage was evidence of prophesy about Jesus being the Messiah in Isaiah 11:3 “He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.” Perhaps not communication specific but certainly good advice for anyone in leadership. 2. This could be the first recorded instance of “Man Code”. [insert grimace face here].

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Apparently, according to the law BOTH man and woman caught in the act of adultery were to be stoned to death. No mention of a man here. Ok, enough of the sidetrack, back to communication. How did Christ show kindness?  The woman likely slumped over in humiliation left standing there in front of the crowd and Christ after the elders left. Christ shows kindness by immediately taking the pressure off the woman and onto the men who had left when he asked “Where are your accusers?” I can imagine both Christ and the crowd were looking around for the accusers at this statement. Even the woman was likely looking elsewhere which would have been a distraction from the humiliation she had just experienced.  He showed kindness in the shortness of his comments. Instead of dragging the humiliating circumstances out where seconds probably felt like centuries to the woman he was quick to let her know she wasn’t being condemned and she was free to go. How did Christ’s communication create unity?  His words showed unity in their humanity. He basically acknolwedged the fact that everyone is capable of sin. His words showed acceptance of by not condemning her. Likewise our words either condemn or accept the others we communicate with.

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How was Christ’s words useful?  His words were useful in that rather than telling the elders they too were sinners he asked them questions that allowed them to come to their own conclusions. As a leader asking powerful questions is one of the most useful things you can do to help people find solutions to their problems and to communicate with grace.  His words were useful to the woman in that he acknowledged that there was a choice she could make to ensure this problem never occurred again. His words were useful because they were encouraging – she held within her power the ability to make good choices for her life. And he spoke truth. He didn’t avoid talking about the sin. Yet by focusing on the sin and not the person he didn’t come across as judgmental or condemning. He communicated with grace and truth and likely earned a follower. What lessons can you apply to those God randomly brings across your path? Don’t miss part 3 tomorrow! Enter your email address in the box on the right side of the website and future posts will arrive in your inbox. Tomorrow we look at Christ’s communication with a subordinate (A Disciple) in part 3 of Communicating with Grace and confidence.

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COMMUNICATING CONFIDENCE (PT 3) POSTED BY KAREN ZEIGLER

WITH

GRACE

AND

Welcome back to Part 3 of Communicating with grace and confidence. We have already covered a lot of ground about how Christian Women Leaders can communicate with grace and confidence. If this is your first visit you will want to start at the beginning to be able to follow the sequence. Communicating with Grace & Confidence Part 1 Communicating with Grace & Confidence Part 2 The 4 keys to communicating with grace and confidence we discovered in part 1 were using words that were useful, unifying, kind and truthful.

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In part 2 we looked at our first scenario where Jesus was communicating to a random sinner (the adulterous woman). Today we are going to look at a communication with his disciples. The equivalent for leaders today would be their subordinates or individuals reporting to them – either employees or volunteer. And for the Mom Leader this would be your children. You’ll notice right off the bat that this conversation took a very different tone. Yet one that we can still find our 4 elements utilized in. So let’s take a look at Matthew 16:21-28 where Jesus first talks to a single disciple (Peter) and then to the entire group of disciples. Matthew 16: 21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

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26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standiight now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” How did Christ show kindness? While this instance doesn’t seem as easy to see as the adulterous woman, it was still kind. Jesus could have said “Peter you idiot! Have you not been listening to what I’ve been saying all these months! Have you lost your mind!” Instead, like the adulterous woman, Jesus took the pressure off Peter and put the fault on the enemy and his putting thoughts (point of view) in his mind that weren’t correct. The correction wasn’t about Peter personally, his intellect or comprehension it was moved solely to the enemy putting wrong thoughts into Peter’s mind about the situation at hand. Another very useful technique for communicating confidently that Jesus did here was to turn the subject on himself and what it does to him. While normally making something all about yourself isn’t good, when it comes to conflict it is brilliant. Pointing the finger at someone only escalates a situation but putting into words the affects or the feelings that it has on you personally is something that can’t be argued. Jesus did that when he told Peter that those words were a trap for him.

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The words are for a trap for him because if Jesus began to listen to them and think – yeah I could set up a kingdom here – it would have taken him way from the vision and mission God had given him. A vision and mission that God had great rewards for him completing. How were Christ’s words useful? Christ words were useful because he helped Peter distinguish God’s point of view from the enemy’s point of view. How many times have you had employees that were looking at a problem from the wrong point of view? Helping them understand the proper point of view for achieving the mission is very useful! Again when we turn the conversation from focusing on the person to focusing on the mission and how it helps/deters you as a leader and them as part of the team accomplish the mission your words are useful. How were Christ’s words unifying? Even though Christ did not accept the words of Peter, he did accept Peter. In fact in verse 24 he reiterates the mission and what is necessary for Peter and the entire team of disciples to remain unified. The words Christ spoke were unifying but it was still Peter’s choice to be unified. How were Christ’s words truthful? Christ had been given a mission by God just like every leader alive today has. In verse 24 he spoke the truth of that mission. I can remember in my banking career having employees who were getting sidetrack with alternative agenda’s and I’d have to have a conversation.

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Generally when side agendas like that are in the mind of one employee they are in the mind of others so the individual conversation eventually turned into a team conversation. We jokingly at the time called these types of meetings “Come to Jesus” meeting. I believe verse 24 documents the first “Come to Jesus” meeting. If Jesus were a manager and Peter and the disciples were his employees it would have sounded something like this: It has come to my attention that some among you think that the mission of our team is to set up an earthly kingdom. That is NOT the mission of our team. If you want to remain a member of this team you must stop all talk and actions in those regards as that is a cross that you will die on (you will be fired). Instead pick up those selfish ways and instead join me in the fulfillment of the true mission (lay out mission again). If you choose to hang on to your idea of the mission you will lose your job. But if you give up your idea of the mission and take up the mission I have laid out you will save your job and you will be well rewarded. Not always easy words to say but it really doesn’t get any more truthful than that.

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As women our leadership tends to take on many hats and thus our missions can vary. Yet whether your mission is keeping a peaceful home as a mom, being the sales leader in your industry, feeding the hungry in your neighborhood or just leading your own life, you can communicate, with grace and confidence when you focus on the your mission and speak words that are unifying, useful, kind and true. Tomorrow we will look at our last leadership scenario where Jesus speaks to his peers (the Pharisees). To make sure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this final installment enter your email address in the box on the right side of the website and future posts will arrive in your inbox.

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COMMUNICATING WITH GRACE AND CONFIDENCE (PT 4) POSTED BY KAREN ZEIGLER ON JUNE 6, 2014 IN HOME | LEAVE A COMMENT

Welcome back to the final installment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Part 4 of Communicating with grace and confidence. We have already covered a lot of ground about how Christian Women Leaders can communicate with grace and confidence. If this is your first visit you will want to start at the beginning to be able to follow the sequence. Communicating with Grace & Confidence Part 1 Communicating with Grace & Confidence Part 2 Communicating with Grace & Confidence Part 3 The 4 keys to communicating with grace and confidence we discovered in part 1 were using words that were useful, unifying, kind and truthful. In part 2 we looked at our first scenario where Jesus was communicating to a random sinner (the adulterous woman)

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In part 3 we looked at a communication with his disciples (=subordinate). Today we are going to look at Jesus as he communicates with his peers (the Pharisees, who were also preachers & teachers of the day). Today we look in the book of Matthew: Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’” 10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

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13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.” The grace in this third scenario isn’t as obvious as the first two we looked at. But here’s the thing, Truth triumphs every other factor in grace. Sometimes the only way to be useful is to be truthful. Sometimes the only way to model unity to the people you lead is to be truthful about the opposition. There will be times when your truthfulness will not be seen as kind. Understand that the truth will offend people. You purpose in life is not to make sure everyone is happy but to share God’s truth and to fulfill the vision he has given you for your life and those he has blessed you to have influence over. Whenever possible model grace by being kind, unifying, and useful but never at the sake of being truthful. How could Jesus be so truthful…in some cases brutally truthful. And confident in it…no hem hawing, stuttering or I think or I feel. Because he was locked in on his mission. He knew why he was here, what his mission was. It was the clarity of his purpose that gave him the courage to communicate with confidence. Why was his vision so clear – because of his closeness with the father. Questions for you to ponder as we close out this series: Are you close enough with God to understand his vision and purpose for you life? Are you confident enough in that vision that you can speak confidently?

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As Christians it is key for us to speak confidently (with certitude and assurance) to not only Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gift of grace but also to the truth of His vision for our life, the truth of His word and ultimately the truth of His love for the world.

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THUMBADOO

Woman Thou Art Loosed! BY: DELIA ANN

The writer of the Book of Genesis is so succinct and crisp in describing Gods Creation of the Universe and everything in it, that one is almost tempted to pause to frown on its seemingly blasĂŠ and disentranced style and interpretation, but such is the paradox of the depth and simplicity of God's Word, that we could not describe it any simpler, any clearer than what it is - He spoke it and it came to be, He decreed and declared a thing and it was established, He imagined it, He voiced it and so it was!

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As a woman, forgive my bias, forgive my indulgence in these sacred Scriptures, but I'm always intrigued at the thought God put into choosing a helper for Adam. That He chose to form her from Adams rib, that her delicate frame did not detract from the inborn strength, intuition, tenacity and multi-faceted ability and capacity He breathed into her. Women were created for more than companionship, procreation and helpers for their husbands but more significantly for the channelling and ushering in of Gods Kingdom from Heaven to Earth, by ways and means best chosen prepared and equipped for by God. By nature we are receivers of seed, as all life begins with a seed, we are carriers of seeds of purpose, from conception to birthing, so that in the fullness of time, when the time is right, at full term we bring forth the explicit promised word that God has implanted and impregnated within us. From simple unknown women, to women of influence and stature, God handpicked, God chose, God set apart for life altering victories, with many changing the course of history. Imagine if Mary had turned down Angel Gabriel's proposition? Yes she was chosen, but she had to consent, she had to surrender to the plan of God. Most times these 'Divine interruptions" come when we least expect them, and most often when we're engaged in plans of our own. It's almost always inconvenient and outrageous, too much for us to fathom or accept as true, let alone as from God!

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But when we're spiritually sensitive and in tune with God's Grace and guidance, then confirmations, affirmations and steps of faith replace fear and anxiety. Each of our missions will differ; each of what God desires for us to do and be depends on Him entirely all we need do is do! It's not the size of our assignment, or the importance, none of these 'man-made' objectives and measures count. God looks at our measure of faith, our propensity to give in to faith rather than to doubt. This attracts Him and moves His Hand swiftly and justly on our behalf. Maybe you're at a point where God has stirred you and challenged you to step out into a particular area of your gifting, or conversely onto a path completely unrelated to your field of expertise or comfort. In either situation, He will open the doors for you; He will position people places and resources to accomplish His will for your life. Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows". No enemy, seen or unseen is able to prohibit or inhibit what God desires you to impact. Like with the Hebrew boys, He will be right there in the fire with you or as with Daniel, He will shut those lions' mouths, so that ultimately He will be glorified and His Name will be exalted. Wherever His Name is exalted, He will draw people into His Kingdom. When you have the anointing of God over your life, your cup will overflow; His endless supernatural resources will meet with all your needs.

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Your time is now, your time has come. Whether you give a cup of water in His Name, or knit a blanket for a needy child, whether you minister to hundreds or to one person, every labour for God is honoured and providently protected. Luke 13:11 "And a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years was bent over and could not straighten, when Jesus saw her He called her over and said, Woman thou art loosed from your infirmity, immediately she straightened up and praised God"

Woman thou art loosed, now go as directed by Him! Women of Worth International assist Pastors to start and maintain an effective Women's Ministry. Pastors in over 90 countries like the simple, free program because it gets many people involved, freeing up their time to do what only they can do. Women love it because it allows them to use their Spiritual Gifts within their church. Register to start a WOW chapter in your church at www.wowintl.net

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BIBLICAL GIVING FOR COVENANT BLESSINGS Part 1 BY : Pastor Wole Gbogboade Text: Exodus 25:1-8 : From the context of the scripture quoted above, we will learn some biblical principles of giving in the kingdom for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s covenant blessings. God told His servant Moses to take an offering from all the Israelites for the building of the Tabernacle. However, God specified the type of offering and qualified who should give as this: 1-

Those who give must give with a willing heart.

The offering could be gold, silver, bronze etc. That is to say it must be a freewill offering as everyone decides to give

No compulsion. No one should be forced to give but everyone should give of his/her own volition.

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house is jointly built. God does not want anyone to take the glory. Everyone should be involved in the work of God according to their ability and availability.

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God is a relational God and He wants all of His people to work and relate together in unity.Psalm 133:1-6. His blessings come upon His people when they work in one accord.

They must bring it to Moses. That is, Moses should not beg for it nor go and cajole them.

We must note here that God will not ask you to give what He has not given to you. And, He also expects you to give freely. Matt. 10:8.

God makes provision available before He asks us to give for His work. You cannot give what you don’t have. God is not a task master. Before God asked for an offering for the building of the Tabernacle, He had provided for His people. “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians….” Exo. 11:2-3

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Having provided for all of them gold, silver etc in Egypt, God still gave them the option to give as they will. Why? He wanted to build their faith so they know Him as their Jehovah Jireh.

There is something we need to know about money: It is called currency because, it must flow from hand to hand. Whenever God made a demand for it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because He wants to give us more as we obey him and put our trust in Him. Every seed sown on the ground God shows us will produce bountiful harvest.

God never asked Abraham to offer Isaac until He had blessed Abraham with Isaac. Abraham trusted God to the point he went to offer Isaac believing that he was able to raise him from the dead since God has pronounced Isaac the son of promise. Heb. 11:17-19 For his obedience, fear of God and trust in Him, He pronounced covenant blessings on Abraham and his seeds adding that Abrahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeds will possess the gate of their enemy. Gen. 22:16-18

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Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessing has condition attached to it. As we walk in covenant principles, God releases covenant blessings to us.

But the devil does not want us to give to God. And since there is no vacuum in nature even in the spirit realm, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s either you give to God or devil takes it by consuming it on your own lust. Do you realize that some gave their gold to Aaron for the building of the golden calf which is another god! But the golden calf ended up being destroyed while the Tabernacle became a sanctuary for Israelis to worship the True God.

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CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO GIVE TO GOD

Labour in vain or fruitless labour. We see in the book of Haggai where the Israelis failed to give for the building of the House of God. Instead, they spend money earned on their lust. They end up lavishing their resources on worthless expenditures. Haggai 1:1-4

Selfishness. Phil. 2:20-21. Here, Paul said he could only vouch for Timothy who serve selflessly in Goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vineyard while others are only after their selfish interest.

Curse of the law when we walk in disobedience to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s command. Deut. 28:15 to the end.

Devourer when we refuse to give God our tithe that actually belongs to Him. Mal. 3:8-12.

Invariably, our failure to support the work of God has grave consequences.

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WHERE GIVING IS SPECIFIED: Likewise, we must develop the attitude of giving:

Give to God: Build House of God, to maintain the House of God, support Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Mission (give, pray, go). We give to God in tithes, offerings including thanksgiving offering, seed-faith etc.

Give to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s servants who feed you with the word of God. Gal. 6:6 (GW)

Give to the brethren particularly those who are in need. Gal. 6:9-10.

Give to the poor. Prov. 19:17; Gal 2:10.

Hospitality. It is important that Christians be hospitable. Also, as stranger, the Bible instruct us to take care of strangers as Abraham did not knowing they were angels. Heb. 13:2

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WHY MUST WE GIVE?

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Gen. 8:22 (KJV)

Since Noah came out from the Ark and gave God offering of a sweet smelling favour, God declared that as long as the earth remain, seed time and harvest will never cease. That is whatsoever a man sows, he will reap. Gal. 6:7. This also mean sowing and reaping; giving and receiving or seed sown will bring fruit harvested. You sow to reap: spirit, soul and body.

In the time of Adam, God made everything available before he fell. But, since Noah survived the flood by God’s mercy, the law of sowing and reaping became operational. A farmer sows to reap and get more seeds from that harvest to sow more and reap bountiful harvest. The more we sow good seeds, the better the harvest we reap. Therefore, giving is a command from God and we must give out of love.

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A quotation from Bob Gass daily devotional highlights the reasons many people including Christians give today. He then sums it up with a cogent or cardinal reason for giving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We give for different reasons: to get an income tax deduction; to make a good impression and have people think well of us; or because we're put under pressure. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. Your time, talent and treasure are to be shared with others. When you refuse, you're neither happy, holy nor healthy.

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HINDRANCE TO GIVING:

When we have little. We are not to look at what we have instead, we are to have faith in God who command us to give. God said tithe belongs to Him. We must give it accordingly no matter the magnitude of our need.

Disobedience. The enemy does not want us to obey God in order to rub us of our blessings.

Circumstance. We are not to look at situation or circumstance rather, we should sow our seed. We should not speculate nor procrastinate when it comes to giving.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.â&#x20AC;? Eccl. 11:4

Ground to sow. It is good to sow into good ground. Yet, like the sower, we must sow in diverse places or many areas. Eccl 11:1-2

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Word of Salvation Publication http://www.christfamilyevangelicalmission.com/ http://www.tyrannusschool.wordpress.com/ PO Box 7572, Ikeja (100001), Lagos. Nigeria. Tel: +2348033250375,

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ARE WE IN THE LAST DAYS ; SIGNS IN THE SKY , SEA AND EARTH, WAR , PESTILENCE, BEHEADING & MUCH MORE IN OUR WORLD TODAY !

Liberty

FOCUS ON EBOLA BY : Evangelist Favor

“ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

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Ebola virus disease : WHO FACT SHEET ON EBOLA Key facts Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%. EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals. Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name. Genus Ebolavirus is 1 of 3 members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus), along with genus Marburgvirus and genus Cuevavirus. Genus Ebolavirus comprises 5 distinct species:

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Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) TaĂŻ Forest ebolavirus (TAFV). BDBV, EBOV, and SUDV have been associated with large EVD outbreaks in Africa, whereas RESTV and TAFV have not. The RESTV species, found in Philippines and the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republic of China, can infect humans, but no illness or death in humans from this species has been reported to date. Transmission Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids.

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Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness. Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced. Among workers in contact with monkeys or pigs infected with Reston ebolavirus, several infections have been documented in people who were clinically asymptomatic. Thus, RESTV appears less capable of causing disease in humans than other Ebola species. However, the only available evidence available comes from healthy adult males. It would be premature to extrapolate the health effects of the virus to all population groups, such as immuno-compromised persons, persons with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children. More studies of RESTV are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the pathogenicity and virulence of this virus in humans.

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Signs and symptoms EVD is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory. The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days. Diagnosis Other diseases that should be ruled out before a diagnosis of EVD can be made include: malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers. Ebola virus infections can be diagnosed definitively in a laboratory through several types of tests: antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

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antigen detection tests serum neutralization test reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay electron microscopy virus isolation by cell culture. Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; testing should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. Vaccine and treatment No licensed vaccine for EVD is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids. No specific treatment is available. New drug therapies are being evaluated. Natural host of Ebola virus In Africa, fruit bats, particularly species of the genera Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus. As a result, the geographic distribution of Ebolaviruses may overlap with the range of the fruit bats.

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Ebola virus in animals Although non-human primates have been a source of infection for humans, they are not thought to be the reservoir but rather an accidental host like human beings. Since 1994, Ebola outbreaks from the EBOV and TAFV species have been observed in chimpanzees and gorillas. RESTV has caused severe EVD outbreaks in macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) farmed in Philippines and detected in monkeys imported into the USA in 1989, 1990 and 1996, and in monkeys imported to Italy from Philippines in 1992. Since 2008, RESTV viruses have been detected during several outbreaks of a deadly disease in pigs in Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republic of China and Philippines. Asymptomatic infection in pigs has been reported and experimental inoculations have shown that RESTV cannot cause disease in pigs. Prevention and control Controlling Reston ebolavirus in domestic animals No animal vaccine against RESTV is available. Routine cleaning and disinfection of pig or monkey farms (with sodium hypochlorite or other detergents) should be effective in inactivating the virus.

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If an outbreak is suspected, the premises should be quarantined immediately. Culling of infected animals, with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses, may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease. As RESTV outbreaks in pigs and monkeys have preceded human infections, the establishment of an active animal health surveillance system to detect new cases is essential in providing early warning for veterinary and human public health authorities. Reducing the risk of Ebola infection in people In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death. In Africa, during EVD outbreaks, educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors: Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.

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Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home. Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried. Pig farms in Africa can play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms. Appropriate biosecurity measures should be in place to limit transmission. For RESTV, educational public health messages should focus on reducing the risk of pig-to-human transmission as a result of unsafe animal husbandry and slaughtering practices, and unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue. Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues and when slaughtering animals. In regions where RESTV has been reported in pigs, all animal products (blood, meat and milk) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.

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Controlling infection in health-care settings Human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus is primarily associated with direct or indirect contact with blood and body fluids. Transmission to health-care workers has been reported when appropriate infection control measures have not been observed. It is not always possible to identify patients with EBV early because initial symptoms may be non-specific. For this reason, it is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; regardless of their diagnosis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply, in addition to standard precautions, other infection control measures to avoid any exposure to the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blood and body fluids and direct unprotected contact with the possibly contaminated environment. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).

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Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories. WHO response WHO provides expertise and documentation to support disease investigation and control. Recommendations for infection control while providing care to patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola haemorrhagic fever are provided in: Interim infection control recommendations for care of patients with suspected or confirmed Filovirus (Ebola, Marburg) haemorrhagic fever, March 2008. This document is currently being updated. WHO has created an aideâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;memoire on standard precautions in health care (currently being updated). Standard precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens. If universally applied, the precautions would help prevent most transmission through exposure to blood and body fluids.

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Standard precautions are recommended in the care and treatment of all patients regardless of their perceived or confirmed infectious status. They include the basic level of infection controlâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment to avoid direct contact with blood and body fluids, prevention of needle stick and injuries from other sharp instruments, and a set of environmental controls. Table: Chronology of previous Ebola virus disease outbreaks

Year

Country

Case Ebolavirus Case Death fatalit species s s y

Democratic Republic of Bundibugy 2012 Congo o

51%

2012 Uganda

Sudan

57%

2012 Uganda

Sudan

71%

2011 Uganda

Sudan

100%

44%

149

25%

264

187

71%

Democratic Republic of 2008 Congo Zaire 2007 Uganda

Bundibugy o

2007 Democratic Zaire

161

Republic of Congo 2005 Congo

Zaire

83%

2004 Sudan

Sudan

41%

2003 (Nov-Dec) Congo

Zaire

83%

2003 (Jan-Apr) Congo

Zaire

143

128

90%

2001-200 2 Congo

Zaire

75%

2001-200 2 Gabon

Zaire

82%

425

224

53%

100%

2000 Uganda

Sudan

South Africa 1996 (ex-Gabon) Zaire 1996 (Jul-Dec) Gabon

Zaire

75%

1996 (Jan-Apr) Gabon

Zaire

68%

Democratic Republic of 1995 Congo Zaire

315

254

81%

60%

Cote 1994 d'Ivoire

Ta誰 Forest

1994 Gabon

Zaire

162

1979 Sudan

Sudan

Democratic Republic of 1977 Congo Zaire 1976 Sudan

Sudan

Democratic Republic of 1976 Congo Zaire

65%

100%

284

151

53%

318

280

88%

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RECENT NEWS ON THE OTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/W est-Africa-Ebola-outbreak-like-wartime-control-could-tak e-6-months/articleshow/40310550.cms DAKAR (Senegal): The Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people in West Africa could last another six months, Doctors Without Borders said on Friday, and a medical worker acknowledged that the true death toll is unknown. Tarnue Karbbar, who works for the aid group Plan International in northern Liberia, said response teams simply aren't able to document all the cases erupting. Many of the sick are still being hidden at home by their relatives, too fearful of going to an Ebola treatment center. Others are buried before the teams can get to the area, he said. In the last several days, some 75 cases have emerged in a single district. "Our challenge now is to quarantine the area to successfully break the transmission," he said, referring to the Voinjama area. Many people may be hiding, but many are also finally beginning to seek treatment, as more centers open up.

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http://news.sky.com/story/1319044/ebola-epidemic-is-lik e-war-time-says-msf Health experts have revealed they are struggling to contain West Africa's deadly ebola outbreak, and described the situation as like being in "wartime". The charity Medecin Sans Frontieres (MSF) said if the situation in Liberia is not brought under control then the region will never be stabilised. "The main thing I come back to is that it is deteriorating faster, moving faster than we can respond to," MSF international president Dr Joanne Liu said. "To put it in context with my time with MSF, I really feel that it is like wartime, in terms of fear and nobody knowing what is going on.

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Residents across West Africa have been warned as borders have been closed"We need a response in terms of international organisations and states, and it needs to happen now if we want to contain this epidemic." MSF, which employs doctors in some of the world's most difficult conditions, has struggled to help control the ebola outbreak in West Africa. Dr Liu, who made the announcement at a news conference in Geneva following a 10-day trip to affected areas, said it will take about six months to bring the epidemic under control. It was first identified in Guinea in March and has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and finally Nigeria promoting increased international concern.

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A Spanish missionary priest died after contracting the diseaseOn Friday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the death toll from the ebola outbreak has risen to 1,145 - with 76 new deaths reported over two days. The health agency said a total of 152 confirmed, probable or suspected new cases of the fever were reported in that same period in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The plea from MSF, which was founded in 1971, comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the number of deaths and confirmed cases has been vastly underestimated. The death toll from the outbreak in the region currently stands at more than 1,068 people. There have been 1,975 confirmed, probable or suspected cases, the WHO said, with the majority in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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Martial arts performers practice for the opening ceremony on Saturday"The outbreak is expected to continue for some time. WHO's operational response plan extends over the next several months," the WHO said on Thursday. The UN World Food Programme said on Friday it would now provide food aid to a million people affected by the emergency. Meanwhile, Olympic Games organisers have banned young athletes from ebola-affected regions of West Africa from participating in the Youth Olympic Games in China. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said three competitors would not be allowed to take part in combat sports and swimming pool events. The IOC and the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee said it was impossible to rule out the risk of potential infection. Those from the affected regions competing in other sports will undergo regular temperature checks and physical assessments throughout the games, which begin on Saturday. The IOC added that there had been no suspected cases of ebola reported in China and "the risk of infection is extremely unlikely".

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Doctors With Borders workers wearing protective clothing carry the body bag of an Ebola victim in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, on August 14, 2014. (AFP photo) Beds in such centers are filling up faster than they can be provided, evidence that the outbreak in West Africa is far more severe than the numbers show, Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for World Health Organization in Geneva, said. There are 40 beds at a treatment center that Doctors Without Borders â&#x20AC;&#x201D; known as MSF â&#x20AC;&#x201D; recently took over in one quarantined county in Liberia but 137 people have flocked there, packing the hallways until they can be sorted into those who are infected and those are not, said MSF's international president, Joanne Liu.

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"It's absolutely dangerous," said Liu, who recently returned from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. "With the massive influx of patients that we had over the last few days, we're not able to keep zones of patients anymore. Everybody is mixed."

New secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Elhadj As Sy of Senegal, informs media of his visit on field to Ebola outbreak affected countries during a news conference at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, on Aug. 15, 2014. (AP photo)

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The charity will have 300 beds available once several dozen open in the coming days, and Liu said it cannot possibly provide any more. Hartl, of the World Health Organization, noted that an 80-bed treatment center opened in Liberia's capital in recent days filled up immediately. The next day, dozens more people showed up to be treated. Liu likened the situation to a state of war because the "frontline" was always moving and unpredictable. She said the outbreak could last six more months. "We're running behind a train that is going forward," Joanne Liu, the medical charity's international president, told reporters in Geneva on Friday. "And it literally is faster than what we're bringing in terms of a response."

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Medics carry a man on a stretcher in an ambulance on August 14, 2014 at the district hospital of Biankouma, during a simulation operation organized by the Ivory Coast health ministry to train medical staff to deal with potential patients with Ebola.(AFP photo) The UN health agency warned on Thursday that the official counts of 1,069 dead and 1,975 infected may still "vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak." It said extraordinary measures are needed "on a massive scale to contain the outbreak in settings characterized by extreme poverty, dysfunctional health systems, a severe shortage of doctors, and rampant fear." Ebola causes a high fever, bleeding and vomiting. It has no cure and no licensed treatment and has been fatal in at least 50 per cent of the cases, health experts say. The disease is usually found in eastern or central Africa, typically in rural, isolated communities, where outbreaks tend to be "self-limiting," Hartl said. By contrast, the current outbreak spread quickly to cities and the capitals of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, making it difficult to stop.

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EARLIER DURING THE OUTBREAK WEST AFRICANS CALL ON GOD FOR HELP !!! : http://www.liberianobserver.com/religion/liberians-pray-e bola-other-calamities-pass-over-nation

Liberians Wednesday prostrated before God, asking Him for His intervention to heal their land Liberians Pray For Ebola, Other Calamities To Pass Over Nation By: Alaskai Moore Johnson “Every demonic alter that has been built against this nation, be destroyed in the name of JESUS. Ebola, homosexuality, lesbianism, zoes, masonic demonic spirits, be destroyed in the name of JESUS…!”

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Several hundred Liberians gathered Wednesday, August 6, on Tubman Boulevard, the main thoroughfare leading to Monrovia, to pray to God for his intervention and healing of their land from the present calamities and all forms of evil. They joined thousands of Liberian Christians in observing a national three-day fast and prayer for their nation, which is grappling with the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD). The disease has so far claimed 130 lives in confirmed cases. However, Liberia’s Health and Social Welfare Ministry has also reported that another 155 persons have been suspected and probably confirmed to have died, too, from the virus, which has killed more than 800 persons in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The Christians lay prostrate before their God at a location adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Sinkor, Liberia’s biggest referral hospital, along the Boulevard. “Every demonic alter that has been built against this nation, be destroyed in the name of JESUS. Ebola, homosexuality, lesbianism, zoes, masonic demonic spirits, be destroyed in the name of JESUS…!” prayed the pastor leading the intercessory prayer service. These words were repeated by the crowd, some of whom stood across the street because there was no more room on the ground to host everyone attending.

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The crowd thunderously repeated every prayerful word of the pastor, and loudest of all the words was when they called the name of JESUS. They prostrated themselves Wednesday before God, asking Him to save them and their land from the “wicked one,” whom they said is the devil, and all his cohorts. According to Pastor Allen Duo, they were invoking the presence of God so that He (God) will deliver Liberia from the calamities that have befallen the nation. Pastor Duo, who also goes by the alias “Pastor No Fear,” is the spiritual head of a charismatic Christian group, Gospel Safari Able God Ministry. He told the Daily Observer Wednesday, August 6, in an exclusive interview that wickedness and sins were being committed in the nation daily, and that the nation needs the intervention of God so that it can once again become a better place to live. Those who gathered on the street came from different Christian churches. Pastor Duo said over the next three days, he and his team would move to different locations in the city; and on the third and last day of the fast and prayer, they would assemble on the grounds of the Executive Mansion to pray for the land. The Executive Mansion is the official seat of Liberia’s Chief Executive, the President.

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MAINWHILE....

REPENTANCE AND SEEKING THE MERCY OF GOD PRAYERS . IN LIVING STONE EVANGELISTIC MINISTRIES INT. SIERRA LEONE . To you, O Lord, We cry, and to the Lord We plead for mercy: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What profit is there in our death, if We go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to us .O Lord, be our helper in Sierra Leone Guinea and Liberia and take away this sickness Ebola .

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Kathi Macias Devotional So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea….And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night (Exodus 13:18, 21, NKJV). We often speak of the Israelites as having “wandered” in the desert for 40 years after being delivered from slavery in Egypt, but is that an accurate term to use for their experience? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “wander” like this: “to move around or go to different places usually without having a particular purpose or direction.” When you consider that the Jewish nation did not escape Egypt in some willy-nilly, unplanned fashion but rather “in orderly ranks” (see v. 18), is it even reasonable to imagine that God, who delivered them from slavery, would then abandon them to wander aimlessly, “without having a particular purpose or direction”?

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True, the people themselves may not have realized where they were going or why, but God knew exactly their purpose and direction, and He saw to it that His plans and purposes for them were fulfilled. That same God, who delivered Israel from bondage and led them through the wilderness for forty years in order to accomplish His purposes for their lives and their nation, is the same God who delivers us from the bondage of sin. It is therefore completely reasonable to believe that He will also faithfully lead us through what may seem like wilderness in order to fulfill His purposes for us. We all experience times when we feel we are wandering aimlessly, with no purpose or direction, and we are tempted to wonder if God has indeed forgotten us. Be assured, beloved, that He has not. As surely as He led Israel, He will also lead us until we are at last home with Him, where we belong.

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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). â&#x20AC;Śbeing confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6, NKJV). Communicating the visionâ&#x20AC;Ś (Hab.2:2) alandkathi@ca.rr.com www.kathimacias.com

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"BE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!" WRITTEN BY PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, BECAUSE IT IS THE POWER OF GOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVE; FIRST TO THE JEW, THEN TO THE GENTILE. (ROMANS 1:16 NIV)

Are you ashamed to own up to the gospel message as a witness to mankind ? Some of you go to church every Sunday, sing in the choir, or maybe you're on the missionary board go out to visit the sick and afflicted, but you find it difficult to witness about Jesus on your job or in your community. Why is that Do you tend to be afraid of what people might say about you and maybe call you a "holy roller " Or they may call you "holier than thou" , which is another slang phrase that carnal minded Christians like to use.

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I've had it said about me several times, but I don't allow it to bother me because Christ said, "BE YE HOLY, AS I AM HOLY." And He's the one I (we all) have to answer to in the end. We read a holy Bible; we say we serve a HOLY JESUS, and if we have truly accepted HIM as our LORD and SAVIOR, then, we know He is a HOLY GOD So, why is it that some of you are afraid to own HIM outside of the building called church That's being a hypocrit How can you sing in the choir and appear to give HIM praise and glory in the building , made by man's hands, but then after leaving that building you are ashamed or afraid to own HIM Do you not know that YOU ARE THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST Then, if you know this, you are to represent HIM wherever you go. JESUS said, "LET YOUR LIGHT SOOO SHINE " He means wherever we go and come, show forth HIS LOVE LIGHT Don't be a pretender HIs love is real So, we should be real in showing forth HIS love, which is AGAPE' love< unconditional and eternal love. It's not like the world's portrayal of love, which is temporal < "hot today and cold tomorrow " It's not real , in other words. It's only the lust of the flesh and not love that is unconditional and not looking only at the outside appearance of a person.

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That woman or man may be ever so beautiful or handsome looking on the outside and will lure you into their bedroom and have sex with you one night, but the very next morning not want to even look at you Or they may continue for a short time just to have a temporary sex partner, but just as soon as their lustful eyes see another woman/man they will drop you like a "hot potato" It will leave you feeling abandoned and not loved at all We, who are true believers should not have a problem with being persecuted for the righteousness of God's sake. We should expect to be talked about , undermined, disrespected and not honored when we're in the midst of "haters" , who really want what we have, but would not , themselves, want to go through anything like what the put us through. Besides that, they don't have the courage to walk upright before an upright God and let their light shine before mankind. So, they would rather put those of us who are doing the will of God down! It might be that they just don't understand how God uses us to build up HIS kingdom and how that we are able to speak with holy boldness the truth and not be ashamed or afraid

Luke 9: 26 NIV says; WHOEVER IS ASHAMED OF ME AND MY WORDS, THE SON OF MAN WILL BE ASHAMED OF THEM WHEN HE COMES IN HIS GLORY AND IN THE GLORY OF THE FATHER AND OF THE HOLY ANGELS.

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Now, you who are true believers , will not be ashamed of saying the name of Jesus in public anywhere. And you will not be afraid to own HIM anywhere you go YOu will proudly say , "I am a Christian." And some of you may even be as bold as I am and say, "I AM A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH KING, JESUS CHRIST " And you may even go as far as to witness of HIM in public, such as the grocery store, the bus stop, or even on the corner of a shopping center you may pause to pray for someone. I've done it all and I was not ashamed That's because I know who I am; whose I am; where I came from and I stay focused as to where I am going Can you say that I certainly hope so. Won't somebody help me praise Jesus He deserves all the praise and honor and glory that we could possibly give HIM

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I don't know about you, but I don't want Jesus to be ashamed to own me when I stand before Him in glory, do you I certainly don't want to hear HIM say, "DEPART FROM ME , I KNOW YOU NOT " After all, what does it count for if we are just down here pretending to be something we are not Who do we really think we are fooling The Lord sits high and He looks down low, beholding the evil and the holy in every place. He is OMNICISCIENT<ALL KNOWING AND ALL WISE GOD In other words, the only knowledge we have is that portion that He allows us to have. And if we don't have wisdom to endow us, we won't even have the understanding that is needful to apply the word of God to our daily walk. We must pray for both skillful as well as godly wisdom daily. Then, we won't be ashamed to own up to being a Child of the MOST HIGH GOD CHILD OF GOD, BE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY THAT YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY WHEN YOU STAND BEFORE GOD IN THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT. INSTEAD, YOU WILL BE THERE TO GET YOUR CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OTHER AWARDS ON HIGH. AND YOU WILL HEAR THE LORD SAY, "WELL DONE, CHILD OF GOD. COME ON INTO MY KINGDOM." LOVE YOU ALL IN CHRIST JESUS, PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN

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YAZIDIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S : DEVIL WORSHIPERS, ANGELIC WORSHIPERS, RELIGIOUS

SECT,

CULT,

MIS-UNDERSTOOD

MIS-INTERPRETE PEOPLE ?

BY EVANGELIST FAVOR P. LIBERTY One of the defenders of mysticism& spiritualism in West Africa usually says ; what a man does not know they called it names.... Recently along with the Christians this minority religious group is being persecuted by the so-called Islamic State of Iraqi rebels. Little is known about them since they are not many and keep their religious practices among themselves. The question that comes to mind them is ; who are they; what do they believe and why are they been persecuted. We dug up a little about them from the web and want to share it with you.

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Yazidi Religious Beliefs: History, Facts, And Traditions Of Iraq's Persecuted Minority http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/yazidi-religio us-beliefs_n_5671903.html

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Hunted by militants from the Islamic State, thousands of people from the Yazidi community have fled to the slopes of Iraq's Mount Sinjar, where they are caught between the prospect of death by dehydration and murder at the hands of the group formerly called ISIS. In the months since its rise, the Sunni-identified Islamic State has gone after many religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria, including Christians, Shiite Muslims, Shiite Turkmen, Shiite Shabaks, and of course the Yazidi. Also called Yezidi, Daasin, or Ezidi, the Yazidi are a Kurdish-speaking ethnoreligious community based in Northern Iraq who practice a syncretic religion influenced by pre-Islamic Assyrian traditions, Sufi and Shiite Islam, Nestorian Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. Their rich oral tradition is their primary way of passing on their beliefs, which makes it complicated for scholars and historians to pin down the nuances of their religion. Iraq-born Sabrin Kassem, a 23-year-old Yazidi activist based in Seattle, Washington, told The Huffington Post, "The Yezidis are commonly misunderstood by those who do not take the time to understand and research who we really are. We are looked upon by a lot of people as the devil worshippers and this is a big reason why we are hated and continue to be attacked by others who want to get rid of us."

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Kassem, the creator of the "Stop Yezidi Genocide" Facebook page, added, "That is not who we are. We are one of the oldest, most peaceful religions in Iraq and have never had any problems. We keep to ourselves and accept and appreciate every human being on Earth." Here's what you should know about the Yazidi's oft-misunderstood religious beliefs: Beliefs and Cosmology Yazidis believe that the world was created by God, who entrusted it to seven angelsled by one known as the Peacock Angel, also called Melek Taus. Melek Taus is the primary figure in the Yazidi belief system, as he filled the earth with flora and fauna. Their religion is monotheistic and non-dualistic, and they do not believe in the concept of Hell. For them, all people have good and evil inside of them, and choices are made free of external temptation. They believe in internal purification through metempsychosis, a term referring to the transmigration of souls, according toEncyclopedia Britannica. They believe that the seven angels are occasionallyreincarnated in human form. Yazidis believe that they are descended directly from Adam alone, while the rest of humanity comes from the lineage of both Adam and Eve.

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Though their belief system is rooted in the pre-Islamic tradition, the figure credited as the founder of the Yazidi faith is Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir, a Sufi preacher who died in 1162. Considered to be an incarnation of Melek Taus, Sheikh Musafir's tomb near Mosul, Iraq, is the Yazidi's most important pilgrimage site. The Peacock Angel, Melek Taus The concept of Melek Taus is the most misunderstood part of the Yazidi religion, and is one of the reasons why their community has suffered such historical persecution. They believe that once God created Adam and Eve, he ordered the angels to bow to his creations. While the other angels did so, Melek Taus was the only one to refuse, because he believed that he should submit to no one but the Supreme God. He was then thrown into Hell, until his tears of remorse quenched the fires and he becamereconciled to God. He now serves as an intermediary between God and humanity. This story bears similarities to the Muslim account of Satan, called Iblis or Shaytan. In the Islamic tradition, Satan is a fallen angel or jinn who refused to bow down to Adam out of pride. For this act, he was banished from heaven and now exists to tempt humanity into evil.

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Melek Taus is often confused with Satan for this reason, and the Yazidi have been called devil-worshippers by Muslims and Christians who do not understand their beliefs since the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Thomas Schmidinger, a Kurdish politics expert at the University of Vienna, told National Geographic, "To this day, many Muslims consider them to be devil worshippers. So in the face of religious persecution, Yazidis have concentrated in strongholds located in remote mountain regions." Matthew Barber, a scholar of Islamic thought at the University of Chicago who also specializes in issues related to Yazidi society, told The Huffington Post, "In the Yazidi creation narrative, Tawsi Melek is not fallen, but because aspects of his interactions with God bear similarity to that of Satan in Islamic tradition, Muslims have associated him with the Devil, leading to the famed 'devil-worshippers' libel that has been impossible for the community to shake through history." Melek Taus is manifested in the form of a peacock. According to the Rev. Prof Patrick Comerford, a lecturer at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, "In early Christianity, the peacock symbolized the Resurrection and immortality because it was believed its flesh does not decay." This characteristic, as well as the peacock's brilliant colors, may factor into this understanding of the angel.

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Demographics The Yazidi community is based in Iraq, near their primary shrine, Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir's tomb in Lalish, near Mosul. Yazidis can also be found in Iran, Syria, and Turkey, though many have migrated to Europe and America since the first Gulf War. Their population is estimated to number as many as 600,000 people, though the recent violence in Iraq has most likely decreased their ranks. Practices Yazidis pray facing the sun at sunrise, noon, and sunset. Wednesday is their holy day,and Saturday is their day of rest. The community is highly insular, practicing endogamous marriage. They have a caste system of murids, sheikhs, and pirs, who each marry within their own group, according to The Guardian. Children are baptized at birth, and though circumcision is common, it is not required. Their dead are buried in conical tombs soon after death, with crossed hands. Holidays and Holy Places The holiest Yazidi shrine is the tomb of founder Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir in Lalish, near Mosul, Iraq. The faithful make an annual pilgrimage there to observe the holiday of Jema'iyye, the Feast of the Seven Days.

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Important Figures Yazidi society is hierarchical. Their world leader is currently Prince Tahseen Said, who appealed to world leaders last week to come to the aid of the Yazidis. Persecution The history of the Yazidis is inextricably intertwined with persecution at the hands of members of other religions, most notably Islam. Yazidi parliament member Haji Ghandour told The Washington Post, “In our history, we have suffered 72 massacres. We are worried Sinjar could be a 73rd.” Barber told The Huffington Post, "Islam’s political framework includes provisions of protection for a limited number of religious minorities, specifically those with a written scripture viewed as part of the monotheistic trajectory that preceded Islam, such as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity—religions instituted by God, but later corrupted." Barber, who is is currently in Dohuk conducting research and is involved with refugees from Mosul and Sinjar, added, "That Yazidi religion is based on oral traditions rather than written scripture, that their conception of divinity contains polytheistic elements, and that they have long been maligned as 'devil worshippers,' disqualifies them from being one of Islam’s protected 'People of the Book' minorities."

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However, in the case of the extremist Islamic State, it is clear that Islamic conceptions of protected minorities are completely insignificant. ..... For the Yazidi, the price of global ignorance about their religion is death. Theinternational Yazidi community is now desperately trying to raise awareness about their beliefs and the unthinkable persecution that they face. "We cannot sit back and allow a genocide to happen to our people because of what they choose to believe," said Kassem. "Innocent families do not deserve this. No one in this world deserves to be hated on and killed like this."

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Have you been taken captive??? By: Kenneth White CAPTIVITY TAKEN CAPTIVE â&#x20AC;&#x153;And he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saintsâ&#x20AC;? (Rev. 13:10). " INDIVIDUALLY, it is the flesh, the old Adamic nature, that leads us into captivity. It is the beast of the carnal nature that makes war with the saints and overcomes them. It is the bestial nature of the natural man that is given power over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Furthermore, he that killed us, or that which brought death to us, now must be slain in us. The natural man, and the spirit of the world generated from that man, is the one who leads us into captivity and slays our spiritual life. The natural man is the one who is being brought to death.

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There are two swords — the sword by which the beast makes war against the saints, which is the word of the beast, his mouth speaking great things and blasphemies — and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God, the sharp two-edged sword which comes from the mouth of God’s Christ, Head and body. The beast is slain by the sword of the spirit, and the spirit of the world is brought into captivity by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. That is the mystery. CORPORATELY, God’s kingdom is a body politic. And there are two parties: God’s righteous government and the opposition. The opposition, deceived and deluded by its own nature of darkness and rebellion, has been trying throughout the ages, by any and every means, to gain control of the government. But it has been a disheartening battle. The decree of the Almighty is, “And the government shall be upon HIS shoulders, and of the increase of His government…there shall be no end…to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever” (Isa. 9:6-7). Because this rule can never cease, every apparent victory of the adversary, in the end, has turned out to be a defeat! The human race fell to the deception of the opposition at the very beginning. But instead of that being a victory for the adversary, it turned out to be a blessing for the human race.

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For now, not only will men be restored to what was lost by the fall (Acts 3:21; I Tim. 4:10; I Jn. 2:2; Heb. 2:9; Rom. 5:18), but those who are called and chosen are translated in Christ to the heavenly realm, to a position as far removed from the perfect Edenic state as the east is from the west. The opposition even went so far as to crucify the King, the Prince of Peace. But that seeming defeat for Christ’s cause was a signal victory, for on the third day the crucified One arose from the tomb to a higher and more glorious dimension of life in the power of resurrection, thus breaking the sway of death and delivering all who were in bondage from its clutches. Because He arose, so shall every son of Adam arise! Because He conquered sin, sorrow, death, and hell, ultimately every man shall receive the blessing and benefit of that triumph! “The hour is coming, in the which ALL that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth” (Jn. 5:28-29). The whole creation is awaiting the ultimate triumph of this victory! Truly, “All creation is yearning, longing to see the manifestation of God’s sons. For the creation was made subject to futility, not of its own choice, but by the will of him who so subjected it; yet with the hope that at last the creation itself would be set free from the thralldom of decay to enjoy the liberty that comes with the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:19-20).

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The kingdom of the righteous One has not been established in its fullness and perfection over the whole world of mankind. We are yet passing through a period of preparation in which those who prove themselves faithful to the rightful King, are being prepared and sealed, and now expectantly await the day when, upon the full manifestation of the kingdom, they will be raised to great honor and power and majesty, to reign as heavenly kings and priests over the earth, to bring life and light and liberty and blessing and glory to all peoples! The message is clear and the word is sure â&#x20AC;&#x201D; He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. HERE IS THE PATIENCE AND THE FAITH OF THE SAINTS! HALLELUJAH!"----J Preston Eby.....I trust this will be a comfort to all those who are pressing toward the mark of that high calling in Christ Jesus!---KW

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"Thus said the LORD; Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live.” ARE YOU READY?

WRITTEN BY ;BISHOP STEVEN MAXWELL ALEXANDER J.K. LIBERTY SR (I wrote this message years ago but I now understand that God had today in mind ) WARNING/ THIS IS A SERIOUS WARNING THAT MUST BE TAKEN AS THE MOST URGENT DOCUMENT YOU EVER READ. IT IS ABOUT YOU. WITH FIRES BURNING ACROSS THE GLOBE AND LIFE SO CHEAP AND VALUELESS THESE DAYS ; ONE IS LEFT TO WONDER ABOUT GOD . HAVE WE GONE TOO FAR THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO RETURN TO OUR FATHER FOR FORGIVENESS ? IS IT TOO LATE FOR A SECOND CHANCE? SIN AND DARKNESS HAS BROUGHT ABOOUT A GREAT DARKNESS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND THE CONSEQUENCES HAVE TAKEN US LOWER THAN ANIMALS IN THE WILD ; FIGHTINGS, PESTILENCE, ETC AND LIFE EXPECTENCY IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD NOW CUT TO 45 YEARS. YET OUR GOD PROMISED US IN HIS WORD :

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY, AND SEEK HIS FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL THE LORD THY GOD OPEN UP HEAVEN, FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND.â&#x20AC;?

When I asked the Holy Spirit to direct me about what I was to speak about; He led me to a passage that I least expected and asked the question: "What if you had the opportunity to start your life again or a couple more years were added to it? What would you do with this new gift? Wow many times I have sat reflecting on this very issue; how I would do things a little different if only I had a second chance to do them again. I am aware of the fact that many of us feel the same way too. If only I had a second chance to show love to that husband that left or that wife who I beat constantly, or that child that I disowned or the parent that I disrespected ; or that friend that I let down. If only I had a second chance to do so many things again; to reset those things that I so carelessly handled in the past; God I would do all I can to do it right and wipe the slate clean. You see this world has a way of making us to forget that life has a tomorrow. I began to ponder this idea in my mind and than my eyes opened to the reality of why the Spirit of God wanted this particular topic. He wanted it because the question relates directly to every one of us that walks upon the face of this earth.

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Curiously I considered the question and my mind ran to Hezekiah King of Judah in 2 Kings 20 ;1-6. "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sakeâ&#x20AC;?. However the Holy Spirit said I was looking in the wrong direction because there was only one valuable statement in that passage as relating to the topic on hand, and while this was a good sub topic; it was not our main point of focus. My oh my I had a very difficult task on hand for the last few days trying to open my eyes to find the passage that would make a great difference to those earnestly seeking wisdom from the Word of God.

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When I did find the answer I sat in shock. It was a passage that I had heard so many times that I easily overlook it. In fact if not the key topic of majority of the funeral services; passages from it were referred to. So how could a famous death topic be the answer to a question of living again? My eyes were opened to the death of Lazarus of Bethany. Lazarus of Bethany; brother of Mary and Martha had died and had been buried. Normally all that remain was to mourn him and comfort his weeping family. After all if he was to be saved it would have been done while he was lying sick on his bed. Even if Christ was to call him back to life it could have been while his copse was fresh and not decaying and rotten. Even His Sister Martha who had great faith in the power of Jesus Christ admitted to that fact "Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.â&#x20AC;? This conversation is a very powerful one where we can see a lot of difference between the faith of humans and what God expects of them.

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But calling Lazarus back to life was not only to illustrate that Christ was the resurrection and life as famously preached by us but also to point to the fact that even the most decay, rotten sinner can be restore to life eternal for the sole purpose of setting their life in order by correcting their past errors and starting afresh. As no one is above death, so no one is above mistakes /sin; because sin is the cause of death. What kind of life did Lazarus live before that time; I cannot tell you that I will even try to speculate , but I know that after he was given the second chance to live again , he did all in his power to make it right with His maker. From the statement of Jesus earlier and Martha later; Lazarus was very healthy when Christ and his disciples last left him. So he got ill and expected to get well or at least be healed by his best friend Jesus Christ when he pass by ; but to his utmost surprise and those around him it got worse and led to his death. Was Lazarus prepared or like most people, he was waiting for the last minute to put his house in order. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s examine this story very carefully and draw some vital points before relating it to why it is more about a second chance. Martha expressed faith and confidence in Christ powers but fell short of that of a mustard seed. She had confidence that He could have save her brother life because they were close to Him and faithful followers of His teachings.

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But like many of us today that faith was base upon events of the past and not applications of the present. Yes Christ could have healed her brother if He had come on time but now that He was dead; well, she thought; all He can do is to help us give him a befitting goodbye. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revisit the scene before Lazarus death. " Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

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Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days alreadyâ&#x20AC;?. Even the disciples who walked with him day by day and witness Him in action day and night still found it difficult to discern many things ; especially the difference between earthly and divine interactions and intervention, for while thinking with the flesh they behave like men of the flesh. Christ wanted to open their eyes to the reality of their second self; that inner spiritual self. It is only when you learn to use the inner eyes/ spiritual self to discern heavenly fact; that we can fully comprehend the divine meaning of each action. Christ delay was intentional not only had Lazarus died but all hope of his living again had perish even from the living. But Christ referred to his death as sleep because he was going to get a second chance to awake and live again. He was not playing with words here nor was he referring to any other person but Lazarus. Lazarus was asleep because heaven wanted us to learn a great lesson; 1. The ultimate source of our lives is God and nothing or nobody else; 2. He demands accountability from all; 3. a second chance to make things right is possible and death does not have to hold us captives .

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4. There is a difference in having faith and applying it. Christ knew that this was not the end for Lazarus but a eye opener for generations yet unborn. We have been over this many times but I love to sing it into your ears because I do not know if you are holding on to your earthly scientific theories and the Bible at the same time. Because God is the ultimate source of our lives; He has the right to laid down the rules. He did not intend for us to die physically and illustrated this by planting the Tree of life in the Garden of Eden, (Gen 3:22)so at the proper time when we were fully prepared He would have allowed us to partake in it. However sin stole away that chance from us and brought upon us death. The fact remains that whether we are saints or sinners we all must face the penalty of sin which is death; and that is one important factor that we must deal with or we might be unprepared for the day it comes like Hezekiah King of Judah. I earlier mentioned Hezekiah King of Judah and as directed by the Holy Spirit went back to that passage to find the single most passage that related to that of Lazarus. It read: "Thus said the LORD; Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live.â&#x20AC;? (2Kings 20:1)How many of you reading this message knows that this message is applicable to you? How many of you realized that the day of reckoning takes you by surprise and you need to be prepared. Why will Almighty God send someone to a man supposingly faithful to Him with such a frightening message?

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The answer is very clear and applies to all of us; the Temple of God that houses the breath of the Living God, which made us a living soul, is not ours forever. Because of our sin we shall surely die and when we die God demands accountability. Hezekiah King of Judah was given a little time because He could list to God how much he had strived to put his house in order but what about you? Is your house in order? Can you boast to God that in the Book of life your name is written and there are passages you can be sure are written there? Are you as sure as the Apostle Paul and can boast in the LORD that there you have a Crown in Glory (2Tim 4:8). I am not talking about empty words here; but deep with in your heart, you know whether your house is prepared or not. Ok take this simple quiz and after reading this message; tell me how many points you score. Try to remember events about your life that you are 100 percent sure gain you a single entry in the Book of Life. Each entry equals one point. Well that is just a personal test that surprises and challenges us to set our house in order; but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not lose focus. The other day I read over the internet that the Pope has apologized for the past abuses carried out in the Catholic Church and promised to correct them by taking measures against offenders and ensuring that it will never happen again.

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Wow what a great statement if it is going to be implemented to the letter.( I am not questioning his ability to implement it, I am pointing to the flesh here because many great men and women have fallen victim of it in the past.). If he does implement it; he will have taken a very major step that would change a lot of things. And coming from a Non-denominational preacher like me; it is a compliment, because I am proud of him for taking this step. Yes, I am very proud that at last a religious Leader had finally broken grounds for a solid foundation of personal repentance of evil committed within the house of God. Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know but behind those curtains and long robes in the churches they attend; a lot of dirt goes on that needs to be clean. The church of God is filthy, dirty, and needs to be wash in the Blood of the Lamb. Yes that is the first major step to getting a second chance .I know some so-called Holy men and women will jeer about it but check their own closets well and you will find skeletons there that need to be thrown out in order for their own house to be put in order. So it will be best if they too follow the Pope example and confess and repent and try to make things right by throwing out those skeletons from their closets.

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Wow I said to myself when I read this; what if Barrack Obama ; The British Prime Minister; Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President and the rest of the leaders running the physical affairs of the modern world and the Churches today could come clean and confess where they have been wrong and repent seeking the aid of God and promised to correct the way they unfairly run the world affairs and really mean what they say. I can tell you we would witness a lot of difference. But I am going too far; what about you my friend? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think if each of us take this step we will make a huge difference for ourselves and generations yet unborn? You might rush to say yes but here comes the hitch. Martha the Sister of Lazarus would have said yes if you had asked her before the death of Lazarus if she had faith and confidence in Christ power to raise the dead; but when she was presented with reality her faith shook. People might pronounce very beautiful promises about what they intend to do but when it comes to the time when pressure is mounted from different directions; they question reality. But if they could just implement what they originally pronounce; great things would happen. God wanted us to know the importance of putting your life in order; that is why He provided everything you need to do it and become a new person. Lazarus of Bethany now knew the reality and I am sure did not forget that life is a surprise. He was Christ great and beloved friend.

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Things like those should happen to people not close to the Master. He might have felt secured and insured even when He was sick; but God wanted them to know that it is necessary to be prepared at all times for when it came to the quota for sin; there were no favourites. Yet he prepared a means that even death could not hold us captives if only we agreed to a second chance and recognize the Author of life. Martha flesh said: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” We see the Spirit trying to contradict the flesh because of the Word of God planted in her life. So her second self spoke up: "But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” Jesus answers the second self that had faith in the affirmative; but again we see the flesh taking over and her faith dropping because of earthly logic. "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Have it happen to you at times; where you are sick and someone says a prayer and tells you to awake in Jesus Name that you are healed; and you just say thanks for the wonderful prayer and dismiss the action because you doubt the power in the person’s words? Or you are in need and someone who really mean to assist you but can’t at the movement; say in faith (different from empty words of jeer); go and the LORD that I serve will supply your needs accordingly and you say amen but think it was a waste of time anyway.

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This was what happen to Martha; life stood before her but because she lack faith she could not recognize it. There are hundreds of interpretations for why Jesus wept that day; but I believe it was for one reason only. Man had yet to recognize that they were created in the image of God and had all it took to live a full life; instead of slaving under the devil in pains of sufferings they had power over. Two of the most misused words in the Church today are "born againâ&#x20AC;?. Oh yes I am a born again Christian who was baptized with water and the Spirit. Witches and wizards are claiming the title; thieves, murderers, liars, adulterers; etc make up 99 percent of those who claim to be born again in our world today. They do not even know what it means to be born again. They confess and repent today and drink the blood of the innocent tomorrow. However that is a different topic for a different day. But Bishop I want to set my house in order. I have been trying to do that for years but I do not know if I am going about it the right way. How can I set my house in order? The first step is to make the decision that you really need a second chance in life; because it is a matter personal choice. No one can make that decision for you because in His wisdom and fairness give you the will to choose how you want to live your time on earth. He does not influence it in any way but created you in such a way that if you really wants to know right from wrong, you will.

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Many times we choose to serve God when we are in difficult situations but when the situation goes away we forget about all we said while praying. A few day back as I watch the world cup soccer match I was horrify with the deceit of humans. Before the game started a particular team made me very proud when they began with prayers; during the first half time they played to a goalless draw and again prayed, but God heard their prayers and they score a single goal defeating the game. To my horror they were rejoicing so much that they forgot to pray again. They had forgotten about God who they cried to when things were rough. We must make a decision if we are to get another chance to make things right; for at last count our houses are in total disarray and our faith is very thin. Many followers of the Most Highest God saw the importance of making a decision and urge us to take this step. It is not easy to come to that point and it can be very painful at times. It can be as painful as a woman carrying a child in her belly nine months and a few hours before birth. Why do I say so? You have been used to the old ways of life; the sex, drugs, alcohol, exploitations, abuses and have developed certain love for them. Saying goodbye to them is like a woman in labour; for after that day if you actually made a decision to get a second chance; you will leave the behind you forever and become a new person. Paul describes it as being babes again and that is very true because it means taking on a hold new way of life.

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But is it profitable to set your house in order? Listen to what these friends of mine have to say about this topic. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live”(Deut.30:19) "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”(Joshua 24:15) "And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;”(1Sam.1220) "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”(1Kings 18:21) So as you can see my dear friend your decision counts a lot in the eyes of Heaven. It is vital first step to a second chance in life; for whichever way you decide to go there will be some consequences. The Bible compares the road to God to a narrow road. Do you know why?

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The reason is because many are the things that the Devil has laid in our way to attract us from God and the vast majority of those living on earth have accepted these things as a part of life. If you must get a second chance it means painfully allowing ourselves to reject those things we once adored. Satan and those beautiful things leads to eternal death and hell but choosing the path of God gives you a second chance to make things right; and if you do make things right than life everlasting becomes yours even after death. Yes making a decision is vital but you need to take the second step if you must implement the decision you made. You must have the courage to confess your decision out aloud to the entire world and close your ears to those agents of darkness whom the Devil wants to use to distract you from your decision. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at the word courage a little from the Biblical perspective; for with out it your detractors will soon find a means to punch holes in your decision to leave them and start a new life. They will tease you, make jokes of you, and tempt you as best as you can, but you must be strong if you must go to the next stage. Abraham had this very same decision to make years ago. He had been brought up in a idolatry home where they profit from making idols. It was a good way of life for them and they did not lack much; but the day came when Abraham decided to break away from this way of life and benefit from a second chance with God.

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He had never been out of his father’s house before and did not know in advance where this new life would take him. He needed courage to venture out in the wild after what he did not even understand. (Gen.12:1-9) I love to talk about the courage of Abraham because the things he went through I really wonder if most of us could have the courage to do the same. However his courage taught us great lessons and like I said before choosing the narrow road can sometimes be as painful as a woman in labour. I wonder many times how did Abraham feel when God asked him to take his only child that had taken him many years to conceive and sacrifice him on an Altar to him? I have asked myself if he slept that night or even inform his wife; or maybe he just bore that pain alone, not question God motive but trusting His Words and promises for his life. What would have been your answer to God if you were in his place? Would you have condemned God as a bloodthirsty God? Would you have argued and try to convince Him that He was wrong? It’s so easy to talk about now; but the reality was much, much difficult. (Gen 22:1-14) The fact the Abraham dealt with it proves to us that we also can build the courage we need to endure any situation and in this case leave the old way of life behind for the new. It is written: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” ( 2 Tim 1:7) Other men like Gideon understood this when he took the bold action to destroyed the altar of Baal; according to divine instruction.

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He did not hesitate once he knew it would give them a second chance to make things right with God. (Judges 6:25-31) In seeking for a second chance to make things right; Ezra undertook a perilous journey from Babylonto Palestine. (Ezra 8:22-23). Courage my friend is very vital in taking the second step for God. Sometimes it is easier to just wallow in sin but the end is eternal destruction. If you must stand against all odds and take the next step; then courage is what you need. Satan works in many ways and can use various means to distract you from the truth. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprise to see him in your Leaders. He uses them to implement his evil plans and if you are not firm and have the courage to take a major step and disagree publicly with evil decisions; it will always go the way of Satan. However if you stand firm and brave, the Lord backs you and protects you as you defeat him in his own battle. There are three examples in the Bible that I want to remind you about because I am sure you read or heard about one or all of them before; however it might not have been related to getting a second chance from God. The first can be found in the book of Daniel (3:16-18); where three Hebrew boys who were captives (because their people had disobeyed God and followed strange gods and committed other sins; and God allowed them to be taken captives.) refusing to bow down to the image of (Satan worship) Nebuchadnezzar. The second can be found in the book of Acts (4:19; 5:29)

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Where Peter and John refuse to obey men rather than God and the last act of courage I want us to take note of is again from the book of Daniel (6:19) where Daniel persisted in praying to God regardless of the Edict(law) against praying passed by the Government ; of which he was a part. I am sure these are more than enough to show you that you have the power to withstand any opposition against your taking a major step in order to get a second chance to make things right with God. Summon the courage my Dear friend to take that step that will grant you a second chance to make it right with God. Be brave and confess your sins and repent of your evil ways. The fact is many of you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know how to confess your sins. It does not mean simply acknowledging your sins and pronouncing to the public that you have sinned in your thoughts, words, or deeds. It goes way beyond that, my friend; it means that first of all deep within you; you are convicted of your sins and you want a second chance to make them right. What does it actually means to be convicted of your sin? It means that you admit first to yourself that you have been wrong all the while; that you have been treading on the wrong path and you need a second chance to make things right. Sometimes it comes from the social structure of the system that you live within; or traditions lay down by your forefathers that had been practice by countless of generations before you Because of these reasons you accepted that way of life as right.

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In the book of Acts ; (16:30) we see the Philippian jailer who had been made to understand that Paul and Silas were preaching lies and doing things through magical powers and the system he lived in was perfect; therefore these evil men were not worthy of being treated as normal men but as criminals. Well when the chance presented itself for them to escape (and in his case or yours, you would have taken the chance to run away) ; they remained there ; for if they had run it would have meant death to the jailer. Right there the jailer was convicted that indeed he and the entire system was wrong and confessed: "…. Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) . Another good example of conviction is that time when Paul like most people today who feel they are doing the right thing because the system requires it done that way or because members of the same profession are living comfortable, well respected, and politically connected; met Jesus on the road to Damascus and realized that them system was wrong altogether about Jesus Christ. He was instantly convicted and sought a second chance to make things right. To his dying day he still felt he had not done enough to pay for his miscalculation but at least he could go in peace because he confessed that he had in his own weak ways set his house in order with these words: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” ( 2 Tim 4:7) How many today can say with out a doubt in their minds that they have set their houses in order and are prepared any hour the LORD calls them ?

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You see; Paul could use these words because at the time of his personal conviction and the fact he agreed that he and the system of the day was wrong and even though it was not an easy journey , (sometimes it was painful ,he was beaten, jailed, etc) he stuck to it to his dying day. I could on and on but conviction is not an end in itself. There are those who are convicted today and go back to their old ways of doing things because they were not convicted from their hearts but circumstances force them; like many today, and when the cloud lifted they returned to their old ways of doing things. I can speak about Pharaoh who was convicted after the plague of the hail (Ex 9:27,28)the plague of locusts (Ex 10:16,17) and the death of the firstborn (Ex 12:31). Oh Yes, I can speak of the children of Israel who were convicted after being rebuked and punished for worshiping the golden calf (Ex 33:4). The all were convicted when circumstances choked them and they had no where to run; therefore they confessed; but when the cloud lifted they returned to their old ways of evil. My Dear Friend, do I see you in this category? Is this the case for you sometimes? Listen carefully; you can still clean up the dirt in the corners of your house and get a second chance before it is too late. I say this to you because you are wasting your precious time fooling yourselves; thinking that you are fooling God with your empty confessions.

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If you must gain entry to the corridors of those who set their houses in order; I tell you the truth; you must mean every word you confessed to yourself and publicly. Listen to these men of God who were convicted of their sins. Oh yes; they reduced themselves to the nothing that they really were, worthless dust, seeking help to be something in the eyes of God. "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.” (Job 40:4-5) "For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed” (Ps.31:10) "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isa 6:5) "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death” (Lam 1:20)

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But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity. All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.” (Eze 7:16-18;25-26) "

"They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.” (Mic 7:17) "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8) "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Acts 9:6)

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"But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.â&#x20AC;? (1Cor 14:20-25)

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GOD DOING BY: DAISY JACKSON

KNOWS

WHAT

HE'S

Sometimes we feel blindsided by life. We're just going along feeling good, looking good and things are going well, then seemingly out of nowhere, WHAM! It happens! Job can tell you all about that. He couldn't understand why he, of all people, had to go through what he went through. Not to that extent, but I can identify. I know many of you can too. I believe I can safely say, God is always at work in our lives, and the things He allows are for strengthening and maturing us for what He's bringing us to! We can't enter in with the wrong mindset! We can't process the significance of God's plan without the steps it takes to get to our destined place. We have to know God personally, like Job had to learn. All suffering is not just bad and cause to delay our life's ambitions. The Psalmist wrote "My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees." (NLT Psalm 119:71) When things are going right in our eyes, we often don't see clearly what we need to see. We sometimes begin to think we had something to do with the place of grace we find ourselves in.

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For our own good, God will orchestrate ot allow adversity to bring us into RIGHT focus! God's plan for us has not changed. It remains the same since the beginning. Thank God when He brings you to a place where you Must depend on Him and not man. It's for your greater good. Thank Him because He remembers the good work He began in you and He is determined to complete it! GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING!

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