Man's weakness is a showcase for God's strength.
- Charles F. Stanley
Monday, 9 August 2010
Sunday, 8 August 2010
The Truth About Yoga
'The PraiseMoves program utilizes gentle stretches that correlate with Scripture verses. There's "The Eagle" stretch, where the arms are pulled back to resemble a bird in flight. While students hold this stretch, Laurette reads Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles" (NKJV). Other stretches include "The Angel" (Psalm 91:11), "The Rainbow" (Genesis 9:16), and "The Altar" (Romans 12:1). At each session's end, students are asked to prayerfully consider a verse from the Bible, or to spend some quiet time expressing gratitude to God.' - davidicke.com
Saturday, 7 August 2010
The Man With Three Huts
I heard a story about a man who was stranded on an island for some years and when he was rescued they found that he built three huts. The rescuers asked him why he built three huts. The man replied, "The first one is my home and the second one is my church." "But what about the third one?" they asked. He said, "Oh, that was my old church."
Even we can get sick of our selves sometimes. My friend told me about this American friend of hers who sold all that he had to move to China. He sold his flat in New York, his car and all that he owned to start a new life half across the world in Beijing. She tells me that he is always complaining about the people in Beijing and from all over the world. He travelled all over Europe and couldn't be satisfied where he was. The reason he moved, he says, is that he was sick of the people. He has no friends, he moved to Beijing for a girl, and after two years they broke up because he was complaining too much and unpleasant to be around. Today he still lives in Beijing.
No matter where this man lives, he will always be unhappy. The reason I am sharing this story is because it has great irony to why he is really unhappy. Like the man with the three huts, this former New Yorker moves to the next hut when he finds something he doesn't like, and he focuses on that and magnifies it to the point that he blame it for his unhappiness on that instead of himself.
A lot of people ten to hold onto something that they don't like about themselves. That builds into hatred. They have problems with other people. They can't have a good relationship with anyone unless that person is absolutely opposite of them. They are afraid to confess their sin with someone else, afraid that they may be exposed for who they really are.
Have you every noticed that most people would remember you for something you did in the past a long time ago and they would just look at you as that person? They identify you for what you had done. A person might remember something you did when you were eighteen and label you that way.
Instead we should look at a person for who they are, and not what they have done.
The world needs us to be examples of Jesus. Though many unbelievers will tell us that Christians are the problem why they won't believe in Him. We all come short of displaying God's love or even loving God back whole heartedly. We get angry at the ones who we see ourselves in, and we keep inside the lies. Satan loves it when we keep our secrets and lies inside because a lie will grow inside where no one can see and eventually spawn up hate. We must confess our sins to each other and not be afraid of exposing our true selves. We are not perfect. When we share our sins with each other, the weight will be lifted off and we can enjoy God's love. The freedom from the guilt and shame by confessing to each other will not only bring you so much joy and peace, but your sins will be crushed, and your relationships will grow. This is how we can train ourselves to be more in the likeness of Jesus.
Even we can get sick of our selves sometimes. My friend told me about this American friend of hers who sold all that he had to move to China. He sold his flat in New York, his car and all that he owned to start a new life half across the world in Beijing. She tells me that he is always complaining about the people in Beijing and from all over the world. He travelled all over Europe and couldn't be satisfied where he was. The reason he moved, he says, is that he was sick of the people. He has no friends, he moved to Beijing for a girl, and after two years they broke up because he was complaining too much and unpleasant to be around. Today he still lives in Beijing.
No matter where this man lives, he will always be unhappy. The reason I am sharing this story is because it has great irony to why he is really unhappy. Like the man with the three huts, this former New Yorker moves to the next hut when he finds something he doesn't like, and he focuses on that and magnifies it to the point that he blame it for his unhappiness on that instead of himself.
A lot of people ten to hold onto something that they don't like about themselves. That builds into hatred. They have problems with other people. They can't have a good relationship with anyone unless that person is absolutely opposite of them. They are afraid to confess their sin with someone else, afraid that they may be exposed for who they really are.
Have you every noticed that most people would remember you for something you did in the past a long time ago and they would just look at you as that person? They identify you for what you had done. A person might remember something you did when you were eighteen and label you that way.
Instead we should look at a person for who they are, and not what they have done.
The world needs us to be examples of Jesus. Though many unbelievers will tell us that Christians are the problem why they won't believe in Him. We all come short of displaying God's love or even loving God back whole heartedly. We get angry at the ones who we see ourselves in, and we keep inside the lies. Satan loves it when we keep our secrets and lies inside because a lie will grow inside where no one can see and eventually spawn up hate. We must confess our sins to each other and not be afraid of exposing our true selves. We are not perfect. When we share our sins with each other, the weight will be lifted off and we can enjoy God's love. The freedom from the guilt and shame by confessing to each other will not only bring you so much joy and peace, but your sins will be crushed, and your relationships will grow. This is how we can train ourselves to be more in the likeness of Jesus.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
There Is A God and Why It Matters
Christopher Neiswonger 04 August at 15:59
Christopher Neiswonger in a special presentation at the global center of one of the world's largest non-governmental relief, development and advocacy organizations on why the existence of God has an important place in our thoughts about human rights and international development.
http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=524%3Athere-is-a-god-and-why-it-matters&catid=43%3Akkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
"Why do we need to defend “the existence of God” and relatedly the existence of this one specific God as opposed to one of the many other deities? Two reasons: Truth and Goodness. Having the wrong God or no God at all will tend bring about, as it's normal consequence, violations of human rights, the repression of peoples on the basis of race, nationality and gender, the objectification and evaluation of people on the basis of utility which manifests itself in slavery, human trafficking, genocide, and the devaluation and commodification of children. Making ourselves into animals, or less than animals, carries within itself every kind of misery. These things are always looking for an opportunity to manifest themselves in the very worst that humanity has to offer and the denial of objectives goods and the inherent dignity and value of Man as a creation in the image of God, rather than an accident of the mindless universe, is usually at its center."
Christopher Neiswonger in a special presentation at the global center of one of the world's largest non-governmental relief, development and advocacy organizations on why the existence of God has an important place in our thoughts about human rights and international development.
http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=524%3Athere-is-a-god-and-why-it-matters&catid=43%3Akkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
"Why do we need to defend “the existence of God” and relatedly the existence of this one specific God as opposed to one of the many other deities? Two reasons: Truth and Goodness. Having the wrong God or no God at all will tend bring about, as it's normal consequence, violations of human rights, the repression of peoples on the basis of race, nationality and gender, the objectification and evaluation of people on the basis of utility which manifests itself in slavery, human trafficking, genocide, and the devaluation and commodification of children. Making ourselves into animals, or less than animals, carries within itself every kind of misery. These things are always looking for an opportunity to manifest themselves in the very worst that humanity has to offer and the denial of objectives goods and the inherent dignity and value of Man as a creation in the image of God, rather than an accident of the mindless universe, is usually at its center."
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Have You Been Stealing Promises?
by Greg Koukl, STR.org
When I was a new believer in the 70s, part of the standard “gear” for Jesus Movement Christians was a dog-eared paperback copy of The Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book.
It seemed like a sensational idea at the time, collect God’s promises, and then cash them in as needed. Now, nearly 40 years later—though the promises of God are no less “precious and magnificent” (2 Peter 1:4)—I think twice when people claim them.
Promises are frequently abused, in many cases by people who should know better. A promise not carefully tethered to the details of the text becomes an empty exercise of relativistic wishful thinking.
Knowledge—“an accurately informed mind”—is the first characteristic of a good ambassador. Ambassadors need to get the content of the message right before they can accurately pass it on to others. Since everything we offer on God’s behalf consists of promises of some sort, mistakes here really matter.
A biblical promise is a binding pledge from God to do—or not do—something specific. If the promise is made to you, you have a right to expect God to keep His word. If you are not the rightful owner, though, you may not lay claim to it. It is pointless to expropriate promises made to another, and can lead to disappointment and discouragement.
But how do you know if you are the fortunate beneficiary? You find out by looking closely at the details of the promise itself and applying two simple principles.
The correct meaning of any biblical passage is the meaning the author had in mind when he wrote it. A promise is only a promise when it is used as its maker intended. We discover that intention by paying attention to the specifics—the words, the conditions, the recipient, the timing, the historical setting—the details that make up the context of the promise.
The process can be organized into steps by asking (and answering) four questions: Who?, What?, Why?, and When?*
Who?—Identify the particular person or people the promise is made to. The promise may be for a specific individual, for a group, or for anyone. Ask, Am I that person? If the promise is to a group (e.g. Jews, Christians) ask, Am I part of the group?
What?—Zero in on the particulars of the promise. Specify what the promise actually commits to. Ask, What will happen (or not happen) when the promise is fulfilled?
Why?—Why will the promise be fulfilled, that is, what must happen first? Note the conditions or requirements the promise hinges on, often signaled by an if/then clause. Ask, Do I meet the requirements?
When?—This is the promise time. The promise may be for a particular time (“…at this time next year …“) or for an unspecified time. Ask the question, What is the time of the promise, if any?
We can only legitimately claim a biblical promise if it is rightfully ours. If the promise is for us, and we have satisfied the conditions, and the promise is for our time, then we can count on God to keep His word.
If not, then we must leave the promise to its rightful owner and profit from the text by learning what we can from God’s faithful dealings with them.
When I was a new believer in the 70s, part of the standard “gear” for Jesus Movement Christians was a dog-eared paperback copy of The Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book.
It seemed like a sensational idea at the time, collect God’s promises, and then cash them in as needed. Now, nearly 40 years later—though the promises of God are no less “precious and magnificent” (2 Peter 1:4)—I think twice when people claim them.
Promises are frequently abused, in many cases by people who should know better. A promise not carefully tethered to the details of the text becomes an empty exercise of relativistic wishful thinking.
Knowledge—“an accurately informed mind”—is the first characteristic of a good ambassador. Ambassadors need to get the content of the message right before they can accurately pass it on to others. Since everything we offer on God’s behalf consists of promises of some sort, mistakes here really matter.
A biblical promise is a binding pledge from God to do—or not do—something specific. If the promise is made to you, you have a right to expect God to keep His word. If you are not the rightful owner, though, you may not lay claim to it. It is pointless to expropriate promises made to another, and can lead to disappointment and discouragement.
But how do you know if you are the fortunate beneficiary? You find out by looking closely at the details of the promise itself and applying two simple principles.
The correct meaning of any biblical passage is the meaning the author had in mind when he wrote it. A promise is only a promise when it is used as its maker intended. We discover that intention by paying attention to the specifics—the words, the conditions, the recipient, the timing, the historical setting—the details that make up the context of the promise.
The process can be organized into steps by asking (and answering) four questions: Who?, What?, Why?, and When?*
Who?—Identify the particular person or people the promise is made to. The promise may be for a specific individual, for a group, or for anyone. Ask, Am I that person? If the promise is to a group (e.g. Jews, Christians) ask, Am I part of the group?
What?—Zero in on the particulars of the promise. Specify what the promise actually commits to. Ask, What will happen (or not happen) when the promise is fulfilled?
Why?—Why will the promise be fulfilled, that is, what must happen first? Note the conditions or requirements the promise hinges on, often signaled by an if/then clause. Ask, Do I meet the requirements?
When?—This is the promise time. The promise may be for a particular time (“…at this time next year …“) or for an unspecified time. Ask the question, What is the time of the promise, if any?
We can only legitimately claim a biblical promise if it is rightfully ours. If the promise is for us, and we have satisfied the conditions, and the promise is for our time, then we can count on God to keep His word.
If not, then we must leave the promise to its rightful owner and profit from the text by learning what we can from God’s faithful dealings with them.
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