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Promises from God are met with "...He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature..." - 2 Pet. 1:4contradiction in the natural realm. God is announcing a reality to you that will most likely appear very distant and disconnected from your present situation. God's promises are prophetic glimpses of the realities He wants to release into and through your life. Promises Call You to PULL TOMORROW INTO TODAY. Promises will always contradict your present circumstances because God wants you to collaborate with Him, through faith, to bring His promised reality into the present, so that His will can be done. The Word of the Lord places a demand on your life. Will you adjust everything—your habits, your thought processes, your relationships, your pursuits—according to the promise you received, or will you continue with "life as normal?" Normal will never be invaded by the supernatural as long as we are content to continue with status quo rather than accommodate the promises of God. 1 Thessalonians 1:5, "For our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake." The message of Good News, "the Gospel," is followed by the reality of God's goodness being demonstrated in people's lives. For then, the reality of God's glory is touching people physically; bringing healing, restoration, and health in dramatic ways that cause people to "stand in awe." -- those who don't know God are struck with a healthy fear of God, conviction of sin and the need to come to a place of salvation. Acts 26:24-25 - Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" But he (Paul) said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason." The words "beside yourself" mean to rave as a maniac, and it's the idea of incessant craving. Festus accused Paul of being crazy. Modern culture is not drawn to Christianity because the little they are exposed to is not extreme enough for them. What the world really wants to see is a Christian who is totally enthralled with who Jesus is. Our spiritual learning shouldn't be just systematic theology books but a distinguishable crazy love that goes public. AFFIRMATION: I won't give up, let up, or shut up until I get others to get up, rise up, and take up all who Christ wants them to be! 2 Corinthians 5:13 - "If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit." NLT One of the great men of God of the sixteenth century, Francis Xavier, charged the apathetic European students of his day to "give up your small ambitions and come and preach the Gospel of Christ." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Revelations 4:6,8 - "In the center and around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within." THE MANY "EYES" REPRESENT THE OPEN, ALL-INCLUSIVE VISION THAT IS THE RESULT OF BEING IN GOD'S PRESENCE. THESE "LIVING CREATURES" ARE SYMBOLS OF THE LIFE ONE FINDS AS HE ABIDES IN GOD'S PRESENCE. IN HIM, OUR EYES CAN THINK: THEY SEE WITH DISCERNMENT AND UNDERSTANDING. THE MIND OF CHRIST FUSES WITH OUR VISION, REVEALING WHAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE SEEN BY THE NARROWNESS OF OUR PERCEPTION; WE SEE "IN FRONT AND BEHIND" OUR VISION ALSO COMES FROM THE "CENTER OF THE THRONE." NOT ONLY DO WE SEE DISTANT SPIRITUAL REALITIES BUT WE ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO PENETRATE AND SEARCH THE DEPTHS OF GOD HIMSELF. 1 Corinthians 2:10 - "God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God." John 17:16,17 - "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." LIFE, AS WE PERCEIVE IT, IS BASED UPON WHATEVER NETWORK OF THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS WE ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWING TO GOVERN OUR SOULS. ON THE OTHER HAND, GOD DEFINES REALITY AS THE "TRUTH" FOUND IN HIS WORD. FOR US TO TRAVEL FROM OUR WORLD INTO THE REALITY OF GOD, WE MUST VIEW JESUS' WORDS AS DOORS THROUGH WHICH WE ENTER GOD'S ETERNAL KINGDOM. IN THE COMBINED MEANING OF ALL JESUS TAUGHT, WE FIND THE REALITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. VICTORY COMES WHEN WE LINE OURSELVES UP TO THE REALITY OF GOD'S LIFE. John 3:3 - "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." What does it mean to "see" the kingdom of God? Jesus urged us to do an about-face in our approach to reality because His Kingdom is at hand. He brought His world with Him, and it's within our reach. He wants us to see reality from God's perspective, to learn to live "from" His world "towards" the visible world. But we have to change the way we think if we want to apprehend the Kingdom power that is available. Jesus was saying that when our minds are renewed, we will see the Kingdom displayed and proven as He did in His earthly ministry. His reality - is to raise up a delegated group of people who work with Him to destroy the works of the devil, who demonstrate and prove the will of God here on earth as it is in heaven. Affirmations: I HAVE AN UNRELENTING HUNGER TO WATCH THE KINGDOM BREAK INTO THIS REALM. I BECOME A CONNECTING POINT AND GATEWAY FOR GOD'S POWER. I AM A C0-LABORER WITH JESUS IN THE GREAT COMMISSION. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY 0

Matthew 6:13 - "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HIS POSSESSION, WHICH IS WHY HE ALONE CAN GIVE IT TO US. WHEN WE DECLARE THAT REALITY WE MOVE INTO DECLARATIONS OF PRAISE! THE LORD'S PRAYER HAS TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES: (1) MINISTER TO GOD OUT OF AN INTIMATE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP; AND, (2) BRING THE REALITY OF HIS RULERSHIP (THE KINGDOM) TO EARTH. Ephesians 2:6 - "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." When Jesus decided to multiply the bread, He did not do it for just a few friends, He waited until He had a crowd of 5000! When He turned the water into wine He did not just make a few bottles - He made about 120 gallons! He was trying to show His disciples how to think big. There was no way that they could exhaust heaven's supply of bread or wine. All of the things that overwhelm our thinking each day would not even be able to register as a thought if we were truly seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Affirmations: MY FUTURE IS BIGGER THAN MY GREATEST THOUGHTS CAN YET COMPREHEND. JESUS CAME TO SHOW ME HOW TO START THINKING FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE IN HEAVEN. Psalm 115:8 - "They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them." IF OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD IS NOT CHARGED WITH THE LIFE AND POWER OF GOD, MERE KNOWLEDGE BECOMES AN IDOL IN OUR MINDS. IT IS EASY FOR US TO HAVE IDEAS AND IMAGES OF GOD THAT ARE UNTRUE, WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD REMOVE IF WE WOULD LET HIM. THE POWER OF CHRIST'S LIFE IS FILTERED AND PROPORTIONALLY DIMINISHED BY THE NUMBER OF THESE WRONG IMAGES EXISTING WITHIN US. Matthew 24:4 - "Jesus answered them, 'Be careful that no one misleads you (deceiving you and leading you into error).'" ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Matthew 6:13 - "But deliver us from evil." THE WORD "EVIL" REPRESENTS THE ENTIRE CURSE OF SIN UPON MAN. "PONEROS", THE GREEK WORD FOR EVIL, CAME FROM THE WORD "PONOS," MEANING PAIN. AND THAT WORD CAME FROM THE ROOT WORD "PENES," MEANING POOR. To Summarize: EVIL-SIN, PAIN (SICKNESS), AND POOR (POVERTY). JESUS DESTROYED THE POWER OF SIN, SICKNESS, AND POVERTY THROUGH HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK ON THE CROSS. Psalm 23:4,5 - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over." OBSERVATION: Because God is with me, every adversity I face will unfold in victory as I maintain my faith in God! The battle I am in will soon become a meal to me, an experience that will nourish and build me up spiritually. John 13:8 -- Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Once we have received Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are bathed all over, and cleansed by His blood once and for all eternity! His blood has perfected us forever (Hebrews 10:14), and we only need to wash our feet because we walk in the world and our feet pick up dust and dirt, causing us to stumble. Ephesians 5:25-26 tells us that "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word." We, the church, are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word. The more we come under anointed teaching that unveils Christ through the Word, the more the cleansing goes on. And as our feet are washed, instead of stumbling, we will be walking and even running! Affirmation: I LET JESUS WASH MY FEET WITH A DEEPER REVELATION OF HIMSELF THROUGH HIS WORD. John 3:6 - "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Observation: IF I AM TRYING TO DEAL WITH GOD OUT OF MY HEAD OR OUT OF MY FEELINGS, THEN WHAT I AM DOING IS TRYING TO DEAL WITH GOD OUT OF MY FLESH. John 4:24 - "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

1 John 2:20 - "But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things." Observation: WHERE IS THAT UNCTION? - IT'S IN MY SPIRIT. I LEARN TO LIVE OUT OF MY SPIRIT IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE. I EVEN NEED TO LIVE OUT OF MY SPIRIT WHEN I'M LEARNING ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS. I LET MY SPIRIT MAN RISE UP AND LET MY TONGUE SPEAK IN LINE WITH MY HEART, WITH MY BELIEVING. THE WAY I LOOSE THE SPIRIT OF GOD INTO MY LIFE IS THROUGH MY WORDS - THROUGH MY RIGHT SPEAKING. John 4:24 - "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. So God will allow them to believe a deluding influence with all their hearts, and all of them will be justly judged for believing falsehood, refusing the Truth, and enjoying their sins." The freedom that comes from knowing the truth is freedom from sin and its consequences. For those who do not love the truth, God allows a "deluding influence" (Greek: An "Activity of error") to come upon them. Each area of our lives where truth is not ruling has for its substitute an "activity of error." Each area of our lives that is controlled by sin is an aspect of our soul that is under deception. John 8: 31,32 - "If you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 2 Corinthians 10:5 - "We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience...." Nothing is to hinder the seed of DESTINY God has planted in us. We are to breakout of small mindedness (unforgiveness), old mind-sets, and human thinking and enter into the MIND AND PLANS OF GOD FOR OUR LIVES. It is only our lack of failure to obey that hinders the breakout. Affirmations: I CONFESS THAT I WALK IN FORGIVENESS! OFFENSE, BITTERNESS, STRIFE, AND UNFORGIVENESS HAVE NO PLACE IN MY LIFE. I AM FULL OF MERCY, LONGSUFFERING, AND SLOW TO ANGER. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Gospel is given to all What is gospel? What is the true gospel? What is the true way to accept the gospel? What is the result from Gospel? Is church need gospel or some others? Many questions are raising in new ministers and new believers in hearts People are ignoring the facts in the gospel and facts of the gospel Let us start some detailed discuss in this matter.............

1 Corinthians 2:9 - "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." Observation: CREATIVE ART IS PRODUCED BY THE SOUL (MIND, WILL, AND EMOTIONS) AND CAN ALSO BE CALLED IMAGINATIVE ART. CREATIVE ART CAN CHANGE A PERSON FOR THE SHORT-TERM, BUT IT HAS NO LONG-TERM EFFECT ON ITS VIEWERS. SPIRITUAL ART FLOWS FROM OUR SPIRIT'S COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRIT THEN USES THE SOUL AND BODY TO PRODUCE INCREDIBLE WORK. TOO OFTEN WE HAVE SETTLED FOR CREATING FROM OUR SOUL OR BODY WHEN A HIGHER CALL HAS BEEN TRYING TO REACH US. MAY WE LEARN TO CREATE FROM OUR SPIRIT, SEEING SPIRITUAL FRUIT THAT COMES FROM OUR ENDEAVORS. Ephesians 3:19 - "That you may really come to know through experience for yourselves the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience): that you may be filled (through your whole being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself)." THE ANCIENT GREEKS HAD NO WORD FOR "REALITY." TO THEM, "TRUTH" AND "REALITY," IN ESSENCE, WERE THE SAME. INDEED, THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PURPOSE IS TO LEAD US INTO ALL THE TRUTH, THAT IS, INTO THE FULNESS OF THE REALITY OF GOD. PETER DID NOT SUCCUMB UNDER THE CONVICTING POWER OF "RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE" - HE MET THE REALITY OF JESUS CHRIST! ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, PAUL WAS NOT BLINDED AND DEVASTATED BY A "NEW DOCTRINE" - HE MET THE REALITY OF JESUS CHRIST! WHEN JOHN BEHELD OUR GLORIFIED LORD ON PATMOS, IT WAS NOT A "NEW SPIRITUAL INSIGHT" THAT LEFT HIM SLAIN AS A DEAD MAN -- HE BEHELD JESUS CHRIST! IT IS THIS EXPLOSIVE REVELATION OF CHRIST HIMSELF THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD. "Consider the ROCK from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined." - Isaiah 51:1-2 Our adversary has been busy in an effort to distract us and dull our memory of who we are and Whose we are, where we've come from and where we're going. Religious spirits are experts at getting us to fear things we do not understand, compare ourselves to others, and compete with one another. Even as a child, the enemy tried to subvert or supplant our view of who we are and replace it with a corrupt view of our own self, implanting painful or confusing incidents that changed our perception of ourselves. He brought people into our life who treated us as though we were something we are not. They've released the enemy's poison and venom and seeds of poisonous, corrupt theories of who we are in order to blind us to the reality of who God DESTINED us to be. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Hi all! I'm doing some research on light and darkness. In particular, I'm looking at how as Christians we can enter the dark and not realise we are there until it's too late. The devil is sneaky and draws us in by attacking our strengths, or playing on our insecurities or help us to fill a godly desire in an ungodly way. I'm wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this or any experiences of being drawn into the dark and/or the struggle of coming out of the dark? I'm really interested to hear all stories and happy to start a discussion:) Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Peace & Blessings Kags

1 Corinthians 15:24 - "Then the end will come; Christ will overcome all spiritual rulers, authorities, and powers, and hand over the Kingdom to God the Father." THIS IS THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST -- WHAT HE CONQUERS, HE THEN SURRENDERS. IN HUMILITY ABRAHAM TAKES ISAAC, AND OFFERS HIM BACK TO GOD. DAVID CONQUERS JERUSALEM, THEN DEDICATES IT TO THE LORD, CALLING IT THE "CITY OF GOD". WHAT WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH THROUGH FAITH WE NOW OFFER BACK TO GOD. John 16:13 - "However, when He comes who is the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but will tell only what He hears; and He will make known to you the things that are coming." The deep things of God are known only to Him, but are revealed to us through His Spirit. That is the promise of 1 Corinthians 2. Indisputably, our great desire is to soar in the Spirit and obtain revelations of God's nature, power, strategy, and insight. However, to best accommodate this great privilege, we must be firmly "rooted and grounded" in Him. We must "Go deep in order to go high!" WE MUST BE: 1. Rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17). 2. Rooted and grounded in faith (Understanding Christ's finished work, who we are in Christ and our inheritance in Christ.) 3. Rooted and grounded in truth (Understanding God's Purpose for our life - our CALLING in Christ.) The more firmly we are grounded, the more capable we become to penetrate Heaven by the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation and embrace insight with understanding. AFFIRMATIONS: I confess that I am led by the Spirit of God! Because I cooperate with Him, I don't waste valuable time, energy, or money, and I don't shed a lot of unnecessary tears. He leads me past every attack: He helps me avoid each strategy of the devil; and He safely guides me to the place where God wants me to be! Song of Solomon 2:11 - "For lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone." YOU COULD HAVE FROZEN FROM THE EXCESSIVE COLD OR BEEN OVERWHELMED BY THE SNOWS AND STORMS OF SINS. INSTEAD, YOU BECOME STRONG DURING THE TIME WHEN YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LORD WITHIN WHILE THE STORMS WERE RAGING WITHOUT. THE COLD HAS DESTROYED ALL THE INSECTS - THAT IS, THINGS THAT WERE FORMERLY ACTIVE IN YOU AND WOULD HAVE DESTROYED YOU. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Revelation 12 7 And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength , and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Science, creation, and truth. We need to reason together, and come to a sound conclusion. I would like to have a discussion about why creation is the truth, while evolution is a lie that must be stopped. As I said in another post, it is a poison and our youth is its victim. Please, let us have a rational debate, and come to a truthful resolution... While I have studied evo vs creation for nearly 10 years, I am by no means an expert in all fields. With that being said, I do know a thing or two about what is going on. I am neither right wing, nor left wing, and I most certainly am not politically correct. I am not racist, and I have no agenda. (Creationists like myself are now called racist because we do not agree with evolutionists, and other...(just type into your browser, 'are creationists racist'?)) I simply see with my eyes, smell with my nose, hear with my ears, taste with my mouth, and feel with my hands. Anything said to me beyond this is your opinion, and one that should be kept to yourself. This is for anyone who wants to know more about evo vs creation.

When you hear the word, "gospel", what do you think about? When I was about 15, I heard the word and didnt understand. First off, my family was Jehovah Witness, and we didnt celebrate anything. So later in life, I heard the words spoken by a "Mormon" and tried to grasp the meaning. For the Mormons, the gospel is their belief system. Since I know that there is nothing true about said religion, one must ignore their meaning, and dive headlong into scripture. So as a young Witness, what did I learn? Nothing much. And that was the sad thing. Yes, I went to school, and didnt have enough credits to graduate, but a few years later, I did get my GED...while I was in prison. Funny, I know, but that is where I received most of my education. How old was I? 24 when I went in, and 10 years later, here I am. But when I turned 29, I started to figure things out. I was not really doing much study until my 4th year in prison, and when I did pick up a book, I was happy. I was learning. Learning about things I never would have. Then, one day, I woke up and said to myself, "I really want to know what that bible is about." That was a few months after I saw the parole board. They had let me out after 3.5 years, and since I didnt agree with my 10 year sentence, I decided to run. But later my brother convinced me to turn myself in, so I did. I was given a one way ticket back to prison to finish my 6.5 years. And to this day, I am grateful. If he would not have asked me to, I would have never come to the understanding that I have now. And that is what I am talking about. This understanding is what the gospel REALLY is. We need to have a PERFECT understanding of it to be "in" Yashua. The death, burial, and resurrection, IS the gospel. That is what was hidden from past generations. Those who came before, didnt have a full understanding of what would take place. They were looking through a dark mirror. But for us, on this side of history, the mirror is clear. How earth shattering, and how important the gospel is. If it werent for the death, burial, and resurrection, we would be without hope. Why is baptism so important? Because it is the gospel. Death, burial, and resurrection. When we are baptized, we die to the old man, and are resurrected into the new man. It is not an outward expression of an inward devotion. Because it is not about show and tell. It is about do and die. The gospel is not only about telling others, but living by example. We MUST be born again. Being born again, is physically living the gospel. And the gospel is death, burial, and resurrection. This is the truth Yashua gave to Nicodemus.

There is SO MUCH proof in the OT that saying things were not fulfilled, is like saying the titanic didnt sink. Let us reason together, and come to a logical conclusion. It is obvious that Yashua, (Jesus) was the embodiment of the OT. In the flesh. But what I am saying is that every law, every thing that was in the OT not only points to Yashua, but was about the messiah. Here is the proof. The first day of the first month, the glory filled the tabernacle after Moses finished building it. 2000 years later, on the same day, first day of the first month, Yashua was baptized, and he was filled with the spirit of the Almighty. Then, he went into the wilderness for 40 days, until he revealed himself. The day he started his ministry, was the 14th day of the second month. That was the same day the manna started in the OT. Then there is the thing about the Amalekites. That was to show that there was going to be "war with the fleshly man/carnal man", from generation to generation. Before this, the baptism, which is the death, burial, and resurrection. That is what baptism is, showing that we have died to the old man, and were buried with Yashua, and rose with him into his resurrection. A new man. The awesome thing that YAH did, was give us a timeline for EVERYTHING the messiah would do. From the time he was baptized, until the time Titus came to destroy the city, and burn the temple. Exodus 12 is the passover. Chapter 13, is the death, 14 is the burial, and 15 is the resurrection. 16 is Miriam, (Mary) praising the death of the rider and his horse. This same thing happened thousands of years later when Mary rejoiced. Remember this when you read revelation next time... Then you read all the way to Joshua when he takes over Jericho, and there you see Titus entering the picture exactly 40 years after the passover. The EXACT same thing happened in Egypt to Joshua entering Jericho. EVERYTHING, including the 1000 years was fulfilled...the proof of the 1000 years is right after Joshua died, and read what happens for the next thousand years with Israel in the OT. Then read history to see what happened in church history, for the first thousand years...It is AMAZING!

http://youtu.be/avORO9UF6Lg

Origins - Evidence For a Young World O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 1 Timothy 6:20 http://youtu.be/tX9eDTNfQHY But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 2 Corinthians 4:3-5 http://youtu.be/Z43s4tx9CxM And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Ephesians 3:9

Jer 10:23 (23) O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Psa 37:23 (23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Rom 8:13-14 (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. all that a man achieves that is good is the direct result of his being led by God's thoughts, and all that he fails to achieve that is good is the direct result of being led by his own thoughts. the flip side - all that a man achieves that is bad is the direct result of his being led his own thoughts, and all that he fails to achieve that is bad is the direct result of being led by God's thoughts.

We all wonder what will happen to us after we die. When a loved one dies, we long to see him or her again after our turn comes. Will we have a glorious reunion with those we love or is death the end of all consciousness? Jesus taught that life does not end after our bodies die. He made this startling claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.” According to the eyewitnesses closest to him, Jesus then demonstrated his power over death by rising from the dead after being crucified and buried for three days. It is this belief that has given hope to Christians for nearly 2000 years. But some people have no hope of life after death. The atheistic philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote, “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my own ego will survive.”1 Russell obviously didn’t believe Jesus’ words. Jesus’ followers wrote that he appeared alive to them after his crucifixion and burial. They claim not only to have seen him but also to have eaten with him, touched him, and spent 40 days with him. So could this have been simply a story that grew over time, or is it based upon solid evidence? The answer to this question is foundational to Christianity. For if Jesus did rise from the dead, it would validate everything he said about himself, about the meaning of life, and about our destiny after death. If Jesus did rise from the dead then he alone would have the answers to what life is about and what is facing us after we die. On the other hand, if the resurrection account of Jesus is not true, then Christianity would be founded upon a lie. Theologian R. C. Sproul puts it this way: Many skeptics have attempted to disprove the resurrection. Josh McDowell was one such skeptic who spent more than seven hundred hours researching the evidence for the resurrection. McDowell stated this regarding the importance of the resurrection: So, is Jesus’ resurrection a fantastic fact or a vicious myth? To find out, we need to look at the evidence of history and draw our own conclusions. Let’s see what skeptics who investigated the resurrection discovered for themselves. Cynics and Skeptics But not everyone is willing to fairly examine the evidence. Bertrand Russell admits his take on Jesus was “not concerned” with historical facts.4 Historian Joseph Campbell, without citing evidence, calmly told his PBS television audience that the resurrection of Jesus is not a factual event.5 Other scholars, such as John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar, agree with him.6 None of these skeptics present any evidence for their views. True skeptics, as opposed to cynics, are interested in evidence. In a Skeptic magazine editorial entitled “What Is a Skeptic?” the following definition is given: “Skepticism is … the application of reason to any and all ideas—no sacred cows allowed. In other words … skeptics do not go into an investigation closed to the possibility that a phenomenon might be real or that a claim might be true. When we say we are “skeptical,” we mean that we must see compelling evidence before we believe.”7 Unlike Russell and Crossan, many true skeptics have investigated the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. In this article we will hear from some of them and see how they analyzed the evidence for what is perhaps the most important question in the history of the human race: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Self-Prophecy In advance of his death, Jesus told his disciples that he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified and that he would come back to life three days later. That’s a strange plan! What was behind it? Jesus was no entertainer willing to perform for others on demand; instead, he promised that his death and resurrection would prove to people (if their minds and hearts were open) that he was indeed the Messiah. Bible scholar Wilbur Smith remarked about Jesus: In other words, since Jesus had clearly told his disciples that he would rise again after his death, failure to keep that promise would expose him as a fraud. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. How did Jesus die before he (if he did) rose again? A Horrific Death and Then. . . ? You know what Jesus’ last hours of earthly life were like if you watched the movie by road warrior/brave heart Mel Gibson. If you missed parts of The Passion of the Christ because you were shielding your eyes (it would have been easier to simply shoot the movie with a red filter on the camera), just flip to the back pages of any Gospel in your New Testament to find out what you missed. As Jesus predicted, he was betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot, and was arrested. In a mock trial under the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, he was convicted of treason and condemned to die on a wooden cross. Prior to being nailed to the cross, Jesus was brutally beaten with a Roman cat-o’-nine-tails, a whip with bits of bone and metal that would rip flesh. He was punched repeatedly, kicked, and spit upon. Then, using mallets, the Roman executioners pounded the heavy wrought-iron nails into Jesus’ wrists and feet. Finally they dropped the cross in a hole in the ground between two other crosses bearing convicted thieves. Jesus hung there for approximately six hours. Then, at 3:00 in the afternoon—that is, at exactly the same time the Passover lamb was being sacrificed as a sin offering (a little symbolism there, you think?)—Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (in Aramaic), and died. Suddenly the sky went dark and an earthquake shook the land.9 Pilate wanted verification that Jesus was dead before allowing his crucified body to be buried. So a Roman guard thrust a spear into Jesus’ side. The mixture of blood and water that flowed out was a clear indication that Jesus was dead. Jesus’ body was then taken down from the cross and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Roman guards next sealed the tomb, and secured it with a 24-hour watch. Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples were in shock. Dr. J. P. Moreland explains how devastated and confused they were after Jesus’ death on the cross. “They no longer had confidence that Jesus had been sent by God. They also had been taught that God would not let his Messiah suffer death. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks.”10 All hope was vanquished. Rome and the Jewish leaders had prevailed—or so it seemed. Something Happened But it wasn’t the end. The Jesus movement did not disappear (obviously), and in fact Christianity exists today as the world’s largest religion. Therefore, we’ve got to know what happened after Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb. In a New York Times article, Peter Steinfels cites the startling events that occurred three days after Jesus’ death: “Shortly after Jesus was executed, his followers were suddenly galvanized from a baffled and cowering group into people whose message about a living Jesus and a coming kingdom, preached at the risk of their lives, eventually changed an empire. Something happened. … But exactly what?”11 That’s the question we have to answer with an investigation into the facts. There are only five plausible explanations for Jesus’ alleged resurrection, as portrayed in the New Testament: Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. The “resurrection” was a conspiracy. The disciples were hallucinating. The account is legendary. It really happened. Let’s work our way through these options and see which one best fits the facts. Was Jesus Dead? “Marley was deader than a doornail, of that there was no doubt.” So begins Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, the author not wanting anyone to be mistaken as to the supernatural character of what is soon to take place. In the same way, before we take on the role of CSI and piece together evidence for a resurrection, we must first establish that there was, in fact, a corpse. After all, occasionally the newspapers will report on some “corpse” in a morgue who was found stirring and recovered. Could something like that have happened with Jesus? Some have proposed that Jesus lived through the crucifixion and was revived by the cool, damp air in the tomb–“Whoa, how long was I out for?” But that theory doesn’t seem to square with the medical evidence. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association explains why this so-called “swoon theory” is untenable: “Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicated that Jesus was dead. … The spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung, but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured His death.”12 But skepticism of this verdict may be in order, as this case has been cold for 2,000 years. At the very least, we need a second opinion. One place to find that is in the reports of non-Christian historians from around the time when Jesus lived. Three of these historians mentioned the death of Jesus. Lucian (c.120–after 180 A.D. referred to Jesus as a crucified sophist (philosopher).13 Josephus (c.37–c.100 A.D.) wrote, “At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, for he was a doer of amazing deeds. When Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us, having accused him, those who loved him did not cease to do so.”14 Tacitus (c. 56–c.120 A.D.) wrote, “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty … at the hands of our procurator, Pontius Pilate.”15 This is a bit like going into the archives and finding that on one spring day in the first century, The Jerusalem Postran a front-page story saying that Jesus was crucified and dead. Not bad detective work, and fairly conclusive. In fact, there is no historical account from Christians, Romans, or Jews that disputes either Jesus’ death or his burial. Even Crossan, a skeptic of the resurrection, agrees that Jesus really lived and died. “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be.”16 In light of such evidence, we seem to be on good grounds for dismissing the first of our five options. Jesus was clearly dead, “of that there was no doubt.” The Matter of An Empty Tomb No serious historian really doubts Jesus was dead when he was taken down from the cross. However, many have questioned how Jesus’ body disappeared from the tomb. English journalist, Dr. Frank Morison. initially thought the resurrection was either a myth or a hoax, and he began research to write a book refuting it.17 The book became famous but for reasons other than its original intent, as we’ll see. Morison began by attempting to solve the case of the empty tomb. The tomb belonged to a member of the Sanhedrin Council, Joseph of Arimathea. In Israel at that time, to be on the council was to be a rock star. Everyone knew who was on the council. Joseph must have been a real person. Otherwise, the Jewish leaders would have exposed the story as a fraud in their attempt to disprove the resurrection. Also, Joseph’s tomb would have been at a well-known location and easily identifiable, so any thoughts of Jesus being “lost in the graveyard” would need to be dismissed. Morison wondered why Jesus’ enemies would have allowed the “empty tomb myth” to persist if it wasn’t true. The discovery of Jesus’ body would have instantly killed the entire plot. And what is known historically of Jesus’ enemies is that they accused Jesus’ disciples of stealing the body, an accusation clearly predicated on a shared belief that the tomb was empty. Dr. Paul L. Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, similarly stated, “If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable … to conclude that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was actually empty on the morning of the first Easter. And no shred of evidence has yet been discovered … that would disprove this statement.”18 The Jewish leaders were stunned, and accused the disciples of stealing Jesus’ body. But the Romans had assigned a 24-hour watch at the tomb with a trained guard unit (from 4 to 12 soldiers). Morison asked, “How could these professionals have let Jesus’ body be vandalized?” It would have been impossible for anyone to have slipped by the Roman guards and to have moved a two-ton stone. Yet the stone was moved away and the body of Jesus was missing. If Jesus’ body was anywhere to be found, his enemies would have quickly exposed the resurrection as a fraud. Tom Anderson, former president of the California Trial Lawyers Association, summarizes the strength of this argument: So, with no body of evidence, and with a known tomb clearly empty, Morison accepted the evidence as solid that Jesus’ body had somehow disappeared from the tomb. Grave Robbing? As Morison continued his investigation, he began to examine the motives of Jesus’ followers. Maybe the supposed resurrection was actually a stolen body. But if so, how does one account for all the reported appearances of a resurrected Jesus? Historian Paul Johnson, in History of the Jews, wrote, “What mattered was not the circumstances of his death but the fact that he was widely and obstinately believed, by an expanding circle of people, to have risen again.”20 The tomb was indeed empty. But it wasn’t the mere absence of a body that could have galvanized Jesus’ followers (especially if they had been the ones who had stolen it). Something extraordinary must have happened, for the followers of Jesus ceased mourning, ceased hiding, and began fearlessly proclaiming that they had seen Jesus alive. Each eyewitness account reports that Jesus suddenly appeared bodily to his followers, the women first. Morison wondered why conspirators would make women central to its plot. In the first century, women had virtually no rights, personhood, or status. If the plot was to succeed, Morison reasoned, the conspirators would have portrayed men, not women, as the first to see Jesus alive. And yet we hear that women touched him, spoke with him, and were the first to find the empty tomb. Later, according to the eyewitness accounts, all the disciples saw Jesus on more than ten separate occasions. They wrote that he showed them his hands and feet and told them to touch him. And he reportedly ate with them and later appeared alive to more than 500 followers on one occasion. Legal scholar John Warwick Montgomery stated, “In 56 A.D. [the Apostle Paul wrote that over 500 people had seen the risen Jesus and that most of them were still alive (1 Corinthians 15:6ff.). It passes the bounds of credibility that the early Christians could have manufactured such a tale and then preached it among those who might easily have refuted it simply by producing the body of Jesus.”21 Bible scholars Geisler and Turek agree. “If the Resurrection had not occurred, why would the Apostle Paul give such a list of supposed eyewitnesses? He would immediately lose all credibility with his Corinthian readers by lying so blatantly.”22 Peter told a crowd in Caesarea why he and the other disciples were so convinced Jesus was alive. We apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him, but God raised him to life three days later….We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. (Acts 10:39-41) British Bible scholar Michael Green remarked, “The appearances of Jesus are as well authenticated as anything in antiquity. … There can be no rational doubt that they occurred.”23 Consistent to the End As if the eyewitness reports were not enough to challenge Morison’s skepticism, he was also baffled by the disciples’ behavior. A fact of history that has stumped historians, psychologists, and skeptics alike is that these 11 former cowards were suddenly willing to suffer humiliation, torture, and death. All but one of Jesus’ disciples were slain as martyrs. Would they have done so much for a lie, knowing they had taken the body? The Islamic martyrs on September 11 proved that some will die for a false cause they believe in. Yet to be a willing martyr for a known lie is insanity. As Paul Little wrote, “Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.”24 Jesus’ disciples behaved in a manner consistent with a genuine belief that their leader was alive. No one has adequately explained why the disciples would have been willing to die for a known lie. But even if they all conspired to lie about Jesus’ resurrection, how could they have kept the conspiracy going for decades without at least one of them selling out for money or position? Moreland wrote, “Those who lie for personal gain do not stick together very long, especially when hardship decreases the benefits.”25 Former “hatchet man” of the Nixon administration, Chuck Colson, implicated in the Watergate scandal, pointed out the difficulty of several people maintaining a lie for an extended period of time. Something happened that changed everything for these men and women. Morison acknowledged, “Whoever comes to this problem has sooner or later to confront a fact that cannot be explained away. … This fact is that … a profound conviction came to the little group of people—a change that attests to the fact that Jesus had risen from the grave.”27Were the Disciples Hallucinating? People still think they see a fat, gray-haired Elvis darting into Dunkin Donuts. And then there are those who believe they spent last night with aliens in the mother ship being subjected to unspeakable testing. Sometimes certain people can “see” things they want to, things that aren’t really there. And that’s why some have claimed that the disciples were so distraught over the crucifixion that their desire to see Jesus alive caused mass hallucination. Plausible? Psychologist Gary Collins, former president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, was asked about the possibility that hallucinations were behind the disciples’ radically changed behavior. Collins remarked, “Hallucinations are individual occurrences. By their very nature, only one person can see a given hallucination at a time. They certainly aren’t something which can be seen by a group of people.”28 Hallucination is not even a remote possibility, according to psychologist Thomas J. Thorburn. “It is absolutely inconceivable that … five hundred persons, of average soundness of mind … should experience all kinds of sensuous impressions—visual, auditory, tactual—and that all these … experiences should rest entirely upon … hallucination.”29 Furthermore, in the psychology of hallucinations, the person would need to be in a frame of mind where they so wished to see that person that their mind contrives it. Two major leaders of the early church, James and Paul, both encountered a resurrected Jesus, neither expecting, or hoping for the pleasure. The Apostle Paul, in fact led the earliest persecutions of Christians, and his conversion remains inexplicable except for his own testimony that Jesus appeared to him, resurrected. From Lie to Legend Some unconvinced skeptics attribute the resurrection story to a legend that began with one or more persons lying or thinking they saw the resurrected Jesus. Over time, the legend would have grown and been embellished as it was passed around. In this theory, Jesus’ resurrection is on a par with King Arthur’s round table, little Georgie Washington’s inability to tell a lie, and the promise that Social Security will be solvent when we need it. But there are three major problems with that theory. Legends rarely develop while multiple eyewitnesses are alive to refute them. One historian of ancient Rome and Greece, A. N. Sherwin-White, argued that the resurrection news spread too soon and too quickly for it to have been a legend. 30 Legends develop by oral tradition and don’t come with contemporary historical documents that can be verified. Yet the Gospels were written within three decades of the resurrection.31 The legend theory doesn’t adequately explain either the fact of the empty tomb or the historically verified conviction of the apostles that Jesus was alive.32 Why Did Christianity Win? Morison was bewildered by the fact that “a tiny insignificant movement was able to prevail over the cunning grip of the Jewish establishment, as well as the might of Rome.” Why did it win, in the face of all those odds against it? He wrote, “Within twenty years, the claim of these Galilean peasants had disrupted the Jewish church. … In less than fifty years it had begun to threaten the peace of the Roman Empire. When we have said everything that can be said … we stand confronted with the greatest mystery of all. Why did it win?”33 By all rights, Christianity should have died out at the cross when the disciples fled for their lives. But the apostles went on to establish a growing Christian movement. J. N. D. Anderson wrote, “Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence—and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication. … That simply wouldn’t make sense.”34 Many scholars believe (in the words of an ancient commentator) that “the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.” Historian Will Durant observed, “Caesar and Christ had met in the arena and Christ had won.”35A Surprise Conclusion With myth, hallucination, and a flawed autopsy ruled out, with incontrovertible evidence for an empty tomb, with a substantial body of eyewitnesses to his reappearance, and with the inexplicable transformation and impact upon the world of those who claimed to have seen him, Morison became convinced that his preconceived bias against Jesus Christ’s resurrection had been wrong. He began writing a different book—entitled Who Moved the Stone?—to detail his new conclusions. Morison simply followed the trail of evidence, clue by clue, until the truth of the case seemed clear to him. His surprise was that the evidence led to a belief in the resurrection. In his first chapter, “The Book That Refused to Be Written,” this former skeptic explained how the evidence convinced him that Jesus’ resurrection was an actual historical event. “It was as though a man set out to cross a forest by a familiar and well-beaten track and came out suddenly where he did not expect to come out.”36 Morison is not alone. Countless other skeptics have examined the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, and accepted it as the most astounding fact in all of human history. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ raises the question: What does the fact that Jesus defeated death have to do with my life? The answer to that question is what New Testament Christianity is all about. Did Jesus Say What Happens After we Die? If Jesus really did rise from the dead, then he alone must know what is on the other side. What did Jesus say about the meaning of life and our future? Are there many ways to God or did Jesus claim to be the only way? Read the startling answers in “Why Jesus.” -from y-Jesus.com

I had once heard a few different people explain this bible scripture, but I would like more opinions. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

Should A Christian Never Associate With Unbelievers? A Short Question Taken From A List Found On About.com Christianity.. This Is Intended For Both The Believer And The Seeker Alike. Believer's Bible Input Is Welcome. Any Sincere Expression And Question From Seekers Should Be (Prayerfully) Salted With Truth And With Love

Can You Trust Everyone In Christian Churches? Are Christian Churches Always Safe Places? A Short Question Taken From A List Found On About.com Christianity.. This Is Intended For Both The Believer And The Seeker Alike. Believer's Bible Input Is Welcome. Any Sincere Expression And Question From Seekers Should Be (Prayerfully) Salted With Truth And With Love.

Are Missionaries And Ministers More Spiritual Than Other Believers? A Short Question Taken From A List Found On About.com Christianity.. This Is Intended For Both The Believer And The Seeker Alike. Believer's Bible Input Is Welcome. Any Sincere Expression And Question From Seekers Should Be (Prayerfully) Salted With Truth And With Love.

The Godmakers (The First Film) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32 http://youtu.be/87Mr0TqrEf8 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 ~ The Godmakers Two (The Second Film) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Deuteronomy 4:2 http://youtu.be/gM4imfc-lf8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:8-11