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An Atheist’s View On Life I will live my life according to these beliefs God does not exist It is just foolish to think That there is a God with a cosmic plan That an all-powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world It’s a comforting thought however Is only wishful...thinking People can do as they please without eternal consequences The idea that I am deserving of Hell Because of sin Is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power The more you have the happier you will be Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose In a world with no God There is freedom to be who I want to be But with God Everything is fine It is ridiculous to think I am lost and in need of saving Versus A Christian’s View On Life (Now…read from bottom to top to see a different view.) I am lost and in need of saving It is ridiculous to think Everything is fine But with God There is freedom to be who I want to be In a world with no God Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose The more you have the happier you will be Is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power Because of sin I am deserving of Hell The idea that People can do as they please without eternal consequences Is only wishful thinking Is a comforting thought, however That an all-powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world That there is a God with a cosmic plan It is just foolish to think God does not exist I will live my life according to these beliefs ~ Author Unknown

Can God create a rock so big even He cannot lift it? A Philosophical Contradiction Framed In Terms Intended To Trap The Feeble Minded And It Has Nothing To Do With The God Of Abraham, Isaac And Jacob http://youtu.be/SollOmnQFoo Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 http://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/167462-logical-contradiction-and-god/?p=1973775

Heidi Baker Brings A Word To Big House Church - Chesapeake, VA. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 http://youtu.be/ZntjhXF42fs

Maker Of The Universe - By Phil Keaggy {media] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17 The Maker of the universe, As Man for man was made a curse. The claims of Law which He had made, Unto the uttermost He paid. His holy fingers made the bough, Which grew the thorns that crowned His brow. The nails that pierced His hands were mined In secret places He designed. He made the forest whence there sprung The tree on which His body hung. He died upon a cross of wood, Yet made the hill on which it stood. The sky that darkened o'er His head, By Him above the earth was spread. The sun that hid from Him it's face By His decree was poised in space. The spear which spilled His precious blood Was tempered in the fires of God. The grave in which His form was laid Was hewn in rocks His hands had made. The throne on which He now appears Was His for everlasting years. But a new glory crowns His brow And every knee to Him shall bow. ~ And A Timely Bonus For Any Who Would Seek The Truth And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19

I was reading a thread where one person opined that God does not cause sickness, that things like heart attacks just happen with age. I did not interject a different opinion, as it might have diverted the threads actual topic, which was not a discussion of the theology of sickness or God's role in things we consider unpleasant. In any case, my mind jumped to the question, is it true that God does not cause sickness? A number of passages came to my mind in vague terms, so I looked them up to see them anew. The first that came to my mind was Exodus 4:11: The LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? while on that same page I noticed this: Exodus 4: 6 The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. and thinking of Moses, I recalled Num 12: 9 : So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Now, we might come up with the idea that these leprosy one are exceptions and I would agree, these were special cases for special purposes. Still, if this is not God causing them who is? I know that some will say ( at least to themselves if not here on the forums) : "but that was the old testament God, He got angry a lot, but He mellowed out for the New Testament". So let's go there: In the book of acts (you porbably know the story, if not, look it up) we see: acts 5:4 Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last . . . ... Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 10And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Now I know this is not sickness, it is only death after all, and it doesn't say that God did it, but I doubt Peter did it either, do we just suppose it was a coincidence that they died? Since they wern't sick, let's look elswhere: 1 cor 11 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number have died. Again, I know you sharp theological lawyers can point out it does not say God did it, moving on . . . john 9:2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" 3Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. I don't know how you understand that, but that sounds to me like God had this man born blind, to serve His puropses, and why not, after all, Pauls points out in Romans 9: The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? 21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? This last one is not an example of God making people ill, malformed, or killing them, it is about His sovereignty His absolute right to do with His creation, just as He pleases, and not have to answer to His creation for His actions. If God does these things, He does them for His reasons, His righteius reasons, and whether we like them or not, they are good. You know, when a child does something wrong, really wrong, it is not uncommon for the mother to go into a state of denial. "Oh, my Johnny would never do anything like that, he is a good boy. A man commits some greivous sin, a serious crime, often those who know him do not believe it, they want for him to be innocent, but they have never really known him as he is sometimes, they just see one side of him. Sometimes a woman willk marry a man, all her friends warned her about him, that he is not right for her, there is something about him that they can see, that is not good, but she is blinded by her love for him, often to regret it once she gets to know him in marriage. If these cases are true in human relationships, how much more true is it when we want to come to God's defense when He is accused of wrongdoing? The problem is not in us wanting to defend Him, it is that we refuse to see Him as He is, and we remake Him into a God of how we think he ought to be. It is not that we are wrong to defend Him, it is that we are wrong to think of what he does, as wrong, not matter how it appears to us. God, is always right, in Him no evil exists. Now, back to the original comment that got me going in the first place - That God does not do these thing, and illness can come about just becuase the body deteriorates with age . . . if that is true, and I am not denying that, why is it the case in the first place. Is not the deterioration of aging, a part of the curse, that God placed on the creation in the first place? If so, how can we say, God did not do it? It is o.k. I think that we can say that some things that we do not like, are God's doing, but we mustn't accuse God of wrong doing, just because we do not like that outcome. Thoughts and comments invited, agreement or contrary opinions, even valid correction would be awesome, so, do I have this all wrong?

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 From My Studies In Physics I Could Never Understand How A Physicist Could Remain A Pagan But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. Isaiah 51:15-16 Unless They're Just Plum Stubborn That Is They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Psalms 73:8-9 ~ Believe For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 And Be Blessed Beloved Love, Joe

Read this today and thought I'd share... Thoughts? God bless, GE

I was reading a thread where one person opined that God does not cause sickness, that things like heart attacks just happen with age. I did not interject a different opinion, as it might have diverted the threads actual topic, which was not a discussion of the theology of sickness or God's role in things we consider unpleasant. In any case, my mind jumped to the question, is it true that God does not cause sickness? A number of passages came to my mind in vague terms, so I looked them up to see them anew. The first that came to my mind was Exodus 4:11: The LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? while on that same page I noticed this: Exodus 4: 6 The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. and thinking of Moses, I recalled Num 12: 9 : So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Now, we might come up with the idea that these leprosy one are exceptions and I would agree, these were special cases for special purposes. Still, if this is not God causing them who is? I know that some will say ( at least to themselves if not here on the forums) : "but that was the old testament God, He got angry a lot, but He mellowed out for the New Testament". So let's go there: In the book of acts (you porbably know the story, if not, look it up) we see: acts 5:4 Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last . . . ... Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 10And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Now I know this is not sickness, it is only death after all, and it doesn't say that God did it, but I doubt Peter did it either, do we just suppose it was a coincidence that they died? Since they wern't sick, let's look elswhere: 1 cor 11 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number have died. Again, I know you sharp theological lawyers can point out it does not say God did it, moving on . . . john 9:2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" 3Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. I don't know how you understand that, but that sounds to me like God had this man born blind, to serve His puropses, and why not, after all, Pauls points out in Romans 9: The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? 21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? This last one is not an example of God making people ill, malformed, or killing them, it is about His sovereignty His absolute right to do with His creation, just as He pleases, and not have to answer to His creation for His actions. If God does these things, He does them for His reasons, His righteius reasons, and whether we like them or not, they are good. You know, when a child does something wrong, really wrong, it is not uncommon for the mother to go into a state of denial. "Oh, my Johnny would never do anything like that, he is a good boy. A man commits some greivous sin, a serious crime, often those who know him do not believe it, they want for him to be innocent, but they have never really known him as he is sometimes, they just see one side of him. Sometimes a woman willk marry a man, all her friends warned her about him, that he is not right for her, there is something about him that they can see, that is not good, but she is blinded by her love for him, often to regret it once she gets to know him in marriage. If these cases are true in human relationships, how much more true is it when we want to come to God's defense when He is accused of wrongdoing? The problem is not in us wanting to defend Him, it is that we refuse to see Him as He is, and we remake Him into a God of how we think he ought to be. It is not that we are wrong to defend Him, it is that we are wrong to think of what he does, as wrong, not matter how it appears to us. God, is always right, in Him no evil exists. Now, back to the original comment that got me going in the first place - That God does not do these thing, and illness can come about just becuase the body deteriorates with age . . . if that is true, and I am not denying that, why is it the case in the first place. Is not the deterioration of aging, a part of the curse, that God placed on the creation in the first place? If so, how can we say, God did not do it? It is o.k. I think that we can say that some things that we do not like, are God's doing, but we mustn't accuse God of wrong doing, just because we do not like that outcome. Thoughts and comments invited, agreement or contrary opinions, even valid correction would be awesome, so, do I have this all wrong?

Matthew 18:10"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ​To me this means that we are not to despise child like believers because they are honored in heaven. whats your understanding on this verse?

This is so true!

From discussion in this original thread: http://www.worthychr.../page__st__20 This thread has two questions: A. Was Jesus God? B. Was Jesus 100% man and 100% God? Interesting to read your thoughts. Bliblical backing is always welcomed. Looking forward to a good discussion. God bless, GE

This discussion is two parts: A. What is (are) God's purpose(s) in allowing suffering in your view? B. Here's an interesting perspective from a guy named JD. What do you think of JD's perspective?

This thread was started due to discussion: http://www.worthychr.../page__st__20 Is God Omniscient (all knowing)? (See Psalm 139:2-6; Isaiah 40:13-14 to start out the discussion) Interested in your thoughts and of course Biblical backing. God bless, GE

life is being greatful with what you have and shareing it with others

"NEWTOWN MASSACRE School carnage: Blame church, not God or guns Exclusive: William J. Murray reveals only way to turn society from violent, destructive path William J. Murray is the chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Religious Freedom Coalition and the author of seven books including "My Life Without God," which chronicles his early life in the home of destructive atheist and Marxist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Having lived the Marxist and the Ayn Rand (atheist) lifestyle, he has a unique perspective on religion and politics. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If an individual is not afraid of the wrath of God, it is impossible to cause him to fear the justice of the state. The killing of young children at their school will be linked by many pundits to the availability of guns. Still others will blame the violent act on some pathology or childhood trauma. Some may even blame the Hollywood culture with its disregard for humanity, on which human bodies are seen being dissected nightly on network TV. Virtually no one will call what occurred in Newtown an act of evil. Probably not a single sermon will be preached in which the perpetrator is predicted to have begun his eternal punishment for his crime after judgment by a just and angry God. A splintered American church driven by a pew-hungry, feel-good message will offer assurances that eternal peace awaits all those who died, including the shooter. The words “hell” and “sin” will very likely not be used in any sermons associated with the massacre. Yes, there is societal blame: Ridiculous privacy rules that allow the mentally ill to conceal their condition from schools, employers and gun-shop owners is just one. The constant esteem building in public schools teaching even low-functioning kids with anger problems to judge themselves equal to the valedictorian is yet another. But the greatest villain is a church that has accepted the world’s view that hell does not await evildoers. With a weak message from a weak church, there is no restraint or lessening of the violence. The shooting at Newtown was immediately followed by a shooting at a Birmingham, Ala., hospital and a Las Vegas hotel. Across the country, there are more than 16,000 murders each year. Of those, two-thirds are committed with guns. One in three murders is a very personal, vile act of evil using a knife, a blunt instrument or bare hands. And the response of the church to this violence is “God loves you. Have a nice day.” Adam Lanza had to shoot his way into the locked building. Public schools are not the soft targets many think they are. In more populated areas, there is virtually always an armed “safety officer” on duty because of the threat of student violence. Why? My mother, atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, fought to make the public schools the armed camps they are today by removing prayer, the recognition of the authority of God. In 1962 and 1963, I was attending an all-boys public high school in downtown Baltimore, Md. The school was a magnet school before the term even existed and was intended to prepare young men for college, majoring in science and engineering. There were 1,800 teenage boys in the school, and there was not a cop in the building – ever. The doors were unlocked and often the un-air-conditioned rooms had open windows. There were no metal detectors, no picture IDs, and students went in and out the doors on the honor system. The authority of God was present, even though I am very sure many of those young men, including myself, had some pretty vile thoughts that were not in the least way moral. The presence of the authority of God, vested in the teachers by His recognition every morning, was reinforced by the churches and the families of the students. That high school has since merged with a girl’s school in another location, for purposes of political correctness. The last time I checked, the old building itself was the headquarters of the Baltimore City Schools Police Force, something that did not exist when Baltimore’s population was nearly double what it is now. Every kid at every school now has a photo ID. All the doors of every school are locked. All doors have metal detectors and drug-sniffing dogs roaming the corridors. I am told that every school in Baltimore has at least one armed “safety officer.” In the vast majority of America’s public schools, the authority of God has been replaced with the authority of the iron fist of government. Morals? Without the authority of God, there are no morals, and none are taught in the public schools today. The ethics that are taught are situational, perhaps the same situational ethics that led to the logic that caused the tragic shootings in Newtown. This condition exists in the schools and the society in general because of a failed church that is splintered and weak. A large advertising sign near my home reads, “A church for those who don’t like church.” Translation: “No condemnation of sin here – we have coffee latte and great music.” How about this politically incorrect sermon subject: “An angry God condemns the carnal sin of Adam Lanza, the Newton school shooter who killed 26, and he will rot in eternal torment in hell, as do all those who turn their backs on God and his goodness and continue their wicked and sinful ways.” No way, no how in America today. No number of gun-control laws can contain the evil that has been let loose in America. Not even black clad police with masks and automatic weapons can maintain social order in our out-of-control society. The nation needs a religious revival to steer it away from certain moral destruction. That revival will not come from feel-good, coffeehouse sermons that do not call sin what it is. What are preachers today offering to “save” people from, if sin is never mentioned? What punishment are they being “saved” from, if hell is never mentioned? The fear of an angry and vengeful God was far more likely to have stopped the shootings in Newtown than the warm voice of a psychologist or the soothing feeling of drugs. Eternity in hell is a very long time. One of the greatest revival sermons of all times was that of Jonathon Edwards – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Can you imagine even this one portion being repeated in a church in America today: “There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands. He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it.” God is not in the business of saving evil nations from themselves, but He is in the business of offering salvation to individuals. A nation is saved from ruin when enough of its people turn from their wicked ways and follow His righteous commands. The challenge is to the churches of every denomination to preach the true Word of God, the nature of sin and the consequences of perpetrating evil. This alone can turn the society from its violent and destructive path."

This verse that I'm about to share with you is pertaining to the word of God through the Holy Bible who had either rejected God's word, refrained from God's word, or retained God's word. My 3 question are: 1) Do you believe in the word of God which is the Holy Bible? 2) Do you hold fast to Jesus Christ's teachings? 3) Do you obey and keep God's commandments? Well, lets see. Read "The Parable of the Sower:" Luke 8:4-15. This verse will answer your question for you. Cross reference Luke 8:4-8 with verse Luke 8:11-15 to get a clear understanding of the parable. Choose A, B, C, or D as your answer. Make sure to state why you had either rejected God's word, refrained from God's word, or retained God's word. Also make sure to answer my 3 questions as well. INTRODUCTION: Luke 8:4-5 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed." Cross Reference: (Luke 8:11 The seed is the word of God). A) Luke 8:5 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved). B) Luke 8:6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away). C) Luke 8:7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature). D) Luke 8:8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. Cross Reference: (Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop). ===================================================================================== Roman 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Remember, you have to bear good fruit >>> (Matthew 7:16-19). Everybody is more than welcome to answer.

I propose the following consequences are the result of de-volution of cultures due to sin... Summary of Sin's Progression in a Culture: 1. Mankind rejected God’s truth. 2. Not only that but we have suppressed God’s truth and followed after unrighteousness. 3. Because of Mankind’s rejection of truth we fell into idolatry. 4. This leads to fornication and adultery in heterosexual relationships. 5. This is the classic example of the consequences of men not being spiritual leaders in their homes, in the Church, and in society at large. 6. Marriage is no longer valued. So... 7. This then leads to unnatural relations between women. 8. This then leads to unnatural relations between men. 9. God allowed mankind to have a degraded mind and be consumed by all sort of sin. Is this the case in the U.S. today and abroad? Agree? Disagree? Thoughts?

It has been said: “God will never put more on you than you can handle.” In other words, when you’re having a hard time, you can rest assured, they say, that God won’t let you break under whatever pressure is upon you. He will not let you succumb to whatever trial you may be enduring. It assumes that God is like Superman. Just when the building has caved and you are sure to be crushed, Superman arrives and pulls you free. Likewise, when circumstances become weighty on your shoulders, God swoops down to help lift them. This “verse” is so accepted as true that it’s made it’s way into popular Christian music. For instance, contemporary Christian popsters Group1Crew happily sing in their song “He Said,” “Don’t forget what He said; He said I won’t give you more, more then you can take and I might let you bend, but I won’t let you break.” Did God really say that? This all sounds noble and heroic, but it is not necessarily true. Let’s look at why. 1. The Bible simply doesn’t say that God will never put more on you than you can handle. This is a misreading of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” This verse is couched in the middle of Paul’s discussion of Israel’s problem with idolatry. Therefore, this verse has to deal with idolatry. The temptation spoken of was the temptation to abandon God for other things, in the case of the wilderness-wandering Israelites: sex, fun, false gods, and grumbling ( 1 Corinthians 10:6-11). Second, I believe the bronze serpent incident in Numbers 21:4-9 is implied. In the wilderness, the Israelites began to become disenchanted with God’s provision, and they began to complain. As a result, God sent “fiery snakes” into the camp to bite and kill the Israelites. But God provided a way of escape. The “way of escape” was God had Moses fashion a brazen serpent and place it high on a pole. Whoever looked at the serpent wouldn’t be killed (21:9). In both cases, the mediator and bronze serpent pointed to Jesus. Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that the cure for immorality, idolatry, and bitterness was Jesus. He was the way of escape from idolatry and its sinful manifestations. None of this assumes that God won’t deliver his people from many uncomfortable situations and burdens. We know he does ( Psalm 68:19). However, the context of 1 Corinthians 10:13 makes it clear that the escape is from sin, and not a stressful job, unpayable bills, or bad relationships. 2. God always puts more on us than we can handle. Sometimes the Lord, in his sovereign purpose, crushes us ( Hebrews 12:4-12). He breaks us so that he can remake us. Think of how Jeremiah cried out in Lamentations because God has left his nation, city, and people utterly desolate and decimated. Think of all the psalms in which the psalmists cry out to God for bruising them. Think of our Lord Jesus in whom “it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:10). Therefore, it would be untrue to state that God won’t place more on us than we can bear. He has, he does, and he will. But, he has provided One to bear wrath for us: Jesus. If it were not for Jesus bearing our innumerable iniquity in himself, we too, would be utterly destroyed under sin’s unbearable weight. That’s where grace comes in. If it weren’t for the grace in which we stand ( Romans 5:2), we would surely fall. This life, and our sin is more than anyone of us can handle. However, God chose to lay our burdens on the back of his Son so that we do not have to bear them (Isaiah 53:6). It would be more accurate to say that God will never place more on us than Jesus can handle. 3. Christians are unhealthily obsessed with escapism. No one likes pain. No one likes suffering. No one likes to be uncomfortable in any way. But, all these things are part and parcel of the Christian life. The Scriptures say “Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:17), and “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). The call to follow Christ is a call to suffer. It is a call to bear certain yoke ( Matthew 11:29), and carry a certain cross (Matthew 16:24). But, the majority of Christendom is obsessed with escaping Christ’s yoke and his cross. We are more concerned with being safe and comfortable. Therefore, it it easy and almost natural for us to expect God to deliver us from our burdens and thorns in the flesh. But, deliverance may not be God’s plan for us, and we must be, like Paul, prepared to accept it. Unfortunately, too many pastors and Christian celebs parrot the message that coming to Christ and belonging to God equals comfort. I’ve heard many pastors say, when pleading with sinners, “Come to Jesus and all your problems and cares will go away.” This is false, unbiblical, and dangerous. What happens when God chooses to turn up the refiner’s fire in their lives? They become angry at God and disenchanted with his people. 4. God gives us one another to bear burdens. One of the sweetest things in the Bible is how God’s people are there to bear one another’s burdens. Far from providing an Easy Street escape, God often provides others to help us shoulder the load. Indeed, Galatians 6:2 encourages believers to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” In conclusion, it is popular to believe that God will not place more on us than we can handle. However, there is ample scriptural evidence to suggest otherwise. An unbiblical escapist mentality is often the culprit. Harboring novel interpretations of Scripture does not produce hope, rather it produces hopelessness when our false expectations are not realized. See: http://rogerupton.wordpress.com/tag/sound-doctrine/ What do you think?

Listened to this with my wife tonight. I remembered how good, loving, and sacrificial my God's love is. I hope this encourages, blesses, and challenges you. Phillips Craig And Dean " When God Ran " Verse 1: Almighty God, The Great I Am, Immovable Rock, Omnipotent, Powerful, Awesome Lord. Victorious Warrior, Commanding King of Kings, Mighty Conqueror and the only time, The only time I ever saw him run, Was when... Chorus: He ran to me, He took me in His arms, Held my head to His chest, Said "My son's come home again!" Lifted my face, Wiped the tears from my eyes, With forgiveness in His voice He said "Son, do you know I still love You?" (End Chorus) He caught me By surprise, When God ran... Verse 2: The day I left home, I knew I'd broken His heart. And I wondered then, if things could ever be the same. Then one night, I remembered His love for me. And down that dusty road, ahead I could see, It was the only time, It was the only time I ever saw Him run. And then... Repeat Chorus He caught me by surprise. And He brought me to my knees. When God ran... I saw Him run to me. Bridge: I was so ashamed, all alone, and so far away. But now I know, that He's been waiting for this day... I saw Him run to me, He took me in His arms, Held my head to his chest, Said "My son's come home again!" Lifted my face, Wiped the tears from my eyes, With forgiveness in His voice I felt his love for me again. He ran to me, He took me in His arms, Held my head to his chest, Said "My son's come home again!" Lifted my face, Wiped the tears from my eyes, With forgiveness in His voice He said "Son" He called me Son. He said "Son, do you know I still love You?" He ran to me (When God Ran) (I saw Him run to me) And then I ran to Him (When God ran) When God ran

Amen~! It Seems There Are Tats Galore On Many Of Our Brothers In The New Tribes Missions.... And Bones In The Nose And Feathers In The Hair Too... Jesus Didn't Seem To Mind.... A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35

How great is our God? All creation testifies to our awesome Lord! Psalm 33:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
 And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. My God is awesome! Psalm 33:
8-9 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast. The Stars praise Him. The creatures of the sea praise Him! Psalms 148:1-14 1Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths; What if we could have a little glimpse of how creation praises God? Check this out!

This is a spin off thread off of "Tithing" in the Outer Court - Outer Court. These are priorities I submit would be a good guideline for Christians. I love this numeric sequencing of priority BUT what about this verse in relation to 2 and 3? Mt 19:29-30 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. NKJV It seems 1 stands always but 2 and 3 may be inverted depending on 1. Love, Steven Priorities: Jesus made it very clear throughout His ministry what His priorities were and how each of us should follow His example. He addressed the two fundamental categories that encompass all priorities. Jesus taught… Matthew 22:37-40 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The first commandment addressed the vertical relationship between man and God. The second commandment addressed the horizontal relationship with other people. All of your priorities as a Christian will likely fall into these two basic categories. I actually would like to expand the order to differentiate between marriage and family. I would also like split ministry and work: 1. Loyalty to God – God comes first as we are commanded to Love God with all of our being and have no other gods before Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Exodus 20:2 You shall have no other gods before Me. 2. Loyalty to Spouse – Nothing should ever become husband and wife who are knit together by God as one flesh. (Matt. 19:6) Men are to love their wives sacrificially and unconditionally. Women are to honor their husbands sacrificially and unconditionally. (Eph 5:33) Matthew 19:6 “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Ephesians 5:33 Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects [honors] her husband. 3. Loyalty to Family – First to children as they are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3) and parent’s responsibility to bring children up in the Lord. (Eph 6:4) Parents are to instruct and give their children the law. (Prov. 1:8) Next parents & siblings, etc. Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers [and by implication mothers], do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. We are also called to provide for our own family. (1 Tim. 5:8) This included parents. Jesus spoke against the Scribes and Pharisees for “following tradition” but not taking care of their parents (Matt. 15:1-11) 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Matthew 15:4-6 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ 4. Loyalty to the Church (Ministry) – We are to love God, love people, take care of our own house, then look after the ministries in the Church. If you are reading this right now and you are a Christian serving the Church in some capacity and have put the service to the Church above your spouse or children, please hear what I am about to say. This can’t go on indefinitely. When your service to the church has a higher priority than those people in your own family, something has to give. Your marriage will suffer and your children will become angry with you. Even your ministry will become toilsome because when your home is not in order it’s difficult to minister to others with joy. At the very least you will be unhappy. Your relationships at home must be your priority. 1 Tim 3:5 For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? 5. Loyalty to Work or Job – Why does ministry come before work? Because we are citizens of Heaven. Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel is the priority. Riches and all things in this life will pass away. Many people have said, “I don’t have time to serve the Lord or go to church or do family things because I’ve got to provide for my family.” I would agree that providing for your family is very important, but when there is never any time left to serve the Lord or be a companion to your spouse or children, then something is wrong. Don’t let the seeds of the Gospel be choked by the things of this world… Mark4:19 ...and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Do you agree or disagree? Anything to add? Christ is Risen! Eagle Edit: to add Matthew 15 to #3 Family.

When in each moment of our life we live by embracing the love of God, and giving this love to the people we meet during the day, it is a way that would lead us to Sainthood. Loving, loving, loving our neighbour is the way to become a Saint. Through our love which we receive from the Love of God, the people that we meet will also receive this love, and they will also pass on this love to others. Through loving our neighbour we can change the world. Be encouraged, we can be Saints in our daily life. In Peace George Calleja - Malta

I firmly believe that today's evangelization is primarily to be held by the youths. Although this responsibility is entrusted to every person, I see the youths can be very effective to evangelize. I feel that as a Church we need to trust more the young people to do evangelisation work, give them the challenge, give them the courage, and send them out to every corner of the world. I have experienced this in my life and spent six years doing evangelization work with ICPE. God gave me the grace to visit different countries and having the opportunity to spread the Gospel. Today I evangelize in a different way!!! I visit different countries through the new website I made on the internet by the name of 'Peace and unity in our lives' with the address as https://sites.google.com/site/peaceinunity/home The aim of this site is to provide inspiration and encouragement for life, and hope that this small contribution of mine will provide an opportunity for people including youths and children around the globe to find courage in their life, by trusting God to be more present in their life. So visit this website and be part of evangelization. Together we can change the World In Unity George Calleja - Malta