Christian Articles

The Composer and the Performers

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:20:11 +0000

Let’s say you have a friend who’s a classical music fan – and he really likes the music of this composer named Beethoven. Now, you don’t know much about this Beethoven guy, but you accept your friend’s invitation to go to a concert where Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is going to be presented. The performers are the local junior high band. Now your friend has told you repeatedly that Beethoven was a genius and his music spectacular. But, after hearing the squeaking and squawking of 13-year-olds giving that symphony a go, you walk out saying, “Man, forget this Beethoven guy and his music!”****

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Of course the problem with that concert was not Beethoven – it was how that band performed what he wrote. Jesus has that same problem with those who try to “perform His music” – that is, try to live what He taught. Now, the Composer is still a genius – but don’t judge Him by those who play His music imperfectly. It may be that you’ve been burned by religion … hurt or disillusioned by religious people. Or even by religious leaders. But in spite of these flawed performances, Jesus is still the genius who has brought peace and meaning to millions of lives over the years.****

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If you’ve never experienced the love and the peace of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the hole in your heart could be filled by Him this very day. If you’ll give yourself to this Man who gave Himself for you. Just tell Him – “Jesus, I’m Yours. I’m putting all my trust in You, and You alone, to forgive my sins, to get me to heaven, and to take down the wall between me and God.” In a world where trust has been broken so many times, Jesus is the one safe place for your searching heart. He died for you. He will never do you wrong.

Only God Keeps You Going

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:18:27 +0000

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One day I decided to quit… I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality… …I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God”, I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me…”Look around”, He said… “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?” “Yes”, I replied. When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said. “In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. “I would not quit…” He said. “Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.****

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Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant… But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over ****100 feet** tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.” He said to me. “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots.” “I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. “Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern … Yet, they both make the forest beautiful.” Your time will come, “God said to me. ”You will rise high! “How high should I rise?” I asked. How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return. “As high as it can?” I questioned. “Yes.” He said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can. ”I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.****

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Good days give you happiness, Bad days give you experiences; Both are essential to life. A happy and meaningful life requires our continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because of our choices and actions. And each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act and, in doing so, we create our own unique journey.” Keep going… Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrows keep you Human, and Failures keep you humble, Success keeps You Glowing, but Only God keeps You Going!

Seven New Year Resolutions

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:16:41 +0000

Why do we bother to make New Year’s resolutions in the first place? Why do we feel this need each January 1st to set new goals? Maybe it is because resolutions help us to identify our priorities. They answer the Question: how do I want to invest my time, energy, money, and talents in this New Year? The New Year reminds us that time is passing. It is up to each of us to maximize the potential of every moment.

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Here is a list of resolutions prepared for this New Year 2012, Called “7-UPS” for the whole Year 2012. No, this has nothing to do with the soft drink. These 7-UPS fall under the heading of attitudes and actions with divine love.****

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The first is WAKE UP–Begin the day with the Lord. It is His day. Rejoice in it. The second is DRESS-UP–Put on a smile. It improves your looks. It says something about your attitude. The third is SHUT-UP–Watch your tongue. Don’t gossip. Say nice things. Learn to listen. The fourth is STAND-UP–Take a stand for what you believe. Resist evil. Do good. Five, LOOK-UP–Open your eyes to the Lord. After all, He is your only Saviour. Six REACH-UP–Spend time in prayer with your adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and supplications to the Lord. And finally; LIFT-UP–Be available to help those in need–serving, supporting, and sharing.

Ten Most Important Things

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:02:15 +0000

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*1. **LOVE:*

The Special Feeling That Makes You Feel, All Warm And Wonderful.****

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*2. **RESPECT:*

Treating Others As Well As You Would Like To Be Treated.****

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*3. **APPRECIATION:*

To Be Grateful For All The Good Things Life Has To Offer.****

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*4. **HAPPINESS:*

The Full Enjoyment of Each Moment, A Smiling Face.****

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*5. **FORGIVENESS:*

The Ability To Let Things Be Without Anger.****

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*6. **SHARING:*

The Joy Of Giving Without Thought Of Receiving.****

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*7. **HONESTY:*

The Quality Of Always Telling The Truth.****

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*8. **INTEGRITY:*

The Purity Of Doing What’s Right, No Matter What.****

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*9. **COMPASSION:*

The Essence of Feeling Another’s Pain, While Easing Their Hurt.****

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*10. **PEACE:*

The Reward for Living the 10 Most Important Things.****

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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 2Peter 1:5-7.

Path of Victory

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:58:32 +0000

Are you going through a season where you feel like every time you try to move forward, you hit a roadblock? Something happens that throws you off course. Be encouraged today because when you submit your life to the Lord, He promises to go before you. He is preparing a way for you. He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. You may be going through a difficult time right now, but it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning, and God has equipped you for this journey.****

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Today, if you feel like you’re in a dry season, don’t look at your circumstances. Look at the promise of God! If you’ll keep speaking words of faith, God promises that He’ll anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. That means you’ll be refreshed and anointed to do what He’s called you to do. God is preparing your path and equipping you for the journey.****

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What do you need in order to keep moving forward? Start by checking your attitude. Don’t go around complaining or focused on the negative side of things. Put on an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Thank Him for making your crooked places straight! Keep your eyes on Him and follow Him forward into the path of victory!****

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Are You Going To Give Up?

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:57:07 +0000

Give up? Wave the white flag of surrender? Throw in the towel? Call it quits? Are you going to lay down and let the Devil have his way with you? David goes to his God and it’s in God’s presence where his spirit is revived. He receives comfort and encouragement from his God. Literally, in the Hebrew, he gets his strength back. Weakened by his loss, he finds strength in his God. Brethren, the Devil wants you to be all wrapped up in your troubles because he wants you to stay sorrowful. He’s hoping that if you stay focused on your troubles long enough you will lose faith and hope. You will be demoralized so that you can’t fight him, chase him, and recover everything he’s taken from you. He’s hoping you will remain in the dumps and be depressed because he knows that the joy of the Lord is your strength, Nehemiah 8:10.****

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Brethren, when bad news comes, don’t let your bad news end with bad news. Go to God in prayer. You will find the comfort, courage, and strength you need. Let God speak to you. Let His words fill you with hope, peace, and rejoicing. May your bad news end with good news from the Lord! That’s my prayer for you. May God bless you. Dear God, When I am lonely and, Perhaps I feel despair. Let not my ailing heart forget, That YOU hear every prayer. Remind me that no matter what, I do or fail to do, There still is hope for as long, As I have FAITH in YOU. Let not my eyes be blinded by Some folly I commit. But help me to regret my wrong, And to make up for it. Inspire me to put my fears, Upon a hidden shelf, And in the future never to be sorry for myself. Give me the restful sleep I need, Before another dawn, And bless me in the morning with The Courage To Go On.

God of Breakthrough

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:50:08 +0000

God wants to give you a breakthrough — a sudden burst of His favor; an explosion of His goodness. He wants to release His power in such a way that it overwhelms you and drives out your enemies! Maybe you’ve been praying about a relationship for years; and suddenly, things get into place. That’s a breakthrough. Or, you were trying to get a certain job. They said there were no openings; but suddenly, they call you back and you get the job. That’s another breakthrough. Perhaps you’ve struggled with an addiction for a long time; but then something happens, and it’s not a struggle anymore. Those are all breakthroughs. No matter what you’ve been facing, no matter how impossible things look, know this: the God of the breakthrough wants to visit your house. Get ready! Look for His favor and goodness. Remember, God rewards the people who seek after Him. So keep expecting, keep believing because the God of the breakthrough is ready to overwhelm you with His goodness today! “…the Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters…” (2 Samuel 5:20). Father in heaven, today I am expecting Your goodness. I am looking for Your favor. I’m trusting that You, the God of the breakthrough, are working mightily on my behalf. Help me to live a life pleasing to You as I wait for Your hand to move mightily in my life. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

Don’t give up your dreams

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:43:57 +0000

The car you drive has a large windshield, but only a relatively small rear view mirror. The implication is obvious: What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you are going is much more important than where you’ve been. If you stay focused on the past, you’re liable to miss numerous excellent opportunities ahead. Don’t let disappointment become the central theme of your life. Quit mourning over something you can’t change. God wants to give you a new beginning, but you have to let go of the old before you’ll ever see the new. Let that door close behind you and step through the door in front of you. Maybe you’ve allowed other people to convince you that you’re never going to rise higher, that you will never see your dreams come to pass. Don’t believe them. When Caleb was a young man, he and Joshua were part of an exploratory spy mission to determine the strength of the enemy before God’s people moved into the land that God had promised them. Out of the twelve spies, only Caleb and Joshua presented a positive report to Moses. They were all too willing to settle for the second best, to dwell for the rest of their lives right where they were. Unfortunately, that group of negative thinkers never did make it into the Promised Land. They spent the next forty years spinning their wheels and wandering around aimlessly in a desert. By then Caleb was 85 years old, but he hadn’t given up on the dream God had placed in his heart. He told Joshua that he was still as strong as he was when the promise first came to him. Caleb went back to the same place and asked god for that mountain to live on. The mountain he claimed had five giants living on it. Surely, he could have found a place less fortified, more accessible, or more easily occupied. Although it is forty years later, he believed until he has seen that promise being fulfilled. That’s the kind of attitude we need to have. We give up too easily. No, keep pressing forward, and keep believing. Keep yourself stirred up. You’ve got the gifts, the talents and the dreams. Don’t allow complacency to keep you from seeing god’s promises fulfilled in your life.

You Are Already Blessed

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:42:56 +0000

“When you have come to the edge of all that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly”

He who has faith has… an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well – even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly. B. C. Forbes. God does not see as we see. Abraham was a childless, 100-year-old man. His wife, Sarah, at 90 years old, was doubly dead in her womb. (Genesis 17:17) Yet, God saw him and talked to him as if he were already the father of many nations.

My friend, God wants you to see the way He sees. Right now, you may see yourself going through a trial in your marriage, work, finances or health. But God sees a blessed marriage, success at work, supernatural increase in wealth and a healed body because He tells you that you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. You see, God sees you in Christ. So when you see yourself in Christ, who is outside time, you step into the timeless zone. In that timeless zone in Christ, whatever needs and trials of yours are already removed, repaired, restored or resurrected! In that timeless zone in Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

Handling Criticism

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:42:06 +0000

Once the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on a small island, He went to pick up some firewood and a poisonous snake bit him. The people thought he would die immediately. That’s what it feels like when somebody criticizes us, when somebody is talking behind your back, trying to put you in bad light; we can feel the sting of his or her words. I love what Paul did. One translation says, “He simply shook it off.” It was as though he was saying, “No big deal. I’m not going to let this thing bother me. It may be poisonous, it may look bad, but I know God is in control. I know God can take care of me.” Miraculously, the snake didn’t even harm Paul. Many people let negative words or other people’s opinions totally ruin their lives. They live to please other people and honestly think they can be happy by trying to keep everyone else happy. They don’t want anybody to say a negative word about them. That’s impossible. You have to accept the fact that not everybody is going to like you. Some people will find fault, no matter what you do. You can be there for them a thousand times in a row, but they will remind you repeatedly of that one time when you couldn’t show up. Life is too short to try to keep people happy. The Scripture says in Proverbs, “A gossiping, find faulting tongue is like a venomous snake.” A person’s words can poison your life. The longer you think about it, the more venom goes into you. If somebody is talking about you, don’t go home and call seven of your friends and ask, “What did you hear about me?” Just shake it off. Don’t spend all your time trying to win over your critics; just run your own race. Remember, most of the time, it’s not really about you. It’s about the fact that they haven’t dealt with that jealous, critical spirit on the inside. The best thing you can do is ignore the slingers. Do what God has put in your heart and trust Him to take care of the criticism.