Even if we die...

...our spirits don't die. We either go up or down. There isn't any purgatory or such. Many atheists don't believe in the afterlife but they do so to their detriment. Many people have witnessed how certain atheists died screaming or tortured by hell fires. These are well known atheists who died screaming in pain. God help them!

There are many indirect proofs that there is a spirit or afterlife. & many indirect proofs about the spiritual world with its beings like angels & demons etc. Many people intuitively believe in a God or gods. Atheism is the minority. 80% or more believes in God or higher being. They might not be Christians but they also believe in God or deities etc. God has put in each of us a sense of the spiritual & a void in us. It can only be filled by God thru Christ Jesus & no other. Fake gods can be put in but it's fake after all. They cannot guarantee our entry into heaven.

Also bible prophecies are coming true at an alarming rate. We take care to heed or be caught uawares. Tbe time is NOW! We are the generation to see great things. Either be for God or against God. No in the middle.

We won't want to find out that it is indeed true when we die.

Filled with the Holy Spirit

Christians who are truly born again are filled with the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit comes to regenerate the spirit of the Christian so that he/she becomes alive spiritually. It's like having a new spirit on the inside that can enter heaven. Sins are washed & the Christian is saved forever by God's grace. He/she is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. He/she can't possibly lose his/her salvation so easily. A true Christian won't want to sin. He/she hates sin where once he/she indulges in sin. A repented & changed life is a hallmark of a Christian. If one who claims to be a Christian shows no change in life or attitude or behaviour for the better, I would doubt their salvation. But God understands. He is ever gracious.

How does the Holy Spirit come? From heaven into men's deepest spirit. Sometimes people could speak in tongues. Sometimes people will be given gifts of the Holy Spirit like prophecy, miracles etc. But to speak in tongues is not a prerequisite of Holy Spirit baptism. Christians are immediately filled with the Spirit upon salvation, never to lose it until he/she renounces his/her faith. But God is ever so gracious. Be saved & be filled with the Holy Spirit. He who has the Spirit has life, he who doesn't have the Spirit doesn't have life. & this is life eternal. Why not accept His grace right now?

Man's cruelty to Man

Many people are very cruel to people. Murders have been committed & lives have been taken away. Cunning businessmen have conned poor folks out of their money. Politicians have silenced opposition by killing them. Human rights & human freedom have been taken away from many people in the past & present. Racism abounds & the upper class oppresses the lower class. Unfairness abound & there is no justice. Folks die in the streets & alleys with nobody to care. Religious persecution are plenty & people kill in the name of God. Big brother states spy on the commoners & lock up or persecute those who threaten them. Evil is aplenty & sins abound.

But God's grace abounds more. All bcos of Jesus Christ. He is the most lovely Man being willing to die for our sins. Without Him nobody can be justified & all will go to hell. This is such a wicked world, plenty of wicked people. Souls are lost forever to hell but many are also saved in heaven. God is waiting for the world to repent & turn from its sins. But many don't. There is a limit to His grace. Man has been cruel to man & God knows. He is coming to punish those who perpetrate evil. Jesus is coming to set up His kingdom on earth.

Were we all born good? If so, why so much evil? Can good really become evil? As we said, a leopard cannot change its spots. So are we actually born sinners so we sin? Is it our nature to sin? Yes, we are born sinners. We have the original sin even if we are a good man or woman. Only God can save us thru Christ. Our souls are priceless but humans treat them cheaply. People live without dignity or basic human rights in many countries around the world. I pray Jesus comes quickly to settle everything. I pray people work towards a fairer & better world before He comes to call people into account for what they have done to others. God bless!

Mental Illness

So many people mentally ill today. Mental illness need not have to be schizophrenia. Depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, panic attacks etc are also classified as mental illness. We need doctors to help us when we fall sick. Same for mental sickness. We need medication until we are strong enough to cope.

What is bad is the crimes committed by people who are insane or mentally disturbed. Great pain has been inflicted to the victims' families & victims. Can they be pardoned? I think not. They have to be locked up in jail to prevent further crimes. They need to be treated & kept out of public. But once they are rehabilitated, they can come home after they serve their sentences.

I pray ppl who feel unwell to seek doctor's help before too late. Mental illness can be treated just like common flu & fever.

Sell Your Soul?

A funny website: http://www.wewantyoursoul.com/ to determine the value of your soul. Try it! & maybe sell your soul to them. :p

Prayer helps to heal

Prayer really helps. There have been many documented studies that indicate prayer helps in our healing. Have u felt well when u pray to God? Have u felt well when u meditate etc? Besides psychological & spiritual help, prayer also heals our bodies. When u are sick, why not try praying to God? I recommend a few books below for you to read:

S.O.S

Save our souls. Save our souls O God! Never mind the body which will eventually perish & return to dust. Our souls & spirits are precious to You O God. One day I will have a new body- one that never dies. God have mercy on me. God save all of us. God will rapture His saints & preserve others to enter His everlasting Kingdom. The resurrection of the dead. That Day is coming very soon. The dead in Christ will rise never to die anymore.

1 Corinthian 15: 35-50: "35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh F50 of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." F51 The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord F52 from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear F53 the image of the heavenly Man. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption."

Dealing With Your OCD And Fearful Thoughts as a Christian

by Stanley Popovich

It can be tough for a Christian with OCD to have to experience obsessive thoughts that are intrusive, scary, and difficult to manage. As a result, here is a short list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their obsessive and fearful thoughts with the help of God.

The first thing a person must do is not to dwell or focus on the fear provoking thought when it comes. The more a person tries to reason out the thought or focus on the fear behind the thought, the stronger the thought becomes. The next time you encounter an obsessive thought, get into the practice of not dwelling on it.

From my interviews with various professionals, I've learned that usually it is the fear behind the thoughts that gets us worked up. Ignore the fear behind these obsessive thoughts, regardless how the strong the fear may be. If you ignore the fear behind these thoughts, then the thoughts become easier to manage.

A person should visualize a red stop sign in their mind when they encounter a fear provoking thought. When the negative thought comes, a person should think of a red stop sign that serves as a reminder to stop focusing on that thought and to think of something else. A person can then try to think of something positive to replace the negative thought.

Sometimes, a person may encounter a lot of scary thoughts coming at them all at once. Instead of getting upset, remember that these thoughts are exaggerated and are not based on reality. Even if your fearful thoughts tell you otherwise, the fact is that there are circumstances and factors in every situation that can not be anticipated. We may be ninety-nine percent in predicting the future but all it takes is for that one percent to make the biggest difference.

Although I am a Layman and not a professional, I have interviewed many counselors and I learned that there are many ways to deal with these kinds of thoughts. There are ways to deal with your obsessive thoughts and with the proper treatment, you can live a productive life.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Article Source: Add-Articles.Com

A Question We've All Asked

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The following question was emailed to our "Ask a Bible Teacher" column this week. Since it's such an important question, I'm responding in our feature article format so as to provide greater detail. This will also allow more people to see it, because it's a question we've all asked.

Q. I have recently discovered your website and have found it to be very informative. I have learned a great deal about many of the issues discussed.

However, there are still a number of things I do not understand. About two years ago, I discovered God, His Plan of Salvation, and the many wonderful promises that He has made to us. I read in Romans of how He causes all things to come to the good for them that believe in Him. I read in the Gospels about how two or more believers praying for a common thing would have their prayers answered. I read of how believers should ask of the Father and it shall be given unto them.

Imagine how I felt in the summer when my partner was diagnosed with cancer, and after a short battle, was called home in August. I know that many people, including myself, prayed for her recovery, but in vain. I find it impossible to reconcile the circumstances which have prevailed in my personal life to those promises that God has made to us and which I have made mention of above.

Can you help me to bridge this gap in my understanding?

A. Who among us has not had prayers of this sort seemingly go unanswered and wondered at the conflict that it creates between the Bible's promises and our experiences?

Life After Death

In the death of a believer we have to understand two things. The first is that we're all infected with a terminal disease. It's not a case of if we'll die but when. No one dies a natural death because it's not natural for eternal beings to die. Death came into the world as a result of sin.

And the second is that for a believer, death is the ultimate healing. Death brings the life we were always intended to live, and would already be living if not for our sin nature. For the "dead" believer, all of this life's problems, pains, and sorrows are over and a glorious eternal life of blessing and abundance awaits.

The more we know about the life after death the less we cling to the life before. And since only God knows the end from the beginning, only He can know the pain and suffering He's prevented in calling someone home early. The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. (Isaiah 57:1)

So what about the surviving friends and family? How can the death of a loved one bring good to the survivors? First is the obvious knowledge that the separation is only temporary for believers and a glorious reunion will follow. We have the benefit of an eternal perspective. And for non-believers it presents an opportunity to be saved from the 2nd death, the permanent one, and be reunited forever with departed loved ones.

But then our faith comes into play. If we believe God's promises, then there has to be a more direct and beneficial cause and effect relationship between the death of a loved one and the life of the survivor. Our job is to look for it. We're told to walk by faith not by sight, but our enemy will try to keep us focused on what we see, the absence of our loved one, causing our faith to falter and hindering us from experiencing the good that can come. God's promises are more real than our reality, So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:18)

By far the most heart wrenching experience of this sort I've ever encountered was the case of a mom and dad I know. While walking along on the city sidewalk with their 2 year old son, a delivery truck jumped the curb, fatally striking the toddler. The driver was drunk, and in fact had a history of drunkenness on the job. In the lawsuit that followed the court awarded a substantial settlement to the devastated parents. They took the money and founded a Christian pre-school in their son's name that soon expanded into a private Christian school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade on a beautiful safe campus.

Several thousand children have since benefited from a quality, affordable Christian primary education and this couple has helped dozens of grief stricken parents cope with similar losses along the way. It's an example of 2 Cor. 1:3-4 that all who know them feel privileged to have observed. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. They took these verses seriously based on their belief that for all of us, our life is a ministry and our sorrows are our credentials. In other words, each of us is uniquely qualified to minister to someone experiencing similar tragedies to those we have faced.

They had every right to become angry, bitter victims, and to yell and scream at God for allowing this to happen to them. But they chose a more excellent way. They understand that God didn't kill their son. That was the work of the evil that pervades this dark place. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)

God never promised us that nothing bad would happen to us. In fact, He promised the opposite. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) What He did promise is that He could make even the bad things that happen work for good. It's up to us to believe that promise and look for its fulfillment. For my friends, the school keeps the memory of their son alive in their hearts while their faith tells them that soon they'll be reunited forever. The blessing they've provided for thousands of others through this tragedy is obvious.

Unanswered Prayer?

Where our prayers are concerned there are also a couple of things to keep in mind. The first is that God reserves for Himself the right to choose both the timing and the means by which He answers prayers. We have to understand that His ways are not our ways and His timing is always perfect. We neither lose time by waiting nor gain time by trying to force His hand. He answered Abraham's prayer for a son, but waited 25 years before doing so. The world is paying a huge price today for Abraham and Sarah's refusal to wait upon the Lord.

Just because we don't get something when we want it and in the exact way we want it doesn't mean that God has stopped answering our prayers or keeping His promises. There may be some other things we have to take care of first, or God may choose another way to answer the prayer that we don't see, a better way.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

God has promised Israel a Kingdom and a King who will bring them peace. They've been praying for Him to keep that promise for thousands of years. The world, even much of the Christian world, laughs at them and tells them that God has forgotten them. It's never going to happen, they say.

God is faithful, and He fully intends to answer their prayers and keep His promise. But there's something they have to do first, and until they do it He has to wait. They have to recognize who their King is and restore their relationship with Him. Then God will act.

Union And Fellowship

So it is with us, and this is the second thing to keep in mind. This may not sound familiar to those of you who've been taught "Christianity Lite" but there are two components to a believer's relationship with God. One is called Union. It's concerns our eternity and is irrevocable, guaranteeing our place in His Kingdom. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Union happens at the moment we hear the Gospel and believe it, and God seals His Holy Spirit within us.

The other is called Fellowship and it comes with Union. But Fellowship affects our life here on Earth and is subject to suspension. (1 John 1:8-9) When we fail to confess our sins, we temporarily suspend our relationship with God, because He can't dwell in the presence of sin. We can't lose our salvation (Union), but during those times when we're out of Fellowship we don't have the right to ask God for anything except forgiveness. And what's more, we've stepped out of His protection and are fair game for the enemy's mischief.

The Book of Job is an example of the difference between Union and Fellowship. Job's righteousness made him proud, a sin in God's eyes. When Satan asked to torment him, God had to agree in spite of the fact that Job was one of the most righteous men on Earth, because he hadn't confessed his sin. As long as Job relied on his own righteousness he was vulnerable to attack, and none of his complaints could change that, even though he remained a child of God. When he confessed, God put a stop to the torment and restored him. The lesson Job learned through his ordeal (and that we're supposed to learn as well according to Romans 15:4) is that when we justify ourselves, we condemn God. Whenever we start thinking that we don't deserve something bad that's happening to us, we in effect accuse God of being unjust. It's part of our human nature to look outside of ourselves for the blame, but it delays our reconciliation with God.

For a New Testament example, read the Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) The prodigal never stopped being his father's son, but while he was living a sinful life he was out of fellowship, deprived of his father's blessings. When he came to his senses and confessed, he was restored. All Christians have Union with God and are guaranteed a place in His Kingdom, but many live their whole lives out of Fellowship because of their unconfessed sins and miss out on untold blessings, stacking up mountains of unanswered prayers.

Because of the cross, maintaining our Fellowship is as easy as invoking 1 John 1:8-9. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

God is just and righteous and cannot lie. He has a 6000 year track record of unblemished performance. Whenever it seems like His promises aren't coming true, you can bet that it's due to our lack of understanding, not His lack of integrity.

Thank you Peter, for submitting this question we've all asked. Selah 11-04-06

Chicken Soup For The Christian Soul

I was so touched by this book: "Chicken Soup For The Christian Soul". It gives me inspiration to go on. Many wonderful stories are written around Christian themes. I don't know whether the authors are Christians but I think not. Anyway wonderful book to read when one is down & feel weak in faith. My faith was strengthened by the stories that i read. God is still alive & working miracles & answering prayers. I attached the link to the book below. Get your own copy now! It's worth the investment. You can read & reread without stopping & continue to be motivated by it. Great book & numerous great stories inside:

Chicken Soup For The Soul

A great book to recommend: