Employ plainness of speech

Some have in the heat of the moment or excitement of the time made rash and senseless oaths, such as Jephthah (Judges 11:30-31) or Saul (1 Samuel 14:24). How dangerous an oath can be, both for those who make it, and for others who may be encompassed by it! If we have taken an oath to our own harm, it may be tempting to release ourselves; but God's word says we ought not change, but fulfill our word (Psalm 15:4).

In consideration of vows made to God, the proverb writer penned, "It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows." (Proverbs 20:25). The same writer said, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed -- better not to vow than to vow and not to pay." (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).

The Lord's desire is that we not bind ourselves in oaths (Matthew 5:34), but simply be people of our word. "...Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'..." Put away the mixing of words and equivocation. Employ plainness of speech, whether in the affirmative or negative. There is no need for grandiose, ego stroking oaths - just keep your words simple, and keep your words.

James draws upon our Lord's statement here in his epistle, writing, "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your 'Yes,' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No,' lest you fall into judgment." (James 5:12). How serious a thing is it to have taken an oath, and to not fulfill it? It is evil, brings condemnation upon us, and makes us then an agent of the evil one.

Those who are in Christ should have no need for an oath, to swear that they will do this or that, or that what they have said here or there is true. If we conduct ourselves as people of integrity, then folks will know that our 'Yes' means 'Yes,' and our 'No,' 'No.'

If we're to be trusted and respected by the people around us than let us keep our word because the world is watching and most important of all our heavenly father is watching!

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I think people who believe in God are sick and tired

I think people who believe in
God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where
the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't
find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should
worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who
are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew
went to..
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little
different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to
get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked
her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne
Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe
God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling
God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of
our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.
How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand
He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think
it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few
years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou
shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And
we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave
because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their
self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know
what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't
know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their
classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough,
we can figure it out.. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's
going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what
the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread
like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people
think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles
pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in
the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your
address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think
of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what
God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just
discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought
process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning

I can only hope we find God again before it is too late!!
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning
Commentary.

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Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground

Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground

1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back--a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
They're busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people--
law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?'
and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
'Why do we fast and you don't look our way?
Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'

3-5"Well, here's why:

"The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won't get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, God, would like?

6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places--
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.

Isaiah 58

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Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.

For those who do not know (YWAM is an abbreviation for "Youth With A
Mission")
Hi folks,
I'm guessing you've heard reports from the trouble in Orissa India, but
here's some very recent and disturbing news for prayer, worthy of
distribution.
From our Prayer Team Partner, Sue Huber ..

This is is a request for prayer for YWAM missionaries and their churches in
Orissa, India. The request came from Mable Hurst, an associate of HCJB
Global. Please read and make this a matter of urgent prayer.

Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India.

We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most
resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And
we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went
about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this
kind of carnage..... And it seems to be totally under the radar of the
Western Media .....

Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were
zealously going around the villages of Orissa and 'reconverting' people back
to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last
weekend.

Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up...'Kill the
Christians!'
And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to
hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of
Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear
the name of Christ.

Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread
across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa... they are right in the middle of all
this chaos.

In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70
blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They
were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center
by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised
to come back and 'finish the job.' Our kids and staff are locked inside and
have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has
been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.

More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and
some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids
about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of
clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came
to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there,
but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes
and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by
saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had
favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.

All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled
inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a
chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic
orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a
computer teacher in the house and burned them to death. Many believers have
been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.... even women and
children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this
began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled,
leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors
that I have s poken to said: 'We stay with our kids.... we live together or
die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.' More
than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They
have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the
authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.

This will continue for another 10 days..... supposedly the 14 day mourning
period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their
houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal
government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We
ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us
know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that
means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and
totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their
guardians have fled into the jungles and ar e unable to come and get them
during these trying times. Through all this, I am more determined than
ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by
transforming its children.. Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry.
If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to
become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a
long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great
Commission.

What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second,
pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out
and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic
meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His
Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade
across Orissa.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to
get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill
His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations....
Prayer works!

Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBI
Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

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the altering promises!

Disclaimer: This is a collection of thoughts that i have gathered from devotions, research, books, observation and things I've struggled with so in no way is it directed anyone in particular.

Speak the truth or don't speak at all!

Are we as Christians responsible for promises we made? What about honesty and integrity, is there a double standard? How do you feel when someone makes a promise to you and doesn't keep their word or makes excuses to get out of it?
If a "vow" is not faithfully honored then how can the person ever be trusted? Is keeping one's word really important and will God hold people accountable for what they promise? How can people believe a person who doesn't keep their promised word? What does God think when people make up excuses in order to get out of keeping their word?

God spoke the world into existence and promised to save us from our sins by sending us His son to die on the cross. If we repent asking Jesus to come into our heart, God will keep His word to save us!
God keeps His word, does He expect us to keep ours? Does God hear every word said and every promise made?
Keeping promises demonstrates our "True Inner Self." It shows whether or not we have corruptible or incorruptible morals (fruitful seed) inside of us. Integrity, Honor, Self-respect and Honesty means everything to man and to the Lord! What kind of Christian walk does the Lord desire us to have? Is keeping one's word really important or do we have the right to alter and change it? Does the world respect people who break their promises? A broken promise means a broken trust and relationship. Trust and respect as well as one's honor is the basis of our relationship with our Lord. He expects us to keep our word, (vow, oath) to others as well!

A God doesn't accept the altering promises!
Lev 27:9-10 And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy. He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good
When you give your word to someone you are also giving it unto the Lord. The Lord teaches us in the Bible that we must not go back on our promises even if we have to pay a higher price to keep them. Our promises are taken seriously and we will be held accountable for them. Changing our minds is not acceptable to the Lord!

A man shall NOT break his word the Bible says
Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Moses being directed of God told people that they must keep their promises. A person's word in just the same as a written legal contract in the eyes of God. People who by their own free will have given a vow to do something must keep their word! Only a child's broken promises can be overruled by a parent, but even then correction must be made by the parent to teach the child about keeping one's word. Numbers 30: 3-8

The importance of keeping one's word is a matter of Integrity!
Psalms 25:20-21 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
Integrity and righteousness are the two most important things for a Christian to have. Uprightness and Integrity demonstrate what we believe, and how consistent of a walk we have with Jesus. Pray to the Lord to help you keep your promises and strive to be pure before the Lord. A man has real dignity of character when he has high integrity!

Leviticus 5:4-5 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:
God requires Christians to keep their word no matter who uncomfortable or unpleasant it may become. Our ya, ya is enough to bind us before God as a promise to someone. The only promises that we should not keep is sinful ones. Many times promises involve sacrifices out of our comfort zones. If you promised something just by saying you would do it then God expects you to do it to the "best of your ability" as if you were doing it for the Lord Himself.
We can't just confess the sin of breaking a promise and think we can go our merry way thinking that we no longer are accountable. As long as you are still able to fulfill your word (even if it's uncomfortable and you don't want to) you need to go to that person, repent of your sin and make amends by keeping your promise. Can you really come into the presence of God knowing that you refuse to keep your word? What kind of relationship can you have with the Lord if your are able to keep your word and don't?

Integrity means Honor with Respect
Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
God classes Integrity more valuable than the riches of this world. He classes Integrity more valuable than anything that we could ever own. Cheating, stealing, lying, breaking one's promises, withholding tithe money out of greed or spite is the world's way but not what the Lord desires a Christian to be. We are required to live a higher standard of living by holding our integrity dear to ourselves. When people of the world look at you as a Christian do they say you are no different than them or do they say they really respect you? Poverty if far better if a person has integrity and honor than all the riches that every existed throughout time. What is your life worth? Can you take any material thing with you when you die? We all need to get our priorities straight and realize that keeping our word is important to our self-respect as well as our integrity.

Our character is reflected by the words that we speak and the vows that we make. Broken promises causes a great deal of hurt and is the same sin of lying. Personal Integrity as a Christian is held valuable by God when we honor our commitments. People can't sin and get away with it because the Lord sees everything we say and do. No one can get away from their responsibilities (the promises that they make) and not answer to God for them. What kinds of rewards do you want in Heaven? When you see the face of Jesus, will He say, "Well done good and faithful servant," or will He have tears in His eyes over the hurts caused by broken promises?

Half truths are deceptive...
Genesis 12:11-13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Sarai was Abraham's wife as well as his half sister but it was immorally deceptive and caused hurt as well as shame. Sarai was wealthy and beautiful and Abraham believed that she would be taken from him. He was also afraid that he would be killed too. Did Abraham trust God to keep His word to protect them? Abraham forgot that what God says He will do, He will do! His word is valuable and the Lord has integrity! Can we do no less than to faithfully follow God's example by keeping our word? If we trust the Lord to keep His word can people trust us to keep ours?

Once given our word we should never go back or alter it!
Lev 27:9-10 And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy. He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
God expects us to keep our word even if it costs us dearly. He wants us to take and keep our promises and not alter or change our word to suit our selfishness. Not matter who difficult, embarrassing, hard, or burdensome it may be, we still need to keep our word to the best of our ability. That doesn't mean that we have a right to grudgingly do it in a spiritual manner but as pleasing unto the Lord.

Be responsible with your words and vows!
Titus 2:7-8 In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
God desires us to be moral witness in our daily walk and that includes our morals. The words that we speak and the promises that we make demonstrate our Christian values. This is because of the people around us watching. We must value our words as if they were gold. People might see Jesus through our eyes if we are honest with our words. Avoid criticism and hurt by listening before you speak and honoring what you commit to when you do. Be sound of speech and honest in your promises!

Words reveal to the world and to God how honest we are
James 3:9-10 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Speak words that are pleasing to God and act with honor upon the promises made. If you have promised something and back out of it than deep hurt can be left behind. This grieves the Holy Spirit and can cause a wound that may last a lifetime. We are never to hurt anyone of the Lord's children and when we do than there is a price to be paid. Can anyone truly stand before Jesus knowing that they hurt someone and not feel convicted? I can't, can you?

God never breaks His word nor does He give us the right to break ours
2 Chr. 21:7 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.
The light mentioned in this verse was the light of Jesus Christ God's very own son. Jesus the Messiah of the world sits upon the throne of David and will rule forever. He paid the price for our sins upon the cross. God kept His word by giving us His only begotten Son to take away the sins of the world. The Lord's word is valuable to us because by that promise being kept and fulfilled we might be saved. Words have value and we too must keep our promises like He did for us.

God's delights in in people who keep their promises
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. Proverbs 12:25 Heaviness in the heart maketh it stoop: (is heavy and hurts) but a word maketh it glad.
Words are important and have a great deal of value when used in the right way for Godly purposes. Have you ever seen someone who just had a promise broken to them or maybe you had a promise broken to you? What did it feel like? Think of something that really matters to you that someone has promised to do. Maybe they kept you waiting for it a long, long time and it really mattered to you. Now consider how you would feel if it were broken. Try stepping into someone else's shoes when you break your word to them. Feel terrible doesn't it? Is this the will of the Father to cause this kind of hurt? Is there a promise that you made to someone that you can still keep? What does God want you to do? What are you waiting for, honor your word and go do it!

The Vows we say must be said in truth and honesty (Be careful for what you promise because God will hold you responsible!
Eph. 4:24-25 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
When we act like Godly people full of honor and self-respect than we are pleasing to the Lord. Our Christian walk should be seen by everyone we meet. We should daily strive to leave our sins behind taking up our cross and following the Lord's example. We should daily work at changing our attitudes and bring our words into line with the Word of God.

Lying by not keeping one's word causes hurts, disappointments, disruptions and disharmony to the body of Christ. It makes people loose respect as well as creates conflicts and destroys relationships. Don't let the devil deceive you into breaking your word or make you think that you can justify altering your word to suit you. That is being deceptive and God sees right through it. This kind of pain can become bottled up inside a person's heart for years to come.
We shouldn't allow the devil to divide us when the best thing we could do would be to honor our word in the first place. Integrity, honesty, decency, truthfulness and virtue are all required to show people that we love them. This is the will of the Father!

Just by saying you "will" do something, you have "given your word!"
Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
What does God want you to do but let your word be yes, yes or no, no when you are speaking.. People will come to respect you and follow your lead if you are honest. Always be truthful saying what you mean and meaning what you say! Honor your word so that it will be right before the Lord. Integrity, honor and respect is the reward for keeping one's word. Let's all remember to live up to the high standards that the Lord has set before us.

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important preps for economic meltdown

Hiding the awesome promises of God in our heart...looking at Jesus and not at the curse around us. An awesome time is coming and many will be set free!

Peace to you all in Jesus' name

1) I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25)

2) My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.But as for me, the nearness of God is my good ; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish ; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
(Ps 73: 26-28)

3) Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Mt 6:31-34)

4) From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Ps 61:2)

5) For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me; He will lift me up upon a rock. (Ps 27:5)

6) For grace have you been saved through faith- it is a gift of God that no man can boast.

7) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:24)

8) Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13 He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap. 14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. 15 He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths. 16 He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. 17 Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert. 18 And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire. 19 Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people? 21 Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel; 22 Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation. 23 Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven; 24 And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven. 25 Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full. (Psalm 78:12- 25)

9) But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe.(Mr 5:36)

10) For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (roman 1:16)

11) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; (2 Cor 4:7)

12) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,(eph 3:20)

13) and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power: (Col 2:10)

14)For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.2 Ti 1:7

15) 1 Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.(Hebrews 11:1 )

16) 1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. 2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;( Psalm 103: 1-3)

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Christianity an international crime

The United Nations was founded on the premise of practicing tolerance and living together in "peace with one another as good neighbours.

" I think as soon as the ink was dry on this charter, as usual, power hungry men set off to control as much of an individual's sovereignty as they could get away with!

Right now the religion of "piece" through the Organization of the Islamic Conference wants to acheive UN approval calling the spreading of Christianity an international crime. The U.N. resolution is called "Combating Defamation of Religions.

"

Jesus Christ's Response to these threats:

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away".

Matthew 24:8-10

8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

Matthew 11:12

12 Until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and violent men take it by force.

Romans 8:35 -39

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written,
"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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I will sing praises to your name.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.

He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.

I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

"The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.

The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.

But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.

"Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.

Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.

He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals blazed forth.

The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

"He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.

He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.

The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.

I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.

The Lord rewarded me for doing right.

He has seen my innocence.

"To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

You rescue the humble,
but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

O Lord, you are my lamp.

The Lord lights up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.

"God's way is perfect.

All the Lord's promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
God is my strong fortress,
and he makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

You have given me your shield of victory;
your help has made me great.

You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.

"I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.

I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.

You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

You placed my foot on their necks.

I have destroyed all who hated me.

They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.

They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them in the gutter like dirt.

"You gave me victory over my accusers.

You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I don't even know now serve me.

Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they submit.

They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.

"The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he brings down the nations under me
and delivers me from my enemies.

You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.

For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.

You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.

"

2 Samuel 22

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My Oxygen

"If your main focus is God, whatever you do, it will turn out right." And indeed, even in the littlest of things, if God is not the main focus (whether consciously or subconsciously), at one time or the other, that littlest of things will crumble.

It's also true that it's difficult to really have God as focus. I won't pretend to know how to, because I don't know how to. That's why for many of us, every day is a struggle. A struggle to know what we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to act or react and so on. But it's also true that "My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 9). It is when we are weak that God's power is able to work perfectly in us. For then we rely totally on Him and not at all on our own strength. We ask Him to help us wake up, stay awake, or keep on going because we need Him. And somehow it happens.

But for the longer or lifetime 'undertakings', one other thing that is required is commitment, and there again if God isn't our focus, these will at one time become really difficult to hang on to, the highest form of commitment being that to religious life or marriage. Commitment is no longer 'en vogue' nowadays. You are unhappy -> divorce. There's not even a focus, or even if there is, many times it is to make oneself feel happy. It's hard to live our values in this modern world, but we should not give up hope and always remember to keep God as our focus.

God I just Pray that you help me stay focus on you;
God you are my oxygen!

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