The Ivory and Gold Tablecloth

                                            What is the meaning of life?

What kind of a God would send good people to Hell?

     Because there are no ‘good’ people, according to the Bible (Romans 3:10-12). This may sound harsh but do you know of anyone that’s perfect? If you let imperfect people into heaven, wouldn’t heaven eventually become just like Earth is now? And Earth now is definitely not a perfect place.

     If you compare our ‘righteousness’ to God’s, it’s like comparing the height of a postage stamp to the height of the Empire State building.  We don’t even come close (Isaiah 64:6). We’re great at comparing ourselves to other people, usually the ones not as good as we are. But Paul says not to compare ourselves to ourselves because this isn’t wise (2^nd Corinthians 10:12). But if we compare ourselves to perfection (which is what heaven is), we’ll see that we fall short. If we want to get into heaven, we’ll have to be perfect (Matthew 5:20).

     Jesus lived a perfect life. He NEVER sinned. When we invite Him into our life, He forgives our imperfections and wipes them away. He then applies His righteousness to us. Because He has removed our sin nature, and replaced it with His, we can now enter heaven, the perfect place (John 3:16).

     But, you protest, what about people who are genuinely good? Everyone would agree that we cannot look into each others soul. We can only see the outward actions of a person. God can see into their soul, their real self (1^st Samuel 16:7).  Yes, there are some people who are more righteous than others. But what good does being twice as ‘good’ as the next person, if we are still not equal to God’s righteousness? We may be twice as good as another person, but the height of two postage stamps is still a long way from the height of the Empire State building. The only thing that can wipe away our imperfections is the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ blood really does cleanse us (1^st John 1:7).

Finally, one last point. This may shock you. People in hell don’t want to get out of hell because the only other place to be is in heaven. And heaven is the one place they don’t want to be because heaven is where God is. For them being in God’s presence would be much worse. C.S. Lewis has said“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek, find. To those who knock, it is opened.” He also said that, “The Gates of Hell are locked from the inside.”

     So, in a sense, hell is God’s merciful provision to those who don’t want to be in His presence forever. But don’t read into this too much. Hell is NOT a nice place for sinners (Matthew 13:42, Luke 13:28 . Jesus compared it to the worst, most repugnant place ever. The Valley of ben-Hinnon (or what we call Gehenna or hell) was Jerusalem’s garbage dump. It smelled terrible, had rats, mice and maggots in it, and fires that were continually burning the garbage (Matthew 9:42-48). Hell was made for the devil, his demons and for all who follow him. Jesus made it clear. If you’re not following Him, you’re following the devil (Matthew 12:30).

     So, will there be good people in hell? By some people’s definition, YES. But by God’s definition (the only one that counts), NO!

 References:
Websites;
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-truths-about-hell/
https://www.gotquestions.org/who-will-go-to-hell.html

Books;
“The Problem of God” by Mark Clark, pages 125-150, an excellent book for skeptics
“The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel, pages 169-194, an excellent book
“How to Talk to a Skeptic” by Donald J. Johnson, pages 105-121, great answer on hell

For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard

How To Enter Into The Presence Of The Almighty

Psalm 15 in only 5 verses he laid out for us how to enter into the presence of the Almighty. The outline of this chapter is very simple. Verse 1contains a couple of questions. And the last 4 verses offer us the answers. Click below to read today's post.

https://www.ramckinley.com/how-to-enter-into-the-presence-of-the-almighty/

See if you can guess who said the following:

“In this age of space flight, when we use the modern tools of science to advance into new regions of human activity, the Bible – this grandiose, stirring history of the gradual revelation and unfolding of the moral law – remains in every way an up-to-date book.
Our knowledge and use of the laws of nature that enable us to fly to the moon also enable us to destroy our home planet with the atom bomb. Science itself does not address the question whether we should use the power at our disposal for good or for evil.
The guidelines of what we ought to do are furnished in the moral law of God. It is no longer enough that we pray that God may be with us on our side. We must learn to pray that we may be on God’s side.”

A few years later, he wrote:

“One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose behind it all…The better we understand the intricacies of the universe and all it harbors, the more reason we have found to marvel at the inherent design upon which it is based…
To be forced to believe only one conclusion – that everything in the universe happened by chance – would violate the very objectivity itself…What random process could produce the brains of a man or the system of the human eye?…
They (evolutionists) challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?…They say they cannot visualize a Designer. Well, can a physicist visual an electron?…What strange rationale makes some physicists accept the inconceivable electron as real while refusing to accept the reality of a Designer on the ground that they cannot conceive Him?…
It is scientific honesty that I endorse the presentation of alternative theories for the origin of the universe, life and man in the science classroom. It would be an error to overlook the possibility that the universe was planned rather than happening by chance.”

You probably think these were made by a preacher or a theologian. If you think this, you’d be wrong. The above 2 quotes were made by the “Father of the American Space Program”, the director of NASA and the U.S. guided missile program, Dr. Werner von Braun (1912-1977), one of the top space scientists in the world.

What do you think of his statement that we should present other scientific theories on the origin of the universe in our classrooms?

For his Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com

Today Friday 4 Sep we are asking the question in a free live online zoom meeting with worldwide Christian leaders-

"What is God Saying to the Church?"

This is the 3rd in the series of public zoom meetings "Where to Now?"

All the details, speakers, worship leader & how to register for this free zoom meeting here.

http://beautifulfeettaskforce.blogspot.com/2020/09/where-to-now3-kingdom-speaks.html

Anxiety and fear are relentless. These are two of the enemy’s most popular weapons that he uses against us. Unchecked fear can keep you in bed for hours past what is healthy or wise. Anxiety can also show us as fiery anger, in unkind speech and hurtful attitudes. The longer you struggle with fear, the more likely it is for you to be overwhelmed by it, allowing it to control your every decision and move. Choosing not to deal with it can leave you with scars. Even still, we have a promise that “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability” (1 Corinthians 10:13), and this includes the sinful unbelief of an anxious heart. One of the best ways to rid yourself of the fear that is plaguing you is to turn to Scripture. Here are eight Bible verses that remind us God is in control.

Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Sometimes, we can read certain verses from Scripture a hundred times and fail to take them to heart the way the Lord wants us to. Other times, we can linger on a verse or two, and let them minister life, healing and comfort to us. Isaiah 41:10 is so rich with the promises of God that it warrants some special attention from us. Ultimately, the Lord wants to impart to us through this verse that we shouldn’t be afraid. “Fear not [there is nothing to fear].” On reason why God warns us against fear is that it can short-circuit the answered prayers and blessings that He has in store for us.

Psalm 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

By definition, a refuge is a safe place. When the Bible describes God as our refuge, it is saying that God is our safe place when we need protection from something. Knowing God is our refuge enables us to trust Him more freely. We need not fear situations or people who threaten our well-being, whether in a physical or spiritual sense. There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be, always, is right with Him.

Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

According to data released by Amazon on the most highlighted passage in Kindle ebooks, the most popular passage from the Bible is this passage from Philippians. Most biblical scholars agree that the apostle Paul composed Philippians while he was in prison so the fact that Paul was able to reject anxiety even during his own imprisonment makes the passage all the more encouraging. Although it might seem novel to see biblical writers addressing modern worries, the lesson from this passage is timeless and can affect anyone. The life of faith is filled with a constant challenge to risk more to become our true selves.

1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The One who fears is not made perfect in love.”

In the previous verse (verse 17), John tells us how to have confidence or boldness on the Day of Judgment. And in verse 18, he tells us how to cast fear out of our lives. These are simply positive and negative ways of saying the same thing: getting rid of fear is the negative way of saying become confident. John wants to help us enjoy confidence before God. He does not want us to be paralyzed or depressed by fear of judgment.

Psalm 94:19
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19

What this Psalm tells us is that even in rough or desperate situations, we can be filled with the joy of the Lord. He is our consolation and His Word eases anxiety like nothing else can. God can bring joy to your soul even during times when you’re most anxious by simply knowing that He’s present and trusting in His power.

Luke 12:22-26
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

Life is more than food and clothing. God has reminded us of that throughout the Scriptures. Jesus reminded us of it when He faced temptation from Satan. So we shouldn’t worry because God will take care of the big stuff and the little stuff. Worrying doesn’t change things, big or small, except to make those problems appear worse than they really are. So why let ourselves get so worked up into a frenzy over “big things”? Cast your cares on God and then trust in His wisdom.

Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

Like many psalms, King David wrote this from a season of trouble. Yet, it is a song of confidence and triumph because David was not in darkness or ultimate peril because the Lord was his light and salvation. God Himself brought light to David’s life. He did not despair in darkness and all that it represented. His life was filled with the Lord, and his life was filled with the light.

Revelation 1:17
“Then He placed His right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

Jesus said first, “Do not be afraid” This is what we need to hear in these days when many of us are so anxious. Remember, fear doesn’t glorify God. Jesus was always saying “fear not” to his frightened disciples. The Gospels record that every time they were in trouble, they expressed themselves in manifestations of fear, anxiety, worry and panic, but the Lord always came along at the right moment and said, “Fear not.” We are called to do the same.

One of the best ways to combat two of the enemy’s weapon of fear and anxiety is through the power of Scripture. Read God’s Word, and repeatedly immerse yourself in it. The more you read, the better you will understand His Word and the truth found in it. While fear may continue to show up for you, when you acknowledge and truly believe God is in control, fear and anxiety will no longer paralyze you.

During a sermon delivered at Moody Bible Institute’s Founders Week Conference, Chan, former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, revealed what God is now calling him and his family to do. A trip to minister in a village in Myanmar where there were no believers , no not one, and seeing God turn up to heal not one person but everyone Francis laid his hands on, has changed Francis and his families lives. This is a story you need to hear, so I have attached his sermon, hopefully it will change your life too.

“At one point, we were in this village that had no believers, like zero. Not a single one,” he recalled. “And this lady had built a relationship with the head monk and the village leader and somehow was able to work out that we could go into the village.”

“My translator told me he had been in that area before and was chased out with knives and stones thrown at him, so he was terrified,” Chan continued. “But the entire village showed up, and I had the honour of sharing the Gospel through a translator, to be the first one to lay out the Gospel and explain that they had a Creator and explain that He had a son and explain what He did on the cross and the resurrection.”

“There’s no way I can communicate to you how much peace I felt,” Chan stressed. “I am sharing the Good News with a village of people who have never heard of this before. I can’t tell you how right it felt.”

Later in his message, Chan revealed that while in the village he asked God to help him heal those suffering. 

“I’m going, ‘God, please, please hear,’” he recalled. “People started coming forward for healing."

"Every person I touched was healed," Chan declared as the audience applauded.

“You guys, OK, this is craziness to me," he added. "I have never experienced this in 52 years. I’m talking like a little boy and a little girl who were deaf. We laid hands, she starts crying and smiling. These are not Christians who have even heard about Jesus, and she’s freaking out. We lay hands on her little brother, we lay hands on him, and he starts hearing for the first time.”

Chan admitted that the entire process was out of his “comfort zone,” adding, “This is stuff I’d read about, but I’m going, ‘Man, it happened. It happened.’ Stuff left and right.”

“I thought I had faith, but my faith was at another level, and I think there are some things that contributed — some of it was just faith in His word, that when Jesus says, ‘I am in you and you are in Me,’ to take that literally,” he declared. 

Francis admitted that when he walked in the village, he had a “little bit of fear," adding, “I said, ‘No, no, this is no different than if You walked in the village, and I know what you’d do, Jesus. You’d proclaim the Good News and you’d heal.'"

“I started having this mindset again of going, ‘No, no, this is what the Word of God says. You said I would do the same things that You did, and even greater things. Jesus, I know what You would have done in this village.’ I believe there was something about that faith, I believe there was something about the unity that we had as a group there," he explained.

Chan said that although he disagreed theologically with some of the individuals on his team, he believes God was “honored by this fight for unity, and I believe God was honoured by this pursuit of the unreached, and obeying the Great Commission and we saw power.”

“And I don’t know that that means it will happen every time,” he clarified. “My theology says I don’t think it will happen everywhere ... but best I understand Scripture, He wants me to believe in my unity with Him, this power that I have because He and I are one. He wants to believe that you and I can become perfectly one.”

Chan revealed that in three weeks, his family plans to move to Hong Kong and go to “some places that are pretty sketchy, dangerous.” The reality of persecution, he said, has caused him to “evaluate” his beliefs. 

“Do I still believe that my life has no value outside of accomplishing what God wants me to do?” he asked.

The pastor said that while he loves to preach the Word of God to believers, it’s “nothing like” preaching to people who have never heard the name of Jesus. 

“So I’m excited. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be moving, Lord willing,” he said. 

During the service, Chan also compared Americans to “spiritual foodies,” adding: “All of you are. ... We’re just picking it apart. And I just go, ‘I don’t know if I can do that anymore when there are people who have no spiritual food, who have never heard the name of Jesus.’”

“I say this because there’s a crowd of young people here, and you’re thinking about what to do with your life,” Chan continued. “Just think through the calling of Scripture, because I want that peace that I felt there. I want that for your life, and I know what you’re going to face your entire life here. You’re going to hear a lot of lies and a lot of those are going to come from within the church."

"If I had listened to those voices, I would’ve missed out on so much of life because so many people, even in the church today, they’ll reason with you from their logic rather than from the Scriptures," he warned. 

Chan said it is “crazy” to him that it's “perfectly normal” to be a Christian in America and be “obsessed with staying alive,” citing John 12:25: “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

“Is that what you really see in the Scriptures?” Chan asked. “The only thing I’m trying to do with my every breath is complete the ministry He gave me. If I’m going to breathe another day, it’s to finish the task that He’s given me, which is to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God. I just want to get out and explain the grace, what God has given me, through Jesus Christ.”

In the news...

We've had a record number of new memberships to our global Christian social media network.

For the month of July we've had a total of 79 people to join our network,

this brings our total membership to 3051 people!!

Our new members are from the countries of China, Papua New Guinea, India, Nigeria, Brazil, Canada, Swaziland, Zambia, and the United Kingdom.

Within the United States members have joined from the following states; Virginia, Georgia, New York, Florida, Maryland, Texas, Delaware, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California, Maryland, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

Please help me welcome our new members to the Network Family!
Below is the link to see all new members https://heypapipromotions.com/profiles/members/

Here are some other links so members can fellowship and support each other.

Chat Room:
https://heypapipromotions.com/chat
Events/Activities:
https://heypapipromotions.com/events
Recent News (Blogs)
https://heypapipromotions.com/profiles/blog/list
Prayer Request:
https://heypapipromotions.com/forum

Share the news, invite your family and friends to join our Network!

Membership is always FREE and all our welcome!
Have a blessed week!

Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish Theologian who lived from 1813 to 1855. He related a homely parable about a flock of geese that milled around in a filthy barnyard imprisoned by a high wooden fence.

One day a preaching goose flew into their barnyard,  stood on an old crate and admonished the geese for being content (ripped it into 'em), he recounted the  exploits of their forefathers who spread their wings and flew trackless wastes of sky, he spoke of the goodness of their Creator who had given geese the urge to migrate and wings to fly.

This pleased the geese, they marveled at his eloquent words, nodded their heads and applauded his preaching; just then Mrs Farmer came in with some good corn so they waddled off, after having their fill they gaggled for years about the greatness of the preaching goose.

They never did fly. 

Don't copy the behaviour and customs off this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you. 

Romans 12.2 Living Bible

CHANGE: Oxford Dictionary-         making or becoming different,

                                                          different from previous state

                                                          substitution of one for another

New clothes - when you first put on new clothes  you may feel special, obvious, noticed and proud, having a sense of worthiness;  but they are a little stiff, you are not so not familiar with them as your trusty old jeans, there is a small amount of trepidation.

Your old clothes on the other hand are comfortable, blend in, nothing special, nobody notices. 

Change makes you feel different.

3 Reasons why God Wants You To Change

1/ If we don't have change the past will be the present and the future, 

boring, lifeless, useless, dead.

Abraham would still be in Ur of the Chaldees (Iraq),

Moses would have been the next Pharaoh of Egypt instead of Israel's deliverer,

David would have continued as his brothers lunch boy instead of slaying Goliath,

Esther may have lost her life along with thousands of Hebrews, Mordecai said to her, "Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

Nehemiah would still be serving wine to King Artaxerxes in Susa instead of motivating a bunch of no hoper Hebrews to build a wall around Jerusalem,

Peter & John would still be out fishing for lunch instead of changing the world as Christs apostles,

Paul would still be a religious narrow minded, threatening, murdering bully, instead of converting the gentiles to Jesus.

Czar Nicolas II, who ruled Russia from 1894 to 1917, was walking in his palace garden one day when he found a soldier who was stationed as a sentry to guard a particular place standing to attention in a lonely part of palace garden.

"What are you guarding," asked the Tsar

“I don't know - captain ordered me to this post," the sentry replied.

The Tsar asked the captain why, he replied, "Written regulations specify a guard to that place."

The Tsar ordered a search of records to find out why. 

The archives yielded the reason.

Many years before Catherine the Great had planted a rose bush in that corner of the garden, she ordered a sentry to protect it for that evening.

100 years later sentries were still guarding the now barren spot. 

Are we still guarding our precious traditions, old songs, hymns, revelations of 30 years ago, or 20  or 10 or 2?

Are we willing to change the way we do things to meet a changing community and stay relevant?

Ask "Am I willing to get out of my own personal comfort zone to bring the lost to Christ."

If we don't have change we'll die in the past.

2/ God is a God of the New Thing.

Isaiah 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 43:18/19  Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;

Jeremiah 31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: because his compassions fail not. 

Lamentations 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you;

Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:

Luke 5:33/9   new wine goes into new wine skins

use of wine skins, (dead carcass) empty, dry, hard, inflexible, useless, throwaway when used,

the only important thing is the wine.

History is filled with dead carcasses of people, organisations, denominations, churches, that wouldn't stay flexible to the new wine.

They like the way it used to be (old wine - mellow - dead)

3/ You'll always get what you've always got

If you always do what you’ve always done,

You’ll always get what you’ve always got.

we need to sacrifice for the new thing.

Wine skins come by ripping the guts out of an innocent lamb or kid,

change means sacrifice.

A lot of people don't accept change because they're not willing to sacrifice for the new thing.

Sometimes you've got to stop doing it because its not working.

Have you ever seen a blowfly trapped in the house in the summer and flying at the window in a vain effort to escape.

After many attempts of flying into the glass window, you will find him dead on the window sill the next morning.

We've got to get used to taking the new wine.

v39 they like the old wine because its mellow/dead doesn't challenge them,

new wine is full of life fizz, and challenge.

New people come into the church, they don't know we've done it this way for 25 years & they come up with new ideas.

Change requires work, effort, challenge, sacrifice.

Don't fall for the old trick     -    "the old is better."

The new wine is full of fizz and life, it's always better.

What God does is always new.

Where will you be in 1 year,  5 years,  10 years?

Will you still be a pew warmer admiring the good things that someone else does?

If you want to get something different to what you've always got;

You've got to do something different to what you've always done.

Where will your church be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years?

The church is changing.

The last 50 years have seen more rapid change than at any time in human history. Changes in technology have changed every aspect of life: from contraception to computation, from communication to community formation. 

Philip Hughes, Christian Research Association

When is the last time you did something for the first time?

At the resignation of the Queensland state clerk from a major Christian denomination she wanted to leave a parting gift to the executive members.

After the executive meeting she took all the members onto the roof of the 14 storey hotel building in Brisbane where the meeting was held.

They were met by a mean hulk of a man with biceps on his biceps, The clerk advised here is my parting gift to you. 

The hulk expressed, "You're all going over the edge, face down, walking down the side of the building to the ground." There was of course ropes, harnesses and all the safety gear.

Fear and trepidation gripped one man, he backed up against wall and stuck there until every other member had successfully completed the mission of walking face down to the ground from the roof of that 14 storey hotel, the trainer eventually talked him into it, harnessed him up and gave him his instructions etc.

Stand on edge looking 14 storeys down to the Brisbane streets below, "you will take one step and go from vertical to horizontal in 2 seconds,"

With his heart in his mouth he took that step, and finally after many more he got to the bottom. He unhooked his harness, screamed at the top of his lungs, "YES," and hugged first person he saw, a complete stranger,

"I'm going to do that again," he exclaimed. 

When he got home he said to his kids, "You should have seen your dad today."

CONCLUSION
Plans to change the church will not happen unless there is change at every level.

Change Means:

Being different

Thinking Differently

Doing Differently

Warning

New wine will burst old wine skins,

wine will run out,

wine will be ruined,

You will lose it if you're not willing to change.

Encouragement

There's always a new wine with God.

Prophecy

God is engineering change in his church.

3 Things for you to do now.

Take action  - make a change in your life.

Greatest change you can make is to make Jesus your Lord.

Be filled,

refilled and refreshed with the Holy Spirit.

Be prepared to do something you have never done before,

if you want to have something you have never had before,

if you want to see God do something in and through your life you have never seen Him do before. 

Change starts here: 

BFTF Unity conferences southern Africa Nov 2018

Australian ministers/leaders interested in joining the BFTF team register here https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/1293265677401646/

African leaders, find out more, stay connected, network for unity, join over 3000 leaders concerned for the gospel in Africa, join Africa Network BFTF here http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/ 

Rev Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of 

Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions. 

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My mentor of blessed memory, Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa said: "If light can't replace darkness, you don't need light." If life can't replace death, you don't need life." I add; what's the essence of claiming to have light and still be overcome by darkness? What is the meaning of professing life, while living under the captivity of death? 

It's really an irony, when we talk of the death and resurrection of Christ and even preach it on our pulpits with so much emotion and end up committing suicide; living a life of addiction and lacking the power over sin, disease and demonic forces. 

It seems most preaching and teaching today is, but mere theater; the way we live shows we don't believe most of what we say. Most news headlines about the happenings in the church, especially among the clergies say it all. 

How can we experience the victory the dead and resurrection of Christ brings, when we are busy looking for excuses for every known moral failure? If it were possible, we would rewrite the Bible to accommodate our addictions. Phrases like these would be added to our new Bible versions.

i) It's normal to profess Christ and still die by taking one's own life

ii) You can profess Christ and still live a life of sin

iii) Its normal to be an addict for life even as a professing Child of God, etc.

In fact, our new Bible version would be more about excitement in Church, busyness in religious activities, rhetoric s of faith without the life of faith.

Thank God, the works were finished since from the foundation of the world, so we can't add to the finished work of Christ or take from it. If we fail to live up to expectation, we shouldn't blame it on God, but on our lust.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:13-15)

If the dead and resurrection of Christ can't give us victory in this life, then most of our talk about the gospel is vain. DrBenard Etta 

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: (MATT 4:5-6)

The anointing, God's grace and favor aren't just a privilege, but a huge responsibility. This responsibility isn't just limited to touching lives, but being able to combine the anointing and God's grace on our lives with the character that goes with it. Charisma-minus-Character is equal to Disaster.

The greatest crisis plaguing Christendom isn't the absence of the anointing, but the presence of anointing without character. This makes some in the ministry today to look more like rascals; reckless and unruly in the eyes of God and man.

For us to walk in the fullness of the grace of God like Christ, we need to overcome the temptation of using the anointing on our lives to show off. Christ did it; we can do it!

It's very easy for one to use the gifts of God to promote oneself and not God's kingdom. Our Church building programs, congregations, television outreaches, philanthropic activities, healing and miracle meetings, etc, might actually be serving us than Christ. God is so generous, he can allow us use his grace to build for ourselves empires until the day of reckoning.

In our foundation text, the devil was simply tempting Jesus to use the anointing at his disposal to show off. Jumping from the pinnacle of the temple to the ground could have attracted onlookers since the masses are drawn to such manifestations. But Christ resisted the temptation. 

The power of God is not for entertainment or for showing off, but for Godly influence and impact, which counts in time and eternity. When God's ministers look more like magicians in their manner of demonstrating God's power, it's a call for alarm. Jesus didn't go about trying to satisfy the curiosity of people by performing miracles and signs. Each time he performed a supernatural act, the motivation was to meet a need, show compassion and above all, to glorify the father. In some cases, he asked those he healed to tell no one, but to glorify God.

There is nothing wrong with publishing testimonies of God's miracles in a meeting if our motives are right, but we need to watch against the carnal competition among ministers of God today for who is the greatest in anointing, and the most accurate in words of knowledge, etc. This carnal competition has reached a point where some drunk with the wine of self promotion have gone to the extent of using mystical powers and charms to perform miraculous signs so as to boost their recognition among the “greatest” in Christendom.

It's very common today to find someone faking prophecies and words of knowledge and forcing people to accept them. Others use information provided during private consultation and counseling to form the base for their so-called prophecy extravaganza. Millions of ignorant Christians are right now under tremendous delusion and some are giving just everything they have to these self style con men masquerading as prophets.

It's time for the truly anointed of God to stand up strong for the truth and for righteousness. It's time to speak out! It's time to put away the altitude of using the anointing to show off. Let Christ be our example! DrBenard Etta

If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matt 4:3)

Those who blessed the world in all times, lived for something much more than what the average man lives for. They were truly in the world, but not of the world in their values and perspective. 

Before Jesus actually began his earthly ministry, he was tested by the devil to turn the grace of God in his life, meant to save mankind into something for achieving his physical and material wants. He had to overcome that basic test to receive the mandate for his divine assignment. 
I think, the devil meant this in other words. 

If you are the son of God, why should you go hungry when you can use the anointing to get anything you want? His goal was to deviate Jesus from what really matters to the pursuit of trivialities, by using the authority and power given to him to fulfill his divine assignment to solely acquire physical breakthroughs.

There is nothing wrong with being blessed with bread as one carries out the work of the kingdom. What is wrong is when that becomes the motivation and hidden motive for ministry work. And, when one’s definition of ministerial success becomes something measured by one’s physical and material breakthrough, it becomes difficult to really see and think right.

Each of us should strive to overcome the temptation of using the grace of God on our lives for physical and material attainment. Jesus did it, we can do it!

When it comes to real ministry, something greater than just the craving for mere bread and butter have to stir one from the inside. If the goal is simply to makes ends meet, then everything will definitely go wrong with the quality of delivery of such an individual. It's time to live for something much more than bread and material possession. DrBenard Etta

I TRAVELED 14 HOURS ON JAN 3RD - JAN 7TH WITH JESUS ON A MIRACULOUS JOURNEY TO SAVANNAH GEORGIA, HE SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT...AMEN!!!

JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA A FOUR DAY TRIP WITH JESUS DRIVING ME ALL THE WAY...AMEN

FROM THE SANCTUARY TO THE BEACH SHORE OF JACKSONVILLE....GOD DID A MIRACULOUS JOURNEY WITH ME AND MY LIFE HAS ILLUMINATE ...JUST LIKE HE PROMISED IN MY NEW SEASON ...AMEN

TRAVELING ON THE ROAD WITH JESUS

MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME...AMEN

I have been creating gospel music to bless the masses for decades... Keep up with all of the updates pertaining to my ministry here:

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GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Raising Kingdom Citizens and James Bligen seeks sponsors to sponsor their A Man Like God Men Conference to be held at 7548 Lancaster Road, Dallas TX 75241.

This sponsorship is to hire a film crew to film the three days of the conference.  This sponsorship will also cover promotion costs for this event which is estimated to be $1,500.

We are offering several sponsorship levels:

Bronze Level

$200                Business Card inclusion in gift bag

                        Logo on our website linking to sponsor’s website

Silver Level

$500                Promotional material inclusion in gift bag

                        Logo on our website linking to sponsor’s website

Gold Level

$1,500             2 Free Tickets to the conference

                        Gift bag inclusion

                        A Free 2.5” page add in Revival booklet

Platinum Level

$2,500             2 Free Tickets to the conference

                        Gift bag inclusion

                        Free half Page add in Revival booklet

                        Logo on website with link to sponsors website

Diamond Level

$5,000             4 Free Tickets to the conference

                        Gift bag inclusion

                        Logo on website linking to sponsor’s website

                        Free full page spread in revival booklet

                        Logo printed on back of Banquet tickets

Each sponsor’s logo will be placed in the credit section of the DVD produced from the filming of this event, as well as on the back of the T-Shirts which will be offered at the conference.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.   To become a sponsor please click Here

If you are unable to attend however, would like to donate to the conference you may also do so on the Vendor/Sponsor Registration form, by clicking the link above.

"Do It For God" by Bing Bing (Music & Me mixtape) by Bing Bing

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