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The
Life
Changing
POWER
of PRAYER
By:
Pastor Max Solbrekken
Jesus
said: "When ye pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the
heathen do; for they think that they
shall be heard for their much
speaking." (Mathew .6:7)
 THE
AWESOME POWER OF PRAYER
"Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is
weak." (Matthew 26:41)
"I
have been driven many times to my
knees by the overwhelming conviction
that I had nowhere else to go"
- Abraham Lincoln
WHY
IS PRAYER SO IMPORTANT ?
Prayer
is the natural outcry from the heart
of a human being to his Maker in
response to the tug of the Word of
God, implanted within the conscience.
That
tug is even stronger in the heart of
one who has had a visitation of the
Holy Spirit's convicting presence or
has heard the gospel message!
The Holy Spirit's call to prayer
becomes as natural and desirous as the
call for food at mealtime!
"Ask
and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you: For everyone that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocked it
shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
PRAYER
IS OUR INNER MAN CRYING OUT
FOR HELP
Prayer
is our inner man crying out for help,
fellowship and spiritual nourishment!
It is born out of our need and the
assurance that God is there to meet
that need and answer our prayer!
PRAYER
IS TALKING, LISTENING AND
COMMUNING WITH THE LORD
Prayer
is talking, listening and communing
with our Maker as we enter into the
very presence of Almighty God.
It
is intimate fellowship on a
"one-to-one basis" with God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord!
WHEN
WE PRAY, OUR TOTAL MIND, BODY
& SPIRIT BECOMES INVOLVED
Our
spirit cries out in response to our
needs and those of others, as God
plays on our heart strings,
encouraging us to share those burdens
with Him.
Our
minds stagger under the weight of sin,
fear, worry and care and our spirits
soar both to heights unknown as well
as plumb to incomprehensible depths.
We
groan in the spirit of intercession or
exult in the joy of God, knowing that
He is taking control of the situation!
And that by our compassion, care and
faith people in need are being
convicted, strengthened, healed and
blessed!
As
we weep in travail our eyes redden,
our physical strength is taxed and our
body becomes weary! Then the Holy
Spirit takes over and intercedes
through us with groanings that cannot
be uttered, and we enter into a new
realm as we pray in the Spirit
(unknown tongues), as St. Paul did. (1
Corinthians 14:15)
The
Divine Paraclete (the Comforter - the
One sent alongside to help) helps us
as we do not know how we ought to
pray. But He comes to our rescue and
prays through us to the Father!
The
entire Trinity is involved in our
fellowship, as we pray to God our
Father in the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord!
PRAYER
IS MANKIND'S MOST VITAL LINK
WITH THE ALMIGHTY GOD
Prayer
is mankind's most vital link with
Almighty LORD God. It is, in fact,
entering into His very presence with
our requests, petitions and
thanksgiving.
The
scripture says, He is closer than our
hands or feet. It is therefore, not
difficult to draw upon His power by
reaching out in prayer and touching
Him.
WHEN
WE PRAY, GOD NOT ONLY LISTENS
TO US, BUT GOD SPEAKS TO OUR SPIRITS
When
we pray, God not only listens but
speaks to our spirits and answers our
requests in His own way, according to
His divine and gracious will.
The
woman with the "issue of
blood"
touched Him with her faith and
received an instant miracle. Jesus
turned about in the crowd and asked
specifically, "Who touched My
clothes"?
Many
rubbed shoulders with Him, but one
person touched Him by faith. She had
said within herself, "If I but touch
His garment, I shall be whole." She
was made whole, and Jesus declared
that her faith had gotten the job
done! (Matthew 9:21)
PRAYER
IS TALKING, LISTENING AND
COMMUNING WITH GOD
God's
Word says: "And it shall come to
pass that, before
they call, I will answer; and while
they are yet speaking, I will
hear." (Isaiah 65:24).
'Prayer
is talking, listening and communing
with God as we enter into the very
presence of the Almighty!'
The
20th Century Bible renders the account
this way: Jesus said, "Someone has
touched Me". And they said,
"Master, the multitudes press Thee
and crush Thee". But He answered,
"No, someone has made a demand upon
My ability".
When
we believe and reach out for a
miracle, we make a demand upon His
ability and draw from His great
storehouse of blessing, that which we
desire! Another
beautiful aspect, is that the woman
received the miracle without Jesus
knowing she had a need. The miracle
was already accomplished before Jesus
was aware of it!
PRAYER
CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR
LIFE AND OTHER'S LIVES
The
Psalmist prayed: "Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O
Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.
Thou hast heard the desire of the
humble." (Psalms
19:
14
;
10:
17
)
'PRAYER
NOT ONLY CHANGES THINGS; IT CHANGES
LIVES'
The
easiest way for me to illustrate God's provision for us, is to
compare it to a buffet banquet. Many
tables, loaded with the best foods
sits in the middle of the room and
guests help themselves at will. The
host simply walks among his friends to
see if everyone is getting enough to
eat, while the servers keep loading
the tables with fresh supplies!
The
host is not really concerned whether
you make one or three trips to the
tables, so long as you get enough to
eat. He doesn't watch to see if you
take one leg of chicken or two!
FORGIVENESS,
HEALING, BLESSING &
PROSPERITY ARE ALL AVAILABLE TO
US
Forgiveness,
healing, blessing and prosperity are
all provided for us. We can have all
we need! All we have to do, is reach
out by faith and make a demand on His
ability, by receiving. Automatically,
when we tap into His resources by
faith in His finished work on
Golgotha, the miracle happens!
PRAYER
CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER
Prayer
changes things! Many situations have
been altered, lives changed and
priorities rearranged by spending time
in prayer.
Why
is this? God answers prayer! God
performs miracles! He is real, and
communion with Him is a glorious
reality! God does answer prayer.
THROUGH
PRAYER WE CAN AFFECT THE
COURSE OF THIS WORLD
Through
prayer and communion with God we can
affect the course of this world and
change the complexion of society!
Not
only does prayer change things but it
changes people - the lives of the ones
prayed for as well as the persons
praying. Thousands of answers to
prayer are recorded regularly in the
books of heaven, as well as in the
remembrances of committed Christians.
Miracles
of salvation, healing, preservation,
deliverance and prosperity are common
occurrences for those who really
believe God's Word and appropriate
His promises for themselves!
PRAYER
CAN CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE AND
GIVE YOU A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE
A
person gets a totally new outlook on
life when he spends time in God's
presence. His priorities change as
well as his desires and goals in life.
And his disposition becomes kinder and
more caring!
SWEET
HOUR OF PRAYER
The
hymn writer penned these words which
have blessed millions down through the
years.
"Sweet
hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer
That calls me from a world of care
And sets me at my Father’s throne,
Makes all my wants and wishes known.
In
seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of
prayer."
THE
TWIN PILLARS OF THE CHRISTIAN
CHURCH ARE REPENTANCE & FAITH
The
twin pillars of the Christian Church
are REPENTANCE and FAITH. St. Paul
makes that very plain: "Testifying both to the Jews, and
also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ." (Acts 20:21)
Writing
to new converts he said: "For by
grace (God's unmerited favor) are ye
saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not
of works, lest any man should
boast". (Ephesians 2:8-9)
YOU
MUST HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE IN
JESUS CHRIST AND TO RECEIVE HIM
To
believe in Jesus Christ and receive
Him into your life is to have faith!
Faith is a fact but faith is also an
act, because faith requires
corresponding action!
The
Bible says, "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16)
When
you have faith in God, you will
believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and
dedicate your life in His service!
Real faith transforms a person's
lifestyle, because faith in God works
miracles in people!
"Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creation: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become
new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
HOW
DO WE RECEIVE FAITH ?
According
to the Holy Scriptures, God has given
each one of us faith to believe in
Jesus Christ, His Son and be saved:
"...think soberly, according as God
hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith." (Romans 12:3)
He
has placed His Word within our
conscience and our spirit which came
from God! (Romans 7:22-25)
THE
BIBLE WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD
CREATES FAITH
The
Word of God also creates faith! "So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God."
(Romans 10:17) God has called us
to a life of faith and worship,
through Jesus Christ His Son!
The
Bible says, "Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen. But
without faith it is impossible to
please Him; for he that cometh to God
must believe that He is, and that He
is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek Him." (Hebrews 11:1,6)
WHAT
IS FAITH ? FAITH IS 3 VITAL
THINGS:
1)
Coming to God with our needs.
2) Believing that God exists and that
He is Who the Bible says He is.
3) Expecting a miracle (an answer)
when you pray!
'Faith
in the Father & faith in the Son
Faith in the Holy Ghost, three in the
One
Demons will tremble & sinners
awake
Faith in Christ Jesus will anything
shake!'
FAITH
IS A GIFT AS WELL AS THE FRUIT OF
THE SPIRIT
Faith
is also a gift as well as a fruit of
the Holy Spirit! "To another
faith by the same Spirit; to another
the gifts of healing by the same
Spirit;" (1 Corinthians 12:9)
THE
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE,
JOY,
PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS,
GOODNESS & FAITH
"But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith," (Galatians
5:22)
GOD
CALLS US TO SEPARATION
What
does it mean when you say, "God
calls us to separation"?
When
we accept Jesus Christ as our LORD, to
serve and live for Him, the LORD God
sets us apart from non-believers
through the divine process of
redemption and the infilling of the
Holy Spirit.
But
God requires that we must separate
ourselves totally and completely unto
Him, in order that His miraculous
provisions will work within us.
Jesus
calls us to righteous, holy and pure
living! The Bible says, "But as
He which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of
conduct." (1 Peter 1:15)
SANCTIFICATION
IS THE PROCESS IN WHICH BELIEVERS ARE
SET APART FOR GOD AND
HIS SERVICE
Sanctification
is the process by which believers are
set apart for God and His service, to
be made holy and purified from sin by
His gifts and graces and our
determined will to do that which is
right!
We
cannot do this in our own power. The
Scripture says, "But of Him are
ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made
unto us wisdom, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption."
(1 Corinthians 1:30)
St.
Paul admonished, "For this is the
will of God, even your sanctification,
that ye should abstain from
fornication: That every one of you
should know how to possess his vessel
in sanctification and honor."
"For
God hath not called us unto
uncleanness, but unto holiness."
(1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4, 7)
GOD
DESIRES HIS PEOPLE TO LEAD PURE,
WHOLESOME LIVES - COMPLETELY SEPARATE
FROM EVIL
The
Bible clearly states that God desire
His people to lead pure, wholesome
lives - not like the pagan. We
must be separated from evil
completely. We must be separated
from the evil practices of lying,
witchcraft, hatred, gambling,
idolatry, sodomy and adultery.
The Bible which is the Word of God
teaches purity of though, word and
deed.
WHEREFORE
COME OUT FROM AMONG
THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH
THE
LORD
St.
Paul declared, "Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch
not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you." (2 Corinthians
6:17)
GOD
PROMISES TO BE OUR FATHER, IF WE
BELIEVE HIS WORD AND LIVE BY IT !
In
His dealings with Israel ~ the
Children of Israel, He demanded that
they separate themselves from idols
and the pagan practices of the
heathen!
"But
I say, that the things which the
Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to
devils, and not to God: and I would
not that ye should have fellowship
with devils." (1 Corinthians
10:20-21)
As
Christians, we are followers of Jesus
Christ and must not try to drag Him
down to the filth in which the ungodly
live, but allow Him to lift us to the
place of purity and wholeness which He
exemplifies.
JESUS
CHRIST SAVES US FROM SINS - NOT
TO LIVE IN OUR SINS
The
Bible says, "If a man therefore
purge himself from these (carnal,
sinful & dishonorable pursuits) he
shall be a vessel unto honor,
sanctified, and meet for the Master's
use, and prepared unto every good
work. Flee also youthful lusts: but
follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord
out of a pure heart." (2
Timothy 2:21-22)
Again
God's Word states, "Having
therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God." (2
Corinthians 7:1)
THE
CALL TO DEDICATION
The
word dedicate means to "set apart
and consecrate to a divine being. To
give wholly or earnestly to a patron,
friend or purpose."
It
is in this sense I now use this word.
We should be willing to give ourselves
wholly and earnestly unto the cause of
righteousness, loving God and our
fellowman!
THE
BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT IF WE DO
CERTAIN THINGS, GOD WILL BLESS AND
PROSPER US
The
Bible does not compromise. It is clear
in its teachings that if we do certain
things, God will bless and prosper us!
And if we do not, there will be no
blessing!
Here
is His clarion call to dedication:
"And
be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)
This
stern admonition was sent to former
pagans, who had converted to Christ.
St. Paul demanded that they break from
evil, lustful and perverted deeds and
live in purity as Christians!
There
is no such thing as a Christian thief,
a Christian liar, a Christian
drunkard, a Christian drug addict, a
Christian homosexual or a Christian
fornicator.
When
Christ comes into our hearts, the Holy
Spirit does a work in us whereby we
are liberated from the lusts and
perversions of this wicked old world!
He
admonishes Timothy and all of us:
"but thou, O man of God, flee
these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness. Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called,
and hast professed a good profession
before many witnesses."
"I
give thee charge in the sight of God,
Who quickeneth all things, and before
Christ Jesus, Who before Pontius
Pilate witnessed a good confession;
That thou keep this commandment
without spot, unrebukeable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ:" (1 Timothy 6:11-14)
It
is certainly a slap in our face, when
Muslims and other non-Christians
reject Christianity because of the
lewd way in which our so-called
Christian society conducts itself!
I
hasten to say that the rock and roll
music, loose living, pornography,
abortion, alcoholism and perversion,
which is so prevalent in our society,
is in no way Christian! On the
contrary, it is anathema!
It
is sad to hear Muslim leaders saying
that they do not want their people
contaminated with "the abominable
practices of sodomy, pornography, drug
abuse, obscene rock & roll music
and alcoholism, which are rife in
Western Christian culture!"
GOD
CALLS US TO ABSTAIN FROM ALL
APPEARANCES OF EVIL
The
Bible says, "Dearly beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul: Having your
conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may see
your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of
visitation." (1 Peter 2:11-12)
We
are instructed, "Abstain from all
appearance of evil." (1
Thessalonians 5:22)
MAY
JESUS CHRIST ALWAYS BE OUR
EXAMPLE, HE WAS PERFECT IN ALL
RESPECTS
May
Jesus Christ always be our example. He
was perfect in all respects - SINLESS
in deity and humanity - yet was
obedient to the cross, suffering for
our sin and shame, so that He could
save us and bring us to God!
The
Bible says, "Looking unto JESUS
the author and finisher of our faith;
Who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God."
(Hebrews
12:2)
Jesus,
"...being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal
with God: But made Himself of no
reputation, and took upon Him the form
of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: And being found in
fashion as a man, He humbled Himself,
and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross".
(Philippians
2:6-8)
St.
Paul was totally dedicated: "I am
debtor both to the Greeks, and to the
Barbarians; both to the wise, and to
the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I
am ready to preach the gospel to you
that are at Rome also. For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for
it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the
Greek." (Romans 1:14-16)
THE
CALL TO CONSECRATION
Consecration
is the act of obedience, when we
privately and publicly make a
statement that we have given ourselves
in dedication for God's service!
In
like manner, as we consecrate a church
building or musical instruments to
Go''s service, so we consecrate our
bodies, talents and riches unto the
cause of Christ and His Church!
CHRIST
IS CALLING US TO CONSECRATE
OURSELVES TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND
EVANGELISM
Christ
is calling us to give ourselves
wholeheartedly to His cause. To
CONSECRATE OURSELVES unto a life of
righteous living and evangelism!
He
is looking for those who will be
totally committed to His gospel, so
that His light may shine in this
ungodly world.
The
Bible says, "...let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth
so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set
before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN TO THE LIAR,
THIEF, ADULTERER, GAMBLER, SINNER
What
does that mean to the liar, thief,
adulterer, homosexual or gambler? Pure
and simple - STOP DOING THOSE THINGS
AND BEGIN LIVING PURE LIVES!
Jesus
said, "Whosoever will come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up
the cross, and follow Me. For
whosoever will save his life shall
lose it; but whosoever shall lose his
life for My sake and the gospel's, the
same shall save it." (Mark
8:35-36)
OUR
LORD REQUIRES A FULL COMMITMENT
& CONSECRATION FROM US
Our
Lord requires a full commitment and
consecration from us, for Him to trust
us with His authority, gifts and
power! He does not want to be the
"fifth wheel" of our
existence or a "fire-insurance
policy" kept in a safety deposit
box.
GOD
MUST TAKE CENTER STAGE IN OUR
LIVES
He
must take center stage in our lives so
that our lifestyle will be pleasing in
His sight, and effective in our
relationship to others!
Jesus,
Who is our grand example, "set
His face" to go to Jerusalem
where He knew He would die upon a
rugged cross and become "a curse
for us", in order to purchase our
salvation! (Galatians 3:13)
St.
Paul said, "What mean ye to weep
and to break mine heart? For I am
ready not to be bound only, but also
to die at Jerusalem for the Name of
the Lord Jesus." (Acts 21:13)
Again
he stated, "For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith." (2
Timothy 4:6,7)
The
great apostle was totally dedicated to
Jesus Christ. His life was consecrated
to His Gospel!
Martin
Luther emphasized: "I live as though
Jesus Christ was crucified yesterday,
arose today & is coming again
tomorrow."
The
great leader of the Protestant
Reformation was consumed with the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is
why God used him so mightily to bring
back the simplicity, truth, purity
& power of Christ's Gospel to a
corrupt, idolatrous and backslidden
Church!
This
is the commendation given by the
leaders of the Primitive Church
regarding the preachers they sent out:
"These are men that have hazarded
their lives for the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ." (Acts 15:26)
WE
CAN CONSECRATE OURSELVES TO GO
BY LIVING A 'DISCIPLINE CHRISTIAN
LIFE'
A
proper way to consecrate ourselves to
God is through a 'Disciplined
Christian Life'! Fasting &
prayer is a good way to humble
ourselves before God and to become
consecrated wholly to God and His
Kingdom!
GOD
CALLS US TO SERVICE
Jesus
declared, "Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned."
(Mark 16:15)
The
paramount duty of the Christian is to
communicate the gospel to our
fellowmen by our chaste lifestyles,
honesty, compassion and wholesome
outlook. We
are "saved to serve"!
JESUS
SAID, "THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD
THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART"
Jesus
said, "Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the
prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)
The
only road to true happiness is going
God's way, walking the Gospel road, by
loving God and loving our neighbors as
ourselves!
Let
us always follow the Golden Rule:
"Do
unto others as you would have them do
unto you." (Luke 6:31)
TRUE
BELIEVERS OF CHRIST ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL,
EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL NEEDS OF
OTHER
Born
again Christians automatically seek
the "high road of life"
after an encounter with 'Jesus
Christ'. We are concerned about the
needs of others, spiritual, emotional
and physical, because our lives have
been changed: "Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new."
(2 Corinthians
5:17)
Angelic
beings brought the message of Christ's
victory to the disciples, at the empty
tomb on that first resurrection
morning. They said, "Come and see
the place where our Lord lay, and go
and tell His disciples..."
(Matthew 28:6, 7)
It
is incumbent upon all Christians to
experience God's blessings through
Christ, and then to "go and
tell" others the good news that
there is hope for our nation and our
world!
AND
THAT HOPE LIES ONLY IN THE
PROCLAMATION AND RECEPTION OF THE
GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
The
Bible says, "And this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end
come." (Matthew 24:14)
WE
ARE TO BE THE HANDS AND FEET OF
CHRIST OUR LORD
Christ
has no hands but our hands, to do His
work of preaching and spreading His
Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let
us be about our Father's business!
Christ
is calling us all to communicate,
share, spread, dispense, articulate
and live His Gospel before this wicked
world, so that many more will be saved
before it is too late.
This
also includes
paying our tithes and giving offerings
to God's work. Let us remember the
words of our Lord Jesus: "It is
more blessed to give than to
receive." (Acts 20:35)
GOD'S
WORD SAYS, "GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE
GIVEN UNTO YOU"
He
also stated: "Give, and it shall
be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that
ye mete withal it shall be measured to
you again." (Luke 6:38)
Sir
Winston Churchill said, "We make a
living by what we get, but we make a
life by what we give". My question
to us all is: Are we doing our share
to spread the Gospel through our
giving?
Or
are we guilty of spending too much
time & money pampering ourselves
when multitudes are going to a 'Christless
Eternity' because NO
ONE HAS SHARED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS
CHRIST WITH THEM?
William
Penn stated: "If there is any
kindness I can show, or any good thing
I can do to my fellow human being, let
me do it now, and not deter nor
neglect it. I shall not pass this way
again."
Francis
of Assisi said, "Preach the
gospel everyday and if you must use
words...It is in giving oneself, one
receives; it is in forgetting oneself,
that one is found; it is in pardoning,
that one obtains pardon". He
taught his students that there is no
point in, "walking somewhere to
preach, unless you can preach while
you are walking"!
SEEK
YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus
said, "But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added
unto you." (Matthjew 6:33)
The
Bible instructs: "But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts: and be
ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of
the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15)
"Charge
them that are rich in this world, that
they be not high-minded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living
God, Who giveth us richly all things
to enjoy; That they do good, that they
be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate;
Laying up in store for themselves a
good foundation against the time to
come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
God
loves you, my friend. He has purchased
your total salvation through the death
of His Son Jesus Christ Who paid for
our sins with His pure and perfect
blood!
The
Bible declares that He not only died
for our sins on the cross, but arose
from the dead for our justification!
(Romans 4:25)
Here
is our Lord’s invitation to you:
"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." (Matthew 11:28)
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