Chelsea fans SLAM 'useless' Pedro... then brand him 'amazing' after worldie!

Blues supporters were united in agreement that the former Barcelona forward should be hauled off until he brought them level against Tottenham ADTECH GmbH (Master default) Pedro's wondergoal against Tottenham on Saturday had Chelsea fans raving on Twitter as they headed in level at half-time. But it had been an extremely different story before he brought the Blues back on to equal footing after Christian Eriksen's equally-stunning opener!

Is there something I should know?

Matthew 14:23-27
During a concert, singer-songwriter David Wilcox responded to a question from the audience about how he composes songs. He said there are three aspects to his process: a quiet room, an empty page, and the question, “Is there
something I should know?” It struck me as a wonderful approach for followers of Jesus as we seek the Lord’s plan for our lives each day.
Throughout Jesus’s public ministry, He took time to be
alone in prayer. After feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, He sent His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee by boat while He dismissed the crowd (Matt. 14:22). “After [Jesus] had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.
Later that night, he was there alone” (v. 23).

If the Lord Jesus saw the need to be alone with His Father, how much more do we need a daily time of solitude to pour out our hearts to God, ponder His Word, and prepare to follow His directions. A quiet room — anywhere we can focus on the Lord without distractions.
An empty page—a receptive mind, A blank sheet of paper, a willingness to listen. Is there something I should know?
From that quiet hillside, Jesus descended into a violent
storm, knowing exactly what His Father wanted Him to
do (vv. 24–27).
*Taking time to be with God is the best place to find strength*
Prayer : “Lord, speak to me by Your Spirit, Your written Word, and the assurance of Your direction."

Leaving the Past Behind

Leaving the Past Behind
Tuesday June 28, 2016
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:12-21

What Jesus does for the soul is a transformation —He takes us as we are and transforms us. The Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 nlt). Before knowing Christ, we follow our desires wherever they lead us, and our lifestyles reflect this. When we repent and begin to walk with Christ, the passions and pitfalls that once dominated our lives are the “old life” (1 Cor. 6:9-11) that fade away as we are transformed. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18).

Still, life as a “new person” isn’t always easy. It can take time to disconnect from old habits. We may struggle with ideas that were foundational to our old way of life. Yet over time, God’s Holy Spirit works in us, giving us inner strength and an understanding of Christ’s love. As God’s beautiful new creations, we’re free to leave the past behind. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. (Isaiah  43:18)
God does not want us to be stuck in the past.

Prayer : Jesus, thank You for the power of Your death and resurrection. Your victory over sin means that I can be forgiven and can enjoy a new life in You. Amen

To enjoy the future, accept God’s forgiveness for the past.

Romans  12:2 ...but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...

#Shalom

Healing Confessions

Make these confessions and you will be glad you did! Powerfully packed and scripturally backed to restore you to health and keep you in good health...

1) I have a merry heart and it does good like a medicine.
My belly is satisfied by the fruit of my mouth, and with
the increase of my lips I am filled. Death and life are in
the power of my tongue. I speak the life-giving words of
God and I receive life and health in my body. (Prov.
17:22 ; Prov. 18:20-21 )

2) Jesus Christ has borne my sicknesses and carried my
pain. He was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted for
me. He was wounded for my transgressions and He was
bruised for my guilt and iniquities. The chastisement
needed to obtain peace and well-being for me was upon
Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him, I am healed
and made whole. I now have perfect health in my body.
(Isa. 53:4-5 ; 1 Peter 2:24 )

3) The will of God is done on earth as it is done in heaven.
There is no sickness in heaven; therefore, I am not sick
at all on the earth. Jesus was never sick on this earth.
Jesus is in me and His life flows in me. As He was in the
world so am I in this world. I am healthy as Jesus was
healthy upon this earth. (Matt. 6:10 ; Gal. 2:20 ; 1 John
4:17 )

4) Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, which were
diseases, sicknesses, and bodily infirmities; therefore, all
the works of the devil upon my body are destroyed and I
have perfect health in Jesus Christ. (Matt. 8:17 ; 1 John
3:8 ; Acts 10:38 )

5) I am justified by my words. I have the faith of Jesus
Christ in me, for Jesus is in me, and He is the Author and
Finisher of my faith. I speak unto the mountains of
sickness and disease and they obey my words and leave.
I have authority and power over all disease and sickness;
I command them to leave and they obey my words. I lay
my hands on the sick and they recover. (Matt. 12:37 ;
Heb. 12:2 ; Mark 11:23 ; Matt. 10:1 ; Mark 16:18 )

6) I believe in God and all His promises, and all things are
possible unto me. All the promises of God are Yes unto
me for Christ has paid the price for all of them. (Mark
9:23 ; 2 Cor. 1:20 )

7) I believe that all those things I say shall come to pass.
All things which I desire, when I pray, I believe that I
have received them and I have them. (Mark 11:23-24 )

8) Whatsoever I ask in the Name of Jesus, Jesus himself
does it that the Father may be glorified in the Son. When
I ask for anything in the Name of Jesus, Jesus says He
will do it. (John 14:13-14 )

9) The Father loves Jesus Christ and gives Him all that He
asks. The Father loves me as much as He loves Jesus
and gives me everything that I ask. (John 16:23-27 ;
17:23 )

10) All authority in heaven and earth is given unto Jesus
Christ. I have faith in the power and authority of the
Name of Jesus Christ and through His Name I am made
perfectly whole. (Matt. 28:18 ; Acts 3:16 )

11) The Spirit of God who raised up Jesus Christ from the
dead dwells in me, and He who raised up Jesus Christ
from the dead, also quickens and gives life to my mortal
body through His Spirit who now dwells in me. (Rom.
8:11 )

12) I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and
believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the
dead and I am healed. For with my heart I believe unto
righteousness and with my mouth confession is made
unto healing and health. (Rom 10:9 , 10; Mark 5:23 ; Acts
14:9 )

13) My health springs forth and the glory of the Lord is
revealed in me. The Lord brings me health and cure, and
reveals unto me the abundance of peace and truth. ( Isa.
58:8 ; John 17:22 ; Jer. 33:6 )

14) I sow to the Spirit and reap of the Spirit life everlasting. I
sow words of health and healing every day and daily reap
health in my physical body. (Gal. 6:8-9 )

15) Jesus has destroyed Satan and spoiled all his
principalities and powers, and they no longer have any
power in me. In the Name of Jesus, I have power over
them and over all their works of sickness and disease.
(Heb. 2:14 ; Col. 2:14-15 ; Mark 16:17-18 )

16) The word is near me, even in my heart and in my mouth;
that is the word of faith which I speak. ( Rom. 10:8 )

17) It is the will of God that I should prosper and be in
perfect health even as my soul prospers. (3 John 2)

18) My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and all the
fullness of God dwells in me. I glorify God in my body and
in my spirit which are His. (1 Cor 6:19-20 ; Eph. 3:19 )

Share your testimonies with Us

Famous Quotes on Prayer

1. "God does nothing except in response to believing prayer."
John Wesley

2. "Prayer is where the action is." John Wesley

3. "The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will
make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in
history." Andrew Murray

4. "Faith in a prayer-hearing God will make a prayer-loving
Christian." Andrew Murray

5. "We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of
prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the
Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth."
Andrew Murray

6. "Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship
God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He
delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of
your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!"
Andrew Murray

7. "...True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A
single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in
it than a fine oration of great length." C. H. Spurgeon

8. "If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must
remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding
union with the Lord Jesus Christ." C. H. Spurgeon

9. "Prayer can never be in excess." C. H. Spurgeon

10. “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than
words without a heart. ” John Bunyan

11. " The word of God is the food by which prayer is
nourished and made strong." E. M. Bounds

12. "Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet." E.
M. Bounds

13. "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to
God for men is greater still." E.M. Bounds

14. "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the
greater work." Oswald Chambers.

15. "I have seen many men work without praying, though I
have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never
seen a man pray without working." James Hudson Taylor

Four facts you need to know

4 Facts
Here are Four FACTS you need to know personally
In reality, a fact is something that has really
occurred or is truly the case. The usual test for a
statement of fact is authenticity, that is, whether it
can be demonstrated to correspond to experience.
I need you to know four facts that I have discovered
and have made sense to a lot of people.

FACT 1
God Loves YOU!

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He
gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”

But the problem is that…

FACT 2
All of us have done, said or thought things that
are WRONG. This is called SIN , and our sins
have SEPARATED us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins
separate us from Him forever. The Bible says “The
wages of sin is death.” Death here means spiritual
separation from God!

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago…

FACT 3
God sent His ONLY SON, Jesus Christ, to die
for OUR SINS.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life, (the
perfect Man) and then died on the cross to pay the
penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own
love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ
died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in
heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of
eternal life — of living forever with Him in heaven if
we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus
said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one
comes to the Father except by Me.”
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be
His child. “As many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, even to
those who believe on His name.” You can choose to
ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to
your life as your Lord and Saviour.

It is not enough to know these three facts…

FACT 4
We MUST each receive Jesus as SAVIOUR and
LORD in order to experience His LOVE and
FORGIVENESS for our sins.
You would want to ACCEPT CHRIST AS YOUR
SAVIOUR to save you from your sins; you can ask Him
to be your Lord and Saviour by praying a prayer
like this:
“Lord Jesus, I admit that I have been running my
own life and have sinned against you. Come into
my life and forgive my sins, take control of my life
and make me a new person. Thank you for
answering my prayer. Amen!
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If
so, pray right now, the Lord will come into your
heart just as He has promised in Revelations 3:20.
Remember it is not the amount of words that will
save you but the sincerity of your heart in believing
in Jesus Christ.

Four steps to God?

Interactive Gospel [Social
Media]

Hello
How are you please?

There is something that is very dear to my heart. I
would like to share that with you in few minutes.
Have you heard of the 4 steps to God?
Let me quickly share them with you.

Step 1- God Loves You!
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He
gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”
The problem is that…

Step 2- All of us have done, said or thought things
that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins
have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins
separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The
wages of sin is death.”

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

Step 3- God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die
for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and
then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our
sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in
heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of
eternal life — of living forever with Him in heaven if
we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except by Me.”

Step 4- If you want to accept Christ as your Savior
and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be
your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:
“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of
eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be
my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always.”
If you have prayed this prayer sincerely, you have
become a child of God. All your sins have been
forgiven.
The Holy Spirit now lives in you.

I would like to encourage you to join a Bible
believing church near you where Christ is honoured
and His word is preached.

Send your questions to joelikan@gmail.com

TELL IT TO JESUS

No matter what your  situation is, there's someone who's ready to listen to you and help you out. A friend that sticketh closer than a brother(Prov.18:24)
His name is JESUS!
Do you know the interesting thing about Him? He's just right beside you and He doesn't discriminate. What you have to do, is to tell Him and He'll come to your aid  (whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered Joel 2:32)
Also, remember one of His promises, Matthew 11:28-30; Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden(be it physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, academic, financial, whatsoever) HE will give you rest. He will grant you Peace because He's the Prince of Peace
Tell Him today, talk to Him now, It's your time to share great testimonies!

HOLY SPIRIT BY BRYAN

There's nothing worth more
that will ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your Presence

I've tasted and seen
of the sweetest of love
where my heart becomes free
and my shame is undone
Your Presence, Lord

Holy Spirit you are welcome here
come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by your Presence, Lord
Oh God how we love your Presence

Let us become more aware of your Presence
Let us experience the glory of your goodness

AS I JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND

AS I JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND, OH I WANT TO SEE JESUS!

1 As I journey through the land, singing as I go,
Pointing souls to Calvary—to the crimson flow,
Many arrows pierce my soul from without, within;
But my Lord leads me on, through Him I must win.
Refrain:
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,
There to sing forever of His saving grace;
On the streets of glory let me lift my voice,
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.
2 When in service for my Lord dark may be the night,
But I’ll cling more close to Him, He will give me light;
Satan’s snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside;
But my Lord goes ahead, leads whate’er betide. [Refrain]
3 When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height,
And behold my Savior there, leading in the fight,
With a tender hand outstretched toward the valley low,
Guiding me, I can see, as I onward go. [Refrain]
4 When before me billows rise form the mighty deep,
Then my Lord directs my bark; He doth safely keep,
And He leads me gently on through this world below;
He’s a real Friend to me, oh, I love Him so. [Refrain]

Love to sing it over and over again!

This beautiful piece was written by
R.H. Cornelius, known as Rufus
Cornelius by his friends. He was
born in Blount Co., AL., January
24, 1872. He was educated in
the public schools of Oneonta,
the county seat. He began teaching in the public schools at an
early age and at one time was associate Principle of the
Oneonta High School. It was while teaching in the high school
that he became interested in church music and began to
study with some of the best teachers of the time. His first
major teacher was the late A J showalter in one of his
normals at Eden, AL. He continued his study with this
wellknown teacher until he had finished the courses a second
time. He soon felt that the study of harmony was his first love
in his study and soon became one of the best harmon
teachers of his time.

AS I JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND

AS I JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND, OH I WANT TO SEE JESUS

1 As I journey through the land, singing as I go,
Pointing souls to Calvary—to the crimson flow,
Many arrows pierce my soul from without, within;
But my Lord leads me on, through Him I must win.
Refrain:
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,
There to sing forever of His saving grace;
On the streets of glory let me lift my voice,
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.
2 When in service for my Lord dark may be the night,
But I’ll cling more close to Him, He will give me light;
Satan’s snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside;
But my Lord goes ahead, leads whate’er betide. [Refrain]
3 When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height,
And behold my Savior there, leading in the fight,
With a tender hand outstretched toward the valley low,
Guiding me, I can see, as I onward go. [Refrain]
4 When before me billows rise form the mighty deep,
Then my Lord directs my bark; He doth safely keep,
And He leads me gently on through this world below;
He’s a real Friend to me, oh, I love Him so. [Refrain]

Love to sing it over and over again!

This beautiful piece was written by
R.H. Cornelius, known as Rufus
Cornelius by his friends. He was
born in Blount Co., AL., January
24, 1872. He was educated in
the public schools of Oneonta,
the county seat. He began teaching in the public schools at an
early age and at one time was associate Principle of the
Oneonta High School. It was while teaching in the high school
that he became interested in church music and began to
study with some of the best teachers of the time. His first
major teacher was the late A J showalter in one of his
normals at Eden, AL. He continued his study with this
wellknown teacher until he had finished the courses a second
time. He soon felt that the study of harmony was his first love
in his study and soon became one of the best harmon
teachers of his time.

Who is Jesus? Is Jesus God?

BEYOND BLIND FAITH

Who is Jesus? Is Jesus God? See what Jesus said about himself, his equality with God, and what exactly Jesus did to prove it.

By Paul E. Little      PDF    Listen to article

It is impossible for us to know conclusively whether God exists and what he is like unless he takes the initiative and reveals himself.

We must scan the horizon of history to see if there is any clue to God's revelation. There is one clear clue. In an obscure village in Palestine, 2,000 years ago, a Child was born in a stable. Today the entire world is still celebrating the birth of Jesus, and for good reason.

Is Jesus God? Did Jesus ever claim to be God?

We're told that "the common people heard him gladly." And, "He taught as One who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law."¹

Not just the empty tomb.

That alone did not convince them that Jesus actually rose from the dead, was alive, and was God. What convinced them were the number of times that Jesus showed up, in person, in the flesh, and ate with them, and talked with them.

Luke, one of the gospel writers, says of Jesus, "he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."²⁶

Is Jesus God?

All four of the gospel writers give accounts of Jesus physically showing up after his burial, obviously alive. One time that Jesus joined the disciples, Thomas, was not there. When they told him about it, Thomas simply wouldn't believe it. He flatly stated, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

One week later, Jesus came to them again, with Thomas now present. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."²⁷

Your opportunity

Why did Jesus go through all of that? It was so we could know God now, in this life, by believing in him.

Jesus offers us a far more meaningful life, by being in a relationship with him. Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly."²⁸

You can begin an intimate relationship with him right now. You can begin to personally know God in this life on earth, and after death into eternity. Here is God's promise to us:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."²⁹

Jesus took our sin on himself, on the cross. He chose to receive punishment for our sin, so that our sin would no longer be a barrier between us and him. Because he fully paid for your sin, he offers you complete forgiveness and a relationship with him.

Here is how you can begin that relationship.

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him."³⁰

Right now you can invite Jesus Christ into your life. The words are not important. What matters is that you respond to him, in light of what he has done for you, and is now offering you. You could say to him something like, "Jesus, I believe in you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and to come into my life right now. I want to know you and follow you. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me a relationship with you, right now. Thank you."

If you asked Jesus into your life, we would like to help you grow to know him better

Why worship a God who allows horrible things?

Q: "Why worship a God who allows horrible things, like a child being raped?"

our A: I have a close relative who was raped as a child.

Believe me....I am intimately familiar with all of the ways that sexual abuse damages people. I truly understand your rage.

However, it is not God's fault that people choose to take the good he has created and corrupt it. It is not his fault that fathers molest their daughters or that mothers verbally abuse their sons.

We human beings are pretty much free to do as we choose.

How should we feel about the fact that God doesn't prevent other people from doing evil to us?

How should we feel about the fact that God doesn't prevent us from doing evil to other people?

We might wish that God established a set of boundaries, beyond which people would be punished. We might suggest that God kill any man who molests a child.

Well then, how about the producers of child porn that might have helped motivate the man to molest the child? Would it be right if maybe God killed them too?

Ok, what should God do with, say, people who are verbally abusive?

Words wound deeply. If you ask a room full of counselors which causes more damage to people, in total - verbal or sexual abuse - I bet most of them will say verbal abuse takes a heavier toll. There's certainly a lot more of it being done.

It seems pretty apparent to me we get to do what we choose to do. And I don't see how we can be angry at God for letting us do that.

Hasn’t God revealed to us how to best live our lives?

Is it not true that if everyone followed the 10 Commandments, no child would ever be raped or molested?

Is it not true that if everyone followed the 10 commandments, nothing would ever be stolen, no spouse would be betrayed, no one's son or daughter would be murdered?

Rather than control us, God gives us freedom. God does not interfere with anyone's choices. Rather he assures us that all will someday answer for what they have done and that justice will be administered. Judgment will be based on the guidelines given.

The problem is, being told how to live well, is insufficient. Even God says that.

Telling a child molester that it's wrong to molest children is not news to him. God says we need something deeper. Internal guidance, yes. But even more. Internal power to want to do what is right. That is what God can provide.

Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly."¹Not free-from-trouble lives. But where we can live in relationship with the God who created us and loves us. He offers to guide us and help us.

God is asking us to go through life with him. To know him. And like a friend we highly admire, to be counseled by him.

WHAT TO DO WITH LONELINESS

Instead of hiding those empty feelings, here’s what to do with loneliness…

By Ashleyne Seitz

I’ve felt lonely while sitting in my car at a stoplight, radio blasting and windows rolled down. I’ve felt it in a crowded room, surrounded by laughter and friends. I’ve felt it in the middle of the night, both in my dreams and when I wake up suddenly in the dark.

Loneliness. It’s a familiar feeling for all of us.

Feelings of loneliness can turn into fear of loneliness. And fear of loneliness can turn into avoidance of loneliness. And then eventually you’re sending 1,000 texts a day, drowning your feelings in alcohol or video games, or hooking up with people you don’t even know—all because you don’t want to be alone in the world for even a few minutes. Or maybe you do the opposite—shut yourself in your room and ignore the world entirely to avoid being connected to people. Once you feel lonely, it’s nearly impossible to get out of your loneliness, because you are…alone.

A proverb says, “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.” (Proverbs 14:10) We are each fundamentally separated from all other humans, and although we can understand each other to a certain extent, we will still feel that separation. No one fully understands what it’s like to be you. Regardless of how you react to it, loneliness can be a big, painful problem for all of us.

What causes lonleliness?

Ever wonder what we were made for? The Bible explains that God wired us for connection, for community. Often we idealize romantic relationships and even friendships, thinking that if we only found the right person, we’d never be lonely again. But loneliness can be found even in happily married men and women. Not only were we wired for connection with other humans, we were wired for connection with God. Even wealth, achievement, and honor are not enough to keep us from loneliness. Pop culture is full of examples; rampant divorce, suicide, and drug use litter the landscape of Hollywood. There are also stories in the Bible that talk both about people who had it all and still felt lonely and about people who had nothing but found what they needed by approaching God.

Solomon was a king of Israel to whom God granted immense wisdom. And he literally had it all: huge piles of gold, a giant palace, and hundreds of wives and concubines. You’d think Solomon would have been the most content man on earth! But he wrote a book about how pointless life is: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11) You can hear his loneliness and desperation in that statement!

In comparison, one day when Jesus was walking through a town, he was met by a man with leprosy. Lepers were ten times more scary then than now; people were terrified of catching it. Lepers were outcasts and rejects, often abandoned by friends and family to beg on street corners just to have something to eat. Picture this particular leper sitting in the dust and dirt, ignored by everyone who passed by. He had no one to turn to and not a penny to his name. He got up, walked up to Jesus, fell on his knees in the street, and asked to be made clean. Jesus touched the leper - a person who had likely not been touched by another human being in years - and healed him. The now socially-acceptable man was ecstatic and went around telling everyone about it, although Jesus had instructed him otherwise. His life suddenly had joy and meaning, despite the fact that he still had nothing and no one. What changed this former outcast’s world so entirely? Just one brief interaction with Jesus.

We weren’t made to be lonely

We were made to have a relationship with God.

It’s the one thing that can bring us out of our loneliness, because it’s the connection we were made to have. That one interaction with Jesus, who is God, brought meaning, comfort and joy to the life of that leper, while all the jewels, gold, and women in the world didn’t bring meaning to Solomon’s life. Having a personal relationship with God changes everything; it is the answer to our loneliness problem.

That said, does having a relationship with God protect us from feelings of loneliness for the rest of our lives? No. Simply put, the system is broken. It’s a complicated story you can learn more about here, but our world is a damaged place. We are separated from God by our sin, our desire to live apart from God. In this world, we cannot experience life the way it was meant to be, without loneliness or evil or sorrow or fear.

So now what?

Despite the fact loneliness is a reality of being human with no immediate cure, there are two things that can help in the here and now:

Community: how to deal with loneliness

Because we were created for connection, a big part of dealing with loneliness is to be in community. No friend will save you from being lonely ever again, but when you have people around you who care about you for who you are (not for your body, skills, money, or ability to hold alcohol) it can help you see you are not really alone.

In fact, science backs this up: the more friends you have and the more connected you are, the better your health. All you have to do is Google “Health Benefits of Friendship.” Brene Brown, a researcher and expert on human interaction, explains it this way: “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Sharing your life with people who love you helps you to see outside your own perspective and bring meaning to your life that you can remember in lonely moments.

Someone who understands your loneliness

Sometimes it’s hard to understand how believing in a God that you can’t see could possibly help you feel less lonely on a Friday night. But the Bible says God will never abandon his children, and he is near to all who call on his name. God loves you and desires relationship with you. He wants you to come to him when you are lonely!

Not only that, he understands. When Jesus was going through the worst hours of his life and about to be crucified, his friends abandoned him and even pretended they didn’t know him. Jesus knows what it is like to be a lonely human. The Bible says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) What would it feel like to know in your deepest moment of loneliness, you are not alone? The God who made you is with you and will never leave you!

You can have that

The sin that separated us from living in a world without loneliness is what keeps us from God now. No matter how good you are or how hard you try, you cannot overcome that separation. God sent Jesus to earth in order to restore our relationship with him - the Bible says that Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted. Jesus, the perfect son of God, died for your sins so that you could be clean like the leper; you are no longer an outcast or a reject but a child of God. Tim Keller, a pastor and author, said this about how God views us: “The only eyes in the universe that can see you to the bottom, love you to the skies.” God sees your worst moments and loves you all the same; he wants you to come to him.

Would you like to start a relationship with God and let him help you in your moments of loneliness? You can do that right now by believing him and accepting him into your life through prayer, which is simply talking to God. God knows you and your heart, so the words don’t matter as much as the attitude in which you say them. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Thank you for being with me and for saying that you will never leave me. Please help me to feel your presence.

INSPIRING QUOTABLE QUOTES

§   “The Faith that will shut the lions’ mouth must be more than the pious hope that they will not bite”

§  “You cannot SLEEP ON Delilah’s LAPS and expect to WAKE UP in Abraham’s  BOSOM”

§   Talent and culture are GIFTS of God but when these LEAD you away from Him, they become a TRAP

§  FAMILIARITY with sin will cause it to seem less PERILOUS

§  When you ASPIRE to ACQUIRE a DESIRE do not RETIRE when you PERSPIRE but RE-FIRE! And when the enemies CONSPIRE, you have MESSIAH who makes all their DESIRES to EXPIRE and BACKFIRE! so...stand fast in the faith….be strong(1 Cor 16:13)

§  The HUMBLE never looks for the APPLAUSE of men

§  Every individual HAS in them the seed to be GREAT but only FEW water theirs

§  Get men to PRAY and they will QUIT sinning.

§  To get a RAISE you must learn to PRAISE

How can a loving God send people to hell?

Q: "I'm trying to understand how God who is love can send people to be in hell. What's the thought behind going to hell?"

our A: Here are some things to consider:

(1) God has given all people enough evidence to know that he exists.

• "...What may be known about God is plain to them [people], because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."¹
• "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."²

(2) Nonetheless, some people choose not to know him.

• "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator."³
• "The fool has said in his heart, 'there is no God.'"⁴
• "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way."⁵

(3) People have been given free will. They can seek God and begin a relationship with him, or reject God. Whatever people choose, their decision continues after they die.

Eternal life is life with God, eternally. And Jesus was clear that eternal life is gained by believing in him. It is a relationship with God that is unending.

• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”⁶
• “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…”⁷
• “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”⁸

God wants all people to know him. However, the Bible also reveals that God does not force people to choose him. He allows people to reject him. God is love, but God allows people to reject his love, and to remain separated from him. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." ⁹ To find out how to begin a relationship with God and receive eternal life, please see: Knowing God Personally.

►	I have a question or comment...
►	How to know God...

(1) Romans 1:19,20
(2) Psalms 19:1
(3) Romans 1:25
(4) Psalms 14:1
(5) Isaiah 53:6
(6) John 3:16
(7) John 3:36
(8) John 11:25
(9) John 5:24

Q: "I would like to learn more about the end of times, like things dealing with the rapture."

What will happen at the end of the world?

our A: Thanks for your question. The end times are a very important subject in the Bible. They are addressed in many of the Old Testament prophetic books (Isaiah through Malachi). In the New Testament, the primary passages on the end times are Matthew 24:4-44, Mark 13:5-33, Luke 17:20-37, Luke 21:8-36, 1Thessalonians 4:14-5:3, 2Thessalonians 1:6-2:12, 2Peter 3:3-12, and the Book of Revelation.

Regarding when the world will end, Jesus said that no one would know the year or the hour.

A summary of Jesus' words in Matthew 24 shows that the end times will involve the following:

• wars and rumors of wars
• nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom
• famines and earthquakes
• false prophets coming in Jesus' name
• many people being deceived by false prophets
• false prophets performing signs and wonders
• persecution of true believers
• people's love of God decreasing
• the gospel preached in the whole world
• the "abomination of desolation" (a world leader who makes himself out to be God)
• great tribulation
• alterations in the sun, moon, stars
• Jesus' true followers gathered to Him
• Jesus' return
• Jesus' judgment of people on earth

Regarding the "rapture," the event where Christ's true followers are caught up to meet him in the air, some main texts for that are: Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:27, 1Corinthians 15:51-52, 1Thessalonians 4:16-17, and 2Thessalonians 2:1-4.

Also, it should be pointed out how the last days will be characterized. We are told:

"There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." (2Timothy 3:1-4)

The end times basically hinge on the return of Jesus Christ and His judgment of humanity and the world. Therefore, actually knowing him is the most important thing to understand about the end times. If you would like to learn more on this subject, see Knowing God Personally or begin your investigation by reading the Bible section called "John".

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►	How to know God.

Life After Death

THEN

Life now. Life then. Life after death?

Today you're in college. Somewhere between the ages of 18 and 24. But what about Tomorrow?

You graduate. You get a job. You get married. You have children. You go through a few more jobs. You buy a house. Okay, THEN what?

You go to soccer games for your kids. You try to be a good parent and spouse. You watch your children go to the prom. Even though Yesterday they were wearing diapers. You do and say the things your parents did and said, even though you vowed you never would.

You have a mid-life crisis or two. Your children graduate from college. You become a grandparent. Someone calls you grandma or grandpa. You live out your life in leisure, drawing income from a retirement fund. You take walks in the morning. You work in the garden. You read the newspaper. You watch TV. You talk to your children and grandchildren on the phone. You travel.

Okay, THEN what?

Well, then, someday, you die. If you are fortunate, you live a relatively long life. Seventy to 90 years. If you don't get taken away prematurely by cancer or a car accident. But always, eventually, you die. Death is the Tomorrow that awaits us all, the inevitable Then that none of us can escape.

But is that it? Is there anything more?

Someday you'll be just a corpse. They'll bury your body in the ground. Or burn your body and put your ashes in an urn. The big question is, Will I cease after that? Will there still be a conscious ME somewhere? Is there really life after death?

In truth, we probably all hope there is something that comes after. Maybe in the smallest recesses of our minds, we are planning on it.

What are we planning on? A life after death of some sort. Some call it paradise. Some call it heaven. Some also talk of hell.

Another thought that many people possess throughout life, often subconsciously, is: I'm a basically good person. Therefore, I will get to go to heaven someday.

Is that how it works?

Many people think they are "good enough" for heaven. It's an assumption we make. If we haven't robbed a bank, or murdered anyone, or cheated on our taxes, we think we're just the kind of folk God is looking for to populate his home. By golly, we are good enough.

At heaven's box office, we bought our ticket by being basically good people all throughout our lives.

But what if that thinking is incorrect? THEN what? What a thing to have been wrong about! What a misfire!

If you think you're good enough for heaven, there are two things to consider:

(1) If heaven is a place of perfection¹, how can anyone be good enough?

Most of us would say we have a "skeleton in the closet." At least one. Something we hope no one ever finds out about us. A mistake in our past. A poor decision. A moment of weakness or stupidity that we'd rather not think about.

That's the extreme. But there are many other more common things we don't really want others to know or notice about us. It might be the "little white lies" we tell. Or how we talk behind someone's back. Or how we copy other people's homework. Or the unkind words we say to people. Or the unkind thoughts we have about people.

Much more than a one-time regrettable event, our lives, if we closely scrutinize them, show a pattern of wrongdoing. We often don't do what we believe to be right. And we often do what we believe is wrong.

All of us, even people whom we would call basically good, are also basically selfish and basically very imperfect.²

Everything we do is seen by God.³ So that means there's no fooling him. He's perfectly aware of all the good we haven't done (and yet could have), as well as all the bad we've done. He even knows all of our thoughts and all of our motives.

Here's the second thing to consider if we think we're "good enough" for heaven: (2) Is it possible to be a basically good person and still have rejected God?

Consider Ralph. He's a "good" person. He was ethical in his job. He never stole even a paper clip. He was a faithful father and husband. He provided for his children. He made sacrifices for them and for his wife (whom he never cheated on). He even gave money to many charities throughout his life.

But Ralph, though good in some sense, never "let God in." Many times in his life, Ralph sensed God's desire to come into his life. It was as if God were knocking on the door of Ralph's heart. But Ralph never opened that door. He always came up with some excuse not to. Ironically, one of the recurring excuses was, I've been a good person all my life. I will go to heaven.

Ralph wanted to go to heaven. Everyone does. But in reality, Ralph didn't want to know God. And he didn't stop to analyze the huge implications of that decision (the decision to keep God out).

Think about it. Heaven is God's home. If Ralph didn't want to know God during his life on Earth, why would Ralph want to know God in an afterlife? In other words, what Ralph didn't calculate is how much he would LOATHE heaven.

Heaven is a place where God is very present. It's likely that every aspect of heaven will remind one of God, constantly. What a horrible place for Ralph!

Ralph always assumed heaven would be a place of ultimate comfort. But he never considered how ultimately uncomfortable it would be for him, since he didn't want to know God or have a relationship with God. For Ralph, heaven would not be heaven, but rather a type of hell.

Would you let someone into your home even if you knew they didn't want to have anything to do with you? If you knew that everywhere they turned, they'd be reminded of you?

Many people are like Ralph. They want heaven, but they don't want God. And they don't realize that, under those circumstances, heaven would be an awful place to be.

Maybe the truth of the matter is that heaven is for people who know they're not good enough to be there -- but who nonetheless want to be there solely because God is there. They want to know God and be with him forever. The life-after-death prize isn't heaven, but rather its Primary Occupant.

Do you want to know God? Do you want to learn how to become "good enough" for heaven? See Knowing God Personally.

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►	How to know God...

(1) "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful." (Revelation 21:27)
(2) "No one is good -- except God alone." (Luke 18:19); more: Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, James 2:10
(3) "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13); more: Matthew 10:26, 1Corinthians 4:5

Is there really a heaven?

What is heaven like? Is there really a heaven?

Q: "Is there really a heaven? What is heaven like and where is it?"

our A: Yes, there really is a heaven.

What most people call "heaven" is actually an eternal city which the Bible calls the "new Jerusalem."¹ It will be spectacular. As a sampling, here is what heaven will look like.

A river, clear as crystal, will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] down the middle of the city. On each side of the river there will be a tree of life, yielding twelve kinds of fruit every month. The streets will be pure gold, like transparent glass. The walls of the city will be adorned with every kind of jewel, emerald, onyx, amethyst, topaz, etc. There will be no need for a sun or moon, and no need for a temple or church. The presence of the Lord will be its light.²

However, the real beauty of heaven is this:

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away...I am making everything new."³

Heaven belongs to Jesus. He created it. "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible...all things were created through him and for him."⁴

Though Jesus initially came to the earth as a Savior, he will one day sit as Judge. All people will experience a bodily resurrection from the dead, and all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.⁵

So it might be helpful to see what Jesus said about how a person gets to heaven.

Many people think it's by living a commendable life, or at least trying to avoid extreme sins like murder.

Yet here's what Jesus said about getting to heaven. "...unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The scribes and Pharisees were the admired religious models. They were the good people, the "holy" people!

Jesus reaffirmed what the prophet Isaish said. No one is deserving of heaven. No one is good enough. That's not how we get to heaven. It is why Jesus came...so that we could have eternal life.

And here is how. Heaven is given to all who will believe in Jesus. "everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."⁶

When we begin a relationship with Jesus, it is a relationship that lasts eternally. Our names are written in his book of life. Jesus said, "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."⁷

Regarding heaven, it's our decision now whether to respond to Jesus and accept his gift of eternal life.

Jesus said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."⁸

We're told in Scripture that in heaven there will be a multitude of people from every tribe, language, people and nation who will have eternal life because of their faith in Jesus.

What does it mean to believe in him?

It does not mean merely believing things about Jesus. There is a difference between your believing that Barack Obama was president of the United States in 2013, versus knowing him personally. In the same way, you might believe Jesus is God, without ever having him in your life.

Here is how you can believe in him and be sure that you have eternal life. Please see Beyond Blind Faith.

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(1) Revelation 21:2
(2) Revelation 21 and 22
(3) Revelation 21:3-5
(4) Colossians 1:16
(5) Revelation 20:11-13
(6) John 3:16,17
(7) John 5:24
(8) John 6:40