<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561</id><updated>2011-11-27T17:20:25.730-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Christians</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>8</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-4761813583011234099</id><published>2007-01-31T21:49:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2007-01-31T21:49:21.614-08:00</updated><title type='text'>White Sun - The Miracle of Jesus Christ</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;As a Taoist in the early part of my life where I grew up near a temple, I witnessed mediums going into trance and performing many kinds of actions. Some performed very scary stances, some in trance helping devotees in trouble and some trying to cure the explained sicknesses. Very often devotees came to ask for lucky numbers. As a Taoist, I always wore a talisman for protection against any evils.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In June 1977, while pursuing my professional accountancy course and preparing for two very important parts that had eight papers, I fell sick two weeks before the examination. I had a very bad diarrhoea and consulted doctors three times. The medicine ranging from white to black could not stop my diarrhoea and after taking so much medicine, I developed very bad hiccups that were similar to a very bad cough. I was very sad because I came from a very poor family and the money didn't come easy for my study.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I thought that I wouldn't be able to sit for the examination after studying so hard and spending so much money. I prayed to the deity to cure my diarrhoea and hiccups but there were no improvement. One night, about three days before my examination and after about ten days of sufferings and purging of at least twenty times a day, I was very weak and could hardly climb up the stairs; I went into a small empty room. I sat down on the floor and my tears came running down my cheeks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Suddenly I thought of Jesus Christ and in deep silence I spoke to him. "Dear Jesus Christ, I pray that you would help me to cure my diarrhoea and hicupps so that I could sit for my accountancy examination. I studied very hard and the education money did not come easy and I was from a poor family. Please help me go through the examination and I do not mind if the diarrhoea and hicupps come back again after my examination. If you could cure me, I would always believe in you."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Immediately after this prayer, my hiccups stopped and I no longer had the uneasy feeling in my stomach. I felt that I was cured although I could hardly believe it. I told myself it might be a temporary relief and again I spoke to Jesus Christ that if it were real, I would have definitely believed in him.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As it was already quite late I went to bed and for the first time after almost ten days of suffering without proper sleep, I slept like a log. I woke up the next morning, fresh from a very sound sleep and I was very happy. Then I went to take a bath and brushed my teeth. After brushing my teeth without further hiccups and diarrhoea and while combing my hair, I looked into the mirror and saw the talisman around my neck in the mirror that was given to me for my protection. Then I told myself that I have already made a vow that I will believe in Jesus Christ and I should not be wearing this talisman any longer. Immediately after this thought, the brass talisman hook broke and it dropped onto the floor. I got a shock and knew that it was a sign that I must no longer be wearing the talisman and be a Christian.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I recuperated from the diarrhoea and hiccups and I went in good health for my examination that lasted for about a week. After the last paper, I went for a swim in a public swimming pool. After diving into the pool, immediately I felt like purging, I jumped up from the pool and headed for the toilet.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The diarrhoea came back with small hiccup but since there was no examination pressure, it was easily cured with medication. I passed the examination with flying colors and it was a great achievement with the blessing of Jesus Christ and Heaven.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On 28th April 1998, my house in Malaysia was officially opened as a temple of Tao of Heaven and there were more than thirty Taiwanese Tao masters and preachers and one of them, a lady had the eyes that could see the unseen. We had never been met before and she was a guest in the ceremony. Suddenly she told everybody that Jesus Christ and many White Saints were present to congratulate me for opening the temple. Then everybody realized that I was a Christian that had affinity with Jesus Christ and God definitely treats all of us as his children regardless of race and religion. Thanks God that in Tao of Heaven, there is no differentiation of religion or race, it embraces all religions and faiths and I am still able to go to church and offer my gratitude sometimes when my former Christian brothers and sisters invited me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the teachings of Tao of Heaven, we addressed God as "Lao Mu" (The mother of all souls) and she said that God is one and the same. There are no two Gods, it is only people who made it different. God, Jehovah, Allah, Lao Mu...is the same and all of us are brothers and sisters between the four seas and we are from Heaven.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Author: T.A Chew&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;T.A. Chew, hopes that people can live in peace and one of the missions of Tao of Heaven is to unify all religions so that the world can live in peace. Devotees of Tao of Heaven pray daily 3 times for the deferment of the Final Catastrophe so as to save as many people as possible. Website: &lt;a target="_new" href="http://www.white-sun.com/"&gt;http://www.white-sun.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-4761813583011234099?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/4761813583011234099/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=4761813583011234099' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/4761813583011234099'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/4761813583011234099'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2007/01/white-sun-miracle-of-jesus-christ.html' title='White Sun - The Miracle of Jesus Christ'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-8145820302049651827</id><published>2007-01-31T21:39:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2007-01-31T21:54:35.992-08:00</updated><title type='text'>What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;According to the bible a Christian is defined as a person living in tune with God’s desires and believing in Jesus Christ. A Christian believes Jesus Christ died on the cross and that one must be saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior. This is clearly stated in John 3:16, “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.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Christians walk with God and talk to him daily through prayer and meditation. There are also rules that Christians abide by which were handed down to Moses as the ten commandments:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;pre&gt;1) God is the one true God.&lt;br /&gt;2) Do not take the Lord’s name in vain or you will&lt;br /&gt;  not be held guiltless at the time of reckoning.&lt;br /&gt;3) Sunday, the Sabbath, is to be kept holy.&lt;br /&gt;4) Honor your parents and elders as they have much&lt;br /&gt;  wisdom you can learn from.&lt;br /&gt;5) No murdering.&lt;br /&gt;6) No lying.&lt;br /&gt;7) No adultery.&lt;br /&gt;8) No stealing.&lt;br /&gt;9) Do not covet others belongings.&lt;br /&gt;10) There are to be no other Gods, idols, etc…&lt;/pre&gt;&lt;p&gt;God handed these commandments to Moses in Exodus 20. According to the Torah the entire bible was given to Moses in its entire format without any spaces and this is where the idea of the bible code originated from. Much research is still necessary into the bible codes and its meaning for the rest of us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, to be a Christian is to live a moral and higher standard life. It is to forgive others for their wrongdoings and turn the other cheek. This importance of forgiving is evidenced in the Lord’s Prayer:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you are a Christian or not, it would be hard to argue against the fact that by following these rules one would have a better quality of life. Studies at the leading universities have documented that prayer and meditation lead to better health, reduced stress, longer life, and a better quality of life. Prayer, as documented in Readers Digest, has been proven to make oneself heal at a much faster rate from a variety of illnesses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, to recap, a Christian walks in tune with God’s desires. They have less stress as they don’t hold grudges and believe in forgiveness. They hold themselves to higher ideals and believe in helping one another and, especially, those less fortunate. Christians make the world a better place, regardless of whether we believe in their religion or not. They promote peace, harmony and love and shun hatred, racism, and greed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. For more information on great anti-aging products and ideas please visit &lt;a target="_new" href="http://www.bestskinpeel.com/"&gt;http://www.bestskinpeel.com&lt;/a&gt;  And for more information, tips, and money saving products for your auto please visit &lt;a target="_new" href="http://www.mdwholesale.com/"&gt;http://www.mdwholesale.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-8145820302049651827?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/8145820302049651827/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=8145820302049651827' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/8145820302049651827'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/8145820302049651827'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-does-it-mean-to-be-christian.html' title='What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-6498723090570739183</id><published>2006-12-26T07:10:00.002-08:00</published><updated>2006-12-26T07:11:04.797-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The Bride of Christ</title><content type='html'>Every person longs to be noticed, pursued, appreciated, chosen and special. Every person longs to know that they are valuable, attractive, and worth being "known" just for who they are and not for what they can "do".&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God designed us with these longings and desires. It is no mistake that we desire to feel loved. It is not weird to want to feel wanted. It is God's devine design. It is a right and good thing. God designed several means to accomplish these things. In marriage, we ahve the relationship between a husband and wife. We ahve the relationships between a mother and father and their children. In the church, we have the relationships among the community of saints (the family of God). The Bible also describes that the church makes up the body of Christ. God will use other types of relationships in our lives ... those between: teachers and students; friend and friend; boss and worker.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We know that all of these relationsihips are strategic. One way we can discern this is by the degree of effort that goes into the success of each category of relationship. Another way to weigh the value of a relationship is the degree that the relationship is attacked by the enemy ... satan. Since we know statistically that over 50% of all marriages in the United States fail, we can conclude that marriage is a primary object of attack and therefore, it must be a very important relationship in our spiritual lives.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One reason why marriage is considered holy and sacrimental is because it is a physical expression of a spiritual reality. It is also considered to be a means by which we experience the grace of God. God speaks consistently in the Old Testament that "His people" represent His bride and He is their Bridegroom. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is described as the Bridegroom and the church is His Bride.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, as the living Bride of Christ, are we ready for our Bridegroom to return? I believer our choices, our everyday moment by moment choices, reveal our level of readiness. Our choices and our heart attitudes show much about where we actually are in our spiritual journey with the Lord. Are you wearing your garment of fine linen (which is symbolic of purity)? Is your garment presentable? Is your farment soiled?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;By asking these questions, I am not asserting that we should pretend to be "perfect". If you are walking around pretending to be a perfect Christian, I fear that you are being pulled into a common deception ... you are living more as a "Stepford Christian" than an authentic, born-again Christian. So, I am not talking about just external behaviors. I am talking about the condition of your heart. Are you eagerly waiting for the return of the Bridegroom? Are you sober and alert while you wait? Just think about the devotion of your "Bridegroom". Think about the following:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* His love is unending&lt;br /&gt;* His commitment is unwavering and true&lt;br /&gt;* His character is impeccable&lt;br /&gt;* His wisdom is untainted and sound&lt;br /&gt;* His ways are tender, right and responsive&lt;br /&gt;* His motives are pure&lt;br /&gt;* His heart is warm and full of love and affection&lt;br /&gt;* His affection is unrivaled&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I encourage you to live your life in a way that is worthy of your calling. You are the Bride of Christ. Make choices ... live your life in such a way that reflects this high calling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For more articles by this author, check out: www.murphytoerner.com&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Murphy Toerner is a Christian Mental Health Counselor. She has been in practice for over 13 years. She is a retreat speaker and writer. She has been married for 25 years and has two grown sons.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For more information: www.murphytoerner.com.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-6498723090570739183?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/6498723090570739183/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=6498723090570739183' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/6498723090570739183'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/6498723090570739183'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/12/bride-of-christ.html' title='The Bride of Christ'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-8655861915958966682</id><published>2006-12-26T07:10:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2006-12-26T07:10:30.051-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The REAL JESUS Can't Return Until...</title><content type='html'>Prophecy clearly reveals that the REAL JESUS CHRIST will not return to Earth from Heaven (in full view of all mankind) until after Jerusalem has suffered under a Gentile EU occupation for three and one half years, complete with Europe's wannabe divine emperor polluting the holy Temple just like Antiochus Epiphanes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The two witnesses, representing Judah and Levi (priest and king - God's system of government as opposed to Rome's demonic system of Babylon), will testify against the counterfeit kingdom of God, and will testify against the wannabe God who pollutes the Temple with his unclean presence and fights against the biblical people who love and obey God and reject the idolatrous traditions of men.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These same two witnesses will herald the coming of our King from Heaven to restore God's government on Earth and establish the literal divine Kingdom-Family of God on Earth, liberating Jerusalem and regathering the British-Israelite and Jewish holocaust survivors and destroying the Beast and False Prophet.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Come Lord Yashua!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out Beyond Babylon http://beyondbabylon.blogspot.com.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-8655861915958966682?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/8655861915958966682/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=8655861915958966682' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/8655861915958966682'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/8655861915958966682'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/12/real-jesus-cant-return-until.html' title='The REAL JESUS Can&apos;t Return Until...'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-6928253882183191580</id><published>2006-12-26T07:04:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2006-12-26T07:10:07.991-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Taking Jesus Out of Christmas</title><content type='html'>I am sure you have all heard by now how the secular forces in our country are attacking the true meaning of Christmas. These secular forces are trying to literally replace the term "merry Christmas" with "happy holidays." They are trying too re-name our traditional Christmas tree as the "holiday tree." They are trying to take out the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph from the manger scenes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;President Bush himself has taken out the term "merry Christmas" from his yearly standard Christmas card that he sends out in an attempt to try and be politically correct. Many of our major department and retail stores have also replaced the term "merry Christmas" with "happy holidays" for fear of offending the minority in our country if they are not Christians.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the last poll I saw taken, it has been estimated that 80-85% of the people in our country still consider themselves to be Christians. We are thus looking at 15-20% of our population either being atheists, agnostics or of another faith and religion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In an effort to try and appease and not offend this small minority, many in the political, academic and social fields are literally trying to take out the true meaning of Christmas - the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And surprisingly, many liberal Christians are now in this secular camp.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have seen many of them on the local news and cable talk shows. They are telling the rest of us conservative and traditional minded Christians that we are getting too upset over nothing, that we should be willing to completely separate Church from state, that we are too thin skinned and that we need to go along with this secular agenda and take our faith and belief right out of any kind of public arena.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As a result of this dark side attack, many Christians have risen up and have done battle with the secular forces trying to remove Christianity from the public square. We have been successful in some of the court battles along with some of the battles against some of the schools who are also trying to remove every tenant of Christianity in their teaching systems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For those of you who don't know what the word "secular" means, Webster's Dictionary describes it as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Worldly, profane, heathen. Relating to worldly things as distinguished from things relating to church and religion; not sacred or religious, temporal."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Another term that you will often hear is the phrase "secular humanism." Webster's describes this term as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Humanism that systematically opposes the introduction of religious ideas or standards into the functions of the state, especially into public education. A system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Remember this word. You will be seeing a lot more of this demonic movement in the coming years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Per the series of articles I have done on all the end time events that will be occurring before Jesus returns to us for His second coming, one of the heavier signs that will be occurring will be the moral disintegration of many people from all walks of life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Bible tells us that in the latter days many people will become lovers of self, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, slanderers, brutal, without self-control, headstrong and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. The Bible also tells us that some of these people will be falling for "doctrines of demons."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is no doubt in my mind that the secular agenda and their basic philosophy is a demonic doctrine straight from the pit of hell. Not only do they not believe in God - but they want to try and take Him right out of any kind of pubic arena - even if they are considered to be in the minority!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You thus have liberal judges, teachers, professors and politicians who are doing everything they can to try and remove God from all of the public areas of our life. They are doing everything they can to try and remove the Bible and the Ten Commandments from every major public area of our lives.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many of our school children have literally lost their faith in God and Jesus by the time they graduate from some of these liberal and secular colleges. If that child has not been raised up with a good, solid Christian upbringing, he will become easy prey for some of these demonic professors who are teaching them that man does not need a God to answer too and that man and science can eventually solve all the world's problems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What you will find that is really funny in all of this is that these secular forces are not attacking any of the other false religious faiths and beliefs. They are not attacking any of their holidays or trying to take out any of their system of beliefs out of our public arenas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The reason for that is that all of these other false religions and beliefs are not considered a threat to them and their beliefs. Christianity is the only faith and religion that will draw a major battle line in the sand and call out things the way they really are. Christianity is the only faith that will call man as he really is - a sinner in need of a Savior.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Secularists don't want to be told that they are all sinners. They don't want to be told that they need God's grace and mercy through the death of Jesus Christ in order to receive redemption and a pardon for their sinful states and natures.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They don't want to be told what they can and cannot do. They want total freedom of expression and they don't want to have to answer to a real live living God for the moral decisions they want to make with their lives. In other words, they do not want any moral absolutes dictating how they should live in this life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is why you are seeing such a fierce and relentless attack on Christianity in every area that they think they can get away with. With us now approaching what I believe are the latter years as told to us in the Bible, I am afraid that not only is the secular movement not going to be going away, but it will be getting stronger in the coming years, eventually leading up to a real live antichrist who will literally be ruling this entire world for the last 7 years on this earth.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their webiste, http://www.bible-knowledge.com has over 115 in depth Bible articles. All free of charge.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-6928253882183191580?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/6928253882183191580/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=6928253882183191580' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/6928253882183191580'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/6928253882183191580'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/12/taking-jesus-out-of-christmas.html' title='Taking Jesus Out of Christmas'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-2261476039685909452</id><published>2006-11-28T08:36:00.003-08:00</published><updated>2006-11-28T08:43:50.024-08:00</updated><title type='text'>How Long Will Hell Fire Burn?</title><content type='html'>The Bible clearly shows us that on the day of judgment at the end of time, the wicked will be punished with Hell Fire. Many Christians believe that this Hell Fire will last forever and that the wicked will be eternally tormented in pain and anguish. Is this really what the Bible shows?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jesus said Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” He also said John 3:16 “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”. In the one verse it would seem that the wicked will live forever in everlasting fire and yet the other verse tells us that only those who belong to Jesus will not perish. This means that wicked will perish.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The only conclusion we can come to is that the everlasting fire, is not actually fire that is everlasting, but rather fire which consumes with everlasting consequences.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Are there other places in the Bible where it says forever, but the event mentioned has finished? There are actually many examples of this. Just as today people will often say things like “The show was so boring it went on forever” and “It took forever to get the house painted”. These same type of expressions were also used in the Bible for events that lasted a long time, but not actually eternally or for events that had everlasting consequences. For example the Bible describes the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha as eternal fire. Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”. This fire is not still burning today. It had eternal consequences, as the cities were forever destroyed and the fire was not extinguished. This fire was allowed to burn until it had consumed everything away and then it went out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is the same type of fire that “death and hell” will be thrown into and the same type of Fire from Heaven that will consume the wicked after the judgment. Depending on their sentence they will be either consumed quickly with little pain, or else have to suffer longer for more severe sins. The Bible shows us that they will not live forever burning in Hell, because we are told that they will be as ashes under our feet. Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many Christians think that Satan will be thrown into eternally burning hell fire and yet the Bible shows that he too will be consumed and will be no more. Ezekiel 28:18-19 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Bible further clarifies that fate of the wicked Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Our awesome and loving God who abounds in mercy is not going to torture and torment the wicked forever and ever in the agony of an eternally burning Hell. He will justly deal with them and they will perish for their sins. For the Wages of Sin are death.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For more information on this topic please visit http://www.thetruthabouthell.org/&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment Books http://www.investmentpropertybooks.com/christianbooks.html&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-2261476039685909452?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/2261476039685909452/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=2261476039685909452' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/2261476039685909452'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/2261476039685909452'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-long-will-hell-fire-burn.html' title='How Long Will Hell Fire Burn?'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-105302478412468815</id><published>2006-11-28T08:36:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2006-11-28T08:36:19.751-08:00</updated><title type='text'>What If God Is Late?</title><content type='html'>Have you needed an immediate answer from God, but no matter how much you prayed, even begged or pleaded with Him, God's answer was late? There is an old saying that God is seldom early, but never late; but that statement begs the question: How do you define late?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the Old Testament book of first Samuel we find the story of how King Saul found himself in a situation like that and, because of the bad decisions he made, he lost his kingdom. This story teaches us some two important lessons we must learn so that we can avoid Saul's mistake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In 1 Samuel 13:1-15 we read that Saul's son Jonathan had attacked their enemies, the Philistines, and had really stirred up the proverbial hornet's nest. The Philistines got really mad and gathered their army to attack Israel. The Israelites were completely outnumbered, and Saul's soldiers were so scared that they were running away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Saul was desperate. The prophet Samuel was supposed to come and help Saul seek God's guidance and blessings, but Samuel was late. Saul felt that he had to do something, so he broke God's commandments and offered a sacrifice without Samuel being there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the Sunday school class I'm teaching, we were discussing this story. We realized that Saul wasn't that much different from us. We each recognized that we had all been in circumstances that seemed impossible, and that out of desperation we had made bad decisions. But unlike Saul, we had not lost everything because of them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So what was the difference? Why had Saul's actions had such severe consequences when our mistakes had been costly, but had not ruined our lives?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In 1 Samuel 13:10 it says, "Just as he (Saul) finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him." In other words, Saul had just finished making a big mistake when Samuel arrived. If Saul had just waited a little longer, Samuel would have come and the problem could have been avoided. So why was Samuel just a little bit late?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first lesson we learn from Saul is based on one of my favorite verses, Psalm 139:23, which says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." There is probably one thing, one "test," in life that will reveal our anxious thoughts faster than anything else, and that's when God seems to be running late.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Samuel was late because it created a test that revealed something in Saul's heart, something that is in all of our hearts, it revealed his doubt and fear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the hardest and most valuable lessons we each must learn is patience, also known as perseverance. In James 1:4 we read, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder how many times I have ended up lacking things simply because I had not had the patience to wait just a little longer for God's help. The promise in James is that our faith will be complete, and that we will lack nothing, if we simply let perseverance, patience, finish its work in our hearts. By revealing our doubts and fears, God gives us the chance to face them, and overcome them, through the promises in His word.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The other important lesson we learn from this story comes from Saul's answer to Samuel. Samuel asked Saul what he had done, and he said, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD'S favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When we look at Saul's answer we see something that is basic human nature, blame shifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will all face desperate times, and most of us, probably all of us, will make bad decisions. We will do things out of fear and doubt rather than faith, and that may lead us through some hard times. But we need to learn from Saul.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Even if we have blown it, the moment we realize that we made a mistake we have to take responsibility for it. I believe that Saul would not have lost his kingdom if he had simply said, "Samuel, I blew it. I was scared and I did something that I should not have done, will you forgive me? And can we now seek God together for His help?"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Saul paid a very high price for his mistake because he refused to acknowledge his sin. In my Sunday school class we all had stories of times when we had made decisions out of fear, but we also had seen that God had miraculously fixed our mistakes once we had acknowledged them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When we face desperate times and believe that we need an answer immediately, it's then that we must learn patience and perseverance. In those times we must wait just a little longer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And when we make bad decisions, we can know that even then, God will forgive us and help make things right again.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;Rob Marshall is the author of "Taking On Goliath - How to Unleash the David in All of Us." Learn how you can unleash your faith and overcome any "Goliath" that may stand between you and your dreams. Get two free chapters of "Taking On Goliath" when you sign up for our free newsletter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;http://www.TakingOnGoliath.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-105302478412468815?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/105302478412468815/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=105302478412468815' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/105302478412468815'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/105302478412468815'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/11/what-if-god-is-late.html' title='What If God Is Late?'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4876390406854164561.post-7880010911481714153</id><published>2006-11-28T08:35:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2006-11-28T08:35:42.248-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Are All The Dead Christians In Heaven?</title><content type='html'>It has long been taught that when a Christian dies they go straight to heaven. Is this what the Bible teaches or have paganistic doctrines and myths crept unbeknown into our Christian faith?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What did Jesus say about his friend Lazarus who had died? John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jesus clearly showed us that the dead sleep. If Lazarus had gone to heaven Jesus would have said that he was in heaven with the Father. Also, after Jesus raised Lazarus, did anyone ask Lazarus “What was it like in heaven? Tell us about it”. No one did, because it was the belief of the day that when someone died they slept until the resurrection on the last day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is further clarified in Psalms where we are told that when we die our thoughts perish Psalms 146:4 “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We are also told that we will not rise again until the heavens are no more (when Jesus returns) Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Paul reinforced this understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many Christians believe that when they die they go directly to heaven, even though the day of judgment has not even occurred yet. They visualize themselves in heaven with the angels praising God. But what does the Bible say? Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is clear that the Bible writers all believed that the state of the dead is like sleeping, to be awakened the moment after they closed their eyes at the final trumpet at the coming of Jesus on the day of redemption. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Job made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are many deceptions of Satan going on in these end times and spiritism is on the increase. If people realized that the dead are all asleep and can’t communicate with us, then they would start to question who exactly it is that they are communicating with. There are many deceptive demonic spirits in the invisible world around us, who take every opportunity they can to lead people astray. It is time that we recognized that when mediums are speaking to the ‘other side’ it is actually the evil angels that they are talking to and not dead beloved relatives.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How can we help those who have been tricked by these deceptive spirits, if we don’t demonstrate to people from a Biblical perspective that the dead are asleep and have no thoughts, so it can’t be them doing the communicating?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All Bible references are from the King James Version.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About The Author&lt;br /&gt;Debra Lohrere is the author of Christian Prophecy and Investment books http://www.investmentpropertybooks.com/christianbooks.html&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For more information on this topic please visit http://www.thetruthaboutdeath.org/&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4876390406854164561-7880010911481714153?l=christian-friends.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/feeds/7880010911481714153/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4876390406854164561&amp;postID=7880010911481714153' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/7880010911481714153'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4876390406854164561/posts/default/7880010911481714153'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://christian-friends.blogspot.com/2006/11/are-all-dead-christians-in-heaven.html' title='Are All The Dead Christians In Heaven?'/><author><name>luekus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12480224483234224916</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry></feed>
