The Real Face of Jesus? GMA article

Good Morning America did an segment on "The Face of Jesus" which is a program on the History Channel, which I believe is airing this week. Many Christians might think this is crossing the line or that it is not important or it is blasphemy. I personally do not believe that the shroud of Turin is real. It is not mentioned in the Bible therefore I do not consider it to be anything of importance. But we are posting the segment because it will have many people talking about Jesus. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:15-18 that

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: ¹⁶ The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; ¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

At first I took to offense at what these scientists were doing and I told my sister that they were wasting their time. But she said to me what if by doing their research they come to know God. And in that I can rejoice and pray that the millions that watch that program will be lead by God's spirit to Him. What the enemy might have planned to confuse people God will use it in His own will.
Since Easter is a few days away let us pray that many will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Who Are You?

The Bible says that we are created in the image of God yet most of us live our lives trying to measure up to the standards of man. We were all created for a higher purpose but so many of us believe the lie of the enemy and don’t realize that there is more to each of us than what can be seen with the physical eye.

Often times the enemy will come up with a lie for you to believe. He will tell you lies about who you are but more significantly he will tell you lies about who God is. If the Lord put His breath of life in us and said that He would make us in His own image then we should rejoice that we are God’s very own creation.

So to understand who you are, you must know what God’s word says about you.

Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

We are made in the image and likeness of God. God molded us after His likeness. How awesome is that! In the creation account in the Bible, no other creature was made after the Lord’s image. God told the waters to bring forth aquatic creatures; God told the air to bring forth birds and likewise told the earth to bring forth animals and creeping things. However when it comes to man, God spoke to Himself and in a way told Himself to bring forth man in His own image. We are a reflection of God, which is also why the enemy is afraid of us and wants to diminish the image of God. If the enemy can get us to believe that we are less than who God says we are, he is also diminishing the image of God. It’s a twofold plan. Convince man that he is worth nothing and simultaneously diminish God’s image. If you start believing that you are less than who God says you are then you are also saying God is less than who He is. We need to stand firm on what the Lord has told us.

Psalm 139:14: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

The psalmist states that he is fearfully and wonderfully made. Often times the enemy will sow a seed of doubt in our hearts that we are not good enough, that we are not worthy enough that there is something wrong with us. But the psalmist knows that it is a lie. Why would God create anything that is not beautiful and wonderful? Why would he create something that is not worthy of love or blessings. Don’t let the enemy lie to you about who you are. The psalmist in the same verse says, marvelous are thy works. We are a work of God and that makes us and the things that the Lord does in our lives marvelous. We are unique and special in the sight of God.

Matthew 5:14: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

We are a light to this world. The world is a dark place. Everything around us is a breeding ground for sin. Many of the movies, ads and music that we are subjected to are provoking us to be apart of the darkness. It lures us into a world that feeds our flesh and lustful desires. Yet, God says that we are a light unto the world. Don’t let the devil convince you that the darkness is fun that it is attractive. You are a light in the world. You are an example of the truth of God and the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:1: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

John writes that we are loved by God. One translation uses the word lavish, that He lavishes us with love. A big lie of the enemy is that we are not loved. When we believe this lie, so many of us start looking for love in all the wrong places. We start looking for love in other people, sex, drugs, money and so much more. We try to find live and acceptance wherever we can get it instead of knowing that God loves us above everything else. He loves us. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son for our salvation. That’s a pretty big deal. That God himself would come through space and time to take on human flesh and dwell among us and die for us. The Bible says that there is no greater love than a man lay his life down for another and that is what God did. He died so we could be free from sin and shame. He loves us so much. John goes on to say that this love was so great that he has called us his children. We are the children of God. You are a child of God. He is your Father and would do anything for you, even die for you. How great is our God!

The first lie the devil ever told was that God was a liar. Genesis 3:1-5 says:

¹ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Notice that the serpent says, you will not surely die, which contradicts what God said, therefore the serpent is trying to convince Eve that God lied to her. If the devil can convince you that God is a liar then he can coerce you into voiding every promise, every truth, and the knowledge of God. He wants to defile not only your image but the image of God in you. You cannot allow the devil to do this to you. You have to know what God says about you. How he loves you and wants you to know Him, because the more you know God the more you learn about yourself. The enemy will try to hurt you with fiery darts (lies) and cripple you, but if you know that you are a victor and not a victim you can serve the enemy notice that all his lies will never be greater than the truth of God which resides in you, Christ Jesus. Don’t allow depression, low self-esteem, the nasty things people say and the like take root in your life. God wants to show you who you are to make you strong in Him. If you are saying to yourself, I don’t know if this is true, then I would strongly recommend you ask God. Ask God who you are and He will show you. He will show you that you are loved, fearfully and wonderfully made, His child, a light unto the world, marvelous! Let God show you who you are. Take hold of it and believe it, because this truth is the door to your freedom.

Hosana in The Highest: Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday, which is one of my favorite Sundays. Today 2000 years ago Christ rode on a donkey into Jerusalem and was welcomed by the people with palms in their hands praising him. "Hosanna in the Highest!" I recommend reading in all of the 4 books of The Gospel about Palm Sunday. Here is a link to an article from the Washington Times of Christians who are celebrating Palm Sunday in Jerusalem. All praise be to God. Hosanna Hosanna blessed be the Rock of my Salvation.

Here is a song by Hillsong United called Hosanna. God bless you all this Palm Sunday

Not of This World

Lately the Lord has been placing many things upon my heart. He has exposed me to many of the enemy's plans and tactics to destroy the church (the body of Christ), to deceive the world into believing a false doctrine ( The New Age Theories) and pushing the Anti-Christ agenda. It is in all the popular movies (Avatar, Transformers, Sex and the City, Twilight), music ( Lady Ga Ga, Beyonce, Rhianna, Jay -Z), television (Lost, True Blood, Dexter) and books (Twilight, Harry Potter, The Secret).
The funny thing about it is that the Bible already warned us that these things will happen. Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

This passage speaks to the times we are living in. The economy is the way it is because people have such a love for money and wealth. You have movies, songs, TV shows, singers, actors, magazines, books and TV personalities that blaspheme God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (which is an unpardonable sin). Our society tells us to be lovers of things and ourselves, to be a go getter and go for yours. Instead of loving one another and doing the will of God.
The sad part is that many Christians are participating in this behavior. Believers who say they love Christ but yet they disobey His word. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments." Okay, so many of you will say but I don't do any of those things Paul speaks about in 2 Timothy. Paul also stated in Romans 1:32

who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

The word approve means "to speak or think favorably of"and "agreeable or good". So by definition if you are listening to these artist, watching these shows or movies or reading these magazines or books you are in a agreement with them.
Brothers and sisters because we are dead in Christ we are not of this world. We are not to practice nor participate in the things of this world. In John 15: 19 Jesus said "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." The Lord brought me this word a while ago and I had to search my own heart. I still enjoyed reading some fashion magazines that dealt with vanity and sex. I own movies that are totally against the Word of God. I had to stop listening to worldly music as a whole and make a decision to be on the Lord's side. It is a difficult thing to do because the flesh lust after the flesh. But we have to die to all our desires and lay everything on the line to God. I have to repent and ask God to give me His heart and His desires for my life.
We are the light of the world! We can not blend in with the darkness. We are set apart from everyone else in this world. We are heirs of the Kingdom of God. I pray that this word encourages and motivates you at this time. Jesus is coming very soon and I pray when He comes he sees His people living out His word.

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.

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True Stormriders: Christains Martyred in Iraq

Here is an article about Christians being killed in Iraq from crosswalk.com VOM page. Many Christians are being shot to death because of the parliamentary election this month. The minority Christian vote will become a factor this election season. Please pray for our brothers and sisters over there who are just living their everyday lives and are being persecuted because they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And pray for the Christians living in countries that do not accept them. Keep riding the Storm.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you...." John 15:18-20.

Three Christians have been killed in Mosul recently, and community leaders warn that violence will increase leading to the March 7 parliamentary election, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

On Feb. 16, unidentified gunmen shot two Christian students with an automatic weapon. Police told AFP that Zia Toma, a 21-year-old engineering student, was killed in the shooting and Ramsin Shmael, a 22-year-old pharmacy student, was wounded. Both men were Assyrian Christians, according to police.

The violence is thought to be related to the upcoming parliamentary election, in which the vote of minority Christians could be a factor between Arab-Kurd rivals. "We don't want elections, we don't want representatives, we don't want our rights, we just want to be alive," said Baasil Abdul Noor, a priest at Mar Behnam church in Al-Arabi neighborhood, where the shooting occurred. The student's murder occurred one day after gunmen killed shop owner Fatukhi Munir, an Assyrian Catholic, in his business. On Feb. 14, another shop owner, Rayan Salem Elias, was shot to death outside his home; Elias was a Chaldean Christian.

These incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on Iraqi Christians in recent months. The Christian community in Iraq is estimated to be 3 percent of Iraq's population of 26 million, or about 780,000 people. Islamic extremists have targeted Christian leaders, churches and businesses in Iraq since 2003. As a result, many believers have fled.

The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports Christians in Iraq with Action Packs, resources for Christian leaders and evangelistic literature. VOM also distributes the New Testament in Arabic and supports widows through the Families of Martyrs fund in Iraq. VOM encourages you to pray for those who mourn these murdered believers. Pray that the killers might come to know Christ as their savior. Ask God to embolden the Christian community in Mosul to proclaim the gospel even while being persecuted, and pray that they will be filled with Christ's peace during these difficult times.

article courtesy of crosswalk.com

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