Moses Rod

When God called Moses for a mission, Moses told God all about his weaknesses such as slow in speech and many more that it was not possible to accept. As per his term, Moses was unfit to lead the Israelite. So, God said, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A rod”.

God’s reply was that if there was nothing with Moses, there at least was ‘a rod’ with him. So, God blessed the ‘Rod’ and using that Rod as a tool of God’s power, Moses led the Israel nation out of Egypt.

Friends, “what is in your hand?”  What quality is in you that God may employ? There must be one. Never think you have no good quality. Every thing is possible for God. You are created by God. God did not create you to be useless. You may not still find out the good quality God has hidden in you. God want you to discover that quality. You will not be able to do that yourself. You need help.Call on the Son of God, Jesus Christ now. Request Jesus in prayer to help you.

Moses did not tell all his feelings to God. In his deep in heart there was a feeling “I am brought up in the house of Egyptian, am uncircumcised. The people of Israel will surely reject me and say ‘ you, uncircumcised, how can Yahweh send you to us’”. That was the most blocking, an impediment for Moses to go to the circumcised Israel people. But Moses did not tell about that. But in his deep in mind, heart and soul Moses knew his most unfit nature.

God knows everything. God knows our feelings. God want our heart, mind and soul. Outer expression is some thing but inner heart is what matter most. God wants us changed in heart. God want you to acknowledge and accept your weakness (that you are a sinner, unworthy to go to God, unworthy for the Lord).

The heaviest feelings Moses had in mind was his ‘uncircumcised’ nature. God did not cared what man care. God accepted Moses as he was and blessed him and made a great leader. Moses name will always be remembered.

What is in your deep heart, mind and soul that block you come to Lord Jesus?

Is it the secret hatred you have for one of your neighbor? Is it that you had committed some mistake with that girl, that boy, that relative, that one person? Is it some bad habit you have and can not avoid your own strength? Is it that you are in a position to work or earn money some other way to run your family and have no alternative way to stop? Is it that you have to consume liquor (wine) or ‘drug’ to maintain your health?

What worry you? What disturb you? What is blocking you to come before the God of Love, the Saviour of all Jesus Christ?

You see those person living with Jesus Christ are a happy, peaceful mind people. Nothing disturb their mind.

May be you are living with a heavy heart! Though outwardly look happy! You may seem healthy but in deep in heart, anxiety! Anxiety for wealth, for wealth, for security!

Moses confessed all his weaknesses and also confessed in his countenance (deep in heart ) his unqualified nature as Israel. Being Israel he must have circumcised but he lived and was brought out by Egyptian in Egyptian family, so he was uncircumcised). God knew Moses deep heart. So, God forgave him of his shortcoming as Moses confessed in his deep feeling.

God demand of our heart and feeling. Come to the Lord. Confess your sinful nature, not necessarily before the people but silently in prayer to Jesus Christ. God will forgive you and release you from your burden. You will feel happy and be glad. Your old nature will release you. You will get a New Life in Jesus. Your bad habit, your bad way of earning will be replaced by a fairway of earning, all people will be glad to be with you. You will become a happy person.

God is willing to transform you and bless you so that others may also come to the lord. He want to use you as he had used Moses.

You may be ordinary person. But God want to bless the one quality in you and employ that quality as that of Moses Rod.

 Come to Jesus with prayer. Confess your sinful nature and ask Him to forgive you and bless you with New life in Him.

May God bless you.

VII. Where Should We Evangelize?

As a missionary, where is the Lord leading you to evangelize and make disciples? As you prepare to go to a mission field, pray repeatedly that the Lord will lead you to the place that you should go.To guide you in praying, see the website below. The U.S. Center for World Mission provides this website that identifies people groups to evangelize.

http://www.joshuaproject.net/index.php

Operation World at the following website asks for prayer to be directed toward various nations of the world.

http://www.24-7prayer.com/ow/?skin=247

For additional ideas regarding places to evangelize, talk with people at a mission-sending agency.

A. Where the Holy Spirit Leads.

The Spirit led the Apostle Paul and his companions to avoid certain places and to go to Macedonia for mission work (see Acts 16:6-10). The Holy Spirit warned Paul of danger, but compelled him to go as a witness to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22-24). The Spirit can also guide you to the right mission fields.

B. Where the People Are.

It is generally better—but not always better—to evangelize in cities and towns rather than in rural areas. People in the cities and towns carry the Gospel to the country.

And people in cities serve as witnesses when those from rural areas come to cities to transact business. Notice that Jesus sent disciples to evangelize in towns (see Luke 10:1). Paul went to population centers to evangelize. See “Strategy of Missions—Go Where God Wants You to Go” in the module “Missiology.” (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

VI. Who are the Prospects

Which people should we share the Gospel with? We must be willing to make disciples of anyone. Jesus taught his disciples to witness in their hometown, in their country, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). He said, “Make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). But not all people will be equally responsive to our witness. So we should focus on sharing the Gospel to those who are most likely to convert to Christ.

Through prayer, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to the best prospects for evangelizing. Within our own culture, we may be led to witness to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other people that we have some relationship with. We find that certain people respond best to us.An older man may be effective in speaking with other older men. A young girl may be most effective in speaking with other young girls. Often, people of our own race may respond better to us than people of other races. We love people of every age, sex, and race, and we want to fellowship with all people. But we also want to see the church grow as fast as possible. So we seek out those who respond readily to the Good News. As missionaries to other people groups,we follow the Spirit and see which people respond to the Gospel. We may then be led to focus on evangelizing the people group that is most responsive.

Jesus sent disciples to evangelize and told them if the people in a city did not respond favorably that the disciples should move on to other areas (see Luke 10:10,11). In the same way, if you evangelize in the proper way, and people in a particular place do not receive Christ as Lord,simply go to another area.

The Apostle Paul gave priority to evangelizing people who had not heard the Gospel (see Romans 15:20-21). We strive to do the same. (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD : 1. INTRODUCTION

 -by Mick

Introduction

God is an invisible, personal, and living Spirit, distinguished from all other spirits by several kinds of attributes:  Metaphysically God is self-existent, eternal, and unchanging; Intellectually God is omniscient, faithful, and wise; Ethically God is just, merciful, and loving; Emotionally God detests evil, is long-suffering, and is compassionate; Existentially God is free, authentic, and omnipotent; Relationally God is transcendent in being, immanent universally in providential activity, and immanent with His people in redemptive activity.

The essence of anything, simply put, equals its being (substance) plus its attributes.  Since Kant’s skepticism of knowing anything in itself or in its essence, many philosophers and theologians have limited their general ways of speaking to the phenomena of Jewish or Christian religious experience.  Abandoning categories of essence, substance, and attribute, they have thought exclusively in terms of person-to-person encounters, mighty acts of God, divine functions, or divine processes in history.  God is indeed active in all these and other ways but is not silent.  Inscripturated revelation discloses some truth about God’s essence in itself.  Conceptual truth reveals not only what God does, but who God is.

Biblical revelation teaches the reality not only of physical entities but also of spiritual beings: angels, demons, Satan, and the triune God.  The Bible also reveals information concerning attributes or characteristics of both material and spiritual realities.  In speaking of the attributes of an entity, we refer to essential qualities that belong to or inhere in it.  The being or substance is what stands under and unites the varied and multiple attributes in one unified entity.  The attributes are essential to distinguish the divine Spirit from all other spirits.  The divine Spirit is necessary to unite all the attributes in one being.  The attributes of God, then, are essential characteristics of the divine Being.  Without these qualities God would not be what He is – God.

Some have imagined that by defining the essence of God, human thinkers confine God to their concepts.  That reasoning, however, confuses words conveying concepts with their referents.  Does a definition of water limit the power of Niagara Falls?  The word God has been used in so many diverse ways that it is incumbent upon a writer or speaker to indicate which of those uses is in mind.

By Gordon R. Lewis from The Portable Seminary

As you read about the attributes of God, please keep in mind that as there is only One God, every attribute belongs equally to each of the three Persons of the Trinity.

Study God's love

Encouragement

Friends, let’s praise the Lord for His unlimited blessings for us. In my deep deep heart there is one telling me “Many of your friends have prayed many prayers given and already received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Now they need guide to receive the blessing of God, in the name of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.”

So, Please study “God’s Love/God's plan of salvation in this link and receive the blessing of God http://ablessedlifeinjesus.blogspot.in/p/chapter-1-01.html > This is a blessed guide to receive the blessings of God. May God bless you.

Reward for Evangelizing

V. Reward for Evangelizing

It is human nature to ask, “What reward will I get for evangelizing?” The Apostle Peter asked what would be his reward for following Christ. Jesus responded:“ . . . everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matt. 19:29 NIV).

a. Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts mother or wife

There is great satisfaction in leading people to Christ. The greatest gift that one can give is to lead a person to receive eternal life. So the work of evangelism is fulfilling. Also, as Christians travel to various countries and lead people to Christ, such converts open their homes to the evangelists. So those who have left homes are welcomed into a hundred times more homes.Those who have left family are blessed with the love of a hundred families. And those who leave their home for Christ have an eternal home in heaven.

While there is great reward in leading people to Christ, an evangelist may also experience persecution and hardship (see John 15:18-21). But for those called to the purposes of God, the Lord brings good out of bad experiences (see Romans 8:28). The Apostles evangelized and made disciples, so the Jewish leaders had the Apostles flogged. Then the Jews ordered the Apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus. Consider the response of the Apostles.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.[a] (Acts 5:41,42 NIV)[a] Acts 5:42 Or Messiah

The Apostles rejoiced in their suffering for Christ! Proclaiming the Gospel is not easy, but there is joy in such work. Also, converts to the Christian faith experience joy, and sometimes persecution. (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

VII. Where Should We Evangelize?

As a missionary, where is the Lord leading you to evangelize and make disciples? As you prepare to go to a mission field, pray repeatedly that the Lord will lead you to the place that you should go.To guide you in praying, see the website below. The U.S. Center for World Mission provides this website that identifies people groups to evangelize.

http://www.joshuaproject.net/index.php

Operation World at the following website asks for prayer to be directed toward various nations of the world.

http://www.24-7prayer.com/ow/?skin=247

For additional ideas regarding places to evangelize, talk with people at a mission-sending agency.

A. Where the Holy Spirit Leads.

The Spirit led the Apostle Paul and his companions to avoid certain places and to go to Macedonia for mission work (see Acts 16:6-10). The Holy Spirit warned Paul of danger, but compelled him to go as a witness to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22-24). The Spirit can also guide you to the right mission fields.

B. Where the People Are.

It is generally better—but not always better—to evangelize in cities and towns rather than in rural areas. People in the cities and towns carry the Gospel to the country.

And people in cities serve as witnesses when those from rural areas come to cities to transact business. Notice that Jesus sent disciples to evangelize in towns (see Luke 10:1). Paul went to population centers to evangelize. See “Strategy of Missions—Go Where God Wants You to Go” in the module “Missiology.” (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

IV. Who Should Evangelize?

Who has the responsibility for evangelizing? Missionaries? Pastors? Teachers? 

According to Scripture, all Christians should evangelize. Jesus gave the Great Commission to his eleven Apostles and a few other disciples with them. Obviously this small band of followers could not proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations. So the Great Commission is for you and me and all other believers.Someone might say, “But isn’t it the job of evangelists to spread the Gospel?” Yes, evangelists are responsible for spreading the Gospel. They have the gift of evangelism. So they are effective in winning souls for Christ. But evangelists are not the only ones who should make disciples.

Every Christian who is able to witness is commanded to witness for Christ. Only a small portion of the church has the gift of evangelism, but every Christian that can think and speak can testify that Christ is Lord. It is through the witness of the multiplied millions of Christians that the Gospel can be spread quickly to every people group on earth. Christians serve as a daily witness to their families, friends, and co-workers. Every believer is a priest, and a priest leads people to worship God.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).We serve as Christ’s ambassadors to non-believers (see 2 Cor. 5:20). (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

Why Evangelize and Make Disciples?

III. Why Evangelize and Make Disciples?

Consider the Biblical basis for evangelism and discipleship.

A. Christ Commanded It.

In each of the four Gospels and in Acts, Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples. The Great Commission is found in the following Scripture:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20NIV).

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15,16 NIV). He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-48 NIV).

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23 NIV).

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:8,9 NIV).

The importance of the Great Commission is emphasized by its appearance as part of the last instructions of Christ to his disciples in all four Gospels. And in Acts, the Great Commission is the last words of Christ prior to his ascension.

B. To Save Sinners.

Christ commands evangelism and discipleship so that sinners may be saved from hell. Hell is a place of suffering (see Luke 16:19-31). Christ said to fear God,who is able to cast sinners into hell.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4,5 NIV).

Apart from Christ, people are condemned to die and go to hell (see John 3:16-18;Rev. 20:15). Those who are not saved during their one life here on earth will be eternally separated from God. Scripture says that each person lives once on earth,and then faces judgment.Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27,28 NIV).

Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for sin, so that sinners could be saved from hell. He said that he came to seek and save the lost (see Luke 19:10). He wants people to have the joy of eternally living with God. That joy is expressed in the following Scripture.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “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. 4He 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.” (Revelation 21:3,4 NIV).

Christ died to save sinners from hell, and he expects his followers to proclaim this Good News and warn of the danger of hell. If we do not obey the Great Commission, we are responsible for lost souls going to hell. God held Ezekiel accountable for preaching repentance. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for [a] his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. (Ezekiel 33:8,9 NIV). [a] Ezekiel 33:8 Or in

Just as Ezekiel was accountable for preaching repentance, God holds his followers accountable for making disciples. The Apostle Paul recognized this, and said that he was innocent of the blood of all men because he proclaimed God’s word (see Acts 20:26,27).

When sinners are saved, God is glorified. God is victorious over sin and death.Those who were opposed to God repent and worship God.

C. To Expand the Kingdom

Christ commanded that his followers evangelize and make disciples in order to expand the Kingdom of God. At his first advent on earth, he ushered in the Kingdom. When Christ returns, he will establish his rule over the Kingdom. See “Kingdom of God” in the training module, “Theology.”

The church is to expand the Kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.When the church completes this Commission, Christ will return. “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NIV).

As the Kingdom of God expands, God receives the worship from the peoples of all nations. So expanding the Kingdom gives glory to God (see Rev. 5:9,10,13).

Expanding the Kingdom provides more fulfilling lives for those who receive Christ (see John 10:10). Christ provides eternal security, love, guidance, and hope. When people receive Christ, they see their lives transformed. Alcoholics who commit to Christ give up alcohol. Sex addicts who commit to Christ give up sexual immorality. Greedy people who commit to Christ share their riches with others. Those who are spiritually poor commit to Christ and find themselves spiritually rich.

(For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)

Rapture

Friends, God bless you through reading His Holy words. This is a one of God’s messages sent to me today by Sister Mick of Global Media Outreach. I share you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ. Please study this.

The word Rapture is not found in the Bible; it is a shorthand way of talking about when Jesus comes to take  His faithful followers off the earth to meet Him in the air. The Greek  for this can be translated snatching up or catching up. Bible  Scholars agree that 1) the Rapture will occur and is not Christ’s Second Coming; 2) there is to be such great devastation on the earth as has never occurred before, which the Bible calls the Tribulation or Great Tribulation; and 3) Jesus is coming physically to the earth again to inaugurate His thousand-year reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, Head and Ruler of all the leaders of all the governments of the earth.

  Regarding the Rapture itself, the Bible tells us: “For the Lord  Himself will come from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians  4:13-18)  and  ”Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (in death), but we will all be changed - in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable,and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  (1 Corinthians 15: 51-55)

 What the Bible scholars do not agree on is when the Rapture will occur in relation to the Tribulation. There are basically three opinions on this: 1) Pre-Tribulation; 2) Mid-Tribulation; and 3) Post-Tribulation. The Pastors and teachers whom I most respect believe in the Pre-Tribulation theory, so that is what I will cover.

The Bible in Daniel tells us that as he was praying, an angel brought a message to him: “Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem) to put an end torebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a most holy place. So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks (years) and sixty-two weeks (years). It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.  Now after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one (Jesus) will be cut off and have nothing (Jesus crucified). As for the city and the sanctuary, the people of the coming prince (the anti-Christ) will destroy them.  But his end will come speedily, like

 a flood. Until the end of the war that has been decreed, there will be destruction (tribulation). He (anti-Christ) will confirm a covenant with many for one week (7 years). But in the middle of that week (3-1/2 years) he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt (Jewish temple worship). On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys (the anti-Christ and the Beast will operate in the power of the devil), until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”  (Daniel 9:20-27)

Bible scholars agree that 69 of the 70 prophesied weeks (490 years)

 have taken place and the last week (7 years) in which God deals with

 Israel’s apostasy is yet to occur. The Tribulation will occur on the earth during that last prophesied week.

 Those that believe the Rapture will occur prior to the beginning of that time believe that it is contrary to God’s nature to punish the followers of Jesus along with unbelievers. Among others, they cite the following Bible verses to substantiate their position:

 ”For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are alive or asleep (in death), we will come to life together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

Jesus said in Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept my admonition to endure steadfastly, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”

 Jesus said in John 14:1-3: “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in Me. There are many dwelling places in My Father’s house.  Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.”

 ”For if God did not spare he angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others (Noah’s family),  when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly, and if He rescued Lot (and his two daughters), a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard), if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment, especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority.”(2 Peter 2:4-10)

 ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin an death. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)

 The Bible tells us that Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour except the Father. But Jesus gave us signs to look for as the ”beginning of birth pangs” prior to the Rapture. We are to look for earthquakes of greater than usual severity, often with devastating tsunamis, for wide spread famine and economic ills, for plagues of deadly diseases. We have had these to some degree or another for hundreds of years, but what we did not have before is Israel as a nation once again. My Pastor, looking at world events, believes that Jesus is likely to be coming very, very soon. He is urging people to get right with God and stay right with Him; and to look up “for our redemption draws near.”

 I hope this helps you understand the Rapture. Please write back and let me know if you found this interesting or if you have any questions, concerns or prayer requests. I look forward to hearing from you.

 You haven’t told me if you want any other of the materials I’ve input to my word processor, and if yes, which study.  Almost everything I send you is under copyright, so you would need to re-write the material into your own words.  (The Topical Bible Study Lessons are from an old [1970’s] Bible so I don’t suppose that material is still under copyright.)  You have put together a great site, Lalkam!  May our Lord continue to bless you, your family, and your efforts to spread His good Word!

 Love in Jesus,

 Mick