ANY BODY CAN BECOME A CHRISTIAN.

The sin of Adam and Eve separated us (the whole humanity) from God. God being very loving and caring has provided a way in which we can re-fellowship with Him. To connect with God in a personal relationship is the first step in your knowing your purpose here on Earth and to finding your ultimate fulfillment. You know, you cannot get into a deeper relationship with one you do not know well. John 17:3 emphasizes that Truth.

IS CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19) THE ULTIMATE PROOF THAT THERE IS NO GOD?

When diseases and other catastrophes happen, they leave humanity with many questions and speculations. Sometimes it confirms the positions people have already taken about life, at other times it may lead people to change their stand or they are a bit shaken such that they are left in doubts.
That with all the scientific and technological advancement we have in the 21st Century, the scriptures of old can still come true, should cause as to desire the other revelations God has made for mankind instead of running from reality.
In the scriptures from the Holy Bible we read of three things that are required from humanity:
1. Acknowledging the existence of God and loving Him with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds.
2. Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.
3. Obedience to the first two.
Mathew.22:36-40; Micah 6:8.
Given the diversity of human socialization in the 21st Century, people are capable of believing the unimaginable. Some have said there is no God, others have concluded that He is an autocrat who when disobeyed a little, he unleashes his wrath by sending diseases like Corona Virus, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, etc. Still, others, when caught in the happenings they find themselves into in this earth we were born into, they don't know what position to take or they are not interested and are willing to let their lives as a boat in a vast sea of life drift whichever way it takes. The problem with the last disposition is that human beings are always inclined to make meaning of what is happening and to find a purpose for their being here on earth. It is like the three things required of us are inbuilt in every person. So no one can take that don't care position for long.
It must be observed that all we are and all that we will ever be as humans, will always depend on our response to the three rules of life mentioned above.
For example, God threatened diseases without a cure in a language that if well-understood means "You will bring these calamities upon yourselves if you do not ..." And the above three rules apply. Lev.26:14 “However, if you do not listen to me or obey ...16 ... I will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain... 17 I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you! NLT.
Deuteronomy 28:15a, 22. But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey...occupy.22 The LORD will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die. NLT. Jeremiah 46:11 “Go up to Gilead to get medicine,
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
But your many treatments
will bring you no healing. NLT.
All the progress mankind has made in science and technology - eradication of diseases, prolongation of life, reduction of extreme poverty, modern transport, modern communication, space exploration, etc, have been possible because mankind believed they were a higher breed than animals and that they were to rule and concur, an idea got from God: Gen.1:27 So God created human beings* in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.NLT. We know that God is full of wisdom, He is creative, he is an organizer and a planner, etc. Mankind has heeded and gone ahead to be all that too. Gen.1:28. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” NLT.
As time moved and education that had sprouted out of a desire to achieve God's instruction above - for the achievement of the earlier mentioned 3 rules, was separated from God, and humanity has been made to believe anything and that there is no definite purpose in this life, mankind's progress and advancement may turn out to be the cause of our own destruction.
While mankind was created with the potential to discover habitable planets in space and live among stars and do other wonderful discoveries, having forgotten the three rules of life, we will annihilate ourselves with the beautiful advancements we have made.
"Most of the threats humans now face come from advances in science and technology such as nuclear weapons and genetically engineered viruses" Hawking
"When we invent a new technology, we often do so in ignorance of all of its side effects. We first determine whether it works, and we learn later, sometimes much later, what other effects it has."
It is possible, especially without the guidance of the three rules of life to engage in practices such as war, other acts of hatred, or acts that do not consider the the welfare of others, and in so doing destroy ourselves. It is also possible to create a technology that by design or by mistake destroys those who invented it.
Living by the three rules of life will ensure that we realize we are servants in this life under the master controller of all things and our aim will be to ever make things better than we found them and not worse in any way. The desire to do good to the other will direct all our science and technology adventures. If we all lived in peace and unity, there would be no need for coming up with technologies that have the potential to wipe out humanity - Let us go the way of peace - I don't know any greater sign of advancement than that - PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE. We need to so care about others in a a reasonable manner that no one will be tempted to think that a system somewhere is taking advantage of them and be tempted to revenge or do harm. That also means we should care about how people are socialized because soon they will manifest their inner convictions.
My appeal to the whole world: Let us go back to the three rules of life. Let them guide us in all that we do.
Kirima Elijah.
Reference:
1. the guardian.
2. Vox

A DEMON REVEALED - THAT CAUSES MOST DISEASES AND ILLNESSES. (Article for Christians)

God has revealed the demon that causes most diseases and illnesses: Most Christians agree that diseases and sicknesses are works of the devil. How to fight this devil is where most Christians have not fully agreed on a strong consensus. Most protestants and evangelicals believe that this devil and its demons must be fought through hours of prayers in churches or in their houses or prayer centers, with prolonged fastings and by special services for breaking curses and 'removing demons and evil spirits' in services where people are pinned down, forced to make certain screams, slapped by the preacher and many other things are done to them as we often witness on our screens. The congregations that promise to win this DEMON that way are normally full to capacity. While prayers are good, and the spiritual devil and demons real, there is this other DEMON that God has revealed, and we must turn our focus to understanding its operations so that we can slay it.
Some major cause of diseases are:
-poverty - The foods that people eat or lack of it, the shelters they live in, sanitation - how people deal with their urine, feces, the water they use to wash utensils, clothes, their bodies, etc, whether they live in areas with open sewages like is the case in slums and poor estates, the water they drink, -social exclusion- that may cause mental illnesses,
- lack of education -on various matters and which makes people also lack employable or self job-creating skills to improve one's living standards - hence poverty and its consequences,
- unemployment - or and lack of skills to employ oneself, and lack of capital (finances) to make it happen. Which in return reduces opportunities for better health.
- The peoples' occupations. This also affects their health.
-The environments we live in
- Whether there is peace or conflicts in the country or community etc.
Christians of sound mind will agree that yes, the things mentioned above have an impact on health. And there are many more like them. The chief DEMON behind them (and this is the demon that was revealed) is POOR GOVERNANCE. Christians should start to be interested in how governance is done in all spheres that affect them - in church, local area, national government, etc. They should resist all forms of corruption, and be interested in policies, laws, and provisions of the constitution and how they are implemented. They should put the right leaders in positions of authority demand that they deliver services befitting to be rendered to the children of God.
Church in Kenya and everywhere else is a sleeping giant that must wake up! - Pastor Elijah.

IS BOWING TO RESPECTED LEADERS A SIN FOR CHRISTIANS?

 It depends on motive. If one is bowing to worship the person as God, and if the person can take instructions from such a leader to do anything, including what the Bible says is wrong and a sin, then such bowing is wrong. But if the person is showing respect to the person as God's servant - whether in church, government, organization, family, etc, that they served or are serving with diligence and commitment and did well to people - who are God's inheritance, then one can bow. It respects both God - that He gave the person as a gift to serve His people, the person, that as His servant, he obediently served or serves others humanly.

There are examples of godly people in the Bible bowing down to humans.

- While negotiating the purchase of a burial plot for his family, Abraham bowed to the local Hittite people on two occasions (Gen 23:7, 12).

- Joseph bowed down to his father, Jacob, just before Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen 48:12). - When Moses met his father-in-law in the vicinity of Mount Sinai after the exodus, he bowed down and kissed him (Exod 18:7).

- Ruth, thankful at Boaz’s kindness, bowed down with her face towards the ground (Ruth 2:10).

- A similar action was exhibited by David when saying goodbye to Jonathan (1 Sam 20:41).

-David also bowed down to Saul when he greeted him after sparing his life (1 Sam 24:8).

- Abigail bowed down to the ground when greeting David (1 Sam 25:23).

- Queen Bathsheba bowed down to King David (1 Kgs 1:16). - The prophet Nathan also bowed down to King David (1 Kgs 1:23).

- God made David’s enemies bow at his feet (Ps 18:39 [MT Ps 18:40]).

- King Solomon also greeted his mother, Bathsheba, by bowing down to her (1 Kgs 2:19). In 2 Kgs 1:13,

- A pious military commander bowed down to the prophet Elijah.

Leaders should however not be drunk with power and a sense of self-importance to the point of forcing people to bow before them. Such a forced bowing would mean nothing. It reminds of a story where a teacher was forcing a pupil to stand to show respect to him. They were not in good terms then. The teacher used his authority and finally, the pupil stood up. The pupil then told the teacher, "physically I am standing but know that in my heart I am seated down"

People should willingly choose to show such respect to their leaders. It shows that the leader served or serves them well.

Leaders should also remember that they are stewards and there is a God in heaven whose servants we all are. They should ask themselves if they have served well to deserve such respect. They should also be careful rest such acts of respect make them think that they are the deity and can order people against God. It is on that caution that some people and even angels refused the respect shown to them by an act of bowing.

Remember Jesus is a man appointed by God to be our King and Lord and if we will truly honor him well eternally, we need to have developed a culture of honoring set leaders.

Rom.13:7

"Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority." NLT.

Role Of Religion in Society

- Morals and character building
- Alleviating poverty through empowering and supporting needy cases
- Advocating for human rights and social justice
- Offers comfort and hope to those in despair and so they can get the strength to pick up their pieces and rebuild  their lives
- Helps in peacebuilding initiatives
- Promotes education and social well-being of people by building schools, colleges, and hospitals
- Helps in conflict resolution
- It offers its members a sense of identity.
- Regular attendance at religious services is linked to well-behaved children
- Religious attendance boosts social skills.
- It is good for mental health
- It gives life purpose, meaning and connects people to their creator
- It helps define what is socially acceptable or not
- Members mostly are taught to help their own who are in need.
Was this good? if you like to support, go to the donate section.

LOVE

I John 2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. NLT

THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS SPEAKING

 By: Barry Bennet
Are you expecting to hear Him?
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. (John 16:13)

I am often asked for advice and counsel and I always try to be helpful. However, it is alarming that so many look to man for answers and never expect to hear from God. It is as if the subject of hearing God for oneself is not even considered. If you ask someone, “What has the Lord told you?”, you are often met with a blank stare. Most Christians have no idea that they are able to hear God.
The problem begins with the fact that we live our lives much as we did before we were born again. We allow our senses and emotions to rule us and we look to the world for wisdom and acceptance. In a sense we are living by “bread alone.”
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4)
As spiritual beings, we are created to live by the words of God. That is our “default setting.” When we ignore the words of the Spirit, we are creating an environment in which we will seem just as lost and confused as unbelievers.
While godly counsel is certainly helpful and needed as we grow in wisdom, it does not produce faith. Faith comes by hearing God (Rom. 10:17). As James says, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray” (James 5:13). Why? Because prayer is the environment for hearing. Prayer takes our eyes off of the need and puts them on the Answer. Prayer sees the unseen. Prayer tunes in to the voice of God. Prayer expects to hear.
Exercise yourself in the area of hearing God. Make sure what you hear is based on God’s Word. The Spirit will lead you to the Truth of the Word. Faith will be activated and your life will enter a new dimension.

JESUS NEEDED TO BE HUMAN AND NOT FROM A MAN'S SPERM.

In genesis, God gives the earth to mankind as a good parent would distribute gifts to his children. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and GOVERN it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28. NLT. (Emphasis added) If you give gifts to your children, you do not take it but you can advise them to use it well and if they err, you can help them out so they continue enjoying the gift. The virgin birth was prophesied right in the beginning. The savior was to be the seed/offspring of a woman. I will put hostility between you (serpent) and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (REV) The devil 'bruises' us all the time - causing us pain and suffering. But the seed of the woman - Jesus Christ, will crush his head i.e will destroy Satan. When Man sinned, Satan was not tempting him for nothing. He (Satan) tricked him and became the ruler of this earth. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. John 12:31 NLT. Because it was man who contracted to give the earth to Satan, man (the descendants if the parents and great grand parents are dead) had to break the contract. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Rom 5:12 NLT Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Rom 5:19 It was for that purpose - restoration of all things that Jesus came. He was born a human child in every way except the mans sperm was not involved. He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man (many obedient and wise children do attract many favors even now) And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 (REV) So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 1Cor.15:21.
Now since the children participate fully in blood and flesh, in a similar way he also himself shared the same so that through death he could make ineffective the one who holds the power of death, that is, the Devil,e and free all those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. Indeed, it hardly needs to be said that he did not come to help angels, but to give help to the seed of Abraham. This being the case, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, so that he could wipe away the sins of the people. For since he himself was tempted in that which he suffered, he is able to help those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18 (REV)
I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. Deut.18:18 NLT.

THE SON, A SON. DIFFERENCE?

When I was called a son,

I smiled.

It meant I have a father/(mother).

One from whom I could learn,

To discern,

Between good and evil.

I am called a son, I have a Father.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 NLT - all.

Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son. Exodus 4:22

.

Surely you are still our Father!

Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us,

LORD, you would still be our Father. Isa 63:16.

 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and I called my son out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1.

 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.... Mathew. 5:44,45a.

 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

may your name be kept holy. Mathew 6:9

 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” John 20:17.

Holy Spirit blasphemy is not forgivable

Holy Spirit blasphemy is not forgivable. Is The Holy Spirit even greater than the Father?
One, I must admit that when I read verses on this, I read into it what was not there. Are you guilty as I was? It is like I read; if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, the Father in heaven will not forgive you. That would make the holy spirit even greater than the Father.
You should also note that Jesus agrees that there is one greater than himself that you cannot blaspheme and go scot-free.
Let us quickly read Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke.12:10. - All from NIV. (please read other versions too) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
If the words "you will not be forgiven by my Father in heaven" are there, that would be one of the difficult passages. It would give us the Holy Spirit even greater than the Father. As you can see, those words are not there.
God is Holy and God is Spirit. It is therefore safe to see that Jesus is referring to His Father.
Something more we need to see and something that escapes that attention of ours is that the Holy Spirit - which is another name for YAHWEH, gives holy spirit (God's divine nature) to all who believe. You have an offering? Send to elijahkirima@gmail.com

IT IS GOD, THEY ARE NOT GOD, BUT GOD IN THEM AND THROUGH THEM.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and through the night the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind and turned it into dry land, and the waters were divided (Ex. 14:21).

Who has seen such marvelous things? God’s prophets and deliverers do amazing works. Miracles, wonders and signs give credibility to the words they speak and bring success to their missions. Yet none of these works are done by their own abilities. Moses stretches out his hand over the water, but it is the “breath” (NIV, NLT) of YHWH (the LORD) that blows upon the sea and causes it to separate (Ex. 15:10).[1]
The sea parts at the raising of Moses’ staff (Ex. 14:16). At the direction of the prophet Elisha, Naaman dips seven times in the Jordan River and is cured of leprosy (2 Kings 5:10–14). By Elijah, fire comes from heaven upon the sacrifice of the LORD (1 Kings 18:36–38). Another time, the prophet causes rain to be withheld from the land (1 Kings 17:1). On still another occasion, a woman’s son is brought back to life (1 Kings 17:17–24).
These men and women of God do “YHWH things”: things that we would expect only God to do. The works that they do can even rightly be said to have been done by God. Yet they themselves are not YHWH.
God’s prophets and deliverers do amazing things. However, they do not act on their own. The God who sends them to his people also fully equips them for their missions. He equips them according to whatever deliverance is needed:

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).

It is not by human might or power that Zerubbabel will succeed. Rather, it is by the active presence of God. It is by his spirit that wonderful works will be accomplished.
When the Messiah’s day comes, God greatly equips him. He too does YHWH things. Like Zerubbabel, he does all his great works by the spirit of the LORD (Isa. 61:1, 2; cf. Luke 4:1, 18–21). Like Moses and others, he does miraculous signs ( John 3:2; 11:47). His disciples also do great things (Acts 5:12).
The fact that God’s prophets and deliverers do these amazing works does not mean that they themselves are YHWH. Neither are they God-men, or angel-men or some other kind of super-beings. Rather, they are people who are empowered by his spirit. They do all of their works by the spirit of God. That demonstrates that they are true human beings. If they were otherwise, perhaps they would have innate abilities and not need the working of God’s spirit to do these things. 21C Christian Reformation.

A CALL TO SERVICE

A CALL TO SERVE: By Stephen Abbott.
In his ministry, Jesus challenged all those around him.
He challenged the religious authorities who led a faith of empty ritual and mindless words to instead embrace an authentic faith of love and devotion.
He challenged the wealthy to give up the idol of money.
He challenged those who would exclude the weak, the poor, the “outcast” and the outsider to be fully inclusive, because God loves all people equally. (Luke 4:12-13)
And Jesus challenged average people to “come, follow me,” and change the world with their works of Righteousness. (Matt. 4:19)
Jesus’ teachings, when seen as the core of his ministry, challenge us today, as well.
In fact, the Good News that Jesus preached is nothing but a challenge to our comfortable lives. It challenges the lazy faith which is based on mere words and devoid of love of others or Good Works on their behalf.
It’s a challenge to us all, individually, to begin to reach our full potential, by living the way God wishes us to live – lives of selfless service and love.
The words, life, teachings and death of our Master, Jesus, challenge us to do, to act, to follow, to serve, to be better, to do more, to try harder, to be humble, yet Righteousness, to serve God not money, to lose ourselves, but gain eternity.
Jesus preached to challenge us, and calls us today to live as examples in his name. As God’s chosen Spokesman, Jesus authoritatively calls us to take up his challenge and to follow his example. (John 13:15; 14:12)
We are called by Jesus to seek and do Good, in order to advance God’s Kingdom on this earth.
Jesus lived, taught and died as a pure moral example for us, so that we should follow him and be made perfect in Righteousness. We do this with God’s help and a reliance on God’s holy Spirit.
And we are required, on this journey of Faith, to always seek God's forgiveness for our faults and failures as we strive towards the perfect expression of Righteousness God's Anointed Son, Jesus, has modeled for us.
We must seek to follow Jesus in ALL his teachings – because Jesus followed God in ALL things, and said we could do all that he had done. (John 8:29; 12:50; 13:15; 1 John 2:6)
We are called to show by our ACTS that we are heeding his call, and are taking up his challenge – not in a prideful way, but in a way that is pleasing to God.
Jesus clearly calls us to an active Faith - a Faith that Works. His teachings, his Gospel, is a challenge worth accepting and worth LIVING, because it leads directly to a spiritually complete life and, to eternal life with our Creator.
Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30.) That’s complete and total love, not just lip service or weak emotionalism.
Jesus calls us to love each other, our neighbors, with the same zeal with which we love God – a complete and total love. (Mark 12:31)
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves take up our cross and follow him. (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23.) We are to be “other-centered,” not focused on Self.
Jesus calls on us to do the will of the Father – His God and our God, the Creator of all that is. (Matt. 12:50; John 5:30) Mere words and vain professions are NOT enough to ensure eternity with God (Matt. 7:21.)
Jesus calls on us to forgive others, and makes this duty a condition of being forgiven by God (Matt. 6:15-16.)
Jesus calls on us to let our Good Deeds shine like lights in this world, so that others will see by that light the goodness and love of our Father and Creator, which He has placed within us all. (Matt. 5:15-16)
And Jesus calls on us to “go the second mile” (Matthew 5:38–42) which is not a challenge to be lukewarm or partially committed to serving others.
When we encounter what is being claimed to be “the Gospel,” if it fails to challenge us to pursue Good Works, we know that it's a false and easy Faith we've encountered – a wide gate, rather than the Gospel preached from the very mouth of Jesus.
That Jesus challenges us with incredibly high goals is undeniable. That he believed we could achieve them is proven by his words. And because Jesus, a human being like us, has done this, we are assured that we, too, may accomplish God’s will for our lives.
So let’s take up the Good News of Jesus’ challenge in our lives and let it shine within us for all to see!

OVERCOMING THE FRESH, SIN, SATAN AND THE WORLD.

1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
There is a war going on within each of us, and many people are unaware of how intense the battle really is. Some are even completely unaware of the battle and go on living their lives each day as helpless victims of the onslaught that rages inside them. They don’t realize that they are losing the war because they are oblivious to the fact that it is happening at all. The Apostle Peter’s exhortation was for us to recognize the battle that is being waged inside us and to not sit idly by and lose the fight without even engaging the enemy.
The problem Peter is addressing is that if our passions. If they are left unopposed, they will rule us, causing us to serve them and do what they want us to do; for as Peter declares, whatever overcomes or has mastery over a person, to that they are enslaved (2 Pet. 2:19). Thus, if our passions are left unchallenged, they will be the dominant force in our lives and will cause us to act in whatever way they choose. We will simply become slaves to our desires and live according to the pleasures of our flesh, satisfying our bodily urges and every inclination of our minds.
Fight Like You Mean It
The war inside us is no small skirmish or temporary feud. It is a continual struggle that is being levied against us each and every day. In fact, we are caught in the crossfire every waking moment of our lives whether we like it or not. We are living in an active combat zone and there is no way out. The only option is to fight back.
Therefore, we must fight like our life depends on it. Because it surely does. Each spiritual battle we face inside ourselves is a battle for our hearts and will affect every aspect of our lives.
Regarding the battle being waged inside us, the Apostle Paul writes,
If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom. 8:11-13)
Each day our life hangs in the balance between doing what the spirit leads us to do, or what the passions of our flesh lead us to do. We will either choose to do what is good, honorable, and edifying, or we will choose what is bad, dishonorable, and destructive. Proverbs 14:12 says,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” What we feel like doing (the passions of our flesh) might seem good because it feels good, but the end of that road is “death.”A youth who feels to throw any girl he sees on bed sees the pleasure of the moment. But beyond that may be HIV/AID, STI's, Out of wedlock child, family break-up, guilt, destroyed ministry prospects etc. It is the opposite to what Jesus offers—Jesus offers life! And not just a bland sort of life, he offers life to the fullest (John 10:10).
If we live according to our desires (i.e., our flesh), we will lead a life filled with unrest, dissatisfaction, and confusion, always trying to get what we want, and never having enough. However, Paul says, the alternative is to “put to death the deeds of the body.” If we defeat the passions of our flesh, we will find joy, contentment, and peace—LIFE.
Mark Twain once said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” The intensity of our fleshly passions might seem daunting and we might feel like we can never conquer them, thinking “they are just too strong.” But the success or failure in the battle against our desires is not determined by the strength of our willpower. Willpower alone can never completely and definitively overthrow our passions. Thankfully, as Paul explains, we don’t have to rely on our own strength to defeat our flesh. By the spirit of God, we can win the battle.
But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Gal. 5:16-17)
Through the strength and power of God’s spirit within, each of us has the ability to live according to a different course of life. We can serve a different master other than our flesh. But this alternate way of living is not automatic and the war will always rage inside us. The difference is that we can be the aggressor and assailant against our passions rather than just the recipient of their attacks. We can launch our invasion against them to take back the ground they want. And by standing against our passions through the power of the spirit, we can yield our thoughts, words, feelings, and actions to the desires of a different "King."
None of us is immune to the passions of the flesh, and none of us has yet reached perfection where our desires are no longer at war within us against our soul. Even the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “Not that I have already obtained this [to know Christ and the power of his resurrection] or am already perfect, but I press on ...” (Phil. 3:12).
Our life is like a tree, and the fruit that we bear in our lives testifies to whether we are winning the battle with our flesh or losing it. If we will “walk by the spirit” (Gal. 5:16), then our life will produce good fruit and we will not succumb to our evil desires. But we must prepare ourselves for battle, we must expect the ambush of our flesh, and we must be ready to counter-attack. This is a war over our very being, and we must fight for it or else we will continue to fail at doing the things we “want to do.” We can be certain that our flesh will be on the battlefield, but are we going to show up? Will we fight for our lives? Will we overcome the fresh, sin, Satan and the world?
Reference: www dot Truth Or Tradition dot com - articles - Fight for your life.

THE DAILY LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN.

Jesus' ministry was a call to humanity to come back to God, our Creator. That’s not a minor thing, nor is it a call that can leave us unchanged.
In fact, while we may come to God “as we are,” we cannot remain unchanged after approaching our Heavenly Father, Who is our Creator.
God chose Jesus, anointed him, and sent him out to preach His Truth.
Jesus’ ministry calls us to make changes to our life, as well as to humbly approach God in repentance. Without action on our part, starting with repentance, we aren’t truly returning to God, but simply SAYING we are.
Jesus calls us to be better people. Mere belief is not enough, but is only the start of our Faith. If we say we love Jesus, we will keep his commands (John 14:15.)
Those who claim to know him, but don’t believe his commands are worth following, or are “irrelevant” or are superseded by another person’s teachings, are liars, and don’t really know Jesus at all (1 John 2:4.)
Here, then, are a few (not all) of the commands Jesus gives those who say they follow him:
1. Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30.) That’s complete and total love, not just lip service or emotionalism.
2. Jesus calls us to love each other, our neighbors, with the same zeal with which we love God – complete and total love (Mark 12:31.) And all people are our neighbors.
3. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves take up our cross and follow him. (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23.) We are to be “other-centered,” not focused on Self.
4. Jesus calls on us to do the will of the Father – His God and our God, the Creator of all that is (Matt. 12:50; John 5:30.) Mere words and vain professions are NOT enough to ensure eternity with God (Matt. 7:21.)
5. Jesus calls on us to forgive others, and makes this duty a condition of being forgiven by God (Matt. 6:15-16.)
6. Jesus tells us we must repent of our sins. “Repent,” he says, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17.) Repent means to feel sorry about our sins, and work to stop sinning.
7. Jesus calls on us to “go the second mile” (Matthew 5:38–42) which is not a challenge to be lukewarm or partially committed to serving others.
8. Jesus says we must lay up heavenly treasures, not earthly ones that don’t last (Matthew 5:44–46.) The race for wealth doesn’t last, but our rewards in Heaven do.
9. Jesus tells us to be a “light to the world” and that we must let our Good Works “shine” so that others may see God’s righteousness manifest in us (Matt. 5:14-16.)
10. Jesus calls on us to choose the “narrow gate” that leads to God and salvation, rather than the “wide gate” that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14.) The popular way, the easy way of “faith alone” and the way that requires the least work isn’t the way Jesus calls us to approach God.
11. Jesus calls us to “do to others that which you would have done unto you” (Matt 7:12.) This “Golden Rule” has been ignored, demeaned and ridiculed by modern Christendom, but it’s at the core of Jesus’ preaching.
12. Jesus calls on us to follow him (Matt. 4:19.) Jesus sets for us a perfect example of how to live our lives (John 13:15.) We have the ability to serve God through Jesus’ moral commands (Matt. 5:48) strengthened always through God’s spirit and Jesus’ holy example.
Let us take up the challenge Jesus puts before us! By Stephen Abbott.

WHY PEOPLE REMAIN AT ONE PLACE MOVING IN CIRCLES

WHY PEOPLE REMAIN AT ONE PLACE MOVING IN CIRCLES.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”Luke 5:4"
1. Past experience. - They know that's how it has always worked and are not willing to risk something new.
2.Limited knowledge. -That's all they know on how to do it and are too comfortable to learn more ways of doing it.
3.Lack of teachers,mentors and advisors.
4.Unteachable spirits. Thanks to Peter, although he at first resisted, he finally agreed to act as told.
5.Fear. - Change means that you will have to learn new and different methods, approaches, processes and behaviors. Many people lack the confidence to adjust or learn what they need in order to be successful. They are full of what ifs in a negative way.

- After many have mastered something, they are not flexible to change because secretly they are not so confident that they can master the “new” something. They advocate for things staying the same because they so mastered their small world that they made people believe they are semi-gods who can never fail or make a mistake. They are so harsh to their family members who are learning new things, to workers, friends etc and now they don’t want to be found out that they too learning new things would take them time or that they are even slower learners. In their head they are thinking, “What if I can’t do it? What if I become less relevant? What if I fail?”