Tag: Religion

Religion is belief in and worship of a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple.

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Why Christianity Has Been Pushed Underground in China?

China's Christians Practice Their Faith in Underground Churches

Millions of Chinese identify themselves with Christianity a reality that President Xi’s administration is fighting hard against. The number has increased gradually and this is seen as a threat to the government which is officially atheist and its power is being put to test.

Under the presidency of Xi Jinping, the government launched a number of initiatives to control and at times limit Christian followers. Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.) is up in arms to control and fight Christianity. The government constraints and controls religious freedom. Why is the government determined to rob people of their free will to worship?

We are blessed that we have the freedom of worship to our Lord anywhere, anytime and anyhow with no one monitoring of our doings unlike In China where Christians have been pushed to worship underground. China ranked 10th as a country where it is most hard and risky to practice Christianity according to Open Doors, a U.S. based Christian non-profit that traces the persecution of Christians worldwide.

The Lie

Psalms 103:2-3 says, Praise be to the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

The Chinese government has been persuading Christians to pull down the pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ and replace them with the photographs of president Xi Jinping.They have also gone ahead to tell them about how Jesus won’t drag them out of hardships or cure their ailments which we all know it’s a lie from the devil!

Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we have asked for or imagined.

The Christianity crackdown

Over the past 4 decades, there has been a tremendous increase in Christian believers and this has not gone down so well with the government. The Chinese Communist Party is on guard lest Christians invade the country and that’s why they have opted to restrict and put a barrier to free worship. With the crackdown this is what they’ve opted to do against the Christians;

1. The Communist party was very daring in visiting Christians households in Jiangxi Province, removing by force dozens of Christian symbols and images of Jesus from their living rooms and substituting them with the communist president.

2. Bible online sellers like Amazon has been banned so as to suppress Christianity.

3.The government has destroyed churches under president Xi Jinping.The blowing up of the Christian megachurch with dynamite shows how the government has no respect for religious freedom or human rights.

4. Churches across the Zhejiang province were forced to remove their crosses and the government set new limitations that believers must have government approval.

5. Detention of believers, hindering entry to places of worship and interfering with gatherings has forced many Christians to go underground.

6. The Chinese government has actively and openly been popularizing Buddhism and Taoism, as well folk religions while restricting the spread of Christianity.

7. Preachers have also been coerced to show their loyalty to the communist party and have taken to applauding president Xi Jinping and combining party propaganda into their teachings.

8.The new law that took effect on February 2, 2018, says will charge penalties on organizers or unofficial religious happenings and stop them from basic duties like receiving handouts, providing spiritual information online, or teaching children.

9. The Chinese government has lifted up the presidential term limits-you guessed it right on what this means for the church. Lifting up the term limit is a way of allowing the Communist party to suppress the spread of Christianity.

This has forced many Christians to go underground and some members are reluctant to confess their faith. Forcing the removal of crosses from the churches where the preachers could not agree to it, they opted to go underground for the fear of further punishment.

Acts 1:8 says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

“By 2030, China will almost certainly have more Christians than any other country and the Communist party is very alarmed.” Says Fenggang Yang.

With this power given unto us, we can change anything and even make things happen. Let us unite as Christians and pray for our brothers and sisters in China and every corner of the world where Christians are being attacked for practicing their faith.

As Christians, we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit to empower and give us power and authority. In countries where we have the freedom of worship, let’s spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ even to the unchurched.Share the word of God to everyone who cares to listen and save their souls from death.

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25 Extremely Funny Christian Thoughts To Celebrate Every Day

25 Extremely Funny Christian Thoughts To Celebrate Every Day

Christianity is a serious business but everything has its funny side. After all, laughter is the best medicine – which is why we practice it religiously here at Godinterest, especially when it comes to funny quotes.

  1. Some things have to be believed to be seen. ~ Ralph Hodgson
  2. No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says. He is always convinced that it says what he means. ~ George Bernard Shaw
  3. I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress. ~ Ronald Reagan
  4. When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, ‘Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don’t believe? ~ Quentin Crisp
  5. Most of us spend the first six days of the week sowing wild oats, then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure. ~ Fred Allen
  6. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile. ~ Billy Sunday
  7. A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip. ~ Billy Graham
  8. The good Lord didn’t create anything without a purpose, but the fly comes close. ~ Mark Twain
  9. The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank. ~ Dante Rossetti
  10. On the other hand, the Bible contains much that is relevant today, like Noah taking 40 days to find a place to park. ~ Curtis McDougall
  11. A Christian is a man who feels repentance on Sunday for what he did on Saturday and is going to do on Monday. ~ Thomas Ybarra
  12. Maybe this world is another planet’s hell. ~ Aldous Huxley
  13. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. ~ Napoleon
  14. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me… they’re cramming for their final exam. ~ George Carlin
  15. If there were no God, there would be no atheists. ~ G. K. Chesterton
  16. The church is prayer-conditioned. ~ Anonymous
  17. The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people. ~ G. K. Chesterton
  18. If you use the church’s WiFi, are you receiving God’s signal? ~ Anonymous
  19. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. ~ Mark Twain
  20. Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch. ~ Robert Orben
  21. I’d rather live my whole life assuming there is a God, only to find out that there isn’t, than to live my whole life assuming there isn’t a God, only to find out there is. ~ Peter Barry
  22. You talk to God, you’re religious. God talks to you, you’re psychotic. ~ Doris Egan
  23. I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. ~ Mahatma Ghandi
  24. The number of followers you have doesn’t make you better than anyone else.  Hitler had millions, Jesus had 12. ~ Anonymous
  25. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.  ~ Anonymous
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Should I Do Yoga if I am a Christian?

Recently I’ve been on a spiritual journey that includes deep prayer, meditation, and mindfulness to help me to connect with God. At the same time, I’ve also been on the hunt for some low-impact stretching that could potentially help with chronic pain in a natural way.

Meditation and stretching. Put those two together and what do you get?

Yoga.

So, I’ve said I need to stretch. And I find that meditation brings me closer to God. These all naturally come together in the form of yoga. But, as a Christian, should I do yoga? Am I allowed? Will Jesus love me less?

Well, first, let’s see”¦what does the Bible say about the word “yoga”? Nothing. Zero. There’s no record of that word being used.

So now what do I do? Since the Bible doesn’t talk about yoga specifically, I have to use the brains God gave me to dig a bit deeper. Then I can determine how best to deal with this current cultural trend.

Let’s start with a few of the basics:

Yoga began as a spiritual disciple in Hindu which includes breath control, meditation, and static postures of the body. Some people who practice yoga are active Hindus or Buddhists. Many are not.
In the western world, yoga is a broad term that is often descriptive of people engaging in the physical body postures that encourage strength and stamina. Sometimes this is combined with meditation for mental strength, but not exclusively. Some yoga classes used sacred words such as “Om”, “Namaste”, and certain chants that hint to Buddhism and Hinduism. Other classes make no reference to the spiritual world at all and are simply a form of physical exercise. Yoga potures have Sanskrit names that have spiritual meanings. Many times these are replaced with English names that simply describe the form the body is taking. (For instance, “lotus” has become “criss-cross applesauce”.)

The word “yoga” in Sanskrit means “yoke” or “union with God”. God tells me to not worship another god, and I must obey.

So I know that yoga started as an ancient spiritual practice of another religion which should lead me to move forward with caution. But I also know that Jesus came to redeem all things.

Is it possible to engage in a moderated form of yoga that feeds our Christian souls, or should we avoid it altogether? Can we be aware of the potential pitfalls and dangers of the spiritual side of yoga and then practice it in a meaningful way with a Christian bent and attitude?

The famous American minister John Piper seems to think that we can’t. He says we should avoid yoga completely, citing it as antithetical to Christianity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Piper has some good things to offer. But in this situation I tend to think that maybe he’s throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bathwater”.

Christians have often taken “secular” symbols or practices and re-stored them into something that is healthy and even God-glorifying. Take Christmas, for example. December 25, the day on which we now celebrate Jesus’ birth, was reclaimed from the pagans. That date was redeemed from a pagan holiday to a Christian celebration.

Jesus has come to redeem all things. Even pagan holidays. Possibly even stretching and meditation and breathing?

Over the ages, Christians have used wisdom and the discernment to choose what is right for them as individuals and as a Body of believers. To apply Jesus’ redemption to various non-Christian things.

“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 10:23

So I need to decide if yoga could be beneficial (or detrimental) to me. In my case, I truly believe God has given me the wisdom and discernment to be able to stretch and strengthen my body without accidentally worshipping a false god. I even believe that I can meditate and breathe while I simultaneously reflect and contemplate how incredible God is. All without slipping into the devil’s snare.

But I am aware that this may not be the case for all people.

Personally, think that I can apply the idea of a “yoke” or “union with God” in yoga to my relationship with Christ. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just sign up for any yoga class that is offered. I need to be wise and first ask questions about how spiritual a class is before taking it. For my own purposes, I tend to learn at home with videos, so there’s not much of a risk of me getting caught in an awkward situation. If something gets a little weird, I can just turn it off.

Holy Yoga is a practice that is gaining traction, offering the grounding of the Gospel while reframing the positive aspects of yoga in a Christian way.

“Holy Yoga embraces the essential elements of yoga: breath work, meditation and physical postures. In all of these elements, Christ is the focus of our intention and worship.”

So as I‘m making a decision about yoga (or anything in my life!), I need to ask if it creates a risk of becoming a detriment to my walk with Jesus. If so, then I absolutely shouldn’t do it! But if yoga can be practiced in a way that is healthy to my body and mind, while drawing me closer to Christ with mindfulness and meditation, then is it possible that even John Piper can’t argue with that?

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Luck is The Religion of The Lazy

Luck Is The Religion Of The Lazy

Some people would do almost anything to ward off ‘bad luck’ and bring themselves a little good fortune. There was a time in my life that I believed when things happened in my life it was either “lucky,” or “unlucky.”

As I have become a more mature Christian I have realized that there is truly no such thing as luck, luck is just a religion of the lazy and disillusioned.  Here’s why.

A psychologist Richard Wiseman surveyed a bunch of people who considered themselves lucky or unlucky, then performed a very interesting test:

“[Wiseman] gave both the “lucky” and the “unlucky” people a newspaper and asked them to look through it and tell him how many photographs were inside. He found that on average the unlucky people took two minutes to count all the photographs, whereas the lucky ones determined the number in a few seconds.”

“How did the “lucky” people do this? Because they found a message on the second page that read, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.” So why didn’t the so called unlucky people see it? Because they were so intent on counting all the photographs that they missed the message.”

So what does this mean?

People who we often consider themselves lucky are more relaxed and open to what’s going on around them. Many people either do not see the open doors that God has provided for them or do not even believe that God will ever open a door for them. God is gracious and gives us blessings. I have learned if I can look beyond the raging storm, I can see where God is constantly blessing me and moving in my life.

This week, my primary doctor told me he was moving to another city. I will not deny that I was really sad as a unique doctor/patient relationship had formed. He has been the only doctor so far that has truly kicked open doors for me, validated me, listened to me, and truly cared for me. It is extremely hard to find a great doctor when you have chronic and rare illnesses. I can’t say enough about how much my now old primary doctor has been a blessing to me and my husband. It wasn’t by chance or luck that I got this doctor that only worked in my area for one-year. God placed him in my path. God used him to change every single one of my other doctors and now I have a great team. God used him for a short while to put some pieces together for me. God sent him to help in my journey but as life has it, God changes things up and that’s ok. I haven’t met my new doctor yet but I am very confident that God has once again moved in my best interest and is sending another person to help me get me to another point.

I had a choice this week. I could have had a meltdown and worried about the unknowns of my doctor’s replacement or I could have scurried to find someone else. Instead, I chose to find peace and solitude in my Father. I can trust that he is moving and I am not relying on luck or chance. The biggest part of trusting God is not knowing all of the answers but placing the unknowns directly in his hands and allowing him to move and bless me.

 

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2 Things to Remember About God’s Love

2 Things to Remember About God’s Love

The Bible talks a great deal about God’s love. And when Scriptures talk about God’s love, it’s mostly in superlatives. John 3:16 says God so loved that He sent His one and only Son to ensure man’s full redemption from the doom of hell. What no amount of human sacrifices can achieve, Christ secured for us once for all on the cross. By placing our full trust in Christ’s finished work, we all enter into this love relationship. Forever redeemed, forever experiencing the love of God. This is the best thing that can ever happen to a lost sinner.

God’s love is unlimiting.

Human love can be suffocating at times. It can be demanding or restricting. At times, we love someone so much, we begin to fear and worry. Overprotection sets in, we don’t want them getting hurt. Jealousy and insecurity may surface; we don’t want to lose them.

God’s love is unlimiting. It is in fact liberating. Those who don’t understand think Christianity is boring and rigid. They have the idea that in this “religion”, people don’t get to be and do a lot of things.   But the Bible shows us differently. In true Christianity is freedom. There is liberty. We become free and enabled to do right. We don’t need to be sinful all the time, we don’t have to do succumb to wrong pleasures each time temptation comes. Once, we had great tendencies for evil and wrongness. Now, as children of God we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for right and fruitful living.

God’s love is unlimiting. It unleashes the strength and grace of God in our lives. We find endurance to press on towards fulfilling our goals. We find wisdom in making right directions and pursuits. We learn to put our efforts into what is worthwhile and we get to experience satisfying joy, not just in achieving but in the journey itself.

God says His plans for us are for our welfare and not for evil, to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) In love, He works all things for our good. (Romans 8:28) Sometimes, the present doesn’t seem to be turning out well but while the end remains hidden from sight, we can trust God’s love in the process.

God’s love is relentless.

While some debate the idea that we can call God’s love as reckless, there’s no doubt that His love is relentless. We understand the reckless love doesn’t consider the risks. It is not cautious. It is not deterred by danger or loss. Reckless love jumps right in no matter what. Indeed, God’s love may be somewhat like that. But on a whole, reckless love is a far term to describe God’s love. Reckless bears a primary usage and meaning of “heedless of danger or the consequences of one’s actions; rash or impetuous.”

God’s love is nothing like that. In eternity past, He has counted the cost. He has foreseen the danger and the consequence. He has deliberately and committedly set His love toward us. In Luke 22:39-46, we gain insight into how painful and agonizing it was for the triune God to face separation for the first time. The sin of the world was to be laid upon Christ and the Father had to look away as the full weight of our sin was placed upon Him. That was far from a reckless kind of love.

Relentless love is unceasingly intense. It is persistent and continuing. It is unstoppable.   It does not allow itself to be hindered. It is defiant in a sense that it will cross boundaries to provide what is beneficial for its object of love. It is unsparing in a sense that it will give whatever is necessary for the benefit of its object of love. Relentless love is thoughtful love. It is deliberate. It counts the cost and takes intelligent account of what is necessary to achieve the highest good for the object of its love.

God’s love is relentless.   It is non-stop. “One Thing” by Jesus Culture articulates it quite well. The message says, “Your love never fails. It never gives up. It never runs out on me.” The rest of the song lyrics say:

Higher than the mountains that I face

Stronger than the power of the grave

Constant through the trial and the change

One thing remains. This one thing remains

Your love never fails, and never gives up

It never runs out on me

Because on and on and on and on it goes

Before it overwhelms and satisfies my soul

And I never, ever, have to be afraid

One thing remains. This one thing remains.

Be encouraged with the truth of this song today.

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Are Ofsted inspections of Sunday schools really the answer to tackling extremism?

Are Ofsted inspections of Sunday schools really the answer to tackling extremism?

“The Counter-Extremism Strategy says that out-of-school religious institutions teaching children would be forced to register so that they can be inspected.

“Let us be clear: we strongly support Government efforts to defeat terrorism. Any terror attack should lead us to pray. The Bible also tells us in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for “all those in authority”.

However, an outcry by Christians over plans to register and inspect Sunday schools is forcing the Government to “tread carefully” over the matter earlier in this year.

“The British Government consulted on giving Ofsted legal power to investigate any setting in England that provides instruction to children for more than 6 to 8 hours in any week. The consultation closed on Monday 11 January 2016.”

Ofsted in Churches

Many churches will be caught because children can attend multiple events in one week. In addition to Sunday school, a particular child could also attend a baptism or confirmation class, choir practice, and even a youth group. The time across all groups will be added together (‘aggregated’) to give the total time a child spends under instruction by the church. One-off events such as holiday Bible clubs would also be counted.

“Breaches could lead to groups being closed down or individuals being banned from working with children.”

If a  child may exceed 6 hours’ attendance every week, or just for some weeks of the year registration is triggered in both cases. This results in all activities, including the Sunday school, being subject to potential ongoing inspections.

We are concerned that these misguided responses to extremism threaten to take away vital freedoms from law-abiding people, and seriously undermine the religious liberty of Christians.

Equality Oath

The Government and Parliament have an extremely difficult job ahead. There is no doubt that Islamist terrorism poses a very serious threat.

We strongly support efforts to combat terrorism and the ideologies which underpin it, but it is vital that the Government’s political response is focussed on the root cause of these attacks and that Christian freedoms and the civil liberties of innocent British citizens are not jeopardized.

The Government before the election was considering introducing an ‘Equality Oath’ that doctors, social workers, teachers, and other public office holders would be forced to swear, pledging to uphold ‘British values’.

But forcing people to sign up to a particular Government’s view of equality would be dangerous and illiberal.  Sections of the press have already warned that it would deny the right to dissent.

Ofsted Inspection U-turn

“Christians have already been urged not to celebrate Sunday school inspection u-turn too soon.”

Simon Calvert, deputy director for public affairs at the Christian Institute, said:

“If the government wanted to go ahead with some kind of regulation and inspection system, it could do that without the need for a counter-extremism bill. We have to be on the alert.”

A Whitehall source was quoted by the Observer newspaper as saying the bill was “sinking without a trace” and it’s understood the proposed legislation will be quietly set aside.  A Home Office spokesperson said: “Legislation to tackle extremism is being considered within Government. We will consult fully on any legislation before it is introduced.”

‘Keep Historic Freedoms’

Christians need to contact their MPs and urge them to defend the historic freedoms this country was built on.

In the year ahead let’s do as the Bible says and pray for “all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”.

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Why Is the Bible So Important?

Why Is the Bible So Important?

The Bible is the single most important book ever written and is essential for knowing God and His will for our lives.

It is impossible for any human mind to exhaust one truth or promise of the Bible. One catches the glory from one point of view, another from another point; yet we can discern only gleamings.

#1: THE BIBLE HAS TRANSFORMED THE WORLD

It is not too much to say that the events recorded in this book are claimed by a significant percentage of people who have ever lived on this earth to be the most important events ever recorded in the history of the world.

The full radiance is beyond our vision. As we contemplate the great things of God’s Word, we look into a fountain that broadens and deepens beneath our gaze. Its breadth and depth pass our knowledge. As we gaze, the vision widens; stretched out before us, we behold a boundless, shoreless sea. Such study has vivifying power. The mind and heart acquire new strength and new life.  

Most of the Bible was written in what is modern-day Israel (Asia). But some passages of Jeremiah were written in Egypt (Africa) and several New Testament epistles were written from cities in Europe.

#2:  PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR THIS BOOK

This experience is the highest evidence of the divine authorship of the Bible. We receive God’s Word as food for the soul through the same evidence by which we receive bread as food for the body. Bread supplies the need of our nature; we know by experience that it produces blood, bone, and brain.

Apply the same test to the Bible; when its principles have actually become the elements of character, what has been the result? What changes have been made in the life?

“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

 #3: IT CONTAINS A LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE OF FREEDOM

In its power men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have been transformed into the image of God.

4: IT CONNECTS YOU TO HISTORY’S MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE

The change is itself the miracle of miracles. A change wrought by the Word, it is one of the deepest mysteries of the Word. We cannot understand it; we can only believe, that, as declared by the Scriptures, it is

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

A knowledge of this mystery furnishes a key to every other. It opens to the soul the treasures of the universe, the possibilities of infinite development.  

Keep turning the pages of this remarkable book.  Read it with an open mind and open heart. It contains pure truth about God, about life, the nature of mankind and our own hearts as human beings.

Then Christian Bible is described: made up of 66 books, two ‘Testaments’ (39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament). It’s been translated into over 500 languages and over 5 billion copies have been sold; the best selling non-fiction book ever. For Christians, it is God’s word, full of guidance and wisdom, containing everything you need to know about salvation, about being right with God. The Bible is a complicated book; its many stories need applying to the modern world.

 

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Through Hope, In Faith and By Prayer

I think that sometimes when we don’t see results we can sometimes feel that we are praying in vain. That our prayers are not always heard. It’s a human response to feeling that you are praying your last prayer, due to sheer exhaustion, because of what is happening in your life or the situation you are praying for. I have been told many times to give up and almost as many times I have been told that there is always hope.

I don’t know if I even have the ability to give up hope. I’m not sure it is part of who I am or ever will be. For me to give up hope would be like giving up on my faith, admitting that there is nothing to become, to look forward to nothing to love. Hope is never giving up on what you love, to not believe the impossible can happen when you are surrounded by everything that someone once told you was impossible.

In this life I have had to learn so many difficult lessons and I don’t think that learning and growing will ever end for me. Some of those lessons came easily while others were, each time I went through something, I thought was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Forgiveness took me over 40 years to learn and it was a struggle every time I had to do it but now it comes easier through hope, my faith and a lot of prayers while kicking and screaming all the way.

“If you try and lose then it isn’t your fault. But if you don’t try and we lose, then it’s all your fault.” ’- Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

I’ve had to learn to take responsibility for my actions and for my inaction. I had to look at myself, be honest and move forward without answers. Then I think the hardest was having to go back to revisit forgiveness of everyone, everything and myself. I had to see that I wasn’t perfect, people aren’t perfect and situations and decisions have consequences. I learned to be ok with all of that through hope and faith that I could do better and be praying for help and strength.

My oldest son has problems and I don’t know if they will change. I don’t know if he will change. I see the issues, I know the solution and there is nothing I can do to change any of it. All I can do is have hope that there is a piece of the boy I used to know deep inside, have faith that he will be the man he has been raised to be and pray that one day he will feel the love and compassion that God has for him. That what seems impossible is possible because he has been forgiven and anything that is wrong can be made right through hope, in faith, and by prayer.

August 3, 2017 8:17am ~ Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day and the chance to do your will and read your scriptures. Thank you for having the blessing of another day to do your will and worship you.

Today more than ever bless and watch over Ja.G. as he is released form jail entering into evil temptations. May he find his way to you to find peace and salvation. May he find the desire to be forgiven by you Lord Jesus, to desire your blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Give his family the ability to forgive him and to find your love and desire to worship you and receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Bless us as we go through our day. AMEN!

John 5:5-9 ~  One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”    “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”    Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”    At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

Be well and get up, always.

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Whose Side are You On?

End of Year Prayers for Peace

There’s a battle going on and you’re in the midst of it, whether you know it or not.   It’s a world war.   I call it LOE (Life On Earth), and lo and behold, you are in it every waking hour.   You restless sleepers may even be experiencing it in your sleep!   There are only two sides in this war, and if you’re not on one side, then you’re on the other.   Do you need some help choosing sides if you haven’t done so already?   Do you want further information as you reconsider whose side you want to be on?

Frances Ridley Havergal wrote a hymn based upon David’s call to commitment given to his army in I Chronicles 12, and his army’s response to him.   Verse 13 says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse.”  The title of her hymn is:   WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE?   Below I’ve written the first stanza of that hymn.

Who is on the Lord’s side?   Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side?   Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side, Savior, we are Thine.  

With our enlistment papers already signed, may we be clothed in His armor and standing together at the battle line.   May it be obvious to everyone we know and everyone we meet, that we are on the Lord’s side, and we will not retreat!

The Scriptures have already told us Who is ultimately going to win.   The question is:   “Who is going to win on your own battle field today?”   If you are on the Lord’s side, trusting Him as you pray, then you won’t have to worry, for you both will win today, hands down!

A NOTE ABOUT THE WRITER OF THIS HYMN:

Frances Ridley Havergal struggled with debilitating illness for most of her life.   She wrote several inspirational hymns as well as a book for invalids entitled “Starlight Through the Shadows”, dying at the age of 43 before completing the book.   Her sister added the final chapter from Havergal’s unpublished papers.   That chapter is entitled  “Marching Orders” and concludes with the words to this hymn:   “WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE”.

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Britain Is No Longer a Christian Country and Should be Systematically de-Christianized, Panel Said

London Mayor Boris Johnson has said £1.3tn of investment is needed over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status

LONDON — Nearly two years ago, the “Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life” published a report on the role of religion in society. The paper made it clear that Britain is no longer a Christian country in any meaningful sense and should be systematically de-Christianized due to the decline of church-going and the rise of Islam and other beliefs.

Britain Is No Longer A Christian Country

The commission has attracted particular controversy because of the authority of those behind it. Patrons include Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury; Lord Woolf, the former chief justice; and Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the former general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain.

“Britain is no longer a Christian country and should stop acting as if it is, a major inquiry into the place of religion in modern society concluded in 2015, provoking a furious backlash from ministers and the Church of England.”

The report triggered a argument as it was condemned by cabinet ministers as “seriously misguided,” while the Church of England said it appeared to have been “hijacked” by humanists.

Remarkably, the overall decline of religion in Britain has coincided with the arrival of three million migrants who tend to have more religious belief than British Christians. In particular, the visual impact of Islam, most obviously expressed in the proposal for a 9,000-capacity ‘super-mosque’ in east London that was rejected by planners about 18 months ago, might give the impression that migration has brought a religious revival to Britain.

You Can’t Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater

Inevitably, the question of what is to be done about our national Christian institutions will soon arise. Is it appropriate that we are still invited to swear on the Bible in court?

Down The Inquiry Rabbit Hole

The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life document said that faith schools are “socially divisive” and the selection of children on the basis of their beliefs should be phased out. The report claimed that the number of Church of England bishops in the Lords should be replaced with imams, rabbis and other non-other non-Christian clerics as well as evangelical pastors. The report also backde moves to cut the number of Church of England bishops in the Lords and give places to imams, rabbis and other non-other non-Christian clerics as well as evangelical pastors. It also recommended that the coronation service for the monarch ought to be overhauled to include other faiths and that thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s should include non-religious messages. And it recommended new protections for women in Sharia courts and other religious tribunals — including a call for the government to consider requiring couples who have a non-legally binding religious marriage also to have a civil registration. Most controversially, perhaps, the report also called for a rethink of anti-terror policy, including allowing students to voice radical views on campus without fear of being reported to the security services.

Some will find this sad, others as a sign of progress, but the greater majority will view it with indifference.

Educating The Public

Given all that, why do Christians in the country have so much political and educational power?

“England has an established Church. Its bishops sit in the House of Lords. The Queen is both head of state and also supreme governor of the Church of England. One of the monarch’s titles is Defender of the Faith.”

Because of this, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has told the Daily Telegraph that claims the UK was not a Christian country ignored “both historical and constitutional reality”, its not fact.  The Bible features heavily in the architecture and decoration of the Houses of Parliament, paying silent tribute to its significance in English jurisprudence. Most British law is ultimately derived from the codes of law within the Bible, of which the Ten Commandments is pre-eminent.

“The Equality of All People Before The Law is Another of The Bibles Legacies.”

In short the social institutions and safeguards, as well as many of the benefits people take for granted, were supported by the understanding of human life which was found within the Bible. In this sense, the foundations of Britain’s culture and society can truly be said to be biblical.

The report is dominated by the old-fashioned view that traditional religion is declining in importance and that non-adherence to a religion is the same as humanism or secularism.

Today, as people are facing ever more clearly the perceived threats of global war, the Bible, with its vision of man’s position within creation and responsibility under God to care properly for it, still has a major contribution to make to the future of all humankind.

 

 

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Top 40 Inspirational Christian Quotes

Are going through  one of life’s storms? Whether you  need encouragement  for yourself, or you wish to encourage someone else, these quotes will help when you need it most.  Take a moment and really ponder and reflect on the timeless truths that have been presented with these faithful sayings. This list includes Christian quotes and bible verses about hope, love, obedience, God and life.

  1. “God grades on the Cross not on the curve.” ’-  Adrian Rogers
  2. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” ’-  John Piper
  3. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. ’- Proverbs 16:3
  4. “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” ’- Billy Graham
  5. “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” ’- Emma Watson
  6. “God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.” ’- Tony Evans
  7. “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” ’- Corrie ten Boom
  8. “Christ literally walked in our shoes.” ’- Tim Keller
  9. “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.” ’- Corrie Ten Boom
  10. “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you.” ’- John Green
  11. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” ’- Jim Elliot
  12. “Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.” ’- Lysa Terkeurst
  13. “If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” ’- Martin Luther King Jr.
  14. “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” ’- Francis Chan
  15. “If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!” ’- D.L. Moody
  16. “If we understand what lies ahead for those who do not know Christ, there will be a sense of urgency in our witness.” ’- David Jeremiah
  17. The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. ’- Proverbs 18:10
  18. “You are the only  Bible  some unbelievers will ever read.” ’- John MacArthur
  19. “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” ’- Abraham Lincoln
  20. “Your potential is the sum of all the possibilities God has for your life.” ’- Charles Stanley
  21. “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” ’- Helen Keller
  22. “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ’- Lao Tzu
  23. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” ’- John Piper
  24. I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right. ’- Billy Graham
  25. If God called us to a task, He will then qualify us for the job. ’- Jack Hyles
  26. When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.   ’-  Rick Warren
  27. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. ’- Augustine
  28. “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton
  29. We have a God who delights in impossibilities. ’- Billy Sunday
  30. Christ literally walked in our shoes. ’- Tim Keller
  31. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. ’- Psalm 28:7
  32. One touch of Christ is worth a lifetime of struggling.   ’- A.B. Simpson
  33. Let God’s promises shine on your problems. ’- Corrie Ten Boom
  34. When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place. ’- C.S. Lewis
  35. He said “Love”¦as I have loved you.” We cannot love too much.   ’- Amy Carmichael
  36. The ultimate measure of a man [or women] is not where he [she] stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he [she] stands at times of challenge and controversy.   ’- Martin Luther King Jr.
  37. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ’- Psalm 18:2
  38. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ’- Jeremiah 29:11
  39. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ’- Romans 8:38-39
  40. Hear my cry, O God,  listen to my prayer;  from the end of the earth I call to you  when my heart is  faint.  Lead me to  the rock  that is higher than I,  for you have been  my refuge,  a strong  tower against the enemy. ’- Psalm 61:1-3

Which of these 40 quotes do you consider as the most inspirational? Any verses that have been inspiring you lately?

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Playing God: Swedish Train operator uses Big Data to ‘avoid train delays that haven’t happened yet’

In a sign of things to come, a Swedish train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict the entire commuter train system two hours into the future.

Welcome to the world of “Big Data.” We have more information at our fingertips than any generation in history. We live in the world of “Big Data.” That is the new way people are trying to describe this sea of digital facts, figures, products, books, music, video, and much more. Twitter, apps, Facebook–they’re each giving science new ways to look at what people do and why.

“Hopes, fears, and ethical concerns relating to technology are as old as technology itself.”

We actually welcome some aspect of Big Data. These mysterious data successes (or accidental successes) are easy to see as a kind of Big Brother future, where technology can track your every move and report back to ”¦ someone. However, StockholmstÃ¥g, the train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict train delays before they happen.

“The Commuter Prognosis –  A Social Scientist’s Dream Come True.”

The mathematic algorithm, called “The commuter prognosis” was  developed in Stockholm, Sweden.

When a train is not on time the algorithm forecasts disruptions in the entire network by using historic big data  to  prevent the ripple effects that actually causes most delays.
Wilhelm Landerholm the mathematician who has developed the algorithm said:

“We have built a prediction model, using big data, that lets us visualize the entire commuter train system two hours into the future. We can now forecast disruptions in our service and our traffic control center can prevent the ripple effects that actually cause most delays.”

The algorithm has been tested but is not currently being  used by traffic controllers.

How  does it work?

The key to the model is a large  amount of historical data. The model works similar to a seismograph, an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration, but instead identifies late train arrivals. When this happens, the system  uses historical data from previous occurrences to forecast the likely  impact on the entire train network.

Real-time public transportation information is already used around the globe, however, traffic control centers still typically assess  delays manually to try and prevent further problems in a network. The commuter prognosis system, on the other hand, will forecast these delay effects instantaneously  and provide a prediction of how a single or multiple  disturbance might  affect  the whole  train network. The  commuter prognosis system could change how traffic control centers operate all over the world.

“The Effects of One Delayed Train Can Quickly Multiply Within a Train Network”

Imagine that “The commuter prognosis” forecasts that a train will be 10 minutes late to station C in two hours. To deal with this the traffic control center issues a new train from station A that will arrive on time at station C. As soon as the new train has been put in motion the algorithm re-calculates and gives the traffic control center a new forecast for the entire train network within minutes.”

The most important benefit of “The commuter prognosis” is that it  provides for a more punctual public transportation.

“The commuter prognosis” will be available in a smartphone app based on the original model. The app will integrate with other transportation big data to make commuting easier and  will indicate which coaches are more or less crowded.

Big Data, Ethics, and Religion

These stories remind us that even though companies and governments are doing amazing things with data, it’s at best imperfect. The algorithms and programs they use to filter and respond to data are at least as fallible as the human beings who designed them.  We can also see its complexity and failures as evidence of the amazing omnipotence of our God – who doesn’t make errors and who knows right where to find us, even inside a great fish or the depths of hell.

The arrival of big data has already brought with it numerous questions that have yet to be properly addressed. These questions are methodological, epistemological, and ethical, and they concern (inter alia) the ways in which data is collected, stored, interpreted, represented, and traded.  A further complication is a speed with which data science is advancing, which means that (for example) the application of legal and ethical restrictions to the practice of that science will always risk being several steps behind the point that it has currently reached. There are indications that we are currently sleepwalking towards a situation in which the commercial exploitation of big data routinely increases social division, and renders privacy a thing of the past.

Ket factors

  • A mathematical model interprets big data to forecasts for each train in the train network.
  • The commuter prognosis can warn about delays two hours before the departure or arrival actually takes place.
  • The commuter prognosis calculates how the delay affects other trains in the system.
  • The purpose of “the commuter prognosis” is to make life easier for traffic control centers and to give passengers  a better service.
  • In the future, the algorithm will be potentially adaptable for more types of public transportations and cities.
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What Would Jesus Do? Do You Really Want to Know?

Once upon a time, a mother made her son a wristband. On it was written: WWJD?  The phrase “What would Jesus do?” (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents.

The WWJD movement started in 1989 when the youth group at Calvary Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan, studied Charles Sheldon’s 1896 novel, In His Steps.

But the message of wwjd should not be taken for granted due to overexposure. As simple as it seems, sometimes the question—What would Jesus do?—still leaves people  wondering. However, its not hard  when ones considers that  Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. #Love

Little Girl Lost | Our Souls Purpose.
There once was a little girl, she was sweet and loving, the way a child is. She had blonde hair and was ever so tiny. She loved everyone she knew, she looked at the world through eyes that had not been  wounded by this world.  Now the teenager turns into a young woman, wife, and mother. She feels the light but she doesn’t live in the light…  What would Jesus do?
Heart Touching Examples of Documentary Photography  on Godinterest.  What Would Jesus Do?
 
Mandatory Prayer to Promote Wellness.
United States Marine Corps recruits take a moment for mandatory prayer before lights out at 9:00 P.M. in Parris Island, South Carolina, January 6, 2005. Recruits go through a twelve week training program where the objective is to instill self-discipline and confidence, high moral standards, warrior spirit, basic military knowledge and individual skills, physical fitness and wellness as a way of life, respect and love of Country and Corps. Now one might be arrested for leading soldiers into prayer, however,  What would Jesus do?
 #love letters

True Love Never Grows Old.  We  Love Seeing Old Couples. It Gives Us  Hope That Love Can Still Stand the Test of Time.
How God’s Broken Through My Walls  This Year Has Been All About Learning About the Character of God, and Also About the Character of Me.
Everyone has thinking patterns and world views that need adjusting; the biggest one for me this…What would Jesus do?
What Would Jesus Do?  Remember the Less Fortunate This Christmas,  ‘Come, You Who Are Blessed by My Father, Inherit the Kingdom Prepared for You from the Creation of the World. For I Was Hungry, and You Fed Me. I Was Thirsty, and You Gave Me a Drink. I Was a Stran.
#GOD #JESUS  #GODLY
Beyond the fad

“What would Jesus do?” is an irrelevant question for many people because they don’t know who Jesus is.  Before we can ask the question “What would Jesus do?” we must ask ourselves whether we know Jesus. Knowing Jesus begins with reading about His life, teachings and claims in the Bible.

So what would Jesus do? He would seek the Father for the strength and wisdom to embrace, restore, confront, teach, serve, and equip the people around him.

These phrase  should drive us back to the gospels to take a fresh look at how Jesus lived. The fad phase of WWJD may be over, but we need to hold on to the phrase even whiles posting images on Godinterest  and keep asking ourselves—What would Jesus do? It’s a great question. But remember: If you’re not sure what Jesus actually did in his life, then you’re just guessing at what he might do in yours.

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When Images Speak Louder than Words

They say, “a picture is worth much more than a thousand words”. When we read a story about the someone’s life experience  — it often has a lot less impact on us than seeing the emotions captured in a photograph.

To illustrate this further, here are some  of the most powerful and captivating photo’s added to Godinterest this week.

Philemon 1:4 I Thank My , Making Mention of You Always in My Prayers  as Our  Praise Is Not Predicated on What  Does, Are Praise Is Contingent on Who  Is and Since He Never Changes Our  Praise Should  Never Change.

Russian Soldier Preparing Himself for the Battle of Kursk, July 1943.  #God  #Jesus

Cardiac Surgeon After an 23 Hour (Successful) Heart Transplant.

Living on a Dollar a Day – Co.Exist

Chile’s Puyehue Volcano Erupts.

Children Crying War

 

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How To Promote Your Christian Game Via Social Media

Blessedly, if you type the word “Christian” into the iTunes App Store, you’ll receive a boatload of results to choose from. While many of the offerings represent different versions of the Bible, there are also plenty of apps that fall into the games category that arise also, such as a very well reviewed game called “Bible Trivia” that helps people get their Jesus quotes straight and memorize verses in an interesting manner. With the popularity of TV shows like The American Bible Challenge, it’s no wonder people are taking to their iPhones and iPads to continue the fun and test their biblical acumen using mobile device games.

Apparently, the success of that “Bible Trivia” app – with its in-app purchases – along with others like it, proves that the buying public is willing to shell out hard-earned cash in order to beef up on their study of Scripture. This is great news for makers of Christian games, and if you’ve decided your calling is to use this exciting type of medium that is the gaming industry to spread God’s word all over the world, you might be wondering how to actually use social media to help bring about buzz for your new game.

Read more:  http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/12/how-to-promote-your-christian-game-via-social-media/

Sign-up:  https://godinterest.com

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Facebook Has More People than Any Major Religion Except Christianity

Written by  Michael J. Coren

The number of Facebook monthly users has surpassed the followers of Islam, and is closing in on the most numerous religion, Christianity. The Pew Research Center reports that Christianity counts 2.3 billion people among its adherents, followed by Islam with about 1.8 billion. By comparison, Facebook reports it now has 1.32 billion daily active users and 2.01 billion monthly active users as of June 2017—all supported by a staff of just 20,658 people.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes his platform could fill the void left behind by the decline of religious and civil communities in the US. Americans are becoming less religious, join fewer community groups, and report record low levels of trust in their fellow citizens. “That’s a lot of people who now need to find a sense of purpose and support somewhere else,” he said this June at a Chicago rally for creators of Facebook groups.

Zuckerberg has even approvingly cited religions role in society, perhaps implying a similar goal for Facebook. “People who go to church are more likely to volunteer and give to charity—not just because they’re religious, but because they’re part of a community,” he said in June. “A church doesn’t just come together. It has a pastor who cares for the well-being of their congregation, makes sure they have food and shelter. A little league team has a coach who motivates the kids and helps them hit better. Leaders set the culture, inspire us, give us a safety net, and look out for us.”

Facebook is growing at an order of magnitude faster than any established denomination. No major religion is expected to grow faster than 1.4% per year (Islam) over the next two decades, predicts Pew. Yet Facebook, despite rivaling them in size, has steadily grown its global user base by about 22% each year. Of course, Facebook’s expansion will slow as it increases in size (see the “law of large numbers“), but even a drastic drop in this pace means Facebook users will exceed the number of Christians before the decade is out.

As it grows, Facebook has gone so far as to change its mission statement from its focus on making “the world more open and connected” to “bring[ing] the world closer together,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with CNN Tech this June. The company’s CEO has ramped up his campaign to portray Facebook as a force for harmony, rather than division, in public life after an election season which saw the social network accelerate the spread of inaccurate news and conspiracy theories. The CEO not known for public outreach announced a 50-state US tour in January to “get out and talk to more people about how they’re living, working and thinking about the future.”

Facebook already owns three of the five largest online communities in the world: its own network, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The other two, Chinese services WeChat and TenCent, have about 2 billion users between them. To fuel this growth, Facebook has gone on a relentless acquisition spree of any platform where it sees its future audience heading next. For now, that means Facebook can sustain meteoric growth while counting about a quarter of the world’s population as its users. It shows no signs of stopping.

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

 

 

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