Tithes and Offerings Are Charitable Contributions

Tithes and offerings are charitable contributions given by faithful Christians.  Giving tithes and offerings in the US has its tax advantages in the US because a certain percentage of these are can be deduced from what the tax filer owes the government!

So, are you still looking for best charity to donate to? Look no further.  If your church is considered by the IRS as a charitable organization, there you can give it! How about for best nonprofits to donate to? Again, your church may be that as well!

So, if you believe and practice tithing, indeed it is a blessing.  If man's mathematics is 10-1= 9, God's math can be 10-1=20 or something else!

Is There Any Day That Is Special to God?

It is fascinating to note that there are different time element in any of the time cycle. A sixty second cycle makes up a minute.  A 60 minute cycle makes up an hour.  Then a 24 hour cycle makes up a day.  While a seven day cycle makes up a week.  Also a 30 day cycle makes up a month.  Then a 12 month cycle makes up a year.  Of course a ten year cycle makes up a decade.

We us humans, we create certain days to be considered as a holiday.  New Year is a holiday which is the first day of the year.  On a personal celebration, we celebrate our birthday which is the day we are born.  We celebrate this once a year.

However, does God have a special day that He considers His?  There are two significant Biblical references that God does made a day special to the extent He blessed and did not just call it holiday but a holy day!

In Genesis chapter 1, we have seen how God had created the world and everything in it.  In six literal days, by mentioning consistently every day as "and the evening and the morning" were the first day, second day until the sixth day.  

Then, in Genesis 2:2-3, the Bible mentions that God ended His work on the seventh day of the week.  Because of this, He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it or made it holy! 

What is also fascinating to note, so that people will not forget about this seventh day as holy, God called it the Sabbath Day and made remembering the Sabbath day being part of His ten laws which is called the ten commandments!  And this can be seen in Exodus 20:8-11.

The weekly cycle therefore starts from the first day which we now know as Sunday.  And the week also ends on the seventh day which God called as Sabbath.  From the beginning of the existence of the Jewish people, they have been observing the seventh day as the Sabbath which we now call Saturday.

When people argue that the seventh day is actually Sunday, that is really debatable.  You see, the Roman Catholics know that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week.  The resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week is clearly stated in the Bible.  And every year, the Roman Catholic church do celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on a Sunday which they call as Easter Sunday.

And the word Sabbath has always been on a Saturday not on any other day of the week.  In fact, many languages call Sabbath as "Sabado" like the Spanish language and even the Filipinos.  Sabado has never been Sunday which is Domingo. 

Plus, God does not want us to just remember the Sabbath once a year only, He made it a weekly event that we should honor being holy!

Amazing, isn't it?

Finding Inspiration

Everyone of us may experience being down in life. We could be depressed. Or we simply need to be motivated in certain situations. We may come to a certain life situation where we reach a point like we need to be pushed to keep us moving!

We all know it happens.  Problems arise to bring us down.  Loss of a loved one, loss of a job, illness, suffering, divorce ..... there's just too many causes that can bring us the hurt.  Just like accidents, it can happen anytime, at any moment.

On the other hand, we may need the inspiration to deal with certain activities.  I am talking people who are in the creative fields like artists, writers, inventors, designers, or other careers where you need that spark to suddenly produce something unique and excellent. 

Even in the spiritual world, there are situations where we need to be inspired.  There's the preacher, the teacher, the layman, or anyone of us who may be facing spiritual battles. 

However, the big question is, where and when can we find such inspiration?  We simply need to look around us.  It is either we find it, or we take it close to us always.  To many many Christians, we can always kneel on our knees and let the Holy Spirit give us that inspiration. We can read Word.

Or, is there anything in your house or your room where you can also find an inspiration? A constant reminder?  I wonder when you first occupy your house, have you decorated your house with something inspiring like a wall decor from Bible verse prints?  This is another way to bring the inspiration close to us.

We may also find inspiration from our day to day experiences. Perhaps, along the way from work, somebody may have shown you an unexpected kindness which was unusual to you.  Perhaps you may compare yourself with those who don't have what you have, and you'll realize to be content which may make you move on.

What I would like to simply drive at, is, simply look around you.  There's inspiration for you from the Lord.  Most of all, our God is just a prayer away.  Pray and believe, and you'll have it.

Rich King Born As A Poor Baby

Royalties in general are rich. These people have palaces, power, wealth, and honor from their respective kingdoms. But there is one exemption to this rule. One rich mighty king left His kingdom to be born as a poor little baby.

You might think this is simply a fairy tale.  But definitely not. This baby grew to be known as a great teacher in the Koran. Early ancient historians like Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Josephus, and others have talked about the existence of this man. More so, his birth was foretold in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible and vividly recorded in the New Testament of the Holy Bible.

This King is known as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He owns everything and created everything that ever existed. Today, whenever the Christmas season comes, he is known as the baby Jesus.

This King left His heavenly kingdom to be born in human flesh as a baby boy just so He can be their savior from their sins. He was born as a baby of a very poor family who came to Bethlehem. He was born during the height of the Roman Empire in a lowly manger filled with farm animals.

His birth was without the aid of a physician or a midwife.  He was born not in a birthing facility or a hospital.  His delivery room was full of the smell of animal dung that we of our modern times are scared to consider such a place fit for normal delivery for a human infant. The scenario was without the presence of sterile delivery instruments! What a poor situation!

According to the Holy Scriptures, his parents simply wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and made a crib from hay.  The baby bedding sets we have today are probably not existent. No baby scratch mittens perhaps that we commonly make our babies wear these days yet. No newborn baby hats were probably conceived yet. He was just wrapped in swaddling clothes!

Indeed, what a sacrifice did this King did - who is the God of heaven and earth. A big sacrifice to be born so poor just because He so much loved you and me and all of humanity. Yes, this rich King of the universe came to be born a poor baby boy - all because of LOVE for mankind.

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VMT Singuillo is a blogger/online writer. Subjects of interests include newborn baby gifts, baby girl shower ideas, baby blanket, and more.

The Blessings of Giving To The Poor

The Blessings of Giving To The Poor

As a medical professional, I have long realized that studying and learning do not stop on graduation day upon receiving my diploma from med school. Upon receiving my license to be a physician, there is a need to keep me (as well as all other doctors) updated with new discoveries and trends in the field of medicine.

Even as a Christian believer, there is always a need to constantly learn and rediscover many of the Christian principles from God’s word. Whether the copy you may have is a KJV Bible, or a large print Bible, the teachings are all the same.

For quite a time, I knew quite well that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” I would admit that sometimes I even question – how does that happen? So, I may be just like everybody else – I have unanswered questions too! But let me tell you this, I know my God will provide me the answers. It may not be immediately, but the answer comes as time goes by.

Last night, while relaxing by watching the television, I happened to turn on a religious program that was discussing about the recent earthquake in Haiti which had claimed thousands of lives. I was stricken by the text the speaker quoted – Proverbs 19:17 – “He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward.”

Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that very clear? If you help the poor, you will also be rewarded. Wow! Finally, here’s an answer to a long time puzzling question of mine. No wonder, it is more blessed to give than to receive. As a result, I further searched for another related texts, and here’s one.

Proverbs 28:27 – “He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.” Would you love to receive blessing abundantly in your life? Of course! And would you agree with me that nobody wants a curse?

What wonderful promises from the word of God! By helping the needy, you will also be richly rewarded. But let’s pause for a moment. Rewards from the Lord do not always come in monetary form or material blessings alone. It can also come richly in the form of happiness, peaceful life, more friends, good health, fame, spiritual blessings and in many other ways than what the human thought could comprehend.

“He who gives to the poor will never want….” By giving help to the poor, you will not find yourself lacking in your needs! Please take note, I am not the author of Proverbs 28:27. Explaining the text in simple terms is not enough, it takes one to believe the truth of this promise by practicing such teaching.

Lastly, I remember what Jesus himself said in the New Testament, “Whatever ye do to the least of these my breathren, ye do it also unto Me.”

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects include baby blanket, baby bedding sets for boys, baby beanie hat, and more.

The Best New Year To Come

The New Year reflects the beginning of a new era. It is leap to a new beginning that men have been looking forward year after year. People around the world make all the necessary preparations to welcome the coming New Year.

Grocery stores, shopping markets, malls, and specialty stores are filled with people trying to make their last minute purchases of party supplies. Party hats and popper firecrackers are being sold out from the store shelves. Specialty foods are being ordered for the evening parties. Wow! Yes, the coming New Year is something major.

As I have been waiting for a few more minutes before the clock strikes 12 midnight, I turned on my tv just in time to view the events around the globe. Big cities from foreign countries have started to celebrate the New Year as soon as their respective time zones reached twelve o’clock in the evening.

Yes, as this event comes, people from around the world make a festive celebration. You can hear people making the countdown to midnight. Cities have spent so much for the different fireworks on display - from Australia, Hong Kong, New York, London, and many other big cities. It is just so amazing!

People embrace each other in jubilee. You can hear the deafening screams of excitement and cheer. People exchange greetings through text messages and social media sites. There’s just so much joy engulfing the whole wide world.

But why do people celebrate the New Year? As different television stations make a quick review of the events that have transpired the outgoing year, they feature unforgettable events – not just successful occasions but even the embarrassing, difficult, and sad moments of the year. They also try to feature the rise of new faces in history, as well as the downfall of famous personalities.

As the New Year comes, in general, we celebrate the achievements done in the outgoing year and welcome with hope the coming of another year in our lives. But just as I was pondering upon all these things, I just simply wondered, what would it be when this old sinful world comes to an end and Jesus Christ comes to take his children home?

Have the people of this world been making the necessary preparations for the coming of Jesus? Will people around the world be joyful enough to celebrate the coming of our Lord? Will there be festive celebrations to meet the coming King of Kings?

Whatever Bible you have, whether it is a large print Bible or a KJV Bible, you will note in John 14:1-3 that Jesus said “I will come again…” When Jesus was rising to heaven as he left earth, two angels appeared to His disciples and told them, this same Jesus will come back in the same way when He went to heaven. Will you believe when Jesus himself said He will come again? Personally, my answer to that is a big YES. Would two angels be lying to the people that Jesus will be coming back? I don’t think so.

Will the year when Jesus comes back be the most exciting New Year ever? Or, will you be there to welcome Him when He comes?

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VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and a sports and outdoor enthusiast. Some of his articles may be related to baby winter mittens, baby boy baby shower ideas, baby bath towel, and a lot more.

My Shepherd Is God

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
For Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

= Psalms 23

What a wonderful psalm of David. By the way, this is found in the Old Testament portion of Holy Bible.

It is so amazingly wonderful that when you have God with you leading you in your life, you will not even lack anything you need. The Lord will surely lead you to fields of prosperity, and even lead you to the soothing waters of life to quench your thirst for joy and happiness. And most of all, He can give you peace.

Even when trials of life come as they always will, there is no need to fear as He walks with us through life's long winding paths. Even when in the brink of death or troubled times, I know there is nothing to fear for as long as He is with me.

Yes, the Lord can even prepare a banquet for me, to fill my hunger even in the face of adversaries. Yes, God will surely bless me all throughout my life with the abundance of Heaven's riches and grace. For as long as I will dwell in Him, I know that my Lord will also dwell in me even throughout eternity.

Yes, the Lord is good indeed.

= by VMT Singuillo

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If you need a Bible, there is always one that is right for you. Perhaps you may need one of the following:

• Large Print Bible
• Family Bible
• KJV Bible
• Childrens Bible
• Audio Bible

... plus a lot more.

How Christians Can Be Spared In Crisis

It seems like the whole world today is suffering from economic crisis. Are Christians exempted from this? If you are a Christian, and you are already affected and suffering from the economic crisis of today, do you believe that God is answering your prayers? Or would you say, what kind of a God you have that makes you suffer? Or can you still trust God?

Somehow, trusting God may be hard to fathom for the common mind. But trusting God takes a great amount of faith. Somehow, if you are really a believer in God the Almighty, this is the time by which your faith may be tested.

Allow me to go back to the Holy Bible and feature some examples how God's people have gone through the worst crisis in their lives. Were they spared? Or were they simply willing to accept their fate and put their complete trust in God?

Joseph

Do you remember Joseph the dreamer in the book of Genesis? He was hated by all of his brothers, was thrown into a well and was sold to some nomad traders by his very own brothers! The traders in turn sold him as a slave. He was bought as a slave by an Egyptian official, was falsely accused of attempted rape, and was thrown to prison were he languished for several years. But somehow, he was taken out of prison and was promoted to be a high ranking government official in Egypt and with God's leading, Jospeh spared the land of Egypt and his parents from famine.

It is quite easy to read the story from the book, but put yourself in the life of Joseph, would you think there is a God who is looking after you when you experience all the misfortunes or "bad luck" that Joseph had undergone?

Imagine being taken away from your family and to suffer as a slave? That is certainly worse than what we are undergoing today! How about being falsely accused of a crime you did not commit and to be imprisoned for several wasted years? How does it feel to be completely secluded from society? How does it feel to be in bondage and deprived of freedom? Certainly, that is worse than what we are going through today! Yet, you will not read a single line in the Holy Scriptures that Joseph blamed God for all his sufferings.

When Joseph finally met his brothers, he did not even bother to blame them for all his "misfortunes". He could have taken revenge against them, but he did not. He understood that God had a plan for him and his family. He understood that it was God's plan to send him to Egypt, as God's instrument to spare his family and the Egyptians from famine.

If God had taken cared of Joseph, God will also take care of you even in crisis.

Esther

Do you remember the story of a humble Jewish lady who was chosen to become a queen? This lady is Esther as recorded in The Book of Esther is in the Old Testament. During the time of Esther, the land of Israel was under a foreign rule under King Ahasuerus.

When Esther was chosen as a queen from among the many candidates, the King did not know that Esther was Jewish. Yet one of the high ranking government officials hated the Jewish people so much that he was prepared to annihilate all the Jews in their dominion. Gallows were already erected for the execution of the Jews!

Imagine when your life is at stake, is that worse than the economic crisis we are going through today? If you were one of the Jews during the time of Queen Esther, won't you feel the stress that you could be executed anytime soon? Would there be a possibility that you would even question the existence of God when your life is at stake?

Going back to the story of Queen Esther, God had a plan for her. God had placed Esther into a right position to plead for the safety for herself and her own people to the King. It was God's plan to promote Queen Esther to the right place and at the right time. God has a plan even indirectly for His own people!

If God had taken cared of Esther and her people, God will also take care of you even in crisis.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

These three characters are featured in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. These three men had become captives into the Kingdom of Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Even as captives, they remained faithful to God despite all odds that had befallen them. Yet they were also chosen to be one of the wise men in Babylon.
When the King had decided to build a huge statue of himself, he declared that everyone should bow down to the statue and worship him otherwise, those who would refuse would be thrown into a fiery furnace to be killed.

Again, just like the story of Queen Esther, the lives of these three characters were also at stake. It may be easy to read this story in the book of Daniel. But put yourself into the shoes of these three characters. Would you be willing to betray your own God just to save your own life? Is loosing your own life a major crisis or simply a minor one?

Yet, as the Bible had recorded, these Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could not afford to betray God. In fact, they even told the King that if they be thrown into the fire, God might save them! What a faith! On the other hand, even if God would not save them, they declared that they will not worship the statue that was constructed.

To continue with the story, these three characters stood strong on their faith and did not bow down or worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. Thus they, were thrown into the fiery furnace. As they were thrown into the fiery furnace, the soldiers who threw them were the once who died of the heat!

To the surprise of the King, instead of seeing three people in the fiery furnace, he saw four people who were simply walking unhurt in the fiery furnace! The fourth guy looked like the Son of God! Thus, the king called them out and came out Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were not burned, not even the garments that they wore.

Even with the crisis of loosing their own lives, these three figures simply trusted God. They showed strong faith in a God whom they could not even see. Could you do that too?

If God had taken cared of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God will also take care of you even in crisis!

There are many other Biblical true to life stories that God has taken cared of His very own children. But I cannot simply feature all of them here, otherwise I will not be simply writing an article but a whole book.

Whatever your situation is today, simply trust Him, pray to Him, and serve Him, and He will take care of you. He can provide elderly care for his aging children, food for the hungry, homes for the homeless, and give love to the loveless.

You may have to undergo all the difficulties in life, but God will take care of you. And He will walk with you through all these trials. He has the power to spare you and He can spare you; but if not, be prepared and just simply accept the plan He has for you. This may not be easy, but most of God's people even in Biblical times had to undergo difficult and tragic trials in their lives too.

How Christians can be spared in crisis is simply by faith and prayer in our living God.

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VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects are about long term care, fun games, camping gear, and more.

How And Where To Invest As Christians

Have you ever heard of the saying, "people running for the money?" Probably yes, right?

Somehow, almost everywhere, people work hard to get out of poverty. When they are out of poverty, they want to have the luxuries in life. When they have luxuries, they want to become super rich. When they are super rich, they want to have more.

It seems, that there is simply no contentment in this world, correct? People really work hard for the money! But let us ask ourselves this basic questions. What is our main purpose in life? Do we need to have more money to be able to control wealth? Or are we being controlled by money?

Somehow, there are really pros and cons of having lots of money. You can almost buy anything you want. People will look up to you because you have lots of money. As some people say, money talks.

But money cannot buy everything including happiness. If you are a very rich person living in some poor country, you or anyone within your family may be kidnapped for ransom. Being rich therefore can also be risky.

Being very rich, you may become insecure too. You might fear that burglars can come to your house and steal your money. With what is going on right now in the stock market, there is fear of loosing your money and stocks in thin air any moment. Some people have become mentally ill and depressed simply thinking always about money!

As Christians, do you believe in what Jesus have to say about investment? If you can get hold of a Holy Bible, try to open it at the Book of Matthew 6:19-21. Jesus Christ specifically advices:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor dust doth corrupt, and where thieves to not break through nor steal:
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Does this mean that we can fly to heaven and deposit our money over there? Or does this mean we can do a telegraphic transfer of a big amount of our money to heaven for safe keeping? Doing this would certainly be impossible isn't it?

Let us suppose you are in church and you are very rich, can you really concentrate listening to the sermon? Was there a point in your life where you are physically present in church but your thoughts were out there somewhere on how to make more money? This is simply what Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

But in Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." In connection with the three earlier verses I quoted and this last one in Matthew 6:33, perhaps Jesus is telling us to do good things first as Christians. Serve God first, worship Him and do good to your neighbors. So help those around you and maybe have fun games with people around you. Maybe you can provide an elderly care to someone you know. This is probably the best way to place our treasures in heaven.

Earthly treasures don't last long. But those that we store in heaven will last forever.

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

This question should be familiar to many Christians. But the issue I would like to bring up is: Do we really show love and care to our brothers, our neighbors, and even the strangers that we meet? Or is the love and care that we talk about simply superficial?

Jesus has been telling us, "love your neighbor as as you love yourself." Perhaps, you may again ask, "Who is my neighbor?" Remember the story of the good Samaritan that Jesus told? The people around you are also your neighbors.

However, you may also ask, "Should I really take care of the people I don't know?" Remember what Jesus said, "If you have done this to the least of my brethren, you have done it also unto me."

Maybe these claims have been made about 2,000 years ago. But do they still apply to us today? Much of the western world have become too legalistic today. They may even ask, "do I have the legal duty to help someone in need?" Fine, maybe you may not have the legal duty to help somebody in need, but remember, you also have the moral obligation to be helpful to others as a Christian.

What is legally right, may not be morally right. In the same way, what is morally right, may not be legally right.

Today, there are people who are scared to help someone in need. They may even say, "why should I help that other person, if I make a mistake, he may even sue me later on?" So, if you see someone drowning, you won't even bother to help? What if you were that person who is drowning, and you've been crying for help and everybody else is scared to help you - would that be good?

Indeed, the prophesies in the New Testament of the Bible has come to be fulfilled. In the last days, people will grow cold, they will be lovers of their own selves only. Do you exercise brotherly love?

I am fascinated to see some people providing elderly care for seniors in some nursing homes and even private homes. Though they may be strangers to each other, these caregivers would take care of these elderly people. Do they really take care simply because they are bound by contract as part of their job?

I just wonder if we are really sincere when we feed the hungry, when we visit the sick, when we give alms to the poor. Remember, as Christians, we do not just answer to local authorities, but to God Himself.

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This article is sponsored by: Life Home Care

Dreams From God

According to the Webster's dictionary, a dream is a series of mental images, thoughts, and emotions occuring in certain stages of sleep. The question is, why do our brains make us dream? Is there a purpose for a dream?

Going back to the Holy Bible, there are many instances where God had sent some messages to man through dreams. Could it be possible that dreams are God's tools for Him to use to send messages to us at any time He wants?

Allow me to pin point certain Biblical scenarios where God sent dreams to people in the Bible - even to those people who are not worshippers of God.

1. Joseph, the son of Jacob, is known by his brothers as the dreamer. This story is related in Genesis chapter 37 and onward where Joseph's dreams had it's own real meanings relating to future events of his time.

In one of his dreams, he and his brothers were in the fields binding sheaves. And his sheaf stood up while the sheaves of his brothers bowed to his sheaf. In another dream of Joseph, the sun, moon and eleven stars made obeisance to him.

Almost two decades later, these dreams became a reality when his very own brothers bowed to him - his very own brothers unknowingly bowing to a high ranking Egyptian official who happened to be Joseph himself. Was that God's way of showing someone's possible future?

2. In Genesis chapter 41, the Pharaoh of Egypt had a two dreams in one night which greatly puzzled him. In one dream, he saw seven fat healthy cows feeding on a meadow. These healthy cows were eaten by seven other sickly cows. On second dream, this pharaoh saw seven good ears of corn on one stalk. And they were eaten by another seven thin ears of corn!

Since no other individual in Egypt can interpret the dream, Joseph the son of Jacob, was called in to give the interpretation. God revealed the meaning of the dream to Joseph, which turned out - it was about the coming famine that Egypt will experience for seven years. Is this God's way of warning people about a possible future event?

3. In the New Testament, there is another character also by the name of Joseph who happens to be the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 2 verse 13, it is recorded that an angel of God showed himself to Joseph in his dream.

In this dream, the angel specifically instructed Joseph to escape to Egypt and to bring his wife Mary and the baby Jesus with him. The reason is, King Herod was searching to kill the Baby Jesus. So, God can also give specific literal instructions through our dreams!

4. This fourth one is a long one, so please brace yourselves on this.

King Nebuchadnezzar is a king of the Babylonian Empire who had a dream that was recorded in the Holy Bible specifically in Daniel chapter 2. An interesting circumstance happened here because the king called his own wise men and his magicians to tell him his dream and to also give the interpretation of the dream. This sounded ridiculous because he even threatened to kill them all if nobody can tell him his dream including its interpretation.

Let's pause for a moment. Why did the king wanted his wise men and his magicians to relate to him his dream. Did the king forget about his dream? Certainly, for me to tell of what you have dreamed last night is impossible isn't it? That is because it was you who dreamed about it and not me. Do you think this King Nebuchadnezzar was an unfair king?

Or was it the king's way of testing who among his people could be telling the truth about his dream and its interpretation? Isn't it possible when you tell someone your dream, that person could pretend to be a good interpreter of dreams and give a false interpretation of it? Well, this must be a very very important dream that the king even threatened to kill his own officials if no one can tell him his dream and its meaning!

It so happened that Daniel was a man of God who was also one of the wise men during that time. In Daniel 2:28, Daniel said, "There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days."

Through Daniel, God had revealed the dream and its interpretation. Thus Daniel was able to tell the king exactly what his dream was and its meaning. The king's dream was about a huge image or maybe a human statue. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms was made of silver, the belly which is the stomach part down to the thighs was made of bronze, the legs were made of iron, while the feet were made of mixed iron and clay.

A stone from out of nowhere and was not carved by any human hands, hit this statue on its feet which broke down the statue to small pieces and these tiny pieces of materials were blown away by the wind until they were nowhere to be found. Mysteriously, the stone that hit the statue became a great mountain and filled the earth.

It turned out that God showed to King Nebuchadnezzar (through Daniel), world events that were to transpire from his time down through the ages. The head of gold represented the Babylonian empire. In Daniel 2:28, Daniel told the king, "You are the head of gold." And Daniel continued to say that after King Nebuchadnezzar, another kingdom would arise which represented the chest and arms made of silver. Then another kingdom would arise which represented the belly and thighs made of bronze, and another one made of iron which represented the legs, and lastly another kingdom which is represented by the feet made of mix iron and clay.

Going back to history, in 539 B.C., the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon. This empire was represented by the chest and arms made of silver.

Under the leadership of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Greek Empire conquered the Medo-Persian Empire in 331 B.C. The Macedonian Empire was represented by the belly and thighs made of bronze.

Next came the Roman Empire which dominated the Mediterranean in 168 B.C. The Roman Empire was represented by the legs made of iron. It is fascinating to note that the Romans ruled with a "fist of iron".

After Rome, no other kingdom conquered Rome. However, Rome deteriorated into different tribal coalitions of nations. The nations included are France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany and the other European nations. These all were represented by the foot made of iron and clay.

The stone that will break the statue is the coming kingdom of God. Daniel 2:44 says,"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever.

Since God had revealed general details of world events through Nebuchadnezzar's dream, would you agree we are now in the era of the feet made of iron and clay of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream? What a dream from God, huh.

A lot of us can have dreams that are simply entertaining. But let us remember, God can send messages to man through dreams. Now let's see, I dream I can have the most sophisticated camping gear so I can enjoy the great outdoors. Is that a dream from God? Or am I simply day dreaming.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, Native American Indian arts crafts, nursing scrubs and more.

Looking Back At Noah's Warnings

When you see someone on the streets preaching, do you pause for a moment and listen to them? Most people don't and perhaps there would be a few who would but at a far distant. Many people do think that these people who may be giving out warnings or "preaching" in the streets must be crazy.

Looking back at Noah in the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, he preached for more than a hundred years. That is even more than the lifetime of the present man. He gave warnings about the coming flood. He was so passionate in telling the people about the coming flood, yet people may have thought he was crazy.

Could it be possible that people thought "Well, my father had already died, yet there is still no flood!" Isn't that the same reaction with people now who say, "Well, my parents and grand parents have already died, and they said Jesus is coming soon, but Jesus hasn't come yet!"

For more than a hundred years, Noah kept preaching and even continued building the ark as instructed to him by God. Perhaps, if that ark was built today, it could have taken Noah to build it for just a few months. Yet Noah persisted despite that no other people helped except his sons. He was so passionate and persistent in preaching about the coming flood and building the ark, yet no one believed him.

Building a big boat in the middle of a vast land, while the sea is miles away may indeed seem like a crazy idea. Could it be possible that, that was one of the reasons why people could have thought Noah was indeed crazy. Or perhaps, it did rain during the period that Noah was preaching, but it did not create even the slightest flood. Could this be one of the reasons why people may have thought Noah was crazy with his warnings without any scientific proof? Let us remember, Noah may be living in an uncivilized society yet, where science was not yet even a study.

Today, when warnings are given out by any weather bureau or other government agencies, many of us prepare ourselves with emergency supplies. In Noah's time, perhaps people did not have any emergency supplies, and their only hope if the flood ever came would be the ark. Yet, they did not believe and they did not make any necessary preparations either.

Today, many big boats are now available. Even private people have their own boats. Some even have an inflatable kayak. Some even have life vests. What about during Noah's time, people never knew nor owned any of those things. Yet they did not believe on Noah and they may have thought Noah was simply crazy. They did not even gave it a thought, how they could survive if the flood really came.

When the manufacturing process of the ark was finally done, and animals from different areas marched toward the ark without any guidance of any human being, why is it that the people who saw this event did not even wonder about Noah's message? They should have wondered - "could there be some truths in Noah's warning?" Or is it possible that some people started to believe but they just did not want others to make fun of them or them to be rediculed of their new belief.

Just as Jesus Christ had warned, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. The teaching about the coming of Christ has now been about 2000 years, but Jesus has not yet come. The very own disciples of Jesus had waited for him, yet He has not come. My grandma (who told me that Jesus is coming soon) had already died years ago, yet Jesus has not yet come.

Could it be possible that there would be people that would not believe that Jesus Christ is coming back? Could it be possible that there are people who believe it, yet are scared to profess it openly because people may laugh at them? Would you like to be one of them who would be caught unaware when Jesus comes back to take his children home?

A Review of The Parable "The Good Samaritan"

During the time of Jesus Christ, He taught the people through many parables. One of which was the parable of the good Samaritan.

This parable depicts the plight of one traveler who was ambushed, beaten and robbed. Along came two other people who just did not care though they may have seen the sad condition of the victim. However, the last passerby (a Samaritan) came to help the helpless victim.

The Samaritan brought the victim to a certain place to be treated of his wounds and be cared for. Perhaps, this Samaritan even tried to pay the bills. Come to think of it, the Samaritan helped this complete stranger.

Today, how many of us Christians are willing to help a stranger. I for one am often guilty of this. Many of us would be scared to help a complete stranger on a personal basis. We have been taught by the society not to entertain strangers. Yet the Holy Bible teaches a different thing - not to be afraid to entertain strangers.

Today, many people in China and in Myanmar have suffered so much out of the calamities that have befallen this two countries. Their people need even the smallest aide we can give. By the way, ADRA, a non-profit organization is accepting donations to help the calamity victims in these two countries. You can visit their website at www.adra.org.

Perhaps you may have the heart to help victims of calamities and other tragic incidents. You may not have the financial capacity to help, but extending a helping hand and offering a prayer is great enough.

As Christians, we ought to be the good Samaritan in our day today. Are we practicing what we preach?

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and does organic search engine optimization.

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Give a Christian gift to someone you know. Little ones will treasure childrens Bible; toddlers love children's Bible stories; technology savvy individuals may love an electronic Bible; Bible teachers in your church would appreciate receiving a Bible concordance; while the seniors you know would welcome a large print Bible.

God's Power Is Sufficient For You

Have you ever felt sometimes that with what you are doing, you can't make it? Many of us could sometimes feel that we are weak, and that is certainly true. However, when we put God first in our lives, He will bless us and He will be with us in all walks of life.

I remember of a Biblical story, a boy named David who was wondering why the Israelite soldiers were scared to go forward into battle against their enemy the Philistines. Just because the enemy had a strong contender in the person of a giant called Goliath, they got scared.

When David heard of the challenge that Goliath wants to fight with the strongest soldier of Israel, he simply volunteered. Since he was just a young boy, David's brothers who were also with the Israelite army, told him "No" as he was too small for the giant. Yet David had strong faith in God that God will be with him. God had given him the strenght to kill a lion while watching over his father's flock, why not against this giant?

With a sling and five pieces of stones as his weapons, surely David would be no match to the big sword, long spear, and huge armor of this giant called Goliath. Not only that, this giant was a trained warrior in the Philistine army. As a result, King Saul of Israel offered his own weapons and armor for the boy David to use. But David was uncomfortable with it but instead put all his faith in God. A faith that God will be with him during the battle.

Finally, as the two contenders met, the giant simply laughed at the sight and the thought that Israel could only send him a boy to fight! But with a single stone that hit the giant Goliath's forehead, the boy David triumph under God's blessings.

Yes, many times we face many Goliaths in our lives today. It seems that the challenges we face are just so insurmountable that we feel incapable of doing anything. But remember, with God, nothing is impossible. When God is with you, your smallness or feeling of powerless is not an issue. You will be more powered when God is with you.

In fact, as written in the Holy Bible, Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Nothing is more important in this world than to put God first in our lives and to follow what He wants us to do. Whether it be in our personal priorities, in school, in the community, in business, or in any circumstances we are in, seek God's blessings, guidance and power. Whatever He gives you will be more than sufficient to help you in your situation.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, medical scrubs, cheap motel, and more.

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Give a Christian gift to a friend. Some suggestions include a large print Bible for seniors, childrens Bible for the kids, Christian movie for people of any ages, or a King James Bible to any church goer.

On Studying The Bible

In general, the Holy Bible is the best selling book throughout the world. Just come to think of it, it had existed for almost two thousand years. That is, the combined Old Testament and New Testament alone. Even before the coming of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament was already in existence too among the Jews.

Today, the Holy Bible is being sold by the millions worldwide. Many people do own a copy of it. But do all the owners read the Bible everyday? Do they bring it to church when they attend church service? Truth of the matter is, only a very handful read the book themselves! That's a pretty sad thing, isn't it?

One of the reasons why people don't read the Bible is because they find it hard to understand. Somehow, they think that probably only the religious people can understand it. Do we need to take up a career on theology simply to understand God's word?

Somehow the Holy Scriptures do recommend us to study the Bible. In fact it says, study the scriptures for ye think ye have life in them. It also says, study to show yourself approve unto God.

So you may ask, "Where do we start our study?" There are two things that you can do. 1) Study it by yourself. 2)Study under the guidance of your church leaders or scholars.

Unfortunately, studying the Bible on your own can sometimes be very difficult. It is like you are groping in the darkness. A lot of us do need the guidance of the Holy Spirit as well as the guidance of someone who already understands the Bible.

But then, you might say, "There are too many Christian denominations today, who is telling the truth?" But the Bible says, test the spirits of these Bible teachers how they compare with the Bible truths. So therefore, compare what does a particular religious leader say with the Bible truths. Judgement is not mine to make as I am not God.

However, if you really desire to know of the Bible truths, pray that the Holy Spirit may guide you. In the mean time, if you do not know of anyone who can guide you, there is a Bible institution that I have found where you can download their lessons online for free. It is called the Way of Life Bible School. Maybe you can simply start from there and go on as you wish.

There are just so many interesting reasons why we really need to study the Holy Bible. In fact, it even tells of prophesies which may be one of the reasons why some people say we can see many signs of times today.

My only prayer is, may God grant you your wish to find the truth you are seeking for. When you study the Holy Bible, don't forget to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and an internet marketing consultant. Some of his subjects may include grandfather clocks, cheap motel, and more.

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Share the gospel to everyone you know. Give an electronic Bible to a computer savvy individual. Share a Christian movie to a close friend. Give a teen Bible to your growing up kids. An audio Bible to a frequent traveler. Or perhaps a family Bible to a family friend.

More Prayer, More Power

With the current mortgage meltdown in the United States of America, people employed in real estate related businesses are loosing much income. Some realtors have difficulty selling a home now-a-days, ordinary construction workers are finding it hard to find new construction employment opportunities, mortgage brokers are experiencing less mortgage deals to make, some mortgage companies are now simply content to make it break even while others are becoming bankrupt.

It used to be that the real estate sector of the US economy was a booming business which now have busted. Many home owners have to face foreclosures and face the cruel possibility of becoming homeless. Apartment dwellers may also be fearing the rise of apartment rentals perhaps. Others have even asked, "will the other sectors of the US economy be also affected?" How about the stock market? Will there be a domino effect that could bring lots of scary scenarios in the near future?

While uncertainties loom ahead of many home owners and the real estate sector of the US, people are simply becoming scared. But where can we turn to? To Uncle Sam? Will Uncle Sam provide the money for home owners to pay for the mortgage?

I quickly remembered the sermon made by the pastor in our church recently. He entitled his sermon as, "More Prayer, More Prayer." His supporting text from the Holy Bible is found in Matthew 7:7-8 which says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that receiveth findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Perhaps, when Jesus said those particular encouragement, He did meant that we can simply go to God and ask God through prayer. When in trouble or in peace, we can always come to God in prayer! And why not? God is a powerful God, the creator of this world and everything that is in it!

When Jesus was here on earth, He even demonstrated that God has the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, calm the stormy seas, feed the 5,000 out of a five loaves of bread and two fishes, walk on water, or even turn water into wine, and to cast out demons.

With prayer to God, He can indeed empower us. Yes, perhaps, the more prayer we make sincerely to Him and seek for his help even in times of difficulties and need, God can empower us in so many different ways.

These times are indeed a time of demonstrating our faith to God. It is just easy to say that faith is just possible in theory. But, if you really believe in the Almighty God in heaven, you can live faith even in the practical sense of life. Ask God in prayer, for prayer unlocks heaven's doors.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and an internet marketing consultant. Some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, Native American Indians, cheap motel, and more.

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Give a Christian gift or religious gifts to a friend or a love one.

Some of the best gifts you can give include an electronic Bible for your tech savvy friend, a Bible concordance for a theology student, an audio Bible for people who drive, or simply any New King James Bible to any of your friends.

God Opens Doors

Many times "misfortunes" can come to anyone's life. It could not be denied that misfortunes are very discouraging events. This could include loosing a job, missing a scheduled flight, not winning a game by a very small margin of points, and many other tragic moments.

Let us say for example, the tragic event that happened on a Sept. 11 in New York involving the attacks on the Twin Towers. Perhaps, there are those people who were suppose to be working at the Twin Towers but for some reason, came in very late. Yes, they got late but that was a door opened for them otherwise if they came to their offices on time, then they would have perished too in that tragic event. But we are sorry to think about those who perished and those who lost a friend, loved one, relatives, coworkers, and a lot more. Perhaps God has a plan for those victims and their families that they have left behind.

Looking back at our past experiences, we can see that there are events in our lives that have led us to where we are now. Some people would say, if I did not strive hard to maintain good grades, I wouldn't be in a school basketball varsity team which may have led them to be in the NBA.

I have a sister-in-law who was fired from her job. But she says, had I not been fired, I wouldn't have found a high paying job in another prestigious company. So if you have lost a job, don't worry. Bring your problems to God and ask for help, surely He will make a way for you too.

Always come to realize that when a door is closed for you, God opens doors for you somewhere. The Holy Bible say that ,"All things work together for good to them that love God and keep His commandments." We can only see the present, but God sees the future that lies before us. He is an almighthy God that sees the past, present and the future.

Just never be discouraged when misfortunes can come to you. As long as you have God in your life, He will be there for you and can open a door of opportunity for you somewhere.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

Think of religious gifts to be given to someone you love, to your friends, and your neighbors around you. An audio Bible is a unique gift. Children's Bible stories are appealing to children. A family Bible would be great for newly weds. A Bible reference is great for your church pastor. Look for a christian gift at www.holybiblestory.com.

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Perhaps, a majority of Christians already know the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector as related by Jesus in the Holy Bible. This is because this story is not new to anyone. However, it has been related and used by example in many Christian church sermons.

In one particular religious seminar, a religion professor related the same story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee prayed, "Thank you God that I am not like this tax collector..."

At the end of the story, the professor commented, "I am thankful I am not like the Pharisee."

Upon hearing this comment, an audience participant also commented to his seat mate, "Gee, this professor did not really understand the whole point of the story. I sure am glad I have never been like this professor."

Getting Married

This story was one of the examples that was related by a pastor in one of his church sermons.

An old millionaire have one day decided to distribute his wealth to his heirs. However, this millionaire had a son who lives with him named Dan who lives with him, is almost 35 years old, and who has never married yet.

So the old man told his son Dan, "Son, I am becoming too old and I have decided in a week's time, I might start to give you your inheritance. You better start to have a family of your own as soon as possible."

Because of that, Dan decided not to waste time. As Dan attended one business meeting, he met the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. It was the woman he thought would be his perfect bride. From connections, Dan learned that this woman has never been married either.

Sure enough, Dan went to introduce himself to the woman, "Hi, I'm Dan and I sure am glad to meet you here in this business meeting." And soon enough both of them became friends. But then, before they parted ways, Dan said, "I am actually looking for someone to marry because in one week I am going to be a millionaire as I will be receiving my inheritance from my dad."

Well, the woman simply replied, "Can you please give me your business card with your home phone number?"

"Sure!" Dan eagerly handed her one of his blank business cards and wrote his home phone number too.

Without further ado, after one week, the woman certainly became Dan's step mother.

Holy Bibles

When the topic about the Holy Bible is presented, do you shy away or become intimidated? Or is it of interest to you? But if you love to learn of God's word, a website known as www.holybiblestory.com offers Bible and some other related products which are as follows:

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So if you think any of the following products listed would greatly benefit you and your ministry, simply check out this website: www.holybiblestory.com