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

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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

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The World In Crisis

As I write this article today, May 13, 2008, I have realized that the world is in great crisis this particular week. Thousands of human lives have been lost and more than a billion dollar worth of properties damaged from this particular week alone.

You can read it from the news papers and see in on the television news casts - tragedy after tragedy is happening this particular week. And these are simply natural chaos that are not even man-made. It is not just Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers who is suffering in pain, but there are literally thousands of people who are also injured and have suffered this week.

More than 10,000 people are now feared dead in Myanmar which was formerly named Burma. And thousands are also suffering. The cause? Tropical cyclone Nargis. Complicating the scenario is politics in Myanmar where their government is slow in releasing visas for foreign aid to come to the rescue of their people.

More than 10,000 people are also feared dead in China. The cause? A 7.9 magnitude earth quake that caused the collapse of many buildings in China. As of press time, hundreds of people including children are still trapped inside collapsed buildings.

As of press time, wild fires are ravaging the state of Florida, USA. Another fire can be seen starting in the mountains of Mt. Baldy in California. 22 people have been killed in Oklahoma due to the recent tornado. This tornado have also damaged properties along the way as it ripped through several other states.

These are simply natural causes. These do not even include the deaths due to wars in the middle east. These do not even include the rising prices of gas in America. What exactly is happening in the world today? Are these signs of the times happening right before our very eyes?

Try to pause and think about it for a moment. These events are not simply children's Bible stories that can be told as the time passes by. These events are simply the reality of what has been foretold in the Holy Bible. Yet there could be even more worse events that may come.

Think about it. Have we realized what exactly is happening to this world? Or are we simply numbed because year after year we read and hear about crisis that is happening world wide? Is the world coming to an end pretty soon? If He does come very soon, are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ?

When Things Go Wrong

Have you ever experienced waking up and it seems like there's just something that isn't right? One time, I did.

One afternoon, I came home from work and fell asleep for about an hour. Then I woke up at around 6:30 in the evening in time for me to pick up my wife from work. As I was driving in a two way street at regular speed together with the other cars, suddenly one car honked at me and made an overspeed at my right side. It created some kind of rage in me as I almost met an accident!

After picking up my wife, we decided to go to Costco to do grocery shopping. Inside the store as we were making our way in one of the aisles, there was this guy who was simply standing in the middle of the aisle who seem not to mind that we were about to pass. He did not even bother to move not until I said in a loud voice, "Excuse me!" What was wrong with him? Didn't he saw me and my wife approaching? It heated some emotions in me as I wondered, "why are things going wrong today?"

What if another "wrong" circumstance happened. What if even a small thing would have gotten wrong again like - when preparing some bills to pay, there could probably be a number 10 envelope that didn't seem right - and it was not the right envelope, that would have made me angry and somebody could be hurt!

I thought of praying and asked God for help. After a while, I was able to relax and things went smoothly from then on. I always knew and believed what the Holy Bible said, "all things work together for good to them that love God and keep his commandments.

Probably God had a purpose for all those "wrong" things that were happening to me. I finally remembered, I was suppose to attend a business meeting where I was invited, but I just did not know whether to go or not! Then I said, "Well, probably my God did not want me to go for some reasons."

Yes, when things go wrong, pause and pray to God. Pray for control over yourself as you might burst in anger. Pray for guidance and understanding. And thank God for his guiding hands. Thank God even for the "wrong" things that come to you. After all, God knows what is certainly best for you and for each one of us.

Living By Faith

The Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus (second edition) defines faith in four different ways. First, faith is unquestioning belief, specifically in God, a religion, etc. Second, a particular religion. Third, complete trust or confidence. Fourth, loyalty.Personally, I like the first definition when we discuss issues concerning our Christian living. I wonder how many people on this earth today live in an unquestioning belief in God?

Majority of us today live in different forms of hardships and trials in life. A lot of people are starving due to famine, some are dying because of illness, many are facing broken homes, economic depression are a threat to many, many home owners are facing foreclosures, and the list can go on and on. Times are just becoming hard. But can you live by faith today?

We have just mentioned about foreclosures. Do you value God more than your home? Or is it the reverse - you value your home more than God? If you are facing a problem on loosing your home, do you think that is going to be a great problem more than loosing trust in God?

I remember a Bible story that deals about a family who would be loosing their home. In Genesis chapter 19, you will find a story about a person named Lot who lived in an ancient city called Sodom. Because of the wickedness of the city, God was about to destroy the city.

In this particular story, God sent two of his angels in the form of men to take Lot and his family away from the city. The angels clearly instructed Lot and his family that, whatever happens while they were trying to escape away from the city, they should not look back towards the city.

A house is usually the biggest investment that most families make. The same thing probably holds true with Lot and his family. But probably Lot's wife could not afford to live her house behind, she either forgot about the angels' instructions or she simply disregarded the instructions that was given by the angels. She looked back. In an instant, Lot's wife became a pillar of salt.

Why worry about loosing your home when you have God who is the provider of all our needs. I was very fascinated and thrilled to know of a special promise by God for his faithful children. This promise can be found in Jeremiah 29:11 which says:

"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."

Isn't that promise so wonderful? Are you a faithful believer of God? Are you scared to loose your home (perhaps from foreclosure)? For me, I used to be scared. I have invested so much in my house. But looking back at this promise, it says God has a plan for me. Perhaps God has better plans which are far better than what I can perceive.

As long as we serve God faithfully, He will bless us. Look at His faithful followers like David, Abraham, Job, and many more of His people. They have been richly blessed by God - not just with material wealth, but even with the blessed hope of eternity. You don't hear these things as children's Bible stories or during a vacation Bible school, these are true to life stories that have been recorded in the Holy Bible.

According to Jesus, "All things work together for good to them that love God and keep his commandments." So, whatever bothers you, live by faith and entrust every thing to God through prayer. So pray to God about your situation. Remember, God has a better plan for you.

The Plant That Wouldn't Burn

Almost anything will burn, right? Many things can be burned with fire right? These include papers, bushes, clothes, or anything you can think of - can be destroyed by fire. We've been reading it in the news, we've seen it in the television - that homes can be burned by fire!

But there is this particular plant that was on fire - but it wasn't burning. Hmmm, that's amazing! This is a very spectacular sight to see! Pretty sure even modern scientists would surely want to examine this phenomenon if they find an occasion like this. A plant on fire but wasn't burning - this seems impossible - but many people have pretty heard about this instance. Not just Americans, but people around the world. How about you, have you heard about it?

There is only one occasion I know that this phenomenon had happened. It was seen only by one man and it was reported and recorded for everybody to read and know down through the ages. The person who saw this phenomenon was an adapted Egyptian official, but a native Jewish himself. His name was Moses.

Perhaps, if there was only a digital camera during that time, or perhaps, if there was only a video cam that can capture such particular occasion, that would surely be very interesting to watch. But the only way for us to know it now was simply for Moses to write it down in one of his books. In the Holy Bible, this was recorded in Exodus 3:2 when Moses saw a bush that was on fire but it was not being destroyed by the fire!

Although Moses saw many other wonders and miracles later on, this phenomenon was the first miracle that Moses have seen in his life. And this was the first encounter of Moses with God Himself. This was the first instance that God talked with Moses. Yet many believed this now. If God would talk to you now, and you start telling people that God did talk to you, wouldn't people think that you are crazy? Perhaps, doctors would even diagnose you to be sick!

Miracles do happen. Thousands of people saw the miracles and wonders that God did through Moses, yet thousands of them did not really believe in God. Thousands of them even crossed the red sea, but they failed to completely believe in God. And only two of those who originally came out of Egypt were able to reach the promise land of Canaan. How foolish could those people not to believe in God despite the many wonders they have seen. They have eaten the manna together with Moses, they drank the water that simply gushed out of the stone in the wilderness, they have seen the pillar of fire, how could they not believe in God?

On the other hand, do we really need miracles before we can believe in God? God even sent his only Son Jesus on this earth, yet there are those who have seen Him and his works and miracles, but these people still did not believe in Him. What would it take for us to believe in God and in Jesus?

Jesus said, blessed are those who have not seen the miracles of God yet believe in Him. Would it probably take you to constantly listen to an audio Bible before you can believe in Jesus? Or should God send you another burning bush that wouldn't burn? What do you think?

(c) by VMT Singuillo

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Share God's love to others. Suggested gifts you can give include a Christian movie, childrens Bible story, or a family Bible.

Struggle From Shame

Even as Christians, all of us have many different struggles in life. Much more so that we are struggling because of sin and sin is so shameful that we need our continous spiritual cleansing.

Although many of today's Christian poplulation have been born through a Christian family, yet the rest have become Christians through conversion. Yet in both instances, we all experience birth into Christianity until we develop to be spiritual toddlers and perhaps into mature christians.

This is not one of your children's Bible stories but a real true to life story that did not happen during a Vacation Bible School class where there are children, but a real experience witnessed by a minister during a church service. This was regarding his nephew who was once a 4 year old kid back then. As children, we know kids have very short attention span.

Thus, after about five minutes of sitting down in church with his parents, this minister's nephew just started making noises while the church service was going on. These noises were probably meant to attract his parents attention. However, this attention seeking kid, started crying so loud that he finally got the attention of his mother.

The mother simply carried this kid on her shoulders bringing the child outside of the church. As a toddler, kids' hands can simply grab anything with their hands without regard, and this minister's nephew was no exception. While the mom was making her way from the pews, the kid was swinging his hand from side to side until he finally grabbed on to something - the hair of one lady. Unknown to the mother of what was happening behind her (with what her child had done), she kept moving her way out of the pews while her son held on to the woman's hair.

A struggle ensued between this toddler and the woman as the kid continued to hold on to the woman's hair firmly. The woman struggled, not in pain, but in shame because the hair that this kid had grabbed was the woman's wig. Fortunately, not so many witnessed the event because there were just a few church attendees that day.

Copyright by VMT Singuillo

Finding Hope In Jesus

When we are healthy, many of us simply take our health for granted. We don't even bother to exercise, neither do we consider the food we eat, we don't listen to healthy advices. And perhaps, we do not even consider that there is a God who cares.

However, when we start to get sick and be suffering, that is the only time that we start to be conscious of our health. When we are already sick and suffering, that is the only time when we start to follow healthy advices, and we try to be healthy again. When we are doomed in sickness, that is the only time that we remember God and we start to come to Him and pray.

I have seen men who have been smoking cigarettes from their teens until adulthood. They loved and enjoyed smoking despite hearing warnings about the dangers of cigarette smoking. Later in life, they suffer from other respiratory ailments. They have smoker's cough. Some develop emphysema. Others have the dreaded lung cancer. Now that they are suffering, they are now trying to quit smoking - but have a hard time getting rid of the deadly habit. People always say that regret doesn't come first, but last.

There are millions of people now who have different physical and mental ailments. Majority of these people would certainly do anything, I mean - anything, just to be able to get back their health. Fortunate for those who have the money, they can probably afford to go to a doctor and pay for expensive medical diagnostic requirements and treatments. How about those who are poor and financially broke?

With or without money, in general, people will try to do anything to get back their health. They would even shop for different doctors, hoping that one doctor can find a cure for their suffering. Yet others would attempt to try herbal medications when others would make such claims.

I believe it was from a Vacation Bible School where I have heard the story of Naaman. Naaman was a Biblical character who was a captain of a certain army that defeated Israel during the ancient days. Although he was a high ranking military officer, he got contaminated by a disease called leprosy. During that time, there was no cure for leprosy.

Naaman had an Israelite girl servant who was serving him well. This girl recommended that Naaman see an Israelite prophet who probably could recommend a cure. This is a case scenario where people would like to do anything just so they get cured. Thus Naaman went to see the prophet. As Naaman went to the said prophet, he was adviced to dip himself seven times in one of the dirty rivers nearby. If you were Naaman today, you would certainly get mad that you are told to go to a dirty river. You'd probably say, that prophet is stupid.

But just to try, Naaman followed the advice. Fortunately, Naaman got cured from leprosy. That cure was because of the power of God - God who simply instructed the prophet what to advice Naaman.

Unfortunately, there are many other people who would simply give up and surrender when they can not find a cure for themselves. These are the kind of people who would think that everything is simply hopeless.

Let us consider another true to life scenario. A woman had been sick for years with a dreaded disease. She had gone to different doctors, but simply found no cure. She tried all sorts of medications and rituals, nothing helped her condition. As her chronic condition made her life miserable and weak day by day, she still had hope in her heart that one day that cure will come.
Finally, she heard that Jesus was passing by near her place. Yes, the crowd was approaching and certainly she saw Jesus. Since there were a lot of people, she just could not get the attention of Jesus. But she finally struggled and gave her best to come close to Jesus. She probably said to herself, "If only I can touch even the garment of Jesus, I know I will be healed." Thus she tried her best with all her strenght to come close to Jesus and simply touch his garment.

The stories here may seem like a children's Bible story, but the lessons are applicable to people of different ages - including adults. All of a sudden, Jesus noticed something and got surprised. This woman got surprised too because she finally became healed! Healed from her dreaded disease - by her faith and hope that there is cure in Jesus. Yes, there is always hope in Jesus.

Although many of us may become hopeless today, always remember, there is always hope in Jesus. All you need is to have faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed.

Copyright by VMT Singuillo

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