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Missional church is definitely a buzz-phrase that is all over the place these days. the idea that we need to categorize places of worship, missional, has always been a little weird to me. please, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very nature? it should be expected from a church, at its very essence, shoot to meet their culture and area with the message of Jesus as a missionary would in a different country? Isnt this what the churches is commanded to do in the great commission in Matthew 28:19? Our own place of origin requires this type of church. Austin churches is slowly transitioning to what our Creator instructed in Scripture.

Christ gives the command in Acts 1:8 saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 exemplifies this idea as, right before Jesus Christ leaves to go to Heaven, He commissions the disciples on a exploration that would launch right in their local community. He begins with their hometown of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the outer parts of the world.

As believers, we are not called to social clubs, but to be missional people who are actively going out and finding communities right where they are with the message of Jesus. We have gazed at this throughout history: God sends Abraham on a mission to move from his country and his people and go to the town that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God urges Moses on a story to renew an enslaved people and lead them to relationship with God (Exodus 3:8-10), God motivated Jesus on a exploration to world to bring back all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending the church on a story to engage areas, cities, people groups, and even nations with the gospel(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we reject this motivation and continue to see the bodies of Christ like a closed off country club ” requesting that people straighten up their abilities, pay their dues, and visit to our building God will continue His journey without us.

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The initial five verses in the Bible genesis story start our existence. The teller of the creation story account is ones perceptive aim. The fact taken in outside the story teller has no value to the Bible account. God, as teller, start this creation in the state of nothingness. Angel, as the teller, places the creation genesis in the host world. The Bible story states Moses was told this fact about the creation. God/angel told Moses, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. The first truth about the statement is it discerns a thought about God. The statement missing “I” eliminates God as the teller. Angel told Moses, God made the existence of his world. The “beginning” was God introduction of Himself to the host of angel. Angel is telling Moses God structuring of the heaven and then the structuring of the earth.

Angel in the genesis story used the term heaven and earth in lure of God definition. The heaven was God air cut of the waters. The earth was the state for the host. Angel story relates “first cut God the waters for the host”. Angel held belief of their world was the existence. Angel relates a moment outside the host known fact of God. Angel tells Moses of its host world. Angel told of an event among its host. Angel defines to Moses thoughts among its host concerning others in the existence. Angel states, “And the earth was without form; and void”. The earth/host was without fact or reality which meant a lie. Angel conveys to Moses the acclaim of others below its host world. Angel existence is in the light. The world acclaimed was stated to be in the darkness. The reader of the Bible story first task is to realize the account realities. Moses was given a full genealogy of man coming unto himself. Moses to record all these facts had to take them down in short hand. The short hand gave a development of other sequence from the story statement to statement.

Angel states, “And darkness was upon the face of the deep”. Angel defines to Moses a change in its host world. This new wonder cast with the state of darkness. The host of angel had their concept of the light and darkness. Angel defines the light and darkness as waters. Angel telling of “the deep” relates the waters of its host world. Angel existence in its host world light water did not know the darkness. The darkness water balanced the light water existence. Angel told Moses of a cut in its host world at a spot. Angel called this spot “the deep”. This spot in the Bible story also was known as “the bottomless pit”. This term defines by the acclaimer of others in the darkness world and now the spot its gate. The acclaimer assuring the fact the spot was total darkness water.

Angel world waters were divided to sides. The “deep” broke the alignment ascending darkness into the light. Angel conveys to Moses at this moment in the story God was not known to be there god air cut the waters at this spot. God definition of the heaven relates the acts by this air. The air cut the waters up and low of its state. The air of God took the form of a sphere. This sphere balanced at the waters alignment of the spot. The air 1 took state half in the darkness water and half in the light water of angel world. The air 1 positioned at the core of the spot accumulated a condensed mix of the waters. The condense mix waters dome the air 1 and expanded from the core of the spot. The condense mix waters giving state to a loose mix of the waters. The loose mix waters coming to a “face” or surface contrast zone. The contrast zone was waters not mixed but divided in the spot. The “darkness upon the face of the deep” contrast angel world light water. The “light upon the face of the deep” contrast is angel world darkness water.

Angel states, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”. The “Spirit of God” was a member of the host of angel. This member of angel felt the spot was composed of waters. Angel told Moses of one among the host of angel who touched the spot. The angel touch on the state of the “deep” broke the contrast zone. The contrast zone motioned illustrated the loose waters beneath. The “Spirit of God” not as the host of angel believes not the darkness had absorbed the light. This angel believed the light was still there in the spot. This angel act on the “deep” exposed those waters.

“And God said, Let there be light.” Angel relates to Moses, “and there was light”. The air 2 into the spot shatters the contrast zone. The air 2 domed the condense mix waters over the air 1. Angel states, “and God divided the light from the darkness”. The loose mix waters become a contrast zone to the world of angel waters. “And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night.” Angel relates to Moses God structuring of the heaven to form the host. God air 1 forming the state called the “deep”. God air 2 forming the Day and Night seen in the world of angel.

Angel states this air 2 caused the contrast zone to rotate. Angel tell Moses, “And the evening and the morning were the first day”. The spot God cut in the world of angel was a sphere.

May we all grow in the wisdom and prosperity of God will,

Alexander Coppedge

Tpac Manager

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Hell to Shun Heaven to Gain

The streets are crowded, the shops are thriving, clubs filled with delights and pleasure. Immorality became the thing of the past and worldly pleasures took control. The sun shone, the rain poured, the wind blew, the lightning struck, the thunder roared, the earth quaked and the people rolled. A black cloud appeared in the sky as small as a man’s hand, but it got bigger and brighter until the light filled the whole sky. Celestial beings flew in the sky and the Mighty Warrior came and crushed the enemy.

Look and See

The mountains knew, the earth knew and all other created things knew, but people knew not. The earth groaned in pain, unleashing its fires of hell against the human race. But still they remained blind to the fact that time’s running out for them and feel so comfortable remaining in their stupor. But that’s okay if this is what they have chosen. Remember, judgement day is coming. Whether we believe in God or not, we will all have to give an account for the life lived on earth.

Can’t you see how the nations are angry? We love ourselves and give much disregard for others. Are you noting the frequent disasters? People’s denial and the audacity of those dare to blaspheme about the existence of God and his Son Jesus Christ our saviour? Note also, children’s disgrace to themselves and their families by choosing to become criminals. This is of the prophetic signs Jesus foretold would occur before his eminent return.

His Promise

Jesus promised that he would return and that we must take heed of the signs taking place in our world today, so that he would not come upon us as a ‘thief in the night’. It is certain that he will do so to those who do not listen and live the life which he gifted them. This he has promised! He was sent to give us hope of eternal life by dying for our sins and rising again. Upon his resurrection, he promised his disciples that he would come again, he said: “Preach and tell the world about my promises”. He also said to his disciples; “I am going to prepare a place for you, and when I return, I will receive you unto myself, and where I am, that’s where you, my people, will be.” He said; “Have faith and believe in God or it would be impossible to please God.” The bible states that; “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen and that we are saved by his grace and not by works.”

Fashion of His Coming

Jesus says that we would see in the sky a small cloud, small as a man’s hand. This cloud would become bigger and brighter. His father and his angels will escort him back to earth. His eyes would be as flames of fire to take vengeance upon those who have denied and blasphemed his name and lived in sin. Yet, he would be unto his saints a glorious redeemer, merciful, gracious, loving, kind and a saviour to them. But to the wicked he will be like a consuming fire.

Jesus also promised that he will return as Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords. Upon his head will be a triple crown. His coming will be no secret, it fact, it will be tremendously loud. The dead will rise from their resting places, even those who pierced him. This, Jesus will call the first resurrection. The saints will rise at his coming and will welcome him in the air. Those who pierced him shall only rise to witness him who they tortured and crucified with such evil. His brightness will slay them and they will return to their dusty graves awaiting the second resurrection, when all the wicked shall rise to stand before their maker to be sentenced”.

Moreover, Jesus says that he would shine brighter than the sun and his brightness will slay the wicked, but his saints will behold him because he would change their earthly bodies to a glorious one in a twinkling of an eye. They will live in his presence.

He will appear in the sky where everyone will witness his coming, but many shall run to the mountains and say; “Fall on us, hide us from him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus)”. But, Jesus will take his people home with him in glory, including those who will rise from the dead. Satan and his demons will be left on the earth awaiting their final punishment from the Almighty God. The earth will be in complete darkness and God’s enemies will be ruined. Ruined, because the earth at the coming of Christ will reel like a drunkard and a mighty earthquake will befall all creation and works of mankind.

Read the word of God and make a decision of eternal life or death. I trust your decision will be the right one.

God bless you!

Veronique Belmar write books on Biblical Prophecies, Health Books, Children’s Books, Poetry, and many more. At the age of fourteen she started reading the Holy Scriptures. She read the Bible stories, such as the creation of the world, death of Christ, the resurrection, Christ’s second coming, the judgment, Bible prophecies, and many more, and her writing is based on giving information that would help bring hope, joy, peace and happiness to others.
Veronique Belmar is author of Words of Life (http://www.wordsoflifegh.com)

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The Heavenly Seal is one of the Three Heavenly Treasures that a recipient of Tao of Heaven will receive during the ceremony of transmission of Tao. It is a Heavenly Contract (He Tong) or agreement established between the recipient and Universe or God. It is also to confirm that the recipient becomes a family member of Maitreya Buddha and a disciple of the Heavenly Teacher “JiGong.” This is explained by Heaven that it is the official registration of our names in the Book of Life in Heaven. It will entitle us to transcend the cycle of birth and death, and eventually attain eternal life. This is mentioned in the Bible (Revelation 20:15),

“Those who did not have their names written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.”

This contract thus enables devotees of Tao of Heaven to re-establish their relationships with God and to remind them of the rightful role that they must play in their lives. Let us probe into the meaning of The Heavenly Seal.

On the right hand, there are twelve points which represent the twelve phases of one cycle of Heaven and Earth which is 129,600 years. Each phase is 10,800 years and by going one cycle around the twelve points, the first point is called “Zi” and the twelfth is called “Hai” in Chinese. When “Hai” and “Zi” are combined together, “Hai Zi,” it means a “child” or “baby.” The message is that to be one with Heaven and Earth, we need to hold an innocent baby in our hand meaning the relationship with God is that of a parent-child relationship which is also mentioned in the Bible (Matthew 18:1-4) that says,

“I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child.”

Jesus also said, “Blessed are the children for the kingdom of God is theirs.” In other words, we must become like children in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven and be with God. This implies that we can see the characteristics of the Godly in a child. If we look around, all entities of nature’s creation, including all flora and fauna and human beings, are at their purest and the most harmonious state when they are at the embryonic or young age, even the wild animals. In Confucian term, this is known as the heart of a new born baby.

A child or a baby has no greed and hatred, neither are they judgemental or discriminatory. Such is our pure and original nature we must strive to manifest. This is also the significance of the portraits of Goddess of Mercy or Mother Mary carrying a baby in their hands. They serve to be a reminder to our true identity and the way we should treat one another.

We are all brothers and sisters between the four seas according to Confucius. We may differ in color, cultural background, religious belief and faith and language we speak, in fact we are one family in terms of our spirituality. In the realm of Truth, in spite of our superficial differences, we are all one entity in the eyes of Heaven. If we can accept and understand this, then any differences, disputes or conflicts can be easily resolved. We will not be jealous of other people’s success because we view their success as our own. In the same token, we will not insult others for their failure because their failure is also our failure. Such is the essence of Tao and oneness. This is the essence of our Godly nature and the unconditional love that knows no boundaries.

Anyone can come forward to be initiated with The Heavenly Three Treasures regardless of color, faith or race because Tao of Heaven is not a religion. It is the awakening of our inner divine selves and The Heavenly Seal in essence is like holding the entire universe within our hands. It would enable us to be one with the universe and God. This coincides with a quote from the Bible (Revelation 22:13),

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

In the temple of Tao of Heaven, this is what Heaven says about The Three Heavenly Treasures during the transmission:

1] First, the ancient Hand Seal, bestowed as the original proof at the soul mountain is transmitted (Referring to The Heavenly Seal).

2] Second, the Right Portal, the essence of the White Yang Dharma is pointed (Referring to The Third Eye or Divine Eye).

3] Third, the wordless sutra, the mystical spell that reaches Heaven is transmitted (Referring to the Heavenly Mantra).

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew grew up near a Taoist temple and was curious at how the deities using their fingers to get answers from Heaven when asked upon by devotees. The movements of the fingers showed similarity to The Heavenly Seal and upon initiation of Tao in the year 1995; he realized that it explained one cycle of Heaven and Earth and the mysteries of life. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

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An Afghan man is currently facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam. The former Muslim known as Abdul Brahman has been accused of apostasy and jailed, but is yet to be formally charged under Islamic laws.

In the United States this past week, talk shows and advocacy groups rallied their supporters, who flooded the White House and the Afghanistan Embassy with complaints against Islam. Expectedly, the incident has prompted a swift international outcry from world leaders. President Bush himself has expressed how “deeply troubled” he is over the looming death sentence.

And once again Islam is in the lime light for all the wrong reasons.

Anti-Muslim groups have been very quick to capitalise on the current sentiments. A plethora of hate literature against Islam is now rapidly circulating on the Internet, accusing Muslims of wrongfully holding back their peers who wish to opt out of the religion.

Islam is accused to be a chauvinistic and intolerant cult whose phenomenal growth is only happening because Muslims cannot leave the religion. Muslims are being portrayed as unwilling digits trapped into a religion whose clutches they have to endure silently for the rest of their life.

The more creative ones have even described Islam as “Hotel California”. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.

But are these accusations true? Is Islam really unforbearing towards followers of other religion, particularly apostates? Can one actually “check out”?

No Compulsion in Islam

The truth of the matter is, Islam is a religion that has never been forced upon. The very idea that a conversion into Islam is one way street in which one can never turn from is a much dissipated myth. The Quran prohibits Muslims to force Islam onto an individual. Muslims past and present have largely converted into Islam out of their own free will.

A very clear example of this commandement is the following translated Quranic verse from Surah Al-Baqara:

2:256 - “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.”

Another Quranic verse that Muslim scholars have pointed to is the following from Surah Al-Hijr which says:

15:2-3 “Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to God’s will) in Islam. Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them).”

Again, no authority has been granted to Muslims to specifically kill the apostates of Islam should they mean no harm. Apostates are to be treated fairly as non-Muslims.

Compulsion will not make sense in Islam. Islam is one of the fastest growing forces on earth today. One out of every five person in this world is a Muslim. A strong religion like Islam could not have prospered without sincere devotion and faith of its followers, especially during tumultuous times such as the numerous Muslim persecutions during the time of Muhammad and various crusades in the middle ages. At times like those, many could have just left Islam for the comfort of peace and prosperity.

But they did not. They stayed on and Islam is what it is today. The prosperity and growth of Islam in the future will still depend on that very same faith and sincerity - not compulsion.

So why are Muslims calling for the death of apostates?

The practise of granting death to apostates stems from a time in history where Jews and pagan Arabs enter Islam with the intention to disrupt and deceive the well being of the religion. According to Muslim scholars and noted historians, these hypocrites would pretend to embrace Islam in order to commit pillage and inflict damage onto the Muslim community once they are accepted in. After their job is done, they would leave Islam as fast as they had embraced it.

In instances such as these, the death penalty would have been the ultimate deterrent to stem such delinquent and potentially harmful behaviour towards Islam. Bear in mind that Islam was a religion that was highly under persecution and the avoidance of such activities was absolutely crucial to the survival community. That is the reason why there are several evidences in the Prophet’s sayings (Hadith) where permission is granted to kill these types of apostates.

On top of that, there were also highly dangerous apostates like Musylama Al-Kaththab who had gathered an army at the present-day Oman shortly after the death of Prophet Muhammad. His intention was to totally annihilate Muslims from the face of the earth. If the death penalty had not been imposed onto apostates such as him, Islam would not have survived.

But this no longer applies in the context of current times, especially in the multi-cultural societies that we live in. Sadly, societies like Afghanistan have decided to maintain the death ruling.

More tolerant Muslim societies like those in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have allowed Muslims to leave the religion- free from similar perturbations. However, Muslims who wish to leave the religion are sometimes counselled by the religious authorities and family members.

But what is the need for such counselling? Isn’t that a form of perturbation too?

Losing a member of the family is always a sad event. Similarly when the Muslim community is about to lose a member of the family, they would naturally try to prevent it from happening. Hopefully, they would change their minds.

Similar barriers, and sometimes punishments are present in other religions too. For example in Christianity, members have been explicitly told to kill apostates with their own hands.

Deuteronomy 13:6-9 “If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying: Let us go and worship other gods (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other, or gods of other religions), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people.”

Deuteronomy 17:3-5 “And he should go and worship other gods and bow down to them or to the sun or the moon or all the army of the heavens, …..and you must stone such one with stones and such one must die.”

Apostasy is not alien to Islam. Muslim leaders over the ages have lived peacefully with apostates and will continue to so so in the future. Ironically, it is our tolerance and benevolence that may just be the key for them to turn back. Not violence and indifference.

The author is an editor at http://www.ewadah.com, a site that discusses the latest issues regarding Islam and Muslims. Drop by the site for more articles written by him.

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Many questions arise in people’s minds that make them doubt the existence of a God. These include:

* Where is he? What does he look like? Why can’t we see him? Who made him? Where does God fit in with science?

* Everything has an explanation, so how can I believe in something or someone that I can’t see, hear or talk to?

* Relativity..God himself could be relative!! Everything is relative and could be completely different when seen from another point of view or even from another dimension. Relativity applies to God too..(If you can’t get this point , don’t blame me , I heard it from a heretic) So…isn’t the existence of God relative?

* So if there is a God .. how many are there? Why only one ? There are always billions and trillions of every species, object or kind…

So is there a God or not?

Actually yes and actually to reason this is simple and easy just as we believe that 1+1=2.. and here is why:

* There must be a creator:

If you look at a house , will you say: nature is clever in the way it made the door on the ground floor so people in the streets can go inside. the way the windows are oriented to allow for sunrays and air to get through.. Will you say nature has a good taste when u look at the decor and the colors….. Or will you say the builders , engineers and architects are smart ,efficient and have a good taste.

Look at the laws that govern people livings in any country.. were they made by chance or did some people made them and applied then to organize things.

Now look at nature : the organized movement of the celestial bodies,the life cycle of differnet species, the immigration of differnet species, Look at the human body where millions of chemical reactions take place every second. Who is controlling these, you might say scientific rules and who made and is controlling these rules.??

In other words , look at anything .. did it just arise haphazardly with laws of nature there and enough for it or some inventors and makers were needed to make it and make it in an ideal way….

There are laws and rules that govern everything and there is a being with all the power and knowledge who made these laws and have full control over them.

If things were left for the laws of nature alone, Chaos would have been the rule with consequent disappearance of life in the universe over decades,but because there is complete control over these laws and these laws were made in a perfect way, life continues in a perfect harmonious way.

Here are some ayas from koran about that previous point:

* 56.57] We have created you, why do you not then assent?

[56.58] Have you considered the seed?

[56.59] Is it you that create it or are We the creators?

[56.60] We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome,

[56.61] In order that We may bring in your place the likes of you and make you grow into what you know not.

[56.62] And certainly you know the first growth, why do you not then mind?

[56.63] Have you considered what you sow?

[56.64] Is it you that cause it to grow, or are We the causers of growth?

[56.65] If We pleased, We should have certainly made it broken down into pieces, then would you begin tb lament:

[56.66] Surely we are burdened with debt:

[56.67] Nay! we are deprived.

[56.68] Have you considered the water which you drink?

[56.69] Is it you that send it down from the clouds, or are We the senders?

[56.70] If We pleased, We would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks?

[56.71] Have you considered the fire which you strike?

[56.72] Is it you that produce the trees for it, or are We the producers?

[56.73] We have made it a reminder and an advantage for the wayfarers of the desert.

[56.74] Therefore glorify the name of your Lord, the Great.

* [2.164] Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand.

* [27.59] Say: Praise be to Allah and peace on His servants whom He has chosen: is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?

[27.60] Nay, He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the cloud; then We cause to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it is not possible for you that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! they are people who deviate.

[27.61] Or, Who made the earth a restingplace, and made in it rivers, and raised on it mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! most of them do not know!

[27.62] Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you successors in the earth. Is there a god with Allah? Little is it that you mind!

[27.63] Or, Who guides you in utter darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as good news before His mercy. Is there a god with Allah? Exalted by Allah above what they associate (with Him).

[27.64] Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth. Is there a god With Allah? Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.

[27.65] Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised.

[27.66] Nay, their knowledge respecting the hereafter is slight and hasty; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay, they are quite blind to

* Then why can’t we see him?

Suppose you and I are living in the 10th century , and I pointed at a wooden chair or whatever and tell you :” You know what , There r millions of living organisms on this chair.. Living organisms just like you and me but much smaller , that’s why we can’t see them..”" If you only believe in what you see , you will call me nuts and start laughing and will never believe me .. Though we now know that this is true ( bacteria , viruses , ricketssiae ,…….)

When Coppernicus and Galileo said that it’s the earth that moved around the sun, some people thought they are nuts and Galileo actually was sent to trial and got life prison at home!! Why , cause they were used to the idea that the earth is the centre of the universe and the sun orbits around it… Now we know that Coppernicus and Galileo were right……

The point I am trying to reach is : Who said that only things that we see are true and thinknig or believing in unseen things is nonsense.. Actually the seen things might be deceiving as in that earth and sun story. And the wise people and the real scientists are the ones who believe that there are many things that we don’t know about and that we don’t see , yet they exist…

So not seeing God does not mean he is not there, especially when he sends prophets to tell us about him and especially when we look at all things in life that almost say :someone created me in that logical harmonious way”.

* What about relativity?

Things could be seen different than the way they are if seen from another aspect,In fact there are other worlds that we don’t see and they do not see us..or may be they do.Even time is relative. So the point heretics want to reach through this is that time could be stationary or absent and so is everything else including humans..you and I!!In other words we do not exist absolutely!!(if you don’t understand this point , I am sorry for being not able to clarify it more ,again I’m just saying what I once heard from a heretic). So -still heretics’ words- even God is relative and might not or actually do not exist at all, just like everything else!!
Well guess what… I agree with several points in this .. I agree that there are other worlds and that most things are relative!! You know why.. cause Allah said so in the Koran. He says in it about himself many things including that he is “The Truth” and that other things are false!!” Yes everything is relative , could or could not exist . You can see a human now infront of you , but in another world he is not seen .. or even here at certain time he will die and be transformed again into the elements:(hydrogen. silicon. nitrogen…).
So what are the mistakes in that heretics’ point of view:

1: Everything is relative EXCEPT FOR GOD , that’s why he says: Allah is the truth and else is false.. He is the source… the originator …… He can’t be transformed , ain’t relative to anything else ,simply cause he is not comparable to anything else cause there’s no other god to compare them together( You compare things that alike , but you can’t compare something that is unique) and the only unique in this universe is ALLAH(God).

2:There are other worlds ( world of Jinn for example as mentioned in all holy books) , but this doesn’t mean that you do not exist. WE , YOU and I all exist . Being not seen in other worlds or being transformable , doesn’t mean that we do not exist… ( P.S: Jinn can see us as Allah say in koran,” ….Indeed he(satan) sees you( Children of Adam) and his allies from where you do not see them..”7-27.

* So who created him??

No one , He was not created because he is the creator , He is the first with nothing before him and the last with nothing after him. Eveything has a start , right.. Well he was there when anything starts , In fact He is the starter….
We all know the scientific rule that says: Energy is neither created nor destroyed.. So why believe in this yet find it difficult to believe that God is neither created nor destroyed. He was always there because he was not created and will always be there as he is not destroyed..
He is the source , originator and creator of energy so I find it more logically to say:

The creator of energy is the one who is neither created nor destroyed

* So how many gods, why only one???

That’s the easiest question in all that… If he is a God then why the need for other.. A God should have all the abilities power and control.. so no need for more
Besides if there are more than one God (like old greek myth) Chaos would have been the rule .. We all know that you can’t place two leaders on the same place , else it will fall apart.
Koran says: ” Had there been other gods within heavens and earth with Allah , they both would have been ruined..” 21-22

Also why ain’t these Gods claiming the throne:

“If there were other Gods with Allah, they would have sought the throne…” 17-42.

* What does he look alike?

He is unique so non-comparable and we didn’t see him so can’t imagine. Prophet Mohamad (pbuh) said that we should seek knowledge and science in everything except in this.. picturing Allah in our minds.. Simply because whatever we will imagine it will be wrong and it will be inferior to what Allah really is..

www.sultan.org ( around 300 links to islamic sites and increasing).

Article source: http://www.islamicconcepts.blogspot.com/

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How much do we believe that people need to hear the gospel?

Matt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We see that when Jesus left the earth to be with his Father, He gave an assignment to the disciples. It is the same assignment that we have today. This assignment was to make disciples of all nations. The word “disciple” literally means “learner”.
The way we need to make learners is to go, the second way is to baptize and then teach to obey.

So let’s take a look at “Going” today. Many times we talk about finding ourselves and finding God’s will for our lives. But guess what? I have good news for you. I have found God’s will for you and here it is. God has called us to fulfill the Great commission.

Let’s take a look a this commission a little deeper:

LOVE MEANS TAKING THE INITIATIVE
When Jesus said “Go”, it was basically the opposite of “stay”. The attitude of God is not a “come and see” mentality but a “go and tell” mentality. How do I know that?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God’s answer for mankind, God’s love for mankind, meant that He gave Someone, He sent Someone. He didn’t wait, but He took the initiative. He went and sent his only begotten Son to earth to live and die for us.

Love means taking the initiative
If God is a going God. Then we should be a going people!
About 20 years ago I was waiting for a bus. I was an actor. A woman came over to me and started telling me about Jesus. At the end she said, “Us talking like this is not an accident. God is trying to reach you.” It was a throw away line to her but the Holy Spirit used that on me. She took the initiative to go and tell. Thank God for that woman! Thank God she took the initiative!

Look at the story of the disciples themselves. If we look at the story of the early church, they did not stay put. They went and made a difference.

Acts 8:1-4 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. …..
v4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went

It wasn’t the apostles who were doing the preaching here. No, they stayed in Jerusalem. It was the rank and file who had been scattered throughout the region that preached the word wherever they went. Why? Because, believe it or not, they took the admonition seriously to …

Mark 16:15 …..”Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

Some of us may look at this culture and get so intimidated, that we become obsessed and paralyzed. We reason that we have to adapt our message and tailor it to the culture. But interestingly, Jesus did not put his emphasis on tailoring. He put the emphasis on communication. He wanted us to communicate the message to as many people as possible.

Mark McCloskey tells a great story: Imagine that you are a skilled physician. Through a research project you discover a new virus. To your shock you realize that the virus is 100% fatal and also that every person on the planet has it. You press on with your research and discover a cure. You hold a press conference to announce your discovery. To your surprise, nobody really cares. What virus? Who me? , I feel fine. Nobody believes they have this virus even though people are beginning to die from it. You think, “how can I convince the sick of their condition. I can’t pour the cure down their throats. They have to want to take it.” So you realize that through persistent reasoning you need to communicate the nature of the disease and the effectiveness of the cure!

Similarly, if we are truly loving and we know that all mankind is infected with the disease called sin, and we believe that this disease is terminal, and are convinced that we have the cure—-would it not be the most unloving thing in the world, to keep the cure from the people. Wouldn’t it be horrible to keep the cure from people, even though we know they don’t want it? We know that they need it! So our only loving alternative must be to patiently reason and share the nature of sin and its deadliness so that they will put on the cure of Jesus Christ!

TRUTHS THAT WILL MOTIVATE US
Men are truly lost and Jesus is the only way
Many of us have succumbed to the culture which says that Jesus is nice but not necessary– “I’m okay Your okay” But the Biblical reality is quite different.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 2:5-6 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

The Bible reveals a creation that has become guilty and tainted with sin. Sin is rebellion against God and His ways and because of this, man cannot enter into a right relationship with God.

Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

The scriptures portray man as in a totally helpless state. He is unable to earn his own salvation before God. In this age of self help spirituality, not many want to hear that. We think that we can reach God on our own. If we really believed that man was lost without Christ we would be motivated to Go.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me” (John 14:6).

“There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Because of our predicament: Jesus is the only way. We didn’t say it . He did. People are offended at this notion. But all you can do is present it as lovingly as you can.

Praise God though we were in sin, though we were lost. Though we were bound. Jesus said he came to set the captives free!

There is a hell.
Mark 9:43-45 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

Hell is a very unpopular subject. But the end of man without Christ is eternal torment.

An evangelist once said this “If you believe that outside of Christ there is no hope, it is impossible to possess an atom of human love and kindness without being gripped with the great desire to bring men to this one way of salvation.

The fact that all men are created in God’s image ensures that every person born into this world will live forever. The question is, “Where?”

In each 24-hour period, over 175,000 people die, many without Christ; the matter is settled for them.

Gen. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, could never be accused of mincing words or doing things half-heartedly. He believed if he could hold each of his young Salvation Army officers over hell for a few minutes, he would never have any trouble keeping them motivated about being witnesses to Christ.
Get your eyes on eternity. You are just a pilgrim passing
through. Here is the good news: Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave . Nothing could hold back Jesus. God wants us to snatch souls from the enemy by convincing as many as we can as effectively as we can, as soon as we can, that Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world.

Daniel Jordan is a NYC pastor, speaker and the creator of the “Free Prayer” Table, where he offers Christian prayer to anyone on the streets. He speaks on how to MAXIMIZE the Power of God in your life and the lives of those around you. http://www.livinghopeny.org, http://www.cpwa.blogspot.com, 917-463-3503.

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Part 2: The Collapse of the Church Culture. By Maurice Goulet

A person who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ claims to have a relationship with him. This means they know him, not just about him (this was Paul’s claim in Philippians 3:10). Yet we have turned our churches into groups of people who are studying God as though they were taking a course at school or attending a business seminar. We aim at the head. We don’t deal in relationships. And we wonder why there is no passion for the Lord and his mission? It’s because, in our effort to disciple people, we’ve been barking up the wrong tree.

We have made following Jesus all about being a good church member. We are training people to be good club members, all the while wondering why our influence in the world is waning. The truth is, the North American church culture extracts salt from the world and diminishes the amount of light available to those in darkness who need to find their way.

In the modern world, how would we typically approach the spiritual learning objectives we’ve just identified? We’d write a curriculum, produce a conference, convene a class, create a study course, recruit a teacher or other expert, sign people up, teach the material to the students, and pass out completion certificates. Then we would wonder what would happen or change as a result of the experience. The truth is that we have very little evidence that academic or conferential learning changes behavior. I submit that there has never been more teaching or Christian education in the history of the world than there is in the US today. And yet, one survey indicates that only 9% of people who say they are ‘born again’ have a Biblical worldview. The question we should be asking today is how Do We Develop Followers of Jesus Christ?

The academic model for the last several hundred years involved an expert (teacher) who had information and disseminated it to less-informed people (students). This was the basic plot that developed into millions of episodes of death-by-lecture.

Students can now obtain more information over the Internet overnight than a teacher can deliver in lecture form in a month’s time. The issue now is learning, how to make sense out of the information that is available. The agenda is more and more being set by the learner. Another way to say this is that we have grown up with a Greek approach to education in the modern world. We are now returning to a Hebraic approach that is much closer to what we see Jesus using. One aspect of this is that the learner/disciple determines the curriculum.

In the modern world, it is believed that spiritual formation is accomplished by taking a student through a prescribed group of texts that addressed topics in a curricular approach. This is so deeply ingrained in us that we approach almost any learning experience in the church this way. In the world that is dawning, the curriculum approach to growing people is increasingly viewed as a supplemental strategy to the primary approach: learning agendas driven by life issues and informed by life experiences. Jesus facilitated spiritual formation in his disciples by introducing them to life situations and then helping them debrief their experiences. He taught them to pray. He did not lead them in a study course on prayer. He took them on mission trips; he didn’t read books to them on the subject of missions.

The consistent challenge I run into when discussing small groups is the prevalent notion that small groups should function primarily in a curriculum mode (a bible study, text-driven experience). This is why groups can move from one curriculum piece to another and never experience any real growth. In pre-modern and postmodern cultures the home was and is the center for spiritual formation. Consider this quote from Marvin Wilson: “Foundational to all theory on the biblical concept of family is the Jewish teaching that the home is more important than the synagogue. In Jewish tradition, the center of religious life has always been the home” (Marvin R. Wilson, “Our Father Abraham”, p. 214, 216).)

I am amazed at how our best church families have no clue as to how to have conversations at home about spiritual subjects. Churches are so busy getting people involved at the church that they’ve neglected this fundamental agenda of spiritual formation. The typical church family leaves spiritual stuff to what happens at the church, thereby delegating spiritual formation to the institution. And the institution encourages it!

What if youth ministers spent as much time with the parents as they did with their children? This would be a shift for most church expectations of staff. We typically hire children’s and youth ministers to run programs for children and young people. In fact, this approach by the church may do more to decimate the home as a spiritual center than anything coming into the home on television or the Internet.

As a youth, I grew up in the surfing culture. As a surfer, I never planned a single wave, but I did prepare to ride the waves when they came. God is making waves all around the North American church. Some churches are going to get to ride them. These are the churches that are prepared to get in on what God is up to.”

Typical approaches to the future involve prediction and planning. The better and biblical approach to the future involves prayer and preparation. The Apostles sitting in the Temple on the day of Pentecost were not engaged in a strategic planning retreat to plan the birth of the church and the early stages of the Christian movement. Not in their wildest dreams would they have scripted three thousand converts on Day One nor would they have predicted the leap of the Spirit to the Samaritans or to the Gentiles? Apparently not, based on their responses to both developments. Would they have recruited the rising star of Judaism to become the ultimate leader of the movement? Hardly. God does the planning; we do the preparing. He does not say, “I am waiting for you to develop plans I can bless.”

Spiritual preparation has the goal of getting God’s people in partnership with him in his redemptive mission in the world. The five elements of a spiritually prepared architecture are vision, values, results, strengths, and learning. The question we need to begin asking is, how do we cultivate vision? Vision is discovered, not invented. Jesus Christ said, “I will build my Church”. He is the one with the vision for our lives and the church. It is our job to discover what he has in mind, not to invent something he can get excited about.

I learned the following lesson early in life and it has eased my heart tremendously. God is always at work in every situation before I show up. As the reality of this fact sunk in, I realized that my job was not to analyze the situation really well and then to figure out a way to make something happen but rather to see what God is already doing and ask if I had a part to play.

We need to listen to people in our church, we need to look at our town or neighborhood and we need to talk with our leaders. But as we do that we must be focused on the question: What is God already doing here? Jesus models this kind of approach in John 5:19 when He says, “I do nothing on my own initiative. I only do what I see the Father doing. Further, the role of a leader is to help his people ask the question: What do we see God doing here? This is the starting point for the visioning process.

Maurice Goulet is the Author of Lord Of Darkness ~ Lord Of Light. (Unfolding The Signs Of The Times And The Hope Of A New World) Now available Online at www.CDBN.com.

About the Author

Maurice Goulet is an Ordained Minister and the founder of The Chosen Path Ministries. He Teaches and writes an online newsletter on the principles of building a successful home fellowship. He is also the Author of Lord Of Darkness ~ Lord Of Light.(Unfolding The Signs Of The Times And The Hope Of A New World) Now available Online at www.CDBN.com.

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I fail to understand why this great country of ours is constantly attacked by civil liberties groups, in an attempt to abolish all forms of God from all government institutions, or anything that is government subsidized, like our public schools.

The oath of office to be sworn in with, at most government posts, whether is be legislative or judicial ends in “So help me God”, including the office of the President of the United States. Shall we remove this ending from the oath and just take a chance that they will do the best that they can, because they are such a nice person? When we are in a court of law, should we not ask a witness who is about to give testimony an oath to give, “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”, and then not add “So help me God”, which is meant to hold them accountable to a higher authority?

While we are at it, shall we burn all the U.S. currency and re-mint every coin so that we can remove the phrase “In God We Trust”? Our country has always been deeply rooted with God interwoven throughout it as a way of life; personally, publicly, fraternally and throughout our government. This relationship with God is a character trait as patriotic as any other identifying mark that you can associate our United States of America with as a symbol of who we are.

Next they will want to change and take out “One nation under God” in the pledge of allegiance?

George Washington once said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American patriot it they ever attempt to separate Religion from politics.” Most historians regard George Washington as one of our greatest leaders. Could have George Washington felt this way, and knew something that we now regard as useless and intrusive in our land of the free, and home of the brave? What are we coming to in this great land when some go out of their way to wipe out any form of God in our government that has been a strong way of life for America?

I can only hope that our families fight this challenge to abolish God from our government at all levels and do not let this happen!

Steven Coffman
Family-eStore.com

I am the owner of Christian gifts and patriotic gifts themed internet store and ministry called (Family-eStore.com). I like helping others and also offer prayer requests to those in need. I donate 10% of my sales to charity. I am a honest, sincere person with high morals. I am also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually grounded. I praise God for my gifts and His grace, mercy, and blessings that I receive from Him. National Essay (contest winner 1969

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Three views about when the removal of believers takes place are held by most Christians throughout the world. Those who think we are taken at the beginning of the great tribulation are pre-tribulationists. Those who think the snatching away takes place in the middle of the great tribulation are the mid-trib folks. Finally there are the post tribulationists, which is self explanatory.

Anyone holding one of the three views mentioned has an ample supply of proof texts to support their views. Very few proof texts are available for the post tribulation theory and it is barely supportable. Most people are on the side of the pre-tribulation rapture; unfortunately it is often for the wrong reasons. Many people view a pre-tribulation rapture as an enormous escape hatch. When the going gets rough the pretribulationists just get going, or just get gone. The fact that their views may be correct doesn’t diminish the fact that it is the view most likely to leave the believer unprepared.

It is human nature to take the path of least resistance but it is high folly to think it will be available right at the point when things start really getting rough. The bottom line for the unprepared is that they can only hope their views are right. But hope is a long way from preparedness.

Many Christians have failed to do the math, not to mention engaging good sense. It is easy to see why this could happen considering that no one really wants to see their world torn up from the roots, and in the vast sticky quagmire of apocalyptic interpretations and speculations it is easy to get confused. As a result they have not noticed that one of the simplest ways to know when the rapture will take place is clearly provided in scripture. It is not so much when, but it is the latest point at which it could happen, and also a promise that it can’t happen before a specific event.

The prophet Daniel spoke of it hundreds of years before Christ. Jesus reiterated it with a few more details. Finally the book of Revelation shows it as a pivotal event in the judgment to come. Simply put the event is the abomination of desolation. When ye therefore shall see the abomination desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.) Mt 24:15 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 11:31 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall he a thousand two hundred amid ninety days. Daniel 12:11

The time is halfway through the last seven years in which the antichrist rules the world. The result is the pouring out of the wrath of God. Rev 16:2. Without getting bogged down in eschatological theory, semantic word games or other second coming hype here is the picture in all of its blaring simplicity. Since the wrath of God is not poured out until the antichrist does the abomination of desolation that means this is the last point we could possibly be on the earth according to the promise of I Thessalonians 1:10. Because this is true, that puts the mid-tribulationists at the top of the list of those who are most likely to have it right. This kind of interpretation comes under the heading of… if the scripture makes plain sense, seek no other sense.

I always appendage my teaching on the rapture with this equally important fact, the rapture could come at any time God chooses to make it happen. All theology is subject to the ultimate sovereignty of God. The pre-tribulation theory is the most petted, preferred and defended for a reason. The reason is that believers fail to differentiate between who and what is causing the tribulation in those last days. The antichrist makes trouble for the believer, and then God makes trouble for the antichrist. We are promised that God will not pour his wrath out on his own but we are never promised that we can escape the troubles incurred at the onset of the rule of the antichrist. Rather, we are told to resist his rule which of itself implies trouble Mk 8:35.

In a country where we are waiting for more of Gods unbridled blessings it is hard to teach believers that they may not only have to give something up to fight evil, but ultimately that something, may be their lives, literally. If your rapture theology includes the possibility that you may have to give up your life, you may he happy to find out that even if you held the wrong view you couldn’t possibly lose anything. More importantly if you are not wrong at the very least you will be prepared.

Being ready is part of Gods plan for us when it has to do with his return. In fact it is a command and an expectation that our Savior has clearly made known to all of us. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Mt 24:44

Rev Bresciani is the author of two popular Christian books. He has also written dozens of articles both online and in print.

Please visit the website http://www.americanprophet.org

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