The gospel of the kingdom of God is the message that Christ brought to this world. Much of it is spelled out in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And the message is proclaimed by the apostles in the book called the Acts of the Apostles.

What most people fail to realize is that Christ brought a message that was not a spiritual puff peace designed to pull people up by their bootstraps. It is a message about a literal kingdom, with Christ ruling over us as King of kings and Lord of lords. The gospel is the good news that this corrupt world, this corrupt society, is coming to an end, and man’s rule of this planet is coming to an end. The good news is that Christ will not come back to be crucified over again. He will rule. And this planet will become a paradise like nothing that the imagination can conceive of. The good news Jesus brought from the Father is how a human being, of the human kingdom, can be born into the God kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

He who overcomes and maintains Christ’s works unto the end will be given power over the nations (Revelation 2:26).

The gospel of the kingdom of God is a practical pragmatic solution to all the problems of this planet.

But what happened to that gospel? It is practically unheard of in today’s world. Is it possible for most of the population of the world to be blind as to what the real gospel is?

It’s not only possible. In this twenty-first century it is an incontrovertible fact! The majority of the population of this world is in absolute ignorance of the real gospel, the message brought to this world by Jesus Christ! You may not believe that. And that factor alone accounts for the fact that most people do not even take time to investigate the truth of the matter.

In today’s world you will see a variety of gospels: the gospel of prosperity, the gospel of grace, the gospel of salvation, the gospel of politics, and the gospel of the kingdom.

In today’s world of relativism and secularism, one might ask “Does it really matter?”

You have no idea how much it matters!

“…if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

Yes, it matters!

What gospel did Christ teach?

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus arrived in Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14).

The message Christ brought was the gospel of the kingdom of God.

The gospel of the kingdom of God, the message that Christ brought to this planet, is the only gospel Christ brought. And the apostle Paul said a person should be cursed if he preaches a different gospel (Galatians 1:9). Why would Paul say that? It’s because the other gospels distract a person from realizing the plan of God. And that distraction has contributed to the spiritual blinding of the majority of the world’s population. Most of the world is blissfully unaware of what the real gospel is.

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom. It is called the kingdom of God. It is also called the kingdom of heaven because it refers to a kingdom coming down from heaven to this planet earth. For example, the New Jerusalem is in heaven now. But it will be on earth after the establishment of the kingdom of God on this earth.

“…New Jerusalem, which comes out of heaven from my God…” (Revelation 3:12). Christ will make all things new. The New Jerusalem will bear no resemblance to the Old Jerusalem.

That’s the reason the kingdom of God is, sometimes, referred to as the kingdom of heaven.

The first part of accepting the gift of salvation is to repent and believe the gospel.

Christ said, “…the kingdom of God is at hand: repent (you), and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15).

You cannot believe the gospel unless you find out what the gospel is.

The gospel is sometimes called the gospel of Christ because it is the gospel Christ brought to this world. This gospel that Christ brought, the gospel of the kingdom of God, is the gospel that has been hidden from most of the population of this world.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3).

-wilyelder

Bible-Questions

Ask Your Bible

Read also about emotional freedom technique as it has helped many people to find the way to spirituality and self empowerment.

Doing renovation of any building, be it historical or simply a structure which seriously requires repairs, is a tiresome and painstaking job. Church restoration and repair is especially demanding since it does not only mean dealing with shabby furniture, roofs, woodworks, ironworks, art pieces, and other furnishings; it also includes having knowledge of art and history.

The church is more than just a building. It is a house of prayer and faith. Some churches have been around for hundreds of years, defying man-made and natural calamities but just barely and this is where major restoration and repairs comes in and to undergo such a big job, you will need a team of experts to do it. The church holds some of the most important architectural and artistic works. Many of them are done by famous and recognized artists. You will need highly skilled professionals who can do their restoration and repair job without compromising the historic importance of the church.

Possibly one of the most meticulous restoration involved in a church are the art pieces like paintings, sculptures and other pieces. Not only do you need to preserve or at least bring back their original condition, but you would also to take the precautions to restore and not to worsen the poor state of the art work.

Church repair and restoration is not for the greenhorns because it takes years of expertise with the science and art of restoration as well as huge hands-on skill to become a competent professional. Dealing with antiques and historical structures require more than just the proper education, you would also need the heart to love what you are doing. Once more, we have to stress the significance of the expertise of those concerned in the restoration and repair. The entire purpose of fixing up the church is to bring it back to its former luster and grandeur but more significantly it connotes rebuilding the art, history and faith. Masons, carpenters, plaster specialists, ironworks experts, and other renovation experts are the people you should seek if you think of renovating your church.

One more valuable foundation of our society is our schools and learning institutions and it is certainly a sad reality that many of these structures seriously require upkeep and maintenance. School repair and restoration should be made an integral part of our concerns. The authorities must be able to address this vital need because it does not only assist us to produce excellent education for our children but also ensure that the next generations would grow up to become responsible citizens of tomorrow. In other words, churches and schools must be given due attention so that we are able to save our art, history and faith.

While it may not be the first item you would ever think of when trying to come up with a gift idea, Serenity Prayer gifts are actually something anybody can appreciate and enjoy. Whether a person is happy or sad in their life, everyone experiences hard things in their life, and having the Serenity Prayer there as a reminder can help get them through any misfortune life throws their way.

When people are dealing with addictions, illnesses, deaths of loved ones, or any other issue, giving them a Serenity Prayer gift can let them know that you are interested and you want to help them through. Having this gift around will remind them that not only do they have caring friends, but they have someone beyond the clouds as well who is sending them serenity, bravery and peace of mind.

These gifts can also be a great idea for celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, retirements and anniversaries. Receiving a Serenity Prayer gift on an occasion such as this can act as a expression of all the wonderful blessings someone has during these happy times.

There are many types of Serenity Prayer gifts to decide upon when you are considering what to buy for your loved ones. There are etched mirrors available in many styles and sizes. These can offer the chance to reflect both literally and figuratively when you turn to say the Serenity Prayer. There are also custom glass etching items such as customized mirrors and personalized coat racks. These items will add a lovely, peaceful element to just about any living space. They will also make a a talked-about piece of decor in the home at the same time!

Sometimes in today’s society, the Serenity Prayer is viewed as a little bit commonplace. It is considered to be something that only addicts and underdogs will use, rather than something relevant to the entire population. It really shouldn’t be this way though. The words in this prayer are radiant, and if you believe them when you say them, they can truly be a help to anyone who uses them. These words are not just for addicts, but these words are there to help anyone struggling with any of the various problems that life throws toward us. And in today’s world, there are often quite a few.

Getting Serenity Prayer gifts to give to your friends and loved ones is a very sensitive act to do. It is also a very expressive thing to do. You will not only be letting the people who matter to you know that you think about them, you may also be guiding them towards something that will make life a little bit more easy and more enjoyable to live.

How did the serpent talk Eve into committing, with poor Adam, the original sin? How did Noah keep his family’s spirits up as he led them in building a huge ark under a clear blue sky?

How did Abraham take God’s order (a test of faith) for him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice? Moses rallies the Hebrews as they leave Egypt, marching towards Israel and freedom.

The multi-lingual noise that follows the collapse of the Tower of Babel. How fearsome was heaven’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah? Daniel steels his nerves with his faith in the lions’ den. Job keeps his faith in spite of the devil’s wickedest tricks.

Mary, ever so obedient, is honored by Gabriel’s message: she will carry the Messiah in her womb. John the Baptist sees the reason for his mission, coming to him to be baptized. How bravely did Jesus take the pain and sorrow for our salvation’s sake?

Indeed, the Bible tells us the who’s, what’s, when’s, where’s, and wherefores, but only a dramatization of the Bible’s stories can clearly show us the how’s and sustain our interest.

Fortunately, the greatest stories ever told are no longer just retold from the pulpits or at bedtime, with Mom or Dad giving their best impressions of prophets and tyrants, sinners and saints. You can now experience the invigorating, life-affirming power of Scripture with the convenience of digital audio technology.

The International Bible Society has come up with a full-cast production of an Audio Bible based on the New International Version – today’s most read, most trusted translation. The multiple-voice dramatization brings the Old and New Testaments to life with world-class narration, colorful true-to-the-text character renderings, fully orchestrated background with sound effects that provide maximum enhancement, and digital engineering from start to finish – delivering the ultimate clarity and listening enjoyment. The NIV Audio Bible also has brief book introductions that give you a quick, preparatory overview of each book of the Bible.

You may search for any audio Bible online, but only the NIV Audio Bible comes highly recommended. Download from an Audio Bible Online vendor and play it with your iPod, computer, or copy it on CDs and listen to your favorite biblical passages at your leisure or when you need to be inspired by mankind’s greatest masterpiece.

Are there secrets to having your prayers answered? For the child of God that has a working knowledge of the Word of God and an understanding of the keys he has given us, no. There is no secret to answered prayer, but there are prayer secrets.

Unfortunately, to many, prayer is something turned to only in time of crisis, desperateness, or as a last resort. And then we come before God with a bunch of heartfelt emotion or with desperation, but usually nothing else. All that sniffling and crying and begging, well I’m sorry, it does not move the heart of God. Oh He is touched by your situation, and He loves you and the Word says ‘He contends with that which contends with you…” (Isaiah 49:25), but that does not translate to answered prayer. God is listening for faith.

God in His great love and desire for us has revealed prayer secrets to us that will get answers every time. How can that be??? Where do you find these keys? Where else? IN HIS WORD! In today’s world however, we often times cannot seem to fit in the time, to spend time in His Word. If we are to receive answers to our prayer, that must change.

God does not require that you spend hours with Him, though as your relationship grows with Him, you will find you want to spend more and more time with Him. You do need however, to make God a priority in your life. For me, that means first thing in the morning, before the hustle and bustle of the events of the day begin. Set your alarm clock and get up a few minutes early. (Certainly you can give God fifteen minutes before you start the day! If not, start with 5 minutes and work your way up!) Make you coffee or tea and sit down and spend some alone time with your heavenly Father.

Read His Word and pray. Begin to look up some of the scriptures pertaining to prayer and you’ll find the keys how to receive an answer every time. Here are some scriptures that contain prayer secrets:

Answered Prayer Secret #1
1John 5:14-15(NIV) “And this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us.

Answered Prayer Secret #2
John 16:23-24(NIV) “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive…”

Answered Prayer Secret #3
Hebrews 10:23(NIV) “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

James1:6-8(NIV) “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind; For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…”

Answered Prayer Secret #4
Mark 11:24(NIV) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Answered Prayer Secret #5
Mark 11:25(NIV) “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him..”

Answered Prayer Secret #6
Ephesians 6:13-14 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm…”

Don’t be surprised if as you do this God first begins to deal with your heart. I Samuel 16:7 says “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If that is where He is looking, then undoubtedly that is where He will start!

For a further look at these six secrets to answered prayer, visit www.FaithAndFamilyToday.com

Useful info for self discovery – read this emotional freedom technique blog post.

It’s late on Saturday night. This is make it or break it time for Pastors. Throughout the week, You have thought and prayed–but still no clear direction about what you are going to preach. You envision yourself standing before your congregation with a dumb look on your face and no words in your mouth. “No words in your mouth”…scratch that. If you are a preacher, that is probably not going to happen. After all, we are known as those whose words are many, right? Seriously, when you need help getting the idea tumbler turning, what do you do?

Hmmmm, let’s see:

1. Do the old flip the Bible open, close your eyes, and point to a verse. Better leave one eye open.

2. Go back through your outlines from the last church you pastored. Probably won’t understand most of your own handwriting.

3. Pray more diligently and ask God for mercy. This is always good to do even on Monday morning.

4. Thank God for Google and then use it. BINGO!

Of course the above list is a set up to validate my article but still helpful I hope. The wonder of the technology available is that you can lean on and glean from what others have preached. You, in essence, assume the role of someone in your congregation who does the same thing when they come to hear you preach.

Simply type something like “free sermons for pastors” into the Google search box. Presto, thousands of instant resources appear before your eyes. Some of these will be in manuscript form, some in outline form, some in audio form, some in a notes format. This really is awesome for bible preachers and teachers. Just go into this like eating fish—when you come to a bone, spit it out.

There are some ethical issues to consider and some practices to safeguard yourself from falling into the ditch of plagiarism. Three quick pointers for you:

1. Give credit where credit is due. If a friend were to ask you, “Where did you get that new shirt?” Why would you say, “I sewed it myself.” when it fact you got it from the new men’s shop at the mall?

2. Learn to humbly quote your sources. You build the house, but can still share where you bought the lumber. People usually appreciate this because it demonstrates integrity. It also shows you study which is not a bad trait for a preacher. Share your source in a way that demonstrates you are a still a learner yourself. Don’t try to make it look like you read a million pages a week. Be real!

3. Don’t allow your sermons to become boring bibliographies. If you rely on an entire outline from someone, mention it to your people. For goodness sake, just mention you ran across an online sermon by Pastor Bill Feelgood that spoke to you and inspired you and you want to share his sermon outline filled in with some of your own ideas. By the way, be sure to use some of your own ideas if you say it that way.

If you share a great illustration or piece of info, why not mention it? Like this for example–In his book, Preaching is Fun!, Bill Feelgood says that “One hour of preaching is equivalent to four hours of swinging a 16 pound sledge hammer.” I hope there is no such book with such an author because I just made it up for the sake of making a point as well as the sledge hammer quote though that it is probably fairly accurate. Now when you write it down, give more details so people can go to the original source if possible.

4. Be sure to notice copyright issues. Some do not allow their work to be used. Others may give you permission to use their stuff as long as you give them credit. Others may tell you to just take it and use it. I have a site of bible sermons for free that you can use and change anyway you want. Make them your own. Just notice what the author of the material wants in regard to the use of his/her material.

Anyway, learn to learn from others and give them credit in the appropriate ways without becoming dry as dust in the process.

P.S. Read also about emotional freedom technique training – EFT has helped many people to find balance in this life.

THE POWER OF WORDS CAN MAKE YOUR COSMIC ORDERING SUCCESSFUL

Words in Cosmic Ordering are very powerful tools, and here is a story to show what I mean.

There once was a wise sage who wandered the countryside. One day, as he passed near a village, he was approached by a woman who told him of a sick child nearby. She beseeched him to help this child.

So the sage came to the village, and a crowd gathered around him, for such a man was a rare sight. One woman brought the sick child to him, and he said a prayer over her.

“Do you really think your prayer will help her, when medicine has failed?” yelled a man from the crowd.

“You know nothing of such things! You are a stupid fool!” said the sage to the man.

The man became very angry, he was about to say something, or perhaps strike out, when the sage walked over to him and said: “If one word has such power as to make you so angry and hot, may not another have the power to heal?”

And thus, the sage healed two people that day.

This is the same of your Cosmic Orders, do use the appropriate words and make them positive and see the results!

WHEN YOU GIVE TO OTHERS MAKE SURE IT IS OF SOMETHING THAT IS BENEFIT TO THEM

Yes, we’ve all done it …placed our order with the Cosmos, had whatever it was manifested and then we’ve just plodded on without a thought of giving something back (not tithing) in celebration for what we have received. Then you might have ran through your head a few ideas of giving something back but of a nature that causes you little trouble or effort.

As Gandhi stepped aboard a train one day, one of his shoes slipped off and landed on the track. He was unable to retrieve it as the train was moving. To the amazement of his companions, Gandhi calmly took off his other shoe and threw it back along the track to land close to the first. Asked by a fellow passenger why he did so, Gandhi smiled. “The poor man who finds the shoes lying on the track,” he replied, “will now have a pair he can use.”

DO YOU FEED ANGER OR FEED LOVE

Holding grudges against people can draw towards you something that I have named ‘Catastrophic Negativity’. I don’t want to bore you or I with the same piece I wrote about that, but basically if you harbour grudges then they can come back and bite you on the rear, with a vengeance, they draw equal negativity to you.

With that in mind, here is a story that aptly puts what a lot of you are in need of.

A native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said “I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one.”

The grandson asked him, “which wolf will win the fight in your heart?”

The grandfather answered: “The one I feed.”

LOVE BREEDS SUCCESS AND WEALTH

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked. “No”, she said. “He’s out.”

”Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. “Go tell them I am home and invite them in,” he said.

The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a house together,” they replied. “Why is that?” she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!” he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?” Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

”Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the three old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, why are you coming in?” The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”

Copyright Stephen Richards

Also learn about emotional freedom technique courses – this has been helping many people these days.

As a Christian, I have the right to live a abundant life. The life that Jesus Christ died to give me, is all mine. It’s not because of our might, nor because of our goodness, but because of the precious blood, Jesus Christ shed for us in the Cross at Calvary. Because of his innocent blood, millions of sinners are saved from Hell. How precious that is, you ask?

If you don’t realize what Hell is, or what would have happened to you if Jesus didn’t save you, you won’t realize the value of Christianity. There are still millions in the world living without the knowledge that, there exists a dark world beneath the earth named Hell. Where millions of souls are tormented forever, in eternal fire. But this may sound like a fairy tale to you unless you study the Bible deeper and seek for the truth.

Not only is Hell real. But whatever Bible depicts about the dark side and satan, evil and demons are all real. You will know the truth only if you read bible and understand what God saved us from. And the need for that is to save yourself from suffering the torments in Hell. God doesn’t want even one soul to go there, God loves us so much, that he gave his only son’s life for saving us.

Realize what you are saved from. To make you believe that there is a world called Hell. Go read the bible, search bible passages online in sites like bible gateway. Search for the word “Hell” and you will come up with all sorts of details about Hell, you will read exactly where Hell is situated, and you will know what it feels like to be in Hell. You will understand the value of Jesus Christ who saved us from destruction.

If that info on Hell is just not enough for you to believe, then go search sites like YouTube, where you’ll find a real audio recording done by some archeologists, while digging deeper in to the earths core. You’ll be shocked to hear the torments of millions of souls in Hell, also for you to believe that it’s no cooked up story, you can find photographs of newspapers articles that published the incident back in 1940’s if I am right.

I am not saying this all to scare you away from reality. I am telling you these to understand the value of Christianity and the value of what Jesus died to give us. The only person who can save us from destruction and Hell is Jesus Christ. His name is the name above all names, the word above all words. It’s the name of the Almighty who is the Alpha and The Omega, who can answer all your prayers instantly, who can change people’s minds for your good, who can heal your sickness, who can turn any difficult situation and make it to your advantage. Believe in Jesus Christ and Be Saved Forever. The gift is an eternal life, with God in his garden of Love… Heaven…

God will give his angels charge over his sons and daughters who fear him and love him the way he loves you. He is the God who said – If you abide in me and my words abide in you, I’ll do for you whatever you ask me to do. What more can a meager human being like you and me ask for that having God by our side?

For more Encouraging Bible Verses – Visit our Inspirational Bible Verses blog and strengthen yourself for victory, with the most powerful weapon given by God himself – His Words – The Divine Bible Verses.

Today, food blessings are offered throughout the world by many people of many different religions. Whether people bless food by saying a meal prayer or offering a grace prayer, these thoughts and words are meant to convey thanksgiving, protection and even prosperity.

Consider the food blessings found in the Bible. Blessing ceremonies in ancient Israel were conducted by priests who made “wave offerings.” The priests would take wheat, bread and other foods and wave it in God’s presence in the Temple as a way to say thanks.

Blessing food evolved into the home when the head of the household would bless the food with words of prayer and then distribute the blessed food to those gathered at table. The New Testament includes miracle stories of Jesus blessing a few loaves of bread and fish, multiplying the amount to feed thousands of people.

Perhaps the most powerful food blessings that are offered is the blessing of bread and wine that Jesus made at the Last Supper, to make that food become his body and blood. Nearly 2,000 years later, those words to bless food are repeated during the Eucharistic prayer of Catholic and Christian liturgies throughout the world.

At your home, you can offer a simple meal prayer, as easily as saying, “Dear God, bless this food. May it nourish us in body and mind. Amen.” The traditional Catholic grace prayer is: “Bless us O Lord and these your gifts which we are about to receive, from your bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Make food blessings a conscious habit every time you eat. Be thankful for that food, there are so many who are hungry. Take it a step further and become a blessing by donating food to those who have none.