Archive for the ‘Gospel’ Category

from a question from joel,

hi guys,
well, i was just hit by a question on this blog abt whether “taylor swift’s change” is a christian song..
i think by my understanding, that it can be and also can be a pop song.. or what ever you want it to be.

Alot of artist nowadays know the importance in living in our Lord Jesus Christ.. and because of thier profession, in the recording labels and companies, they are not fortunate to write worship songs like for example -planet shakers, hillsongs.. ect ect..
we must ALWAYS remember.. that everyone is put where they are by the PERFECT planning of OUR God.

So, now, as it is written, we should always give glory to God in all that we do.. hence, these artist also would want to do the same.

We’ll be abit surprised that we do have extremist in our daily church life that have the mentality that if you are in the entertainment world, you are a sinner! which is WRONG!!! yes, the argument is, “you cant be in the world and follow God. ” but then my question is, who gave you this tallent??? who allowed the opportunity to arise in your way.. who allowed you to be so famous??? -another argument may arise when they say.. “who allowed mettalica to be so famous… but that is a totally diffrent topic.. i believe all music comes from God! coz He is the creator and whatever is done with music, that person shall be held accountable for his tallents..” ok ok.. getting back to our topic..

I read a blog from the lead singer of “the fray” which has also the same kind of music like lifehouse and ect… he said, now, my profesion is a singer, i would love to do my job but that doesnt mean i cant sing about love n life’s troubles.. he gave an example of a plumber… is a plumber going to fix the plumbing in christian peoples houses only or for everyones houses..?? same goes for a singer or a band.

Hence, as we open our minds n see the bigger picture.. we wont be so blinded.. these bands like “lifehouse, the fray, switchfoot, taylor swift, carrie underwood, keith urban, rascall flatts ect.. ” are seeing the big picture.. yes they are planted in the music world, but as you can see in thier dressings, in the way the carry them selves, and the lyrics they write, they also are glorifying God..

So, the question, is it a christian song???? i’d say hmm, depends on how you wanan look at it… if i were to read those lyrics just like dat, i’d say yes it is.. is it singing about JESUS?? maybe… if you wana sing it to jesus, no problem.. im sure he’d enjoy it..

Just for your info, the song by lifehouse-everything…is also sang in churches.. so, once again, it depends on how u wana see it.

A word of encouragement to others, if people say, that song is not a c’tian song, you say.. well, up to you.. but i’d like to see it as one. and you’ll find music spicing up your life in so many ways.

jason.

Sharing God’s Plan Of Salvation

Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). The implication is that if we are really following, we’ll be fishing -soul-winning. Jesus’ last words were, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).

The Christians in the New Testament went everywhere, preaching the Word (Acts 8:4).

How, then, can you and I be effective witnesses for Him?

1. Ask God to give you an evangelistic burden for others. Ask Him to help you see the world as He sees it, and to lay upon your heart a handful of people for whom you can earnestly pray. Then pray over those names every day. Keep a little prayer list, and pray for an opportunity of reaching these souls for Christ. An old song says, “Lord, lay some soul upon my heart and love that soul through me; / And may I humbly do my part to win that soul to Thee.”

2. Live a consistent Christian life before these people. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). We must live obedient lives of integrity and authentic faith. We must love when others hate, and forgive when others harbor grudges. We must remain trusting when others panic, and be honest when all around us are cooking the books. Not that we’re going to be perfect-only Christ was sinless. But we must have a growing, maturing Christian life that others recognize and respect.

3. Build bridges to others. When the Lord shows you those needing Christ, seek to build a relationship with them. Remember how Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus where many sinners had gathered? While we must be careful not to place ourselves in an environment where we’ll be pulled down, we must be equally careful to cultivate friendships with those needing Christ. Perhaps Christ has placed you in your particular school or workplace just to reach those whom no one else can reach.

4. Learn the Gospel. Memorize the following verses and practice saying them in a mirror or to another Christian until you’re comfortable sharing them with someone needing Christ: Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9, 10, 13; 1 John 5:1, 13.

5. Watch for openings to share a word for Christ. Peter said: “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

6. If the right opportunity doesn’t come naturally, create one. Sometimes we wait too long, looking for just the right time to invite someone to church or to share with them the message of the Gospel. There often comes a point when we must prayerfully introduce the subject and do our best to impress someone with their need for Christ.

7. Leave the results with God. We’re responsible for sharing the Gospel, but only God can convert the soul. Having done your best, let Him do the rest. And if you ever feel you’ve botched the job, think of Edward Kimball. He was determined to win his Sunday school class to Christ, including a teenager named Dwight Moody who tended to fall asleep on Sundays. His heart pounding, Kimball entered the store where the young man worked. “I put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoebox. I asked him to come to Christ.” It didn’t seem to go well, and Kimball left thinking he had botched the job. Moody, however, left the store that day a new person and eventually became the most prominent evangelist in America during his generation.

Be blessed………

Dear beloved,
I read a beautiful devotional and it contains a powerful message on the Blood of Jesus and i just wanted to share it with you. Be Blessed!

Leviticus 17:11 (NIV) 11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Blood brings life giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell in our bodies. It carries away the waste from every cell. Without this wonderful process of both bringing nutrition and carrying away waste, we quickly die. Our brains cease to function after only a short time without sufficient blood flow. Truly, blood is our physical life.

God told Moses that the reason He designed us this way was so that the blood could make atonement for us on the altar. It makes atonement or covering for our sins. As the priest would slay the once- a- year atonement sacrifice, he would gather the blood to sprinkle before the Ark of the Covenant where God dwelt. The blood brings life, and the blood takes away impurity.
Man’s rebellion against God is so serious that only death is a sufficient penalty. Since life is in the blood, blood must be spilled as justice.

From the foundation of the earth, God determined that it would be the blood of His own Son. That was the only blood that could take away the impurity of the world. All other blood was insufficient to remove sin. They had their own sin that needed to be removed. The blood of animals could cover for a time (atonement) until the sufficient blood was shed, the blood acceptable to God for the sins of the world.

Thank God today that He made a way to do what you could never do. Without the blood of Jesus there would be no hope for the removal of the impurities of your life. Like a person with liver failure, you would have died on your own poisons. But the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins.

Pray: Thank Him for the wonder that took place upon the cross.
any questions?? just leave a comment..

One time in the Old Testament, King David was walking down the street and a young man started making fun of him, calling him names and even throwing rocks at him. He followed him everywhere that he went, just pestering him, wanting to pick a fight and trying to aggravate him. Finally, a man who was with David basically said, “Do you want us to put a stop to him? Do you want us to shut him up? He is a real pain.” I love the way David answered him. He said, “No, let him keep talking. Maybe God will hear him and bless me for it.” (See 2 Samuel 16:5-14)

When somebody is talking about us, instead of getting upset and trying to defend ourselves, we need to have the same attitude as David and believe God will hear what they’re saying and bless us for it.

Jesus said in Luke 6:35, “Love your enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great.”

Every day I say, “God, bless my enemies, those people that criticize, talk about me, and try to make me look bad. God, give them a great day today.” When you do that, the more they talk, the higher you’re going to go. Sometimes I feel like I even need to thank my enemies! If it had not been for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They meant their talk and criticism to bring me down, but God used it to push me up higher.

If somebody is trying to make you look bad by spreading rumors and telling lies, really, they have done you a favor. What they mean for your harm, God is going to use to promote you. I know this to be true because we have never tried to answer our critics. The more they talk, the more God promotes us. The more they talk, the higher we go.

Maybe at the office somebody is trying to make you look bad, talking behind your back, taking things out of context. It’s very tempting to be critical back and think, “Two can play this game. They said this about me. Well, let me tell you what I know about them.” No, don’t sink down to their level. Don’t let their poison cloud your heart. Learn to bless your enemies.

When we know that God is our vindicator and rewards us when we don’t take matters into our own hands, that takes all the pressure off. We don’t have to try to pay people back and get involved in battles that don’t really matter and set the record straight. Let God fight your battles for you. If you will stay on the high road, God will take what others mean for harm, and He will use it to your advantage.

When we learn to bless our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we keep our heart free from strife and give God more room to bless us, promote us, and speak to us more.

Remember, don’t become weary in doing good. At the proper time, you’ll reap a harvest if you don’t give up. That means, keep doing good to others whenever you’re persecuted. Keep doing the right thing, even when the wrong thing is happening. Keep a good attitude. Keep praying for those who keep talking about you. Before long, you’ll see God’s blessings in greater ways, and what might have seemed like a stumbling block to you, God will use as stepping stone to thrust you higher.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21

By Joel Osteen

Remain in His Blessings:]

Every person has things they’re believing for, situations they want to see changed, and dreams God has placed in their hearts. But sometimes, we try to figure out how it’s all going to happen. If we’re not careful, we’ll put God in a box and try to tell Him how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it. Today’s scripture tells us that God’s ways are not our ways. They are higher and better than our ways.

If you don’t get your way, if things don’t happen on your timetable, instead of getting discouraged, why don’t you believe that God has something better in store? Just because it doesn’t happen your way doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. Remember, God has a plan. He’s got it all figured out. Don’t limit Him by trying to get it done your way. Instead, simply say, “God, I’m trusting You. I know You have my best interest at heart. And even if I don’t get my way, I’m going to stay open and believe that You’re still directing my steps into the abundant life You have for me.”

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I choose to trust You. I cast my cares on You. I give You my plans, dreams, and desires for the future. Thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf. Give me Your peace as I wait patiently to see Your plan unfold. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending school in Utah. Brother Christianson taught at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules.

 Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson’s class. Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

 One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, “You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?” Steve’s answer was, “Yeah, I do.” Then Brother Christianson asked, “How many push-ups can you do?” Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.” “200? That’s pretty good, Steve,”

 Brother Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?” Steve replied, “I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.” “Do you think you could?” Again asked Brother Christianson. “Well, I can try,” said Steve.

 ”Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” Brother Christianson said. Steve said, “Well… I think I can… yeah, I can do it.” Brother Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.

 Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend. Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want a donut?” Cynthia said, “Yes.” Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”

 Steve said, “Sure,” and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk. Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe do you want a donut?” Joe said, “Yes.” Bro. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?” Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.

And down the second aisle,till Bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companion- ship. Then Bro. Christianson asked, “Scott do you want a donut?” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups?” Bro. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.” Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!” Bro. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.”

 And he put a donut on Scott’s desk. Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

 Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?” Jenny said, “No.” Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

 By now, the students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

 Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.

Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room.

When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.

Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Bro. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?” Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your pushups. You can do them any way that you want.”

And Bro. Christianson went on.

 A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.” Bro. Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him.”

 Steve said, “Yes, let him come in.” Bro. Christianson said, “Okay, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?” “Yes.” “Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?”

Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut? Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?” Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, “Bro. Christianson , can I help him?” Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?”

 As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.”

One day a man had an accident while driving to work. He got out of the car and yelled at the other driver, “Lady! You need to learn how to drive. You’re the fourth person that’s hit me today.”

In life, we can get to a point sometimes where, like this man, we’re always pointing fingers and placing the blame on others. But there comes a time when we need to look inside and say, “Maybe I’m the one that needs to change.”

If you’re finding fault all the time and developing a habit of seeing the bad rather than the good, if you’re skeptical and have trained yourself to be cynical and sarcastic rather than believing the best, if you’re constantly blaming everyone for everything that’s going wrong in your life, then maybe it’s time to look inward instead of at others.

Just like the man who had the accident while driving to work; if he had been hit four times in one day, obviously, he’s the one doing something wrong!

One thing I’ve learned is a critical spirit will follow you everywhere you go. You can’t get away from it. You can leave one job angry, upset and bitter and go around saying, “They didn’t treat me right.” “My boss doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “Nobody can do anything right.” But if you don’t deal with the root issue, you’ll have the same problem at the next job or in your next relationship. You’ll still think everybody is against you. It’s because the problem is inward and not outward.

love what Jesus said to people that were always placing the blame on others and looking at what others need to fix all the time instead of looking at their own lives. He said, “Get the telephone pole out of your eye before you try to get the toothpick out of your brother’s eye.” What He was saying is, “Look inside. Deal with your own issues. Spend your time trying to improve your own life, and you’ll have a whole lot less time for being critical and judgmental.”

When I come to the end of my days and stand before God, and He says, “Joel, what did you do with the time that I entrusted you with? How did you use the gifts that I gave you?”

I would hate to have to say, “God, I spent my life criticizing others, knocking people down and trying to make them look bad, placing the blame on others and stirring everything up.”

I have a hard time believing that God is going to say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant. You did just what I asked!”

No, I imagine God is going to say, “Do me a favor. Clean your own window; look inward before you come up here. If not, before long, you’ll be finding fault with Me.”

Today, you can make the switch. You can work on cleaning your own windows. You can wipe away the judgment, criticism, and fault finding, which may be the things that have held you back for years. Love believes the best in others. It always sees the good. And when there is blame or a fault to be found, instead of looking outward, first look inward.

Don’t be afraid to look inward and humble yourself before God. After all, when we’re humble, we give God the opportunity to promote and bless us.

1 Peter 5:6

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (KJV)

The Message says, “So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.”

By JOEL OSTEEN

this is healer by hillsongs.. michael.G..

people hv been talking abt since the song was written in and with a wrong intention..
hence, we shouldnt be singing this kinda songs in church.. i want to know what you guys think abt it?!?

just for your info.. the song writter faked his cancer when he wrote this song.. for “whatever reason” but somehow the church allowed the song to be in the album.. hence, people are saying the church is not in tune with God, and allowing anyone to bring in any songs..

but, fact, many people has been touched by this song.. lives been changed!

1, Has God changed something bad to good?
2, did God purposely allow a song with this kinda intentions to be published?
3, how am i to know what kind of songs to listen to!?
4, is it safe to sing this kind of songs in our church?!?!

i am confused, please help!