Random Religion Articles

Understanding The Difference Between The Spirit and The Soul

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,” Heb 4:12.

Reading this passage very carefully, we see that the writer in trying to show just how powerful the word of God is, uses the dividing of the spirit and soul as an illustration of it’s power. This therefore, leads us to understand that the spirit and soul are so closely identified with each other that it takes nothing less than the power of God’s word to distinguish between the two.

Just how close are the spirit and the soul?

In the verse above, the word “soul” is the Greek word “psuche” (pronounced psoo-khay) and means “breath”. The word “spirit” in the Greek is “pneuma” (pronounced pnyoo-mah) and means “a current of air.”

How’s that for similarity? One is a breath and the other is a current of air.

Now, at first glance these two words seem to mean the very same thing and in a sense they do. Is there any real difference between a breath and a current of air? Not on the surface but let’s look more closely, shall we?

From the World Book Dictionary a breath is a vapor and a vapor is “something without substance”. So the soul is something without substance! What can we deduce from this statement? We can see that the human soul is real, it has being, but no physical properties! Which simply means that it is not tangible, it can’t be experienced by the five senses. And in this regard it is the same as the spirit.

The human spirit is called “a current of air”. What is a current of air? Air is synonymous with life and a current is defined as a flow or stream. Therefore, “a current of air” is “a flow of life“.

What is the human spirit? A stream or flow of life!

Becoming 'Born Again' is described as the re-creating of a human spirit and the reconnecting of that spirit with God, so that the life of God can flow into that spirit. Get a more detailed description of the Born Again process from my book, "Understanding The 3 Levels of Salvation: Spirit, Soul & Body available at: 3 Levels of Salvation. God designed the human spirit to be a conduit for Him to flow through. It is the interface that connects God to man and vice-versa! Not only this, but it also allows communication to take place. It’s the mechanism in man that allows him to communicate with God!

This is his spirit! A device created by God from a portion of His own Spirit, which allows man to harmonize, synchronize and communicate with God!

It is through this harmony and synchronization that we can communicate with God. He is a Spirit and can only harmonize with another spirit, therefore the human spirit is that aspect of man which can relate to God. It is that component which can feel what God feels, understand what God means and will to act in agreement with Him.

The human spirit then, is the seat of emotions, intellect and will as they relate to God and the spirit realm.

The following scriptures support this:

Luke 1:47 says, “My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior and 1Sa 1:15 states, “...I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit...” The human spirit is capable of emotion.

So, the spirit has feelings.

1Co 2:14 says, “...neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (understood)” and from Job 32:8 we get, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Showing that the spirit is capable of intelligence.

So, the spirit has an intellect.

And finally, Ro 1:9 declares, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit...” and Isa 26:9 says, “...with my spirit within me will I seek thee early...” Clearly showing that within the human spirit there is volition, the capacity to choose or decide.

So, the spirit has a will.

What about the soul? We just saw that it is intangible, made up of the same ethereal material that the spirit is made up of. But how does it differ from the spirit?

According to the bible Ps 35:9 says, “...My soul shall be joyful in the LORD...” and Mt 26:38 says, “...My soul is exceeding sorrowful...” showing us that the soul can feel emotion.

So, the soul has feelings.

Ps 139:14 says, “Marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well and Pr 19:2 says, “...That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good...” Showing us that the soul is capable of intelligence.

So, the soul has intellect.

And Ps 62:1 says, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God” and Rom 13:1 declares, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers”. Now, “to wait or be subject,” indicates the capacity to choose or decide which leads us to acknowledge, that the soul is capable of volition or the capacity to choose.

So, the soul has a will.

What does this mean?

It means that the human soul is also the seat of emotions, intellect and will, but only as it relates to this natural realm and other human beings!

In addition to this, we must also understand that the soul and the mind are one and the same thing. The word "soul" translated from the Hebrew is "Nephesh" and means "mind or mental creature." So, when we speak about the soul of man we are speaking about his mind. This is where the average person gets confused, they say soul and REALLY mean spirit.

Fiction books and movies don't help either. But the Bible is very clear on this. Even the New Testament word for "soul" is translated from the Greek word "psuche" (pronounced psoo-khay) from which we get the word "psychic" which refers to our "mental processes."

So, there's nothing overly mysterious about your soul - It's your mind! Your emotions, intellect and will... Plain and simple!

In summary here’s what we have:

~ Definition, Function and Purpose of the Human Spirit ~

The spirit is the God-conscious mechanism in man. It is the seat of the emotions, the intellect and the will as they relate to God and the spirit realm.

The human spirit is synonymous with the nature of man.

The condition of his spirit is the condition of his nature and his nature determines his eternal destiny. God designed the spirit to make humans conscious of God, to make us aware of the One who created us and to provide a means of communication with Him.

The human spirit harmonizes with the spirit realm and receives and transmits impulses of a spiritual nature. It allows man to talk to God and hear from God! It is a stream of life, a conduit for God to flow into and inhabit us!

That’s the purpose of the human spirit... to be an interface between God and man, allowing God to indwell and empower us and to provide an efficient, accurate means of relating to Him!

~ Definition, Function and Purpose of the Human Soul ~

The soul is the self-conscious mechanism in man. It provides the connection between his spirit and his body. God designed the soul to make him aware of his spirit on one end and his body on the other.

The soul is a perfect interface!

It communicates with the spirit on one side and with the brain on the other! It harmonizes with the intellectual/emotional realm and receives and transmits impulses of an intellectual and emotional nature.

For instance, it allows human beings to communicate with each other by putting thoughts and feelings into words and then communicating those words verbally or otherwise. That’s part of the purpose of the soul... to allow effective communication between human beings!

But it goes further than this!

Not only does it allow communication between human beings but the human soul also communicates with the human spirit! This is the very reason they are so closely aligned. They were designed to interface with each other. For instance, when God speaks to you He doesn’t speak Japanese, English or French; He speaks the language of God.

Your spirit understands the language of God perfectly so when God speaks to you, your spirit understands exactly what God said in His own language. But, your soul needs to interpret the information into your native language so that it makes sense to you.

Therefore, because of the interface between your spirit and soul your mind can become fruitful with the knowledge that's in your spirit. You would then proclaim, “God said such and such to me”. Not realizing that an extremely delicate and technical transfer of information from the spirit realm to the natural realm just occurred, all because of the function of your soul.

So, the purpose of the soul, apart from human to human communication is also to interface with the spirit, interpreting communications from God and making logical sense of it in order to take effective action!

God inhabits the spirit realm and we inhabit the physical, so, for communications that originate in the spirit realm to be received and acted on in the physical, there must be some mechanism linking both realms and providing a conduit for such communications to travel through.

Such is the purpose of the human soul... to interface between the spiritual and the natural realms! Linking your spirit with your body!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Everest John Alexander is a Minister/Writer/Entrepreneur in public ministry for over 15 years Pastoring for 4 of those years.

He's married with two children and has written five books published online at: www.CheapChristianebooks.com. His exciting and informative articles can be read at www.FireAndHammer.ORG

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A View on Buddhism - Buddhism Tradition Development

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The history of Buddhism is a huge subject. Not only does it cover over 2,500 years of history, but it has spread over time thoughout Asia and beyond. In each individual country, the local culture tended to have a strong influence on the outer appearance of the religious practices, and which aspects of Buddhism were emphasized by the locals. To understand the origin of the various schools and traditions, some insight in the history is essential.
Mahinda introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the third century BCE. After this brief introduction, Buddhism became the dominant religion on the island, and Sri Lanka turned into a center of religious learning. The new religion substituted Hinduism and became well-accepted by the low/middle class.

It emerged three great divisions of the Sangha on the island, each of which centered on a monastery in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. Mahavihara, great monastery, is the oldest of the monasteries and was established by Mahinda in the third century, the Abhayagiri-vihara in the first century BCE, and the Jetavana in the third century CE. None of the writings of the monks of Abhayagiri and the Jetavana monasteries survived, which makes it hard to tell how their traditions differed from those of the Mahavihara. There appeared to be a rivalry between them due to a Mahavihara opposition to their Mahayana sympathies, which is simplistic and problematic.

The schools of Chinese Buddhism are divided into two categories, those that have a more or less direct Indian counterpart and those which have a more or less direct Indian counterpart and those that are native to China. The principal schools are the Vinaya, the Kosa, the Madhyamaka, the Yogacara, and the Mantrayana. Those schools in principal are also the schools of Korean and Japanese Buddhism. Some schools developed more significant local traditions than others. Chinese Buddhists don’t represent separate ordination lineages; instead they focus on a lineage of teachings and interpretations of Buddhist thoughts and practice. It appears that movement between the schools was normal but the early attempts to establish the norms of Buddhist monastic practice in China seemed to of been hindered by a need of knowledge of the Vinaya.

Ch’an, which derives from the Sanskrit dhyana, is used in Indian Buddhist theory to designate the attainment of a deep state of peace by the means of calm meditation. The Ch’an tradition looks at Bodhidharma as the legendary hero and Indian monk who is said to have come east in the fifth or sixth century CE as the first patriarch of Ch’an. It is likely that the history lies even farther back of Ch’an roots in Chinese Buddhism with Tao-an, Hui-yuan, and Tao-sheng. Bodhidharma is said to of emphasized the teachings of the Lanka atara Sutra and the conjectural basis of Ch’an centers on the ideas of the tathagatagararbha and emptiness as pointing past all abstract forms of thought. By the middle of the sixth century all Indian Buddhist text had been translated into Chinese.

Although over five different Ch’an schools had emerged by the ninth century, only two remained important after the government’s suppression of Buddhist monasticism in the Lin Chi and Ts’ao Tung. The Ch’an literary and intellectual traditions centers on the stories of the sayings and the deeds of these CH’an masters. They may be portrayed as behaving in unexpected and spontaneous ways and responding to questionbs with riddles in order to jolt their pupils into a state of awakening.

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Find engaged Buddhism and more useful information about Buddhism online on Buddha directory.

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Christmas Traditions, Then and Now

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

The Birth of Christmas Traditions

Throughout history, Christmas has been celebrated by different cultures in diverse ways. In ancient Babylon and Egypt, there were mid-winter festivals that honored the ancient gods. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of peace and plenty. During this festival, which ran from December 17th to December 24th, public gathering places were decorated with flowers and gifts and candies were exchanged amongst slaves and masters. In Scandinavia, a period of celebration known as Yule was held each winter at the end of the growing season. During this time, the population feasted on the summer’s bounty. The Celtic culture of the British Isles revered all green plants as symbols of fertility and contributed celebrations revolving around the decoration of homes with mistletoe and holly. New Christmas customs appeared in the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these was the carol. By the 14th Century, such Christmas songs had become associated with the religious observance of the birth of Christ. In Italy, a tradition developed of re-enacting the birth of Christ and the construction of nativity scenes. The tradition of celebrating Christmas by decorating an indoor tree was established by Queen Victoria of England, while the author Charles Dickens popularized the idea of having a Christmas feast through his writing.

Modern Customs – Christmas Photos and e-Cards

There are also many Christmas traditions that have developed in modern times. The modern American conception of Santa Claus as a secular figure was created by the writer Clement Moore in his poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. The commercialization of Christmas started to take place around World War II when people had to shop far in advance to get gifts to soldiers overseas in time for the holiday. Thus, the extended Christmas shopping season was born. An even more modern tradition is sending Christmas e-Cards with Christmas photos of the family. This is a great way to reach out and communicate with friends about the changes in your family and spread holiday cheer from everyone. Some families even put humorous touches on the Christmas photos by dressing the family dog up in antlers!

The Latest Christmas Tradition – Ringtones Era

By far the most recent Christmas tradition is downloading Christmas ringtones to a cell phone. Whether you’re downloading a classic carol like “Deck the Halls” sung by The Platters or a more contemporary, funky piece like James Brown’s “Funky Christmas Millennium” you can’t help but feel festive every time you hear Christmas ringtones on your cell phone. Having Christmas ringtones on your cell phone is also a good reminder that you have a long Christmas list and need to get out there shopping. It’s also a great way to spread the spirit of the season amongst friends and co-workers and let them know that you are no Grinch!

Whatever Christmas traditions you choose to embrace, you can be content in the knowledge that each has a distinctive history and a special meaning to many people.

Download Christmas Ringtones - http://ringtones.ez-tracks.com/Christmas.html

Read about the History of Christmas - http://www.ez-tracks.com/History_of_Christmas.html

Browse and download Christmas Pictures - http://www.ez-tracks.com/pictures-Christmas.html

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Features Of Islamic Greeting Cards

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:27:04 -0500

Islamic greeting cards are pretty common for both Muslims and non Muslims. They are used to celebrate great Islamic occasions by friends and family. Islam is a very strong religion with a wide following all over the world and this is one of the reasons why Islamic greeting cards are popular all over the world. The cards are distinct and come with unique features which are worth a mention. First, you will notice that the cards are centered on the Islamic religion. This is because the faith determines what Islamic people do on a daily basis. In other words, Islam is a lifestyle which cannot be divorced from how they do things everyday including sending greeting cards. Many cards will contain religious messages and symbols. However, it will depend on the occasion when sending the cards. On special religious occasions, you will find the following message being written on cards may you be blessed, in remembrance of Allah and the list goes on and on.

Islamic greeting cards will come in many designs and shapes. However, the kind of designs and pictures that Islamic greeting cards come with must be in accordance to the will of Allah or God. In other words, the integrity of the faith must be upheld at every cost. Images that are displeasing will never be accepted and, if you are non Muslim sending cards to Muslim friends, it is good for you to keep this in mind. Look for down to earth cards that are floral or animated. However, do not forget to include what your friend would love. The varieties of Islamic cards will give you good ideas that will help you know the kind of cards to send. When there is a big occasion like Hajj, Ramadan, Eid Ul Fitr or Eid Ul Adha, you will know exactly what to do with the theme and the colors as well. If you need inspiration for cards, it is time you looked online.

Sites like Islamic greeting cards are sure to offer you different options. You can send your cards through email to make your work easier. At the site, you will find a link to other sites where you can enjoy different kinds of cards for Muslims. Let the sites teach you the kind of cards you should be sending out. If you can customize the cards for your recipients, by all means do it. You can also make the cards with your very own hands. Handmade cards are not just personal by they help create a special bond between you and your friends. There is nothing complicated about Islamic cards; all you have to do is have a message that will bring life to your recipients. Have fun while selecting the various cards you choose to go with. Cards will continue to transform relationships and even bridge the gap between religions. A good card will speak to the heart and the love for others is all that matters in life whether Muslim or otherwise.

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The MP3 Bible - Technology And Religion

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

One of the most technologically advanced versions of the Bible is an MP3 Bible. For those of you who do not know what an MP3 is, it stands for MPEG Audio Layer 3. It is a digital audio technology that allows you to compress music or sound files into much smaller files with little or no loss of sound quality. It is able to do this by removing inaudible information from the file. You can store MP3s on your computer and upload and download them over the Internet, which means they can be listened to on a variety of different media, including CD players, iPods and MP3 players, or right on the default media player of your personal computer.

To give you an idea of how much compression takes place using the MP3 format, consider this: it takes about 60 audio CDs to record the entire narrated audio Bible, which takes 72 hours to listen to. You only need to use two to four MP3 CD-ROMs to get the entire MP3 Bible, which can then be uploaded or downloaded to your playing device. This technology makes it extremely easy to transport and use Bible MP3s at conferences, retreats, catechism classes where children’s Bible stories are played, evangelism and outreach programs, and listening groups. Many different Christian websites even offer free audio Bible downloads and daily Bible Podcasts that you can sign up for online. Well-known pastors sometimes record the Podcasts themselves and they often contain short dramatizations of the Bible or homilies related to the weekly readings.

Since many cultures in developing parts of the world have never heard the Word of the God or ever had a chance to hold a copy of Bible in their hands, MP3 Bibles are one of the best new ways to share the scriptures with them. Many volunteer organizations will bring MP3 Bibles and other audio Bible formats to villages and play them for a large group. When used in conjunction with printed Bibles, children and villagers who have not learned to read can follow along and begin learning written words. Right now there are translated Audio Bibles for hundreds of different cultures, and new translations are being worked on as we speak.

Whether you prefer reading the Bible, listening to Bible MP3 recordings at home or at the gym, you have many new opportunities to incorporate the Bible into your life and the lives of others around you. You can even donate MP3 Bibles to those less fortunate to help evangelize the Good Word and spread the teachings of Jesus to other cultures in countries far from your own.

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Susan Slobac uses the MP3 Bible frequently. She likes the convenience of Audio Bible downloads and the ability to share her Audio Bible recordings with friends. Recently, she has started to help the pastor of her church with recording weekly Bible podcasts for use on their Church website.

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Prayer in Orthodox Christianity

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Holy Bible records Jesus ascending into heaven, having entrusted the care of His Church into the hands of his disciples. This group of men and women would become the first church, filled with the resurrection enthusiasm of their Messiah while attempting to live out his teaching and mission in practical ways.

A large part of the private prayers of its members followed typical Hebrew format. Praying three times a day became the daily office of the person, though, instead of a community encouraged practice. This adaptation was largely due to the problem that Christianity had not yet become a country-endorsed religion. Prayer was frequently found in the gatherings of the early church, offered frequently throughout the worship service with the Lord's Prayer taking its place as the anchor - a common ritual in each gathering. This was due to the following reasons:

* A response to the many growing heresies.
* A summarizing of the whole New Testament just as the Ten Commandments had summarized the Old.
* A catalyst for community intercession and connection.

Elements of the oldest Christian liturgies may be found in liturgies such as the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Lutheran Divine Service, and Anglican sermons. Seasonal orthodox prayers such as found in the Breviary, which provides prayer for each liturgical season including Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, as well as the other parts of the liturgical year.

In Orthodox tradition, prayers of petition may be addressed to saints. It is understood that the saints answer such prayers by means of their own prayers to God on behalf of the petitioner. The help of God may be done in a form of Miracles. Orthodox Christians believe that prayers for the dead are efficacious; for this reason, requiem Masses are offered for the repose of the faithful departed. Eastern Orthodoxy rejects the notion of Purgatory, but offers prayers for the dead asking God to have mercy upon them; in particular, that tradition believes that Christians who have died remain part of the Church, and as such are both able to pray and to receive the benefits of prayer for them, whatever those may be.

There is no one prayerbook containing a set liturgy used by all Christians; however many Christian denominations have their own local prayerbooks.

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Ivan Mazurenko is a contributing author on the subject of Saints and Church for several journals. For more data browse our site dedicated to sermons. Ivan Mazurenko is a scientist and writer on the subject of Church history. For more data browse our site dedicated to Christian history.

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Children and God

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

What is the key priority when it comes to children and God, and why are they so important and precious to Him? How should we go about raising our children according to God so as to give them true understanding and become wise and knowledgeable in God’s ways? What are God’s principles when it comes to children and how should we apply them? Jesus answers many of these questions in Mark 10 and shows us how precious children are to God.

As we examine Mark 10:13-15, we can see how precious our children are to Him though taking a close look at this passage. “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Let us take a little time and examine Ephesians 6:1-4 and see if we can find the key priority when it comes to children and God through this passage. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Now, let us see what Proverbs 22:6 has to offer. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

So, how do we raise our children and when do we start training them? We know that going to Church with our children and doing Bible study and spending quality time with them is our main priority and in turn is a great thing that is leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven. How do we get them to trust us and when do we start training them?

When it comes to training our children and gaining trust it all starts from the day they were born and the first time you held that precious little infant in your arms and close to your heart. When they felt the warmth of your body and saw the affection and kindness that came in abundance for them, they knew it was true love from the start. Then in turn they put their full trust in you with the knowledge that you would always be there and always be true.

When they take their first steps with those little wobbling legs not knowing what would happen, they began to experience their first faith knowing that you would be there. Every time they fell down you were there to give them the encouragement that they needed to get back up and continue on.

Now that they are walking big and strong, you’ll find that they have problems distinguishing right from wrong. They come to you with all their problems even though small, they know they can count on you to lead them straight to God’s law. They find His ways very attractive because now you are keeping God’s laws all so active.

As they continue to keep vigorously seeking God’s law, you get the privilege of watching them grow wise and tall. Because you took the time to put down what you were doing no matter if it was important if even at all, you knew it was up to you to teach them the law. You had the understanding that their foundation had to be strong so you worked on their character to help them along. Even though their problems were small, look what you accomplished through Gods law. Your children are now healthy and strong. Give thanks to God for helping you to lead them along.

Your children now have the understanding and were loved from the start, so you now know this world won’t get hold of their heart. They will love God with full strength and all their heart and from God’s word they will never depart. All that they learned from their youth down through they will keep it in their heart whenever it is due.

The moral of this article is, when it comes to children and God is that we are all Gods children and when it comes to raising our children we should stick to God’s principles. As long as we stick to God’s principles, we know that as true Christians you can’t go wrong.

Through us teaching our children Gods ways, when bad influences come upon them it will automatically set off an alarm sending them a signal that something is not right. They will say in their heart, “This does not correspond to what my mother and father taught me according to God’s ways.” And because you were always there for them who are they going to trust, you or the bad influence?

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What Is the Major Obstacle to Your Success?

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

If you knew what the major obstacle to your own success was, would you do something about it? Why do so many Christians struggle to make ends meet while God so clearly promises that we shall have a full and abundant life? (John 10: 10)

You may not realize it, but your miracle depends on who you are! When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He could have led them directly into the Promised Land, a journey of eleven days! (Deut. 1: 2)

The reason He had them go the long way through the Red Sea was because He knew that they were not ready to face giants. The Israelites had acquired a slave mentality in Egypt. They had no idea how to come up against obstacles in their lives. All they knew was that, if they had tried to rebel against their masters, they would have been severely punished. Consequently, they were filled with fear. They would have preferred returning to the familiar slavery rather than fighting an enemy they did not know! (Ex. 13: 17)

The exodus from Egypt was a miracle beyond comprehension. Yet, they did not have the faith to believe God’s promises. He provided them with all the food they needed every single day. He led their way with a cloud by day and fire at night, and protected them throughout their journey. Still their faith did not increase! In fact; they rebelled and their heart was still in the land of slavery.

After considerable time in the desert, they were finally led to the portion of the land occupied by the Philistine. There the Lord instructed Moses to send out twelve spies, each one representing a tribe. Two spies returned with glowing reports. Joshua and Caleb were enthused about a very fertile, prosperous land that they could easily conquer. They reported that:

“If the lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” (Num 14: 8)

They saw everything with the eyes of faith, knowing that just as the Lord had led them personally thus far, He would lead them into their promise!

The other ten spies only saw the negatives. They looked at the physical stature of the present inhabitants and their own physical ability. They saw themselves as small as grasshoppers and even assumed that the enemy perceived them that way as well! They were filled with fear!

Fear is the very opposite of faith, and it is a sin because without faith you cannot please God! God had said that the battle was His, that He would be the One to lead them and that they would possess the land. He had proved Himself to them through many miracles.

It cost those ten spies and all adults of every tribe, except for Caleb and Joshua, the Promised Land. That was because they had seen the glory of God and His miracles, yet did not listen to His voice! (Num. 14: 21) God did not pity them for their past experiences! He had given them a new life and a new hope!

Have you received the greatest miracle, salvation? God’s Promise for you is that He will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37: 4) He will lead you to your destiny, through every obstacle that may present itself along the way, and make you victorious! He doesn’t want you to look back. He has empowered you to be strong and courageous through His Holy Spirit!

“Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom. 10: 17) The more you hear Spirit-filled faith-filled preachers open up the Word of God, the more your faith will be honed. The same holds true if you speak faith-inspiring Scripture verses out loud over your personal situation. Eventually, when you do it regularly, that Word becomes a revelation! Once that happens, you know that you know that you have received that which you have asked God for!

So, what is the major obstacle to your success? Replace your fears of the unknown, uncertainty and “I don’t know how” with: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it!”

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Ann Stewart is author of With Wings As Eagles,
an inspirational story of unwavering faith in God's Word and answered prayer.

Looking for affirmation, encouragement and inspiration, then the welcome door is wide open at Embracing All the Promises of God: Life Altering Words

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The American Gospel Train - Mountain Grade Ahead

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

My mother’s folks hailed from Virginia from humble Welch stock and resided in Charlottesville. As a young man I visited my great grandmother there and among the many curios sights was a small window in my late great grandfathers upper bedroom from which could be seen some of the green rolling hills of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home. Much more intriguing were the stories and memorabilia from my grandfather’s history as an engineer on the railroad. I was never told just when or where it was that he lost his life. His train derailed in some steep mountain pass somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains.

My fascination with trains started when I was only seven. When staying at the home of my Italian grandparents in a small town in New England I could hear the distant sound of the train whistle each morning and evening. After learning the track was only about a quarter mile behind the home I determined to find a way to reach the train as it passed. The haunting whine of the whistle provoked wonder in my heart. Where was the train going, who was on the train, what far away destinations would it reach and what were those cities, towns and villages like? The world was bigger than I could imagine and the train whistle attested that to my young heart everyday.

When I finally navigated a path to the tracks and calculated how much time was needed from the first whistle for me to get to the fence bordering the track I visited often. There I would hold tightly to the fence with fear as the ground trembled under my feet. I strained to see a face in the windows of the coaches but the whizzing train blurred everything from such a hope. Would I ever get to ride this mighty iron horse, little did I know!

Later in life I acquired what I thought was an impressive interaction with trains. From hopping a box car in New Orleans that took me down through the French Quarter to a long trip up the eastern seaboard in one of Amtrak’s sleeper couches, it was all good. I experienced the romance of eating on the fine linen of a few dining cars as the world rolled by just outside a huge plate-glass window. I have done it all I thought, I put a penny on the track and egged a few box cars in my youth but the highest point may have been a ride on the French TGV. The TGV (train a grande vitesse) rolls from Paris to the Spanish border at the awesome speed of 405 mph. As a boy the speed would not allow me to see the passengers streaming by, as an adult the speed from inside the TGV would not allow me to see almost anything unless it was several hundred yards away.

Many times in American history the Gospel (good news of salvation) has been likened to a train. An old negro spiritual “People Get Ready There’s a Train a Coming” has been sung by the Chambers Brothers, Rod Stewart and Curtis Mayfield just to name a few. To this day gospel quartets and groups are still singing Eliza Snow’s “Life’s Railway to Heaven.” Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and a plethora of other artist have all sung or recorded this song. The song is about a train and it is about life.

Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that’s brave
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave
Watch the curves, the hills, the tunnels, never falter, never fail
Keep your hand upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail

Who in America has not heard Josh Turners “Long Black Train” or seen the video where some are depicted as boarding and being lost while others are spared the ride by looking upward to God. Turner ends the tune with the somber warning to remember that Satan rides the long black train.

Trains have long been associated with the gospel in America because trains are powerful, carefully scheduled and unlike planes or cars their destinations cannot be altered. The track remains the same and while virtually nothing can stop the train it still gears down at the most insignificant spots on the map to take in a traveler. The gospel cannot be stopped or derailed either but the influences outside of it can convince sojourners that they have no need to ever get on board.

In the last decade Barna and Pew reports added to daily stories from the news are indicating that a huge number of formerly solid believers are alighting from the train for other destinations. Churches are more involved with prosperity preaching, social gospel endeavors and opening up to all religions and not just the gospel. Does that slow the train? The train can neither be slowed nor diverted from its destination the only thing that can be changed is the passenger list.

Jesus Christ has given the invitation to anyone who will listen to board the gospel train. It is the same as it was two thousand years ago, it is situated on a singular track called “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) It has only one destination which is to the presence of the Father and eventually a city that measures 1500 miles high on a new earth. There God the Father provides the light of his presence instead of the sun. The train will then be mothballed because that destination is for keeps. It is the last verse of “Life’s Railway to Heaven” that perhaps says it all.

As you roll across the trestle, spanning Jordan’s swelling tide
You’ll behold the Union depot, into which your train will glide
There you’ll meet the Superintendant, God the Father, God the Son
With a hearty joyous plaudit, weary pilgrim, welcome home

It is the train and the destination that no one need miss. It requires only a sincere and humble repentance, faith in Jesus Christ and surrender to him in obedience for the remainder of your entire life. Once onboard, God will be sure to get you through to your destination. “He will be our guide to the end. (Psalm 48:14)

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http://www.americanprophet.org is the place for news, articles, movie and book reviews and other insights for life. Rev Bresciani is a columnist for online and print publications and has over two million readers and counting.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

How to Escape the Destruction: Part 2 of 3

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Therefore, precious jeweled lights of my eyes, Allah alone has laid the most exalted of all paths before us. His quality is the one path. His actions, conduct, and good behavior are the one path. His trust, His justice, His three thousand benevolences with which He shows compassion, and His attributes that make each heart become aware—these are the one path. This is the one path which cautions us and makes us aware of our mistakes. That is the path of truth which leads us on the straight way, the path that connects us with Him.

Realize this, precious jeweled lights of my eyes. Escape from this time of destruction. Move away form the fires that are yet to come. The warnings of the destruction are appearing in the world now. The fires are spreading; they are surrounding us and approaching us. May we escape from them.

If we always trust in His protection, He will lift us up to Him. Precious jeweled lights of my eyes, He will protect us and keep us with Him. He will put out any kind of fire. Just as God protected Abraham (A.S.) from the fire into which Nimrod put him, He will protect us from these fires. Just as God protected Joseph (A.S.) from the well into which he was pushed, God will lift us from this well of illusion and protect us.

Have firm certitude of faith (iman) in this. Accept that there is none worthy of worship other than God, Allah. We must accept that there is none other than Allah who treats all lives equally. When praising Him people have given Him millions and millions of names. Yet He remains with that name, Allah. Above all the names of praise, He rules with the name, Allahu, which is a name of completeness and plenitude. He has ninety-nine names corresponding to His attributes, actions, and conduct, but He has kept this one name within Himself.

Creation, protection, sustenance, giving food, passing judgment, and making the final inquiry—all these attributes and actions are combined into the one name, Allah, which is kept within Him. This is the treasure in each one’s heart that never diminishes no matter how much is taken from it. It exists as the perfect completeness. This is that one name, Allah. The ninety-nine names of the Asma’ul-husna are His qualities, actions, conduct, and the duties that He performs. These are the attributes and actions that make each heart melt. But this one name, Allah, denotes His judgment and justice. It does not imply any praise. All the other names praise His attributes and His actions. He is perfect completeness and with that one name Allah we worship Him without praise. We must realize this, precious jeweled lights of my eyes.

People are causing the fires by which they, themselves, are going to be destroyed. These flames are spreading throughout the world, and the world is approaching destruction. People are causing these fires through religion and races, scriptures, dogmas, and colors. Aggression is the weapon they are holding in their hands. That is their nourishment, and that is what satisfies their hearts. The spreading of these conditions throughout the world is evidence of the coming destruction.

Enmity is the crowing glory of such people’s lives, hurting others is their joy, and killing is their peace. Attacking other people seems to give them a joy beyond joy. As the time of destruction approaches, these people will cause suffering to others simply for the sake of races and religions. They will initiate wars for the sake of earth, women, and gold and resolve to destroy the world for the sake of their own kindred. All their effort will be directed toward these wars and will cause the destruction. They will have hatred for goodness, the prescribed rules of God, good behavior, and love. They will try to destroy all of these and instead give a place of importance to the ‘I’. They will try to destroy peace, compassion, and equality and place importance in race. They will destroy truth and give great eminence to ‘mine’. They will love falsehood and obliterate truth, burning it to ashes.

Each race in human society will propagate in this way. These attitudes will increase in the times of destruction. The concepts of peace, equality, justice, considering other lives as one’s own, considering one’s neighbor as oneself and believing that all lives should live with peace and tranquility will not be in people’s hearts (qalbs), looks, faces, hands, or bodies. These thoughts will fly away from them. Arrogance, pride, ego, ‘I’ and ‘you’, differences, murder, and sin will be the weapons in their hands, the crown on their heads, and the prayer in their hearts. In this way, karma is spreading throughout their blood, skin, and flesh.

Karma, arrogance, wrath, differences of ‘I’ and ‘you’ are the qualities that are spreading in the world. As a result, people are seeking to discover more subtle weapons and greater fires of destruction. They will create these weapons through ignorance and the knowledge of science. Technologies will be developed to destroy human beings, their unity, and the world. There will be no peace in the hearts of these aggressors. When someone speaks about equality, they will beat that person and try to kill him. When someone speaks of peace, they will try to beat, destroy, and kill that one too. If someone else mentions God, they will seek him out and kill him. If another person speaks of faith, they will deliberately attack him. If someone speaks of prayer, they will say, “Whose is this prayer?” and try to attack him and chase him away.

This is how it will be; these people will hate anyone who speaks of good thoughts and good conduct. If a person wants to live with good thoughts, good conduct, and peace, they will try to chase him away. If one speaks of justice and laws, they will hate him and try to kill him. If truth is revealed, they will despise it and chase that person away. In place of truth, they will accept with delight and happiness whatever can change the nature of man; things such as mantras, tricks (tantras), magics, intoxicants, and drugs like marijuana and opium. All that is evil will be desirable to them, and all that is good will be detestable to them.

In the approaching times, the number of such people will increase. They will be in the majority. These qualities will develop in man, and they will be the weapons that will destroy the truth and topple the world. We must realize that this is going to happen. These people will destroy the world through the energies of water, fire, air, atoms, and many weapons. Destruction will be caused by their desire for earth, women, and gold. Many such situations are presently developing in the world and leading us to destruction. Lands are being captured. Pride and arrogance are flourishing. This state is already forming in the hearts of human beings. It is oozing in their hearts, hands, and bodies as blood. These people are so determined that they will suffer without food or water and even die for these ideas. Those are their food and water, and their thirst.

Each race, religion, and dogma is readied for war. They all have the same war in their hearts; their eyes, sights, and thoughts have all developed this way. Therefore, it will be very difficult for peace to exist in the world. It will be difficult to have the state of equality and serenity. The society of man will be focused only on creating its own destruction.

Children, who are the precious jeweled lights, we must follow the path of God. We must try to live in God’s protection with absolute certitude. We must accept God’s path and go on the straight path in the way the prophets told us. We must be determined to go on this path with melting hearts. All the prophets came bringing the words of One God. They came to teach His commandments. Although many prophets came, they all came as the children of one Adam (A.S.). They came from One God and taught the people how to progress step by step, teaching them further and further. God sent one level of teaching through one prophet, then the next level through the next prophet, and yet another level through another prophet. According to the needs of man, God continued to send prophets with greater and greater clarity. God sent His prophets to teach man step by step and raise his level of wisdom. God sent great seers, messengers (rasuls), and prophets to make us aware of truth step by step and cause our wisdom to grow. He sent them as messengers to warn us and to be witnesses to His truth.

The prophets were the bearers of the messages that were sent by God. They came to give testimony to the existence of God. They, themselves, are the proof that God exists. They came as witnesses from God and taught wisdom to man step by step. This is what happened. There are no divisions between the prophets. There are no such divisions in God’s kingdom. Truth and equality have no divisions. All the prophets came only as witnesses of God and not as individuals. They came as witnesses of God’s existence in order that we may establish our connection to Him. They came to testify to the connection between God and us. They came to tell us of the qualities and actions of God. They came to reveal to us and teach us about God, His actions, and truth. All the prophets came as witnesses in common, to prove the existence of One God. They did not come to separate us. They did not come to bring religions. They came to make us realize that One God.

We must realize this, precious jeweled lights of my eyes. If we realize this state we will see One God, one prophet, one race, one witness, one state, one kingdom of God, one family of mankind. Precious jeweled lights of my eyes, realize this with true wisdom. Open your faith (iman) and your heart (qalb), look, and accept this. When you look at separations, what results from them? Battles and wars. The world will be happy with killings. The world will hate that which truly nurtures and protects us. The world will change in this way. It will be good for you to accept the truth and go on the path of God. Then He will protect you. It is certain that He will protect you just as He protected the prophets.

To be continued... How to Escape the Destruction Part 3

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Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship. (1992). A Contemporary Sufi Speaks on The Signs of Destruction [Pamplet]. Philadelphia, PA: M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

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