After years of evangelism and follow up experience, I find that NavPress has the best material for new believers. The booklet is now called Lessons on Assurance but you can also find it as part of a bigger bible study booklet called Growing in Christ.
The material is easy to use and covers 5 main areas the devil casts doubt in a new believers life.
1. assurance of salvation
2. assurance of answered prayer
3. assurance of victory over sin
4. assurance of forgiveness
5. assurance of guidance
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Why many bloggers blogs fail
All over the internet, there are half-finished blogs that have their first and last post somewhere in 2006. You normally come across these blogs when you think of a great name for your blog ... then realise someone has taken it already!!
Here are three reasons why many people fail to maintain a blog:
1. They didn't have a reason to keep a blog in the first place. Sounds relatively obvious but quite often people sign up for a blog without any purpose for the blog. For this blog, the purpose is to give ideas and encourage people to know how to live for Christ better. Some blogs are just a mind-dump of ideas and thoughts which after a while, people realise the futility of it all.
2. There is no intended target reader. For GodHacks, the target readers are Christians and those that want to know how to live better lives in the Christian way. For some blogs, as mentioned before, it was just a mind-dump and they are starting to realise people are not that interested in what they are thinking. In fact, quite often it is probably not a good thing to let everyone know what you think, let alone the whole world!
3. The struggle to maintain a blog. Some blogs fail because people just can't be bothered. I personally find that a lot of blogs run by Christians continue to run because a Christian's motivation to blog in the first place was more long term than others. Many Christians want to impact the world in a bigger way and embark on a blog to do so. This is a strong motivation if you continue to walk with God consistently.
There are heaps more reasons but these are some. Perhaps you have one or two reasons you have thought of why blogs fail.
Here are three reasons why many people fail to maintain a blog:
1. They didn't have a reason to keep a blog in the first place. Sounds relatively obvious but quite often people sign up for a blog without any purpose for the blog. For this blog, the purpose is to give ideas and encourage people to know how to live for Christ better. Some blogs are just a mind-dump of ideas and thoughts which after a while, people realise the futility of it all.
2. There is no intended target reader. For GodHacks, the target readers are Christians and those that want to know how to live better lives in the Christian way. For some blogs, as mentioned before, it was just a mind-dump and they are starting to realise people are not that interested in what they are thinking. In fact, quite often it is probably not a good thing to let everyone know what you think, let alone the whole world!
3. The struggle to maintain a blog. Some blogs fail because people just can't be bothered. I personally find that a lot of blogs run by Christians continue to run because a Christian's motivation to blog in the first place was more long term than others. Many Christians want to impact the world in a bigger way and embark on a blog to do so. This is a strong motivation if you continue to walk with God consistently.
There are heaps more reasons but these are some. Perhaps you have one or two reasons you have thought of why blogs fail.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Is www.GoMessenger.net a scam?
I received an email claiming to be from a friend on my msn contact but I am not sure whether it is a scam. If you have tried this website out and you did discover someone has blocked you - could you please reply to this via the comments section? I have a feeling that it is a scam but one to pick up your msn contacts, not one which steals your password or anything.
So, is gomessenger.net a scam?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Does God REALLY care if Christians date or marry non Christians?
FOrget what your pastor, friend, parent or teacher says for a moment and let God speak on his own behalf through His own words (using King James version because its the closest to the original):
2 Corinthians 6
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
So, how many ways did God say we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers?
(1) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: (2) for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and (3) what communion hath light with darkness? And (4) what concord hath Christ with Belial? or (5) what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And (6) what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? (7) for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Interpret it whatever way you want but it seems clear what God was saying. If we are not to marry non Christians, then we should not start relationships with them.
This sounds so limiting If you believe God created the world in six days, you can be sure He will find you a life partner that suits you, which does not have to contradict His own instructions (repeated seven times in seven different ways in case you missed the point).
That's mean to unbelievers What is meaner is that if we presume you are Christian, you must believe that we are sinners, deserving of Hell but only through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us we can be saved. If we presume that is what you believe, what is meaner is when you don't seek as your first priority as bringing your girlfriend or boyfriend to salvation first. They are heading to hell and all you care about is your feelings for her?
If you want to proceed with marriage with a non Christian, be prepared to have Satan as your father in law.
2 Corinthians 6
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
So, how many ways did God say we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers?
(1) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: (2) for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and (3) what communion hath light with darkness? And (4) what concord hath Christ with Belial? or (5) what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And (6) what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? (7) for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Interpret it whatever way you want but it seems clear what God was saying. If we are not to marry non Christians, then we should not start relationships with them.
This sounds so limiting If you believe God created the world in six days, you can be sure He will find you a life partner that suits you, which does not have to contradict His own instructions (repeated seven times in seven different ways in case you missed the point).
That's mean to unbelievers What is meaner is that if we presume you are Christian, you must believe that we are sinners, deserving of Hell but only through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us we can be saved. If we presume that is what you believe, what is meaner is when you don't seek as your first priority as bringing your girlfriend or boyfriend to salvation first. They are heading to hell and all you care about is your feelings for her?
If you want to proceed with marriage with a non Christian, be prepared to have Satan as your father in law.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
3 Essential Lessons on Marriage
Three FREE essential lessons on marriage that every person intending to get married should hear (comments from sermonaudio.com listeners added in)
Choosing to Love - Dr Greg Mazak (Bob Jones University)
Thank you for the great message! I never knew this! For long, i've wondered what is truely necessary before marriage I'd like to share this great truth with my friends
Destroying Pop Christian Views of Marital Bliss (for the guys) - Paul Washer
I'm not married, or in a "relationship," but this sermon was awesome and gave me a whole new paradigm for marriage. I was one of the "get married and go minister together" kind of mentality. But I realize now there is so much more depth... Praise God for this message.
Destroying Pop Christian Views of Marital Bliss 2 (for the ladies) - Paul Washer
I have listened to A LOT of sermons on marriage but none better than this. I was convicted to the core that what was preached is the truth we all need to hear.
Know any more?
Choosing to Love - Dr Greg Mazak (Bob Jones University)
Thank you for the great message! I never knew this! For long, i've wondered what is truely necessary before marriage I'd like to share this great truth with my friends
Destroying Pop Christian Views of Marital Bliss (for the guys) - Paul Washer
I'm not married, or in a "relationship," but this sermon was awesome and gave me a whole new paradigm for marriage. I was one of the "get married and go minister together" kind of mentality. But I realize now there is so much more depth... Praise God for this message.
Destroying Pop Christian Views of Marital Bliss 2 (for the ladies) - Paul Washer
I have listened to A LOT of sermons on marriage but none better than this. I was convicted to the core that what was preached is the truth we all need to hear.
Know any more?
How to succeed in building a happy marriage
Lessons learnt in Pre-Marital Counseling training
There is no such thing as compatibility and falling in love.
Love is NOT just
There is no such thing as compatibility and falling in love.
Love is NOT just
- a feeling (lust is)
- "something that happened"
Love is
- a choice
- giving, not getting
- preferring the other person over your own personal interests (now can you see why marriages fail?)
Two Christians are ready to get married only when they have demonstrated adequately in scenarios posed to them that they are willing to and able to solve problems by thinking through things through God's word. The Bible is very practical and meant to be used to solve ALL of life's problems.
Everyone is different in the way they think. Two people getting married are not meant to think the same. That is why books like Men from Mars and Women from Venus are so popular because they express God's plan - to make men and women completely different so that together they can solve family problems from two perspectives and be able to approach problems more comprehensively.
Its more important that a couple think together than they think alike. If they learn to process problems together, that will set them up for marriage and if they know how to appreciate the different points of view that they come from, they can be an example to others of God's way marriage was intended to be - successful and long lasting marriage.
Lifehack - Why you should get Pre-Marital (Marriage) Counseling
Pre-marital Counseling Why is it so important? If 50-75% of the cars manufactured by Toyota blew up in the early part of their expected life, everyone would be shocked! Problem is, marriages are not given the same level of attention as manufacture of cars – even though marriage break downs can have an equally devastating effect. If you are going to get married, you should go for the most extensive counseling you can get.
Why else:
- It’s the second most important decision in a person’s life (other than receiving God’s forgiveness and ensuring that we are going to heaven)
- God treats marriage very seriously, we should too
- The Church is made up of families
- The more time the Church spends on pre-marital counseling, the less it spends on divorce, family problems, marriage counseling and other related problems
- You spend much of your formative years in a family and it dictates what person you become
- It’s easier to change a relationship at the beginning than in the middle of a relationship
- It’s easier to do marriage when the guidelines are set at the beginning
Where to get Pre-Marriage Counseling? From the Church. Marriage came from the Bible. God instituted Adam and Eve to be married so if you ARE going to get married, do it God’s way. Some Churches have a very slack marriage counseling program. If yours does, find another one. It’s worth it.
What kind of Pre-Marriage Counseling? Since every individual is created differently, it is better to learn from the author of mankind (God) than to learn from someone else’s experience. Some people will only teach you based on their experiences, don’t learn from them if that is all they offer! God has a vested interest in making marriages work (because he uses marriage as an example of his relationship to the Church) so he also has very clear and defined instructions on marriage.
Bob Jones University has a Pre-Marital counselling series on video which Churches or individuals can purchase or borrow for a semester. This series is excellent as it is based on Biblical principles not people’s experiences.
Unit Five: Premarital Counseling
Overview of the premarital counseling process
God's goals for marriage
Essential habits of Christian character
Biblical roles in marriage
Biblical communication and problem solving
Finances, sex, & in-laws
Follow this link for more details http://www.bjupress.com/services/ibe/courses/special_topics/biblical_counseling_series.htm
Evangelism is NOT an obligation its a PRIVILEGE
When you see anything as an obligation or just as a commandment, you will not be able to do it long. In the long term, that motivation will not last. If you want to do something for God, such as evangelism, prayer, reading the Bible you have to make yourself see that these are privileges that are open to Christians. You don't need to command someone to support a basketball team that they love. You don't command your husband to love you. These things are best done when we realise how privileged we are to have these available to us.
With Evangelism you are sharing the joy of salvation with people who are already condemned! You are providing a cure for a disease that will bring them eternal punishment. You are helping show a man on death row that he can receive a pardon from the judge. If you can see your friend, neighbour, stranger or colleague standing at the pit of hell in great despair, your prayer for them and your fervency in evangelism will increase. But always remember that they are not good people in trouble with a bad God. They are bad people in trouble with a good, Holy, Just and Loving God. If you get this wrong, their conversion will be spurious.
With Evangelism you are sharing the joy of salvation with people who are already condemned! You are providing a cure for a disease that will bring them eternal punishment. You are helping show a man on death row that he can receive a pardon from the judge. If you can see your friend, neighbour, stranger or colleague standing at the pit of hell in great despair, your prayer for them and your fervency in evangelism will increase. But always remember that they are not good people in trouble with a bad God. They are bad people in trouble with a good, Holy, Just and Loving God. If you get this wrong, their conversion will be spurious.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
How to get over hating yourself
As news reports indicate, mistreatment of children is tragically common. And kids wounded by abuse can be scarred for life. Fortunately, most people's experiences aren't that extreme. But even mild hurts can fester, affecting relationships and self-image.
The Origin. The bondage of self-rejection can often be traced to feeling unaccepted by someone close. Trauma like divorce or a loved one's death may also contribute to a distorted self-image. Once internalized, this type of thought pattern can lead to negative behaviors.
The Symptoms. If a person has trouble accepting himself, he may have a tendency to criticize others and interpret innocent comments as personal attacks. Perfectionism and feelings of inferiority are also common. As a result, fear of failure and criticism may lead to procrastination.
Unpredictable anger is another outcome of self-rejection. With people who are hurt, frustration may ignite easily. Such individuals might become loners or feel overly concerned about others' opinions. For example, instead of concentrating on a church service, one may notice what people are wearing and feel insecure about her own outfit. Someone with this mindset can be hard to love because she questions whether she's worthy of care and affection. Sadly, she may then behave in a way that "proves" her theory.
The solution is found in today's scripture: Believers are to accept one another as Jesus accepts them. This includes accepting themselves. Ask God to search your heart and reveal any areas of self-rejection.
The Origin. The bondage of self-rejection can often be traced to feeling unaccepted by someone close. Trauma like divorce or a loved one's death may also contribute to a distorted self-image. Once internalized, this type of thought pattern can lead to negative behaviors.
The Symptoms. If a person has trouble accepting himself, he may have a tendency to criticize others and interpret innocent comments as personal attacks. Perfectionism and feelings of inferiority are also common. As a result, fear of failure and criticism may lead to procrastination.
Unpredictable anger is another outcome of self-rejection. With people who are hurt, frustration may ignite easily. Such individuals might become loners or feel overly concerned about others' opinions. For example, instead of concentrating on a church service, one may notice what people are wearing and feel insecure about her own outfit. Someone with this mindset can be hard to love because she questions whether she's worthy of care and affection. Sadly, she may then behave in a way that "proves" her theory.
The solution is found in today's scripture: Believers are to accept one another as Jesus accepts them. This includes accepting themselves. Ask God to search your heart and reveal any areas of self-rejection.
READ | Romans 15:7
This article comes from http://ww2.intouch.org/site/lookup.asp?c=dhKHIXPKIuE&b=2316001
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