Most Commented Religion & Spirituality Blogs (1,494)

“Lord, why do I have such a hard time stepping out of my shell and trying new things? Why do I get so anxious and afraid at even the thought of it? Today I’m going to ask You for the courage my spirit needs. You are God, and Your love eternal is with me in all deeds.”

Yesterday [I was] thinking about how difficult it can be to step out of our safety zone. The stress, anxiety and fear of trying something new, moving on to a new relationship, job, trying a new routine, can be so very stressful.

We hear, over and over again, that the first step is the hardest. From experience and being someone that is a little (or a lot) OCD, I can tell you that this is very true. I can spend days, weeks, months and even years before I can face some changes in my life.

The “trick,” so to say, in this is to have faith in God so that the first step we take in any new venture is guided by Him and on the path that He has already created for us, before time began. I like to thank God before I start a new venture, knowing that when a new direction is in His will, it will always go according to His plan for me. The road does not always seem to be easy, but it ends up always adding value to my life and often to those around me.

Numbers 10:9 says: “When you go into battle [face the unknown] in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you [which can sometimes be fear within ourselves], sound a blast on the trumpets [in other words, praise God!]. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.”—Easter Ellen1

Step out in faith

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”—Matthew 14:25–31

But there’s another interesting lesson for us here. Peter was the only disciple who had the courage to get out of the boat! Yes, he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink as a result. Still, he was the only disciple to experience the miracle of walking on water with the Master.

If you are going to do anything substantial for God, there are going to be times when He beckons you to get out of the boat and step out in faith. That means leaving your safety zone behind. It also means taking some risks. If you’re waiting for the water to come inside the boat before you’ll walk on it, you can forget it. God will not force you to get out of the boat. But if He calls you and you don’t answer, you will never know what awesome things He had planned for you. If you feel that the Lord is asking you today to step out in faith, tell Him you want His direction and timing, and ask Him to give you the courage you need to do His will. Then prepare to step out of the boat and into God’s glory!

Prayer: Lord, when I go through trials, help me to keep my eyes off my circumstances and on You. Hold me up and guide me safely through the storms of life. Whenever You call me to step out in faith, give me Your direction, discernment, and courage. Help me to be bold but not foolhardy. Help me to never jump ahead of Your plan or lag behind. Thank You for making me an overcomer and an instrument of Your glory.—J. M. Farro2

1 todayicanwithgod.wordpress.com/tag/devotional.
2 Life on the Go Devotional for Dads (Harrison House, 2006).





Anchor TFI [Video Posted - "God of Wonders!"]

Dialogue means trying to understand the other with an open mind. Dialogue is a rare phenomenon and it is beautiful, because both are enriched. In fact, while you talk, either it can be a discussion – a verbal fight, trying to prove that I am right and you are wrong – or a dialogue. Dialogue is taking each other´s hand, moving together towards the truth, helping each other to find the way. It is togetherness, it is a cooperation, it is a harmonious effort to find the truth. It is not in any way a fight, not at all. It is a friendship, moving together to find the truth, helping each other to find the truth. Nobody has the truth already, but when two persons start finding out, inquiring about the truth together, that is dialogue – and both are enriched. And when truth is found, it is neither of me, nor of you. When truth is found, it is greater than both of us who participated in the inquiry, it is higher than both, it surrounds both - and both are enriched.

I really don't understand what direction my life is going to. It is like I wake up to the same routine everyday. I do the motions of being a teacher. Yes, life as a teacher is always different everyday but you go through the same motion without variation, it becomes boring. I feel like a robot just going through the same thing. Did anyone ever experience that at one point in your life?

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:2, 9 KJV

"We live like Heaven already, a little bit of Heaven right here and now! What could we have more?--Only more of the same and better!
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"Heaven is simply going to be an intensification, amplification, magnification and extension of all the thrills and joys and pleasures of this life, the Heaven on Earth that we're now enjoying, only it will be even more Heavenly there, and forever, praise God! !
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"One reason I like to talk about Heaven, think about Heaven and read about Heaven is because, after all, that's where we're going to spend Eternity, so it's a pretty important place and we ought to be pretty interested, don't you think? It's our Eternal Home, the place Jesus has gone to prepare for us forever, so we certainly ought to be interested in it and want to know what it's like and what we're going to be like when we get there!
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"The Lord may want to colonise other Worlds with His new perfect children! What's the whole Universe for and all this huge amount of space if He's only interested in colonising one little Planet? What an incubation! What an incubator for other civilizations!--Right here on the New Earth and the Heavenly City!
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"Heaven's the place where all your heart's desires are fulfilled! Put in your order! I'm sure the Lord will be glad to have anything there for you that you want!
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"The reason the church doesn't deal with some of these questions about Heaven is they're afraid of the answers! If you could have babies in Heaven, then you could have sex in Heaven!--And that's horrifying to the churches!


Conclusion

Many aspects of Heaven have been presented in these pages. However, some questions remain unanswered. Perhaps the most important is, "How can I know for certain that I am going to Heaven?" Most of us want to go, but when pressed, aren't really sure if we qualify.

The same God who loves us enough to create us, this life, the universe and the Heaven we have just read about has made it very easy for each of us to be assured of a place there. It is best summed up in a very simple, but very important verse from the Bible.

For God so loved the world [each of us], that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

--Jesus, John 3:16, NKJ

God loves each of us in a very special way. He knows that the only way we're going to be truly happy and personally fulfilled is to live with Him forever. To make this possible, He sent His Son, Jesus, to show us how to live and love, and to die for us. Jesus is the bridge between this life and Heaven.

And don't ever think that you are too "bad" to go to Heaven. God knows everything you have ever done or said or even thought, and He still loves you unconditionally. Heaven is full of sinners -- that is, people who have done bad things, but asked God for His forgiveness. All He wants you to do is to tell Him you're sorry and invite Him into your life.

Would you like to know for sure that you're going to Heaven? If you wish, you can sincerely pray this simple prayer:

"Jesus, I want to know You and to live forever in Heaven. I know I've made mistakes and done bad things -- and I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve it, but I accept Your love and ask that I can be with You in Heaven. Please come into my life and help me, and give me peace."

God has promised to answer your prayer, so you now have a home in Heaven! God bless you with a wonderful, fulfilling eternity! See you there!





PowerPointParadise TFI [Posted Video - "The Time Traveler's Wife"]

As Christmas approaches, it's another fleeting feeling of warmth, love and happiness that passes.

I've always liked Christmas for some reason even though I'm from Asia and my family doesn't celebrate Christmas. But I think the media and now border less communication has spread the christmas joy so that everyone can feel this festive feeling of gifts, dinner, family get together and love.

Christmas has a new meaning as life progresses. From partying with friends, attending midnight mass hearing about christ's infinite love to understanding that the love taught by Jesus exists in everything including hate (which is love for self instead of others but it is still love).

My understanding through the years of this love taught by Jesus is what makes this Christmas different from the ones that have passed.

I hope on this Christmas Day and he new year ahead, we can remember this infinite love and tolerance so that the world may be a more peaceful place for all to live in and an earth that finds harmony in this love we send to it.

Merry Christmas.

If you love somebody and the whole day you say, "I love you, I love you,"

many times — and you enjoy saying it –

in the beginning the other person may be happy,

but sooner or later the thing is going to be too much.

"I love you, I love you" — you are making a beautiful word useless.

Don't use it too much.

Then it is significant, then it carries some meaning.

In fact those who are really in love may not use it at all.

If the love is not shown by itself it cannot be said — there is no need to say it.

And if it is shown by itself, then what is the need to say it?

There should be a few key words which you use rarely, very rarely.

They should be kept for rare occasions when you touch a peak.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV

By David Berg Sep 22, 2014

“The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voiceand come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life.”—John 5:28–291

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”—1 John 3:22

When Jesus comes, a wonderful miracle takes place—the Resurrection. All of those who belong to Him, all the saved, will then have a glorious resurrection—either from the dead or instantly changed and raised from the very face of the earth, from the living. Then we will all go to be with the Lord to have the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb, while the Wrath of God is being poured out upon those who remain on the earth.

His return and our consequent resurrection are spoken of many times throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Many times we’re told in various ways of this great, apocalyptic event. Although the word “rapture” itself is not found in the Scriptures, it is a handy little word because it sums up the coming of the Lord in the clouds, the sounding of the trumpet, the dead being raised, the living saved being translated, and all of us being gathered together to be with the Lord.

The apostle Paul gives a very revelatory insight into this marvelous event in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”3 He says, “I don’t want you to be so ignorant that you don’t know what’s going to happen when Jesus comes. I don’t want you to sorrow over death, not realizing there’s going to be a resurrection.”

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.”4 Those who are asleep in Jesus is an oft-used expression and it means “the dead in Christ,” as explained in verse 16 of this same chapter—those who have died in the Lord, born-again Christians who have already gone on to be with Jesus. All of our dear loved ones who have departed from this life are already with the Lord. Their bodies, you might say, are asleep and have gone back to dust if they’ve been there long enough. But they themselves, their spirits, are not sleeping in the grave. They’re with Jesus. “For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”5 They’ve “departed to be with Christ, which is far better.”6

Jesus will come back with the spirits of all these departed saints so that they can pick up their new resurrected bodies. God wants to prove that He can raise the dead, so He’s going to raise them from the dead, literally, but in a new body—a new resurrected body like the one He had when He rose. That’s going to be beautiful! Their new, glorified, supernatural, resurrection bodies are going to rise and are going to get together with their spirits at the moment of Christ’s coming.

So the dead in Christ are going to come back with the Lord, and He says that “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord”—those of us who are still living when Jesus comes—“shall not prevent them which are asleep.”7 The literal meaning here is that they which are alive will not precede or go before them which are asleep. The Lord says He’s going to let them be resurrected and rise first. Those who have died in the Lord and have gone on to be with Him go first.

1 NKJV.
2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible verses are from the King James Version.
3 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
4 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
5 2 Corinthians 5:8.
6 Philippians 1:23.
7 1 Thessalonians 4:15.






Anchor TFI

Three things are to be remembered. Firstly, death. Remember, all life-needs force you to move outward. If you want to move inward, death must become a basic concern; otherwise you cannot move inward. That is why it happened that persons like Buddha, who became deeply conscious of death, started moving inward. Only when you become aware of death will you create the need to look back.

Life looks outward. Unless you become aware of death, religion is meaningless for you. That is why animals have no religion. They are alive, they are as much alive as man, or even more, but they cannot be conscious of death, they cannot conceive of death, they cannot see death in the future.

They see that others are dying, but it never occurs to the animal mind that this death is an indication of his death also.

For the animal mind death always occurs to others. And if for you also death is just something which happens to others, you still live in the animal mind. If you are not aware of death, you have not yet become man. That is the basic difference between animal and man-because animal cannot be aware of death, only man can be. If you are not aware of death you are not a man yet, and only man creates the need to move inward.

To me, man means awareness of death. I am not saying become afraid of death; that is not awareness. Just be aware of the fact that death is coming nearer and nearer and you have to be prepared for it.

Life has its own needs; death creates its own needs. That is why younger societies are irreligious - because younger societies are not yet aware of the phenomenon of death; it has not become a central concern for them. An older society - for example, India, one of the oldest societies in existence - is so much aware of death. Because of that awareness, deep down India is religious.

So the first thing: become aware of death. Think about it, look at it, contemplate it. Do not be afraid, do not escape the fact. It is there and you cannot escape it! It has come into existence with you.

Your death is born with you; now you cannot escape it. You have hidden it in yourself - become aware of it. The moment you become aware that you are going to die, that death is certain, your total mind will start looking in a different dimension. Then food is a basic need for the body, but not for the being, because even if you get food death will occur. Food cannot protect you from death, food can only postpone. Food can help you to postpone. If you get a good shelter, a good house, it will not protect you from death. it will only help you to die conveniently, comfortably. And death, whether it happens comfortably or uncomfortably, is the same.

In life you may be poor or rich, but death is the great equalizer. The greatest communism is in death.

Howsoever you live, it makes no difference; death happens equally. In life, equality is impossible; in death, inequality is impossible. Become aware of it, contemplate it. And it is not only that death is certain somewhere in the future: with the idea that it is very far away, you will again not be able to contemplate it. The mind has a very small range; the focus of the mind is very small. You cannot think beyond thirty years. After thirty years there will be death... it is as if you are not going to die.

Strange sounds were heard at about two. They were never heard when the train was passing; the people had become accustomed to the train. Now suddenly the train stopped. They were waiting to hear it in their sleep; they had become accustomed to it, conditioned. They were waiting, and the sound was not there. Absence was heard, and this absence was something new. They felt uneasy about it, they couldn't sleep.

So for the first time it was understood that if you are constantly hearing something and it stops, you will hear the absence of it. So do not think that you will simply not hear it. You will hear the absence, the negative part of it will be heard. If I look at you, and then if I close my eyes, I see your negative.

If you look at the window and then close your eyes you will see the negative of the window, and the negative can be so forceful that if you suddenly look at the wall the negative will be projected on the wall. You will be seeing the negative.

Just as there are negatives of photographs, there are negative sounds. Not only can the eyes see the negative, the ears can even hear the negative. So when you close your ears, you hear the negative world of sounds. All the sounds have stopped. Suddenly a new sound is heard. This sound is the absence of sound. A gap has come in. You are missing something, and then you hear this absence.
OR, BY PUTTING THE FINGERS IN THE EARS, HEAR THE SOUND OF SOUNDS. That negative sound is known as the sound of sounds - because it is not really a sound, but its absence. Or, it is a natural sound, because it is not created by anything.

All sounds are created. The sound you hear when you close your ears is not a created sound. If the whole world becomes absolutely silent, then you will hear the silence also. Pascal is reported to have said, "The moment I think about the infinite cosmos, the silence of the infinite cosmos makes me very much afraid." The silence makes him afraid because sounds are only on the earth. Sounds need atmosphere. The moment you go beyond the earth's atmosphere there are no sounds - only absolute silence. That silence you can create even on the earth, if you close both of your ears completely. Then you are on the earth, but you have moved; you have dropped below sounds.

Astronauts are being trained for many things, and one thing is to be in the silence. They have to be trained in silent chambers so that they become accustomed to soundlessness; otherwise they will go mad. Many problems face them, and this is one of the deepest problems: how to be away from the human world of sounds. Then you become isolated.

If you are lost in the forest and you hear a certain word, you may not know the source but you are less afraid. Someone is there! You are not alone! In soundlessness, you are alone. In a crowd, if you close both of your ears totally and move in, you are alone. The crowd has disappeared, because it was through sounds that you could know others were there.