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By Maria Fontaine July 2016

“He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God’s nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.”1

Jesus described Himself as “the light of the world,”2 but have you ever contemplated what that means? Jesus is the radiant brilliance of the Father that shines into our lives, manifesting the love and nature of God, illumining our way to the Father so that we can experience and ultimately come to understand who God is.

John 1 says that “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”3 We couldn’t live without physical light that nourishes our bodies and the physical world around us. Likewise, without the spiritual light of God who is the source of all life, we would be spiritually lost and in “the shadow of death.” The Bible says concerning Jesus, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”4

When Jesus came to earth, He brought us the spiritual life of God that frees those who receive it, delivering them from death.5 That’s the essence of what salvation is: God sent His light to us, which is the source of eternal life, and when we take Jesus into our lives, we start to be filled with the brightness and life of God.

And Jesus is more than just the light, as incomprehensibly amazing as that is. He is also the imprint of God’s nature.

An imprint is a mark that identifies the maker, and God’s imprint in Jesus is the nature of God Himself. Jesus manifested God the Father’s nature through all He said and did. He presented God in a way that we, His human creations, could understand. As we look at Jesus and His life, we see glimpses of the very nature of God, the love of God, the expectations of God for us, and the mercy, forgiveness, and compassion of our God who has given us so much more than we could ask or imagine.6

We see a God who will face even the greatest of sacrifices for the results they will bring,7 who cares enough to seek out the lost and patiently guide them into His arms.8

We see God’s nature in every miracle, in every word of forgiveness and hope Jesus spoke, and in His love that sees the good and possibilities, even when we’re at our worst. We see the tender gentleness as well as the fury against evil. Best of all, we see the way that God’s imprint on us can cause His light to shine out of our lives too and illumine others.9

God’s radiance, Jesus, came into this world in such a small form: as a baby in a stable. So few even took notice. Yet He became the greatest thing that ever happened, providing salvation for all who would accept Him. As we grow closer to Jesus, we can increasingly radiate God’s Spirit in this life and ultimately throughout the universe and eternity.

Who would have imagined that such a troubled and seemingly “unblessed” beginning for that tiny new life would usher in the radiant imprint of God’s life and glory and sovereignty for all to see?

So if you feel like things have gone wrong in your life and are looking pretty bleak right now, you can still rejoice. If you have Jesus in your life, even the smallest space holds the potential for glorious things.

That’s cause to face your day with a smile, because through the radiance of God’s nature made flesh for you, your future couldn’t be more wonderful.

1. Hebrews 1:3 ESV
2. John 8:12
3. v.4
4. Matthew 4:16
5. See Ephesians 2:4–5.
6. See Ephesians 3:20.
7. See Hebrews 12:2.
8. See Luke 19:10.
9. See 1 John 3:1






Activated TFI [Post Music Audio - "Music with Heavenly Magic" - TFI]

On Earth As It Is In Heaven


Allow me to make one quick point before we move on. As we pray we must be ever mindful that the phrase "in heaven" is inextricably woven together with each of the first three petitions of the prayer of Jesus. We begin by praying that the name of our Father in heaven be hallowed. We continue by praying, "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." And we conclude with the words "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

This is of course, is not by accident. Rather it is a daily reminder that we are to live with heaven in mind. As we launch into the last three petitions of the prayer of Jesus, in which the Master teaches us how to bring our requests to God, we should never lose sight of our priorities. R.C. Sproul, in his inimitable style, makes the point, "We do not come rushing into God's presence arrogantly, assaulting Him with our petty requests, forgetting whom we are addressing. We are to make certain that we have properly exalted the God of creation. Only after God has been rightly honored, adored, and exalted, do the subsequent petitions of God's people assume their proper place

The prayer of Jesus is divided into essentially two parts. The first is focused on God's glory. Thus, we pray, "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done." The second is focused on our needs. From this point on we will pray for ourselves-our provisions, our pardon, and our protection. It is the third petition that brings the Lord's Prayer down to earth, making the transition from our Father up in heaven to His children down on earth." In the words of the great church father Tertullian:

How gracefully has the Divine Wisdom arranged the order of the prayer; so that after things heavenly- that is, after the "Name" of God, the "Will" of God, and the "Kingdom" of God- it should give earthly necessities also room for a petition!




Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread



Remember the scene from Luke 11 that was described in chapter one? Jesus has just returned from one of His private prayer sessions, His face awash with the glory of His Father's presence. The disciples immediately encircle Him. One of them, perhaps Peter, verbalizes the words, but they were all thinking the same thing. "Lord, he says in a voice mixed with urgency and anticipation, "whatever it is you experience when you disappear for those long stretches and pray, we really want to know about it."


Jesus smiles. The time has come for Him to unveil the principles of prayer to His disciples. As usual, He begins with a story (see. Lk. 11:5-11). Pointing to Peter, He says, "imagine going to your neighbor's house at midnight and asking him if you can borrow three loaves of bread." A smile breaks out on Thomas's face. He can't help but chuckle at the irony of the Bread of Life telling a story about borrowing bread. "Your neighbor is fast asleep," Jesus continues, "so you pound on the door frantically and shout, 'Wake up! I need your help! A friend of mine just shown up on my doorstep, and my cupboard is bare!"


Jesus cups His hands around His mouth for effect. "Don't bother me!' the neighbor yells back. I've locked up the house and my kids are in bed. I just can't help you tonight.''' Peter wasn't very good at keeping a poker face. His thoughts might has well have been three-inch neon letters flashing across his forehead. "Yeah, right," Peter murmurs to himself, "this guy can't help? Or won't!" James and John locked eyes knowingly. If Peter knocked on my door in the middle of the night, they each were thinking, I wouldn't get up either!


"I tell you the truth," Jesus explains, "Peter had just kept banging on the door, his neighbor would have given him bread. Not so much because he was a good neighbor, but because of Peter's persistence."






Continue....

“Always stand on principle, even if you stand alone.”–John Quincy Adams

Daniel did not protest as an observer outside the system: he protested as a participant. It is important to bear this in mind, not least when we hear the term “apocalyptic literature” being used in connection with the book of Daniel. This description tends to conjure up the idea of some wild and irrational prophet of doom, warning people to flee society, barricade themselves like monks or hermits against the world and await the imminent, all-engulfing cataclysm that marks the end of history. Well, if that is what “apocalyptic” means, it clearly does not apply to Daniel or his friends. We do not deny that Daniel has much to say about the future in his book, some of it bleak in its implications. But, far from leading him to run away from society and responsibility, the revelation he had of the future led him to live a very full professional life at the highest levels of administration in the empire. Daniel’s understanding of God did not lead to his developing a ghetto mentality but to taking a full and prominent part in the life of Babylon.—John Lennox

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True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement.—Pope John Paul II

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The word evangelism often stirs strong and conflicting emotions, even for the follower of Christ. Engaging with others in this seemingly daunting task may incite enthusiasm as well as discomfort. Yet one thing is certain, as article four of the Lausanne Covenant recognizes: “Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so be reconciled to God.” As such, evangelism done properly will awaken a sense of need within the hearer, and more importantly, evangelism done persuasively will show that if Christianity is true, it will provide an answer to that need. Christ must be seen not only to be the answer: His words must also be seen to be true.—Ravi Zacharias

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“Ye are the salt of the earth.”7 Salt makes one thirsty. Does your life make others thirsty for the water of life?—Billy Graham

7 Matthew 5:13 KJV.

**
God's Word tells us to publish the glad tidings, not the sad tidings!

Words are real things! They bless or they curse; they lift up or they knock down; they save or they damn! -- Jesus commanded us to preach the Gospel, which means "good news," not bad news! We love to proclaim God's great goodnesses to us, which are so many! God's Word says that whatsoever things are of good report, think on these things! (Phil.4:8).

So count your blessings and think on the positive things! Don't look at all the negative things and trials of the Devil and doubts and fears and woes and troubles and tribulations and afflictions! -- Get so full of the Spirit that all you want to do is talk about Jesus! -- Get your mind off of those negative things and think about all your blessings! -- Dwell on the positive, not the negative! -- Speak evil of no man -- even yourself!

Let's talk about Jesus! Let's talk about Love -- His Love! -- Let's just hear what Jesus has done -- in you and through you and by you and about you and to you and with you and for you -- and all about Jesus!

So help us, Lord, to be positive, help us to be encouraging, loving, faithful, cheerful, praising Thee, always loving Thee and loving each other. Hallelujah!





Anchor TFI [Posted Video - "I Am" (Crowder song)

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV)

Inspired by David Berg

The beautiful world of the future

OLD GRANDFATHER LOVES TO WATCH THE GOLDEN CITY IN THE BIG BLUE BUBBLE RISE OVER THE MOUNTAINS! Every day he perches himself in his favorite spot right on time to watch this magnificent Globe begin its climb into the sky overhead. Today some of his family and neighbors are busy below, preparing a cottage for one of his granddaughters who is about to get married.

GRANDFATHER CAN REMEMBER WHEN THE GREAT GOLDEN CITY FIRST APPEARED IN THE SKY over 800 years ago, way back in the 1990's! Though he was just a teenager then, the memories of the Age before the City arrived are still with him. His children and grandchildren always marvel at his incredible tales and stories about how strange life was in those days!

MEN WERE CRUEL and UNKIND TO EACH OTHER THEN. Nations trained their young men to fight in horrible conflicts called wars, where millions of people were wounded and killed! People crowded together by the millions, stacked on top of each other in tall towers in huge artificial environments called cities!--Where foul polluting vehicles roared and raced through the streets and skies!

GRANDFATHER'S STORIES ABOUT HIS ESCAPE FROM THE ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT that arose just 7 years before the Golden City arrived always amazes his listeners! The evil leader of the World Government had claimed that he was God, and had demanded that all the World worship him and be branded with his Mark. Because Grandfather's parents were devout members of another religion, they refused to worship the World leader, and therefore had to flee deep into the jungle where they hid from the World Government police for over three years!

HIS CHILDREN FIND IT HARD TO IMAGINE THE DANGERS that Grandfather and his family met in the jungle back then.--For now poisonous serpents, deadly spiders and stinging or biting insects no longer exist!--Nor have they ever seen any ferocious or dangerous lions, tigers or crocodiles.--These animals are all tame and friendly now--the pets of children!

HIS GRANDCHILDREN CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THAT BEFORE THE GOLDEN CITY CAME THAT PEOPLE USED TO GROW OLD and wrinkled and die of old age when they were only 60, 70 or 80 years old!--Grandfather's beautiful granddaughter whom we see picking flowers in this picture is 120 years old and is still considered to be a young girl!--People on Earth now age very slowly, and some, like Grandfather, are already well into their 800's!

IT'S ALWAYS THRILLING WHEN GRANDFATHER TELLS ABOUT THE DAY THAT THE FLYING-PEOPLE FIRST CHARGED OUT OF THE SKY, riding on great flying horses to rid the World of the evil empire of the One-World dictator! Then it was the World Government forces' turn to flee and hide! But no matter where they hid, the super-human Flying-People sought them out and destroyed them all, until at last, the bestial dictator and all of his cruel and hateful worshipers were destroyed!

THE BILLIONS OF FLYING-PEOPLE THEN WENT TO EVERY COUNTRY, every province, every island, everywhere on Earth, to teach all of the surviving people the ways of their great new King--Jesus! A massive clean-up campaign was launched around the World and all weapons of war were burned and destroyed. Most of the big cities of the World had already fallen, either in the terrible Nuclear War in the last weeks of the World Government's reign or in the gigantic earthquake that struck just before the Flying-People's invasion!








Deeptruths TFI [Posted Video - "Perfect Strangers" - Jonas Blue]

THE POLICEMAN STOOD AND FACED HIS GOD,
WHICH MUST ALWAYS COME TO PASS.
HE HOPED HIS SHOES WERE SHINING,
JUST AS BRIGHTLY AS HIS BRASS.

"STEP FORWARD NOW, POLICEMAN.
HOW SHALL I DEAL WITH YOU?
HAVE YOU ALWAYS TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK?
TO MY CHURCH HAVE YOU BEEN TRUE?"

THE POLICEMAN SQUARED HIS SHOULDERS AND SAID:

"NO LORD, I GUESS I AIN'T,
BECAUSE THOSE OF US THAT CARRY BADGES
CAN'T ALWAYS BE A SAINT.
I'VE HAD TO WORK MOST SUNDAYS,
AND AT TIMES MY TALK WAS ROUGH,
AND SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN VIOLENT,
BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE AWFULLY TOUGH.
BUT I NEVER TOOK A PENNY,
THAT WASN'T MINE TO KEEP.
THOUGH I WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME
WHEN THE BILLS JUST GOT TOO STEEP.
AND I NEVER PASSED A CRY FOR HELP,
THOUGH AT TIMES I SHOOK WITH FEAR.
AND SOMETIMES GOD, FORGIVE ME,
BUT I'VE WEPT UNMANLY TEARS.
I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE A PLACE
AMONG THE PEOPLE HERE.
THEY NEVER WANTED ME AROUND
EXCEPT TO CALM THEIR FEAR.
IF YOU'VE A PLACE FOR ME HERE,
LORD IT NEEDN'T BE SO GRAND,
I NEVER EXPECTED OR HAD MUCH
BUT IF YOU DON'T I'LL UNDERSTAND."

THERE WAS SILENCE ALL AROUND THE THRONE
WHERE THE SAINTS HAD OFTEN TROD,
AS THE POLICEMAN WAITED QUIETLY
FOR THE JUDGEMENT OF HIS GOD.

"STEP FORWARD NOW, POLICEMAN.
YOU'VE BORNE YOUR BURDENS WELL.
COME WALK A BEAT ON HEAVENS STREETS
YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME IN HELL."
--AUTHOR UNKNOWN--

Yeshua is great!!!!!Alot of the lost books of the Bible I've been looking for is right on play store .....for free!!!!!!!type in lost books of the Bible it's amazing!!!!!the story of adam and eve is completed and much much more!!!!so ill be busy reading and hopefully you will too.....praise Yah

By Janet Kluck 03/15

We all have them—plans that didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped, prayers that seem like they didn’t make it past the ceiling, dreams that break and are shattered as we wonder what went wrong. We keep going, but often these apparent failures remain etched in our mind along with a question mark. Why didn’t things turn out the way I had planned or hoped or prayed?

In the animated film, Joseph, King of Dreams, there is one scene where Joseph, after having been sold by his brothers as a slave and taken to Egypt, has been bought by Potiphar and is seen scrubbing a floor. He visualizes his brothers laughing and mocking him. His tasks are made even more miserable by the resentment and anger he’s holding on to.

Of course, if anyone had a right to be angry and sorrowful, it would have been Joseph. He had been betrayed by the very ones who should have protected him and stood up for him—his own family. Whatever Joseph’s plans might have been, they were broken to pieces and scattered among the sands on his long trek to Egypt. His future outlook was certainly bleak!

But as Joseph found out, the story didn’t end there. Despite going through many more hardships and difficulties, Joseph ended up in a position to save the future of a nation and his family at the same time. And through all that God did for him, he learned just how vast and perfect God’s plan is. God can take the most terrible occurrences and transform them into hope and a future. Joseph’s dreams did come true, just not in the way he had expected, planned, or dreamed.

Imagine there is a gorgeous painting hanging on the wall of an apartment. It was painted by a great artist and contains contrasts of images, colors, shapes, and elements if you could see it in its entirety. But you’re not inside the apartment, and the only chance you have of seeing it at all is through the keyhole, where you can catch only a small glimpse of the darkest, most shadowed section. You might think, What a dark and depressing painting! Why didn’t the artist use brighter colors or grace the canvas with more light?

This is so often our perspective of our own lives. We focus on the dark spots, the losses and perceived failures. But all the while, our life is a beautiful, colorful, joyful, and bright painting; the problem is that we are viewing it through a tiny keyhole. If we could just see our lives from a bigger, more complete perspective, so many other elements and colors and highlights would come into view, and that tiny image would be transformed into the marvelous masterpiece that it truly can be in God’s eyes.

Maybe those dark spots in our lives represent a broken friendship, a painful breakup, a new opportunity falling through, or a feeling that our goals and dreams are slowly being swept away by life just being the way it is—complicated, busy, and not always in our favor. All of that can change, though! God can mend a broken heart if you give Him all the pieces.

I read recently that we cannot disappoint God, because He already knows that we can’t be perfect. He is fully aware of our failures, setbacks—and even sins—and He still loves us with more intensity, care, and compassion than we can begin to comprehend. If we try to figure God out or fully understand His plan, forcing things to fit into our very limited perspective, we’ll only be disappointed in ourselves and even in Him when things don’t turn out the way we’ve dreamed and hoped.

He has His own dream for our lives—one filled with splashes of light and blends of color, depth, and texture—and He’s waiting by the canvas with a brush, ready to paint it into reality. All we have to do is give Him room to work and make something beautiful.

*Janet Kluck is a blogger and mother of 10, who resides in the U.S.




Activated TFI [Posted Video - Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]

A Compilation January 2016

Many of God’s promises are conditional, requiring some initial action on our part. Once we begin to obey, He will begin to bless us. Great things were promised to Abraham, but not one of them could have been obtained had he waited in Chaldea. He had to leave his home, friends, and country, travel unfamiliar paths, and press on in unwavering obedience in order to receive the promises. The ten lepers Jesus healed were told to show themselves to the priest, and “as they went, they were cleansed.” If they had waited to see the cleansing come to their bodies before leaving, they would never have seen it. God was waiting to heal them, and the moment their faith began to work, the blessing came.

When the Israelite's were entrapped by Pharaoh’s pursuing army at the Red Sea, they were commanded to “go forward.” No longer was it their duty to wait, but to rise up from bended knees and “go forward” with heroic faith. Years later the Israelite's were commanded to show their faith again by beginning their march over the Jordan while the river was at its highest point. They held the key to unlock the gate into the Land of Promise in their own hands, and the gate would not begin to turn on its hinges until they had approached and unlocked it. The key was faith.

We are destined to fight certain battles, and we think we can never be victorious and conquer our enemies. Yet as we enter the conflict, One comes who fights by our side. Through Him we are “more than conquerors.” If we had waited in fear and trembling for our helper to come before we would enter the battle, we would have waited in vain. God is waiting to pour out His richest blessings on you. “Go forward” with bold confidence and take what is yours. “I have begun to deliver ... Now begin to conquer and possess.”
—J. R. Miller (1840–1912)
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A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn into glorious success.—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915)
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Faith that goes forward triumphs.—Author unknown
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Leave not the business of today to be done tomorrow; for who knows what may be your condition tomorrow? The rose-garden, which today is full of flowers, when tomorrow you would pluck a rose, may not afford you one.—Firdausi (940–1020)
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For God's sake, don't praise man!--Praise God! Give Him all the glory!

At the Tower of Babel, the people said, "Now we're going to make a name for ourselves!--Look how big we are, how mighty and how powerful we are! Look how wonderful we are, how great we are! Behold us, we are the people!" And they forgot to give God the credit. They failed to give Him the glory, so God came down and smote them and scattered them and made them a total wreck. (Gen.11:1-9)

One of the biggest dangers you have is to begin thinking too highly of yourself. (Rom.12:3) The minute you start patting yourself on the back, God will see to it that you're humbled to bring you out of it. (1Cor.10:12) He's a jealous God, and He wants and deserves all the glory, and will have no other gods before Him! (Exo.20:5; Isa.42:8)

"Whatsoever you do in word or in deed, do ALL to the glory of GOD!" (1Cor.10:31; Col.3:17) That is our prayer, that we will please the Lord and do everything we do in word or in deed, to His glory! So whatsoever we do or say today, Lord, do help us to do all to Thy glory. "And God forbid that I should boast, save in My Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to Whom be the glory forever and ever!" (Gal.6:14)






Activated TFI [Posted Video - "GoPro" Best GoPro Videos 2016 - People Are Awesome 2016]

1
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft, einsam wacht
nur das traute hoch heilige Paar.
"Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh',
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh'!"

2
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
da uns schlägt die rettende Stund':
Jesus in deiner Geburt.
Jesus in deiner Geburt.

3
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
aus des Himmels goldenen Höh'n
uns der Gnade Fülle läßt sehn:
Jesum in Menschengestalt.
Jesum in Menschengestalt.

4
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut' alle Macht
väterlicher Liebe ergoß,
und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt.
Jesus die Völker der Welt.

5
Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
als der Herr, vom Grimme befreit,
in der Väter urgrauer Zeit
aller Welt Schonung verhieß,
aller Welt Schonung verhieß.

6
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht!
durch der Engel Halleluja
tönt es laut von Ferne und Nah:
Jesus, der Retter ist da!
Jesus, der Retter ist da!

Many may ask the question, why should I pray for anyone?... Well, first of all, it is God's command that we in obedience, should pray for one another, pray for all nations of people and their leaders, pray for our own leaders in local, state, and federal governments because they have rule over us, and if any should not seek our good, God promises to take care of those leaders Himself, but this can only happen when we PRAY. God has all power in His hands to move people, places and things.

God has commended that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, because they are His chosen people and He has decreed Jerusalem as an everlasting covenant through the seed of Abraham and Jacob whom God Himself changed Jacob's name to Israel. In obedience, we are to pray for Jerusalem, because God has promised that He will curse those who curse Israel, and bless those who bless her, and He has promised to pronounce judgement on all nations who come against Jerusalem/Israel to harm her. And it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, because of failure to obey God's commands.

A Simple Prayer Request...
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May those who love her prosper; May peace be within your homes, and prosperity be within your cities; Therefore, for my brothers and sisters I will say, Peace be with you O, Jerusalem, because of the house of the Lord our God, I will always seek your good. Amen!