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What is it and why?
I am curious to what your imagination will come up with the reason for the number you choose.

as I look at the blogs and see all the obsessive compulsive s whining either about Trump kicking Hillary off the line, or, asking Jesus to please come destroy the world quickly so the disbelievers can hurry up and burn in Hell fire while the believers passing judgment (really just a food quality inspection) dissolve into little flecks of God food and are absorbed into his palace as food. Doesn't anyone here want to just blog about o*gasm and s*xual positions anymore?

“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29 KJV

Written by Maria Fontaine January 2014

This is a time of great change in the world—technological, economic, religious, political, business, and environmental. The results are seen in governments, organizations, and in the lives of families and individuals. Although it’s sometimes more evident and easier to recognize and take stock of at the start of a new year, change is actually constantly affecting all spheres of society.

Many people, from religious leaders to productivity gurus to life coaches to political leaders, realize the benefits of change and emphasize flexibility. Everyone knows that it is rough to go through, but when the difficulties are weighed against the benefits that change brings about, most agree that it’s worth it.

Much of the benefit we derive from the changes that come into our lives depends on how we look at them and whether or not we embrace them. As always, our attitude is a key factor. Attitude can make the difference between succeeding despite difficulty or succumbing to it. Life is a journey; and change, even big change, is a part of life’s equation. As we follow God and read His Word, we will find the faith that can help us through difficult times, including times of painful change.

Some factors that have helped me to develop a positive outlook on change include:

• Trying to anticipate the resultant good results ahead. Since there often isn’t any way we can stop change—and if we try, it will knock us over—I’ve found that in those cases the best thing to do is embrace it and go with the flow. Being positive can mean the difference between riding waves of change and drowning in them.

• Asking God to help me to see the benefits of the changes that He’s allowing in my life. When I ask Him for the understanding and wisdom to get the most out of these changes, He speaks to me and gives me the answers that I need.

• Realizing that at times the toughest things that I have to pass through are the things that are the most beneficial for me in the long run. It can be hard to remember this when I’m going through a difficult situation, but sometimes I just need to “hold on,” knowing that once the storm passes, the sun will come out and I will see everything in a new light.

• Connecting with God regularly for my personal encouragement and guidance, through His Word, through meditation and prayer, etc. As destabilizing as change can be, God will always remain our anchor, and His Word will give us faith that will make the ride smoother.

• Remembering that God loves me and cares deeply about me and my happiness and well-being. In His great and all-abiding love for me, He sometimes has to allow something in my life that might not seem good, but that will actually turn out to be an experience of great benefit. Believing that He can manifest His love through difficult circumstances, and having the faith to see that even tough things can be good things, is a challenge, but I’ve found that if I can accept that challenge, I’m well on my way to feeling more comfortable and at peace with change.

Sometimes God simply can’t bring the good that He wishes to bring into our lives without us passing through some pretty stormy times. So if you’re feeling the waves crashing about you, trust Him and have faith that He knows what He’s doing. He desires only the very best for us.
* * *
Our days are a kaleidoscope. Every instant a change takes place.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887)

Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.—Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878–1969)









Activated TFI

By Maria Fontaine Jul 27, 2015

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith.” “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”—1 John 5:4, Hebrews 11:1

Faith is the password, the foundation of power, anointing, and victory. Faith is the starting point in whatever we feel called to do for the Lord. We need faith to obey God’s Word, faith to step out and try new and different things, faith that the Lord can use us in new ways, faith that we can facilitate the gospel being “preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.”1

Faith is vital. It’s what will enable us to walk through open doors, take advantage of golden opportunities, and follow God wherever He leads. It’s what will help us to say yes to Jesus—yes to taking a risk, yes to trying a new method in our witness, yes to taking the time to minister to that person He puts in our path, yes to not giving up on some needy soul, yes to whatever His will may be for each of us.

To get results, we need faith! Faith is what will drive us, help us to do the impossible, and to put action behind our beliefs and visions, to persevere when things are tough. Faith will catapult us over obstacles.

Sometimes faith seems a little bit mysterious, but it’s actually not complicated.We don’t have to try so hard to dissect faith or understand it. We simply need to trust in that which we have good reason to believe is true, Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith—the one who honors our trusting Him and His guidance in our lives. Once we have come to that place of trust, then we can embark on that which the Lord leads us to do with complete confidence that He will honor our trust in Him and our acknowledging Him all along the way.

We live by faith and walk by faith and it’s our “title deed,” but faith is also manifested by action. It’s a “doing” word, because faith without works is dead.2 We don’t have to feel like we have faith, or think that we have great faith. If we just start doing the things the Lord leads us to do, we’ll realize that we possess this valuable treasure—and the more we use our faith and feed it, the stronger it will grow.

(Jesus:) Have you ever seen those sports interviews in which they’re interviewing an athlete after a victory or a game that they won, and they ask the victor what gave them the edge? What gave them the upper hand so that they were able to defeat their competitor? They often say that it was confidence, that they believed in themselves, they believed in their team, and they believed that they could win.

Faith is having confidence in Me. Faith is knowing that you can trust Me completely. Faith knows that no matter what comes your way, or what you face, I will bring you through it; I will work things together for your good, regardless of the circumstances.

Faith isn’t something you just “have” naturally. Faith grows, it’s built over time. The more your faith is tested and the more you turn to Me and My Word, the more your faith will grow.

I can strengthen your faith when you are in faith-inducing situations. Such challenges are trying at the time, but result in greater faith if you take a stand of faith and watch Me come through for you.

1 Matthew 24:14.
2 James 2:26.
**
“Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities; seize common occasions and make them great.”–Orison Swett Marden



Anchor TFI [Posted Video - "ON THE WINGS OF A PRAYER"]

Written by Maria Fontaine 01 September 2015

When I look at some of the men and women in the Bible, at a quick glance they seem to be so confident, so certain of everything. Next to such seemingly unwavering faith, we can start to feel a little unsure of our own faith.

Perhaps that’s because we’re seeing the miracles they experienced through the perspective of hindsight. But try to put yourself in their shoes. Consider how impossible the situation must have seemed for them at the time when they couldn’t see the outcome.

For example, look at the three Hebrew men who were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down and worshipping the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.1 It might look like they were glowing with confidence in front of the head of the largest empire of their day, certain that nothing could happen to them in that fiery furnace. But could it be that they also battled fear and the uncertainty of what would happen?

It’s true that their friend Daniel held a great deal of power and influence, and he might have been able to stand up for them and rescue them from their fate, but he is not mentioned in regard to this event and may have been away on a trip to another part of the empire. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were on their own, standing up for what they knew was right; and there they were before a king who saw himself as God, surrounded by the king’s jealous counselors who may have seen these Hebrews as a threat to their power. Those angry counselors had probably been instrumental in whipping up the king’s fury against the three Hebrew men.

Despite the bold declaration of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that they would trust in God no matter what happened, they were human and prone to the same fears that any one of us facing such a horrifying fate would experience.

Faith isn’t the absence of fear; faith is what overcomes fear. My guess is that they dreaded what was about to happen with everything in them, but they still knew what they had to do. Their faith didn’t seem to be based on any assumption that their bodies would miraculously be impervious to the heat and fire. At least, that’s not what their words in the Bible indicate.

They said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”2

We know that God will ultimately make things right in the next life, but that knowledge doesn’t lessen the struggles of possibly facing very painful experiences or death. At this moment in time, it’s not the next life that we have to deal with, it’s the present.

You may feel afraid of what you’re facing. You may not see anything you can do to fix the situation you’re in. But God’s intervention in your life isn’t based on your self-confidence. It’s based on your belief in Him and your trust in His unlimited power, goodness, and love. You don’t have to believe that what you want to happen will always happen. You just have to believe that God can bring about what is best in His time and His way, because you trust Him.

Faith knows what is most important to know: God will never leave you nor forsake you.3

None of us knows what lies ahead. We often can’t know if that setback we’re facing or the things we’re suffering will be gone in a minute or a month, or if they will last a lifetime. Our faith can’t be built on expected results that make sense to us. What faith knows is that Jesus will not leave us comfortless; He’ll be there walking with us through the fire, as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

1. See Daniel chapter 3.
2. Daniel 3:17–18 NIV
3. See Deuteronomy 31:6.





Activated TFI

by Peter Amsterdam Nov. 3, 2015

In part one, we read how Jesus stated that the righteousness of those who dwell in the kingdom of God must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. He also said that He wasn’t abolishing the Law and the Prophets (the Hebrew Scriptures), but rather came to fulfill them. Jesus then gave six examples which illustrate a concept of righteousness which goes beyond the keeping of the Law as prescribed by the scribes and Pharisees and addresses the roots of our actions in our hearts and spirits. These examples are presented as contrasts between what “was said” in Scripture and Jesus’ fuller and more expanded explanation of what these scriptures mean to those who follow Him.1

The form Jesus used to express what He was teaching was “you have heard that it was said … but I say unto you …” In the first instance, He states: “You have heard that it was said to those of old …” In four of the next five examples the phrase is shortened, but the meaning is the same. Jesus was conveying that while the Law made a statement, such as “you should not murder,” He was now giving it a more comprehensive meaning.

Each of the six examples Jesus cited is based on a passage or theme in the Mosaic Law. The first of the six statements says: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’”2 The King James Bible translates “to” as “by” so that it reads: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. Newer English translations, including the New King James, translate it as meaning that it was said to them and not by them. Some examples of newer translations are “those of old,” “the people long ago,” “our ancestors were told,” “the ancients were told.” These are more accurate translations. Using “by them of old” gives the impression that “those of old used to say …” and now Jesus was giving the right interpretation. However, that isn’t the case. Jesus was contrasting what was stated in the Torah, the books of Moses, with His fuller interpretation. Each of the six examples used the phrase “it was said.” The Greek word used for “said” in all six examples is only used in the New Testament to refer to something which God had spoken.3 It wasn’t referring to the teaching of the Pharisees.

The six examples include murder, adultery, divorce, the swearing of oaths, retributive punishment, and love of neighbors. When speaking about each of these, Jesus brings out general principles regarding living His teachings.4 The first principle is that it is the spirit of the Law that matters, not the letter only. For example, looking at the commandment “You shall not murder,”5 Jesus goes beyond looking at only the outward action of murder. He speaks of anger and contempt, which while they may or may not result in outward action, can be sins against God and others. To truly keep the Law, to follow the spirit of the Law, is more than a matter of not doing the one thing which the Law states. Jesus addresses the inward core of our deeds—our attitudes, our motives, and the thoughts and intentions of our heart. God is concerned with the inner source that leads to the action as well as the action itself. To fulfill the intent of the Law is not only refraining from murder; it’s refraining from having contempt and hatred for others, working toward forgiveness, and having an attitude toward others which is positive and loving.

1 France, The Gospel of Matthew, 194.

2 Matthew 5:21.

3 Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 3:3; 4:14; 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38; 5:43; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 22:31; 24:15; 27:9, 35; Mark 13:14; Romans 9:12, 26; Galatians 3:16; Revelation 6:11; 9:4.

4 These principles are taken from Lloyd-Jones -- Sermon on the Mount, chap. 20.

5 Exodus 20:13.






Director's Corner TFI

So the first thing is, avoid the priests. They have taught you life-negative values. And my effort here is to bring back life-affirmation. That's what I call loving yourself, accepting yourself not as a sinner. How can you accept yourself if you think you are a sinner? How can you love yourself if you think you are nothing but full of guilt, nothing but an accumulated past of evil acts of millions of lives?


You will hate yourself. And that's what your priests have been saying: renounce life, hate life, hate pleasure, hate everything, and sacrifice everything if you want to enter into paradise. Nobody has ever returned from paradise, so there is no evidence of any paradise anywhere, no proof, it is just a futile exercise which has never been able to come to a conclusion.

The old priest was warning his congregation about sin.
"Sin," he said, "is like a big dog. There is the big dog of pride, and the big dog of envy, and the big dog of greed, and finally, there is the big dog of sex. And you have to kill those big dogs before they kill you and prevent you from getting to heaven. It can be done. I know, because over the years I have done it. I killed the big dog of envy, the big dog of pride, the big dog of greed -- and yes, my children, I killed the big dog of sex."
"Father," came a voice from the back of the church, "are you sure that last dog did not die a natural death?"

You cannot change nature. If you can simply live naturally, transformations come. If they come, then sex disappears -- but not by your efforts. By your efforts it goes on hanging around you. The more you repress it, the more you have it. The more you live it, the more is the possibility to go beyond it.

An old couple were sitting at home one evening listening to the faith healer on the radio.
"Okay folks," he began, "God wants to heal you all. All you have to do is put one hand on the radio and the other hand on the part that is sick."

The old lady got up, shuffled over to the radio and put her hand on her arthritic hip. Then the old man put one hand on the radio and the other hand on his fly. His wife looked at him with contempt and said, "You old idiot. The man said he would heal the sick, not raise the dead!"

Live naturally. Live peacefully. Live inwardly. Just give a little time to yourself, being alone, being silent, just watching the inner scene of your mind. Slowly, slowly thoughts disappear. Slowly, slowly one day the mind is so still, so silent as if it is not there. Just this silence... in this moment you are not here, as if the whole Buddha Hall is empty.
In this silence within you, you will find a new dimension of life. In this dimension greed does not exist, sex does not exist, anger does not exist, violence does not exist. It is not a credit to you; it is the new dimension beyond mind where love exists, pure, unpolluted by any biological urge; where compassion exists for no other reason -- not to get any reward in heaven -- because compassion is a reward unto itself.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; Philippians 1:9-10

THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE LIKE THAT CAN GET RID OF THEM, THAT HAVE HARBOURED DEVILS SOMETIMES FOR YEARS, IS TO GO ON A DIRECT ATTACK and BE SPECIFIC, EVEN NAME THE DEMON, IF POSSIBLE, and COMMAND IT TO DEPART IN JESUS' NAME! It's just like having lice or fleas or crabs or worms or something like that, you've got to go on the attack and do something about it to cleanse yourself and get rid of it. You can't just scratch them and swat them and sort of chase them a little bit, you've got to get rid of them completely. You've got to recognize the spirit, the devil, the demon or call it by name of necessary.

I KNOW I WAS SUDDENLY INSPIRED THAT DAY PRAYING FOR THAT GIRL! I rebuked the spirit of fear and commanded it to depart in Jesus' Name and she was instantly completely delivered, and therefore at the same time she was healed! She had gotten so fearful she stayed in bed all the time and couldn't even eat, and finally got to where she could hardly drink water. She was just frightened and afraid of everything! But the minute we got rid of that fearful spirit, we commanded her in the Name of the Lord to get up and walk and get out of bed, and she got right out of bed and started walking around the room and was completely and totally delivered and never had any problem with it again!

SO YOU'VE GOT TO BE DEFINITE and SPECIFIC ABOUT THESE THINGS and EVEN CALL THEM BY NAME and REBUKE THEM BY THEIR KIND OR WHATEVER and WITH REAL SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT See, I was just suddenly anointed by the Holy Spirit to recognize that spirit and rebuke it in Jesus' Name. It was just like sudden tongues or a sudden prophecy or something, it was just as supernatural and miraculous! It was a sudden outburst inspired by the Spirit! I wasn't expecting it, I really had no experience along that line at all. I didn't even know I had any gifts at that time. I'd never spoken in tongues or prophesied or anything.

THERE ARE LYING SPIRITS THAT DECEIVE PEOPLE and USUALLY THEY'RE VERY DECEITFUL. They don't want to wake the people up to the fact that they've got problems with the Devil. They even pretend to be good, like Tom, Mr. Machowski thought Tom was good because he was helping him win bets and races and make a lot of money. So he finally decided to bet everything he had on that horse and make a real killing and Tom told him the wrong horse and he lost everything! Tom just cackled and laughed about it like it was a big joke! I think that was just before Mr. Machowski was saved, and his getting saved was a result of that, when he realized that Tom was bad and something evil.

SEE, THE DEVIL IS A DESTROYER! HE JUST TRIED TO STRIP MR. MACHOWSKI! He maybe even sensed or knew he was going to get saved and was trying to destroy him, because it was then that he heard that Gospel program on the air and got saved. He heard this preacher preach on spirits and rebuking spirits, etc., and discerning spirits and he got that special verse about "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God." (1Jn.4:2) He took that home with him and went into his usual seance with Tom and confronted Tom with that verse. He said, "All right, Tom, you claim you're good, now confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh!" Tom hemmed and hawed and beat around the bush and finally ranted and raged furiously because he was caught and exposed!







Deep Truths TFI

"He asked me, 'Son, why are you following me?' I said, 'You are getting old. Don't you want your tricks to live on even when you are gone?' He said, 'That seems to be meaningful! -- you can come in. Many people have asked me to teach them the tricks, but not in this way.' So I have been with the magician.
"Life is a bigger school than your school. And I am, each moment, present wherever I am. To be absent is not my style of life, so you please take your words back."
He said, "In that case I will have to see your father."
I said, "You can see anybody you like, but remember that my father knows me perfectly well. Just let me be informed when you are coming so I can also be present there. You both will be absent -- because my father is continuously busy with his business, and you are busy with who is absent, who is present. At least let somebody into that meeting who is present!" I told him, "Be honest and sincere and tell me: Are you present right now?"
He said, "My God, perhaps you are right. I was thinking of my buffalo -- she has not returned for two days."
I said, "You need not be worried, I know where she is. That's the beauty of being present everywhere! I have seen her just by the side of the tent of the magician. Now what do you say: Was it more worthwhile my coming to the class, or finding your lost buffalo? You can go and catch hold of her."

People are not there where they seem to be. This is why they go on missing the meaning of life. Just remain present to any small act you are doing. It does not matter -- you don't have to do great acts, become a world conqueror, go to the moon, or stand on top of Everest; it does not matter what you do.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing -- or not doing -- be present, and the meaning of life will start unfolding. It is tremendously blissful.

But don't seek it somewhere else -- in a church, in a temple, in a holy book. You will not find it. Even if you come across God -- who, by the way, does not exist -- but even if you come across God, you will not be present. You may be thinking of your buffalo. It is good that God is not there; otherwise, he would be so embarrassed by all these saints of all the religions, because none of them is present to the moment. They are living a life somewhere else in the tomorrows -- and today goes on slipping by, and the tomorrow never comes. Finally comes death, not tomorrow.

Life is today! Tomorrow is death. So when you come across death, it is a great shock that life has gone by and you have not been able to find any meaning in it. And now there is no tomorrow left, and you are accustomed to search for meaning in the tomorrows. But you have been told about, taught about, prepared for, tomorrows.

If you understand me... I want you always to be present wherever you are. It does not matter where you are; just be totally present, and every small act, by your presence, will become lighted up, and you will know that your whole life becomes just a caravan of lights. That's the meaning. Death comes and goes, but the caravan continues.

Written by Maria Fontaine November 2014

Are you faced with options, choices, and decisions, but you don’t have any idea which direction to take? You know you want to move in the direction God is leading, but the problem is you don’t know which direction that is. You’re floundering, not knowing where to go, what to do, or how to do it. You can’t see far enough ahead to know what the outcome of each choice will be. Very few things can be decided on their own, and many factors have to be considered in making each single decision.

I was reminded recently of the verse, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.” It led me to meditate on the wisdom of waiting for God to dispel the fog, rather than making decisions when we can’t see clearly ahead. Given time, things fall into place, and we are able to see the way more clearly.

I’m sure you can think of times in your life when you had to make a certain decision but you couldn't seem to get any answers; but when you waited in prayer and with faith, trusting God to come through for you, He eventually made the way clear—and you were glad you’d waited and trusted.

Waiting is an important element of the faith life. It’s not easy, but it’s part of the process that God uses to instruct us, teach us patience, build our character, and draw us closer to Him. The next time you’re in a holding pattern or in waiting mode, be encouraged. The fog will lift—it always does!
* * *
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.—Psalm 37:5 NLT

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.—Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

If we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.—Romans 8:25 NLT

After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.—Hebrews 6:15 NIV

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.—Hebrews 10:23 NIV

The testing of your faith produces patience.—James 1:3

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm.—James 5:7–8 NIV



Activated TFI