Three Places You Must See on Your Next LDS Tour

By Art Gib
Published October 3, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Art Gib
Fun for Less Tours (http://funforlesstours.com) offers LDS tours and cruises to locations of historical significance to Mormons including Israel, several Native American sites, the Sacred Grove, Liberty Jail, and many more. Art Gib is a freelance writer.View all articles by Art Gib
When thinking about Mormons, most people will think about the state of Utah. In fact, some people might think that Mormonism was founded in Utah and that it is the only place the LDS faithful have ever lived. LDS tours would then, therefore, be a rather boorish ride through Salt Lake City.Quite to the contrary, members of the LDS faith live all over the world. Mormon history actually begins with a family in Jerusalem that travels to the Americas according to the LDS scripture, The Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe to be a true historical document of the people who lived on the American continents thousands of years ago.This means that sites of Ancient America hold significant religious value to the LDS faithful. Other important locations include those pertaining to the Mormon Church's organization in the early 19th century such as Carthage Jail, Palmyra, New York, and Kirtland, Ohio just to name a few.But whether you are a faithful member of the LDS faith, an investigator hoping to learn more, or simply have a historical curiosity regarding the church, we've just barely touched the surface of major spots that one would consider visiting during an LDS tour. Here are a few of the bigger ones along with some detail about why they are important to the Mormon faith.Palmyra, New York and the Sacred GroveJoseph Smith and his family moved near Palmyra while he was a teenager. At the age of 14, Smith claims to have visited a grove where he knelt in prayer to ask which church he should join. It was at that time that Smith claims the Father and the
Son both appeared to him, revealing that he should join none of the existing churches.This experience is commonly referred to by church members as the "First Vision." The grove where it occurred is considered by Mormons to be a sacred spot where God and Jesus Christ visited Earth and appeared to young Smith.Kirtland, OhioSmith and his followers were driven out of New York and Missouri before arriving in Kirtland, Ohio. It was here that Smith's followers built the first Mormon temple, which still stands today. However, Mormon temple ceremonies are no longer held there and, unlike other Mormon temples, it is open to the public.Carthage JailJoseph Smith was elected mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois where he ordered the destruction of a local printing press which published an anti-Mormon newspaper containing false accusations. Smith had hoped it would contain anti-Mormon sentiment. However, it had the opposite effect.Illinois Governor Thomas Ford called on Smith to surrender and stand trial for the destruction of the printing press. Smith, along with several church leaders, turned themselves in and were sent to Carthage Jail for protection until their trial.A mob stormed the jail. After shooting and killing his brother Hyrum, Joseph Smith was shot as he attempted to climb out a second-story window. Smith fell to the ground, still alive. The mob finished the job with four men shooting Smith to death.Carthage Jail, the site of the Mormon prophet's last stand, is a popular and sacred site of Mormons.For your next whirlwind LDS tour, the three locations mentioned above are "must-sees" for anyone interested in Mormon history.

Jesus With The Poor Helps Explain a Scripture Verse

By Douglas Michaels
Published October 9, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Douglas Michaels
Douglas Michaels is committed to help people develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He does so by Bible Study, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing in word and deed. More like this at http://mcministries-uninc.blogspot.com/.View all articles by Douglas Michaels
Have you ever read a piece of scripture that just totally baffeled you on its meaning?That happened to me in Luke 12:33 where Jesus says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." Jesus is addressing His disciples, which means you and me. So what do I possess? I own a coat, a car, my kid's clothes, etc. These are things we need. Renting them is not an option. On the surface this looks like a stupid statement, but the Jesus I know does not make stupid statements. There must be more to this than I am seeing.I began to read commentaries and really try to think this through, but nothing could resolve this statement into a logical, meaningful message. I ran across the story of Tolstoy, who was a wealthy Russian who converted to Christianity and sold all his stuff and gave it to the poor. After a short while the poor had consumed everything and all was gone. Also, the employees of his old farm were all miserable because the new owners were not as benevolent as Tolstoy.I did not find meaning, I found proof! This is a stupid statement!
Jesus with the poor.I asked the Holy Spirit, since he is supposed to be my teacher and I needed teaching. Immediately this thought came into my mind (not words in my ears, but a thought in my head), "God owns everything, we merely manage."This brings us a new question. If I am living as if God owns everything and I merely manage, then what is it I own that I need to sell? Not one thing!And if I am not living this way, then what am I to do? Sell what you think you own, because it has become an idol to you. What do I do with the money from the sale?Give it away, so that you don't get tempted to buy something else that you think you own and fall back into the same idolatrous trap. It is all about ownership. Who is in charge? Looking at the following verse Jesus says, "by doing this we will lay up treasure in Heaven." This is not a one for one exchange where the people who give the most on earth will get the most in Heaven. It is an attitude of how to live, which is equally available and equally beneficial to us all.Jesus with the poor has educated me on the correct attitude toward giving.

Have You Ever Said to God Find Someone Else?

Have You Ever Said to God Find Someone Else?
By Penny Shellswell
Published October 10, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Penny Shellswell
Copyright 2008 Penny Shellswell Jointly leads training courses in Intimacy with the Father. Holy Spirit is stirring believers across the UK to intercession. The goal? Winning the lost and dying of the UK through the setting up of 800 Intercession groups. http://www.outofafrica-uk.orgView all articles by Penny Shellswell
Moses has quite a lengthy chat with God about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and is obviously hearing clearly what God says. But near the end of the conversation Moses says, 'O Lord, please send someone else.' Exodus 4 v 13This seems an incredible thing to say to Almighty God, Creator of the Universe. Though how often do we perhaps say 'No' to God? It is a sad thing that many of us do not clearly hear the voice of God and spend time debating, was it of God, was it my own thoughts or even was it the voice of the enemy? Out of fear of getting it wrong we do nothing, thus in reality saying No to Almighty God.Whereas perhaps Moses had an excuse, in not knowing much about this God that spoke from a burning bush, we do not. Moses only had the basic upbringing of his godly parents and remember, the Law had not yet been given. But God has revealed Himself clearly to us through Jesus. We also have the blessed Holy Spirit and all the Scriptures necessary for knowing Him intimately.The responsibility is ours to want to have that close intimate relationship with Him, for which He is longing. We were created for His pleasure. Again it is our responsibility to spend the time getting to know His voice and to respond to what He says. Jesus said, 'His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.' John 10 v 4The biographies of men like Charles Finney, Rees Howells and many others are exciting testimonies which not only describe their exploits but also the stages
of their learning to recognise the voice of God and so walk according to their instructions. These men counted the cost and gave their all.If Almighty God, our loving Heavenly Father, asked us to do something, do we dare say No? Do we discuss and debate the Word with others? Or do we let it go unsure of who spoke it?It would be a brave man, some might think otherwise, who having developed this level of intimacy with the Father, would dare to say No to an assignment. Michael Howard from Malawi though is just such a man!Having been trained by the Lord and worked closely with Him over many years in war-torn Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Mozambique and Rwanda, the Lord asked him to go to war-torn Sudan.Michael, having spearheaded crusades and seen revivals in many African nations, was sitting quietly in his office in Malawi musing on the goodness of the Lord when he clearly heard, 'I want you to go to the south of Sudan'.Without stopping to think who he was talking to he said, 'Forget it. I'm too busy here'. Then, when the Lord reiterated his request, Michael like Moses, launched another feeble excuse by saying, 'It's another war zone and I'm tired of war zones. Find someone else'.However, if you are truly in an intimate relationship, then you know you don't have a leg to stand on. Needless to say Michael moved to the Sudan!The Lord may not be asking such dramatic things of us, but have we truly set our hearts to know Him, to follow Him and so to obey Him? Anything less will leave us empty and frustrated busily filling the time with our own agenda.

How to Hear God - You Can Hear God, God Wants You To Learn How To Hear Him

By Lynne Lee
Published October 10, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Lynne Lee
You can discover more about how to hear God at http://www.christianlifecoaching.co.uk/how-to-hear-god.html If you would like a free life coaching guide, visit http://www.christianlifecoaching.co.uk/be-your-own-life-coach-now.html and download your free copy of Be Your Own Life Coach Now.View all articles by Lynne Lee
God is speaking all the time and you can learn how to hear God, it is much easier to hear God than you think."For God does speak, now one way, now another, though man may not perceive it." Job 33:14 God is speaking to you in ways you often overlook. He has many ways of speaking and He doesn't always speak in the way that you expect Him to; that is one of the reasons why you don't realise that you already hear God more than you think.Most people hear God through the Bible, His peace, a still small voice, circumstances, other Christians, wisdom and common sense. God speaks in many other ways too.It is important not to get bogged down with how God speaks. The important thing is to expect God to speak and be ready to hear Him speak in unexpected ways.If you want to hear God, the first thing you need to do is learn how to tune in to His voice. The better you get to know God and His ways the easier it is to tune in and recognise when God is speaking.Learning to recognise when God is speaking takes time and effort. The more often you meet with God and talk with Him, the easier it will be to recognise His voice. When you become familiar with God's presence and His voice it will be much easier to hear God speaking.Sometimes you don't hear God because you're not really expecting Him to speak or because you're expecting Him to speak in a certain way. When He speaks in a way you don't expect, it's easy to miss what He's saying.God is full of surprises. Never forget that He isn't human, it's a mistake to limit Him to what you know or expect. You need to be open to God speaking to you in any way He chooses and not just in ways that are familiar.People 'hear' from God in different ways. God's 'voice' isn't limited to words. He speaks through all of His creation.Many people 'hear' God speaking through circumstances or their surroundings. In the Bible, God spoke to people in ways that they could see and experience in their daily lives. God communicated
with people through what was obvious and all around them. He does the same with us today.Larry Randolph tells us"the human body is like a giant ear drum that processes thousands of pieces of information from every spectrum of life" You hear God through all of your senses. The 'sound' of His voice comes in many different ways. There is no set way of hearing God.These are some of the ways God speaks to you and some of the means He uses to get your attention:An inner voiceAn inner witness of the Holy SpiritInspired thoughtImpressionsDreamsVisionsVisitationsConscienceHis peaceWisdomMental picturesPhysical sensesNatureThe heavensSymbolic languageOther peopleProphecyEvents in the secular worldFilmsBillboardsFictionSongsApparent coincidencesCircumstancesHis written wordEven an audible voice, though I have to tell you, that's rare. God often speaks in a combination of different ways; creating a symphony that you begin to hear once you discover how to tune in to God's voice.Psalm 119:105 says that God's word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.I'm sure you have had a Scripture suddenly come into your mind or a Bible reference, which, when you look it up, speaks directly to your situation. God often speaks through His word. You need to read it, study it and meditate on it. It's a lamp to your feet and a plumb line to measure everything by.On the back cover of Larry Randolph's book, 'Spirit Talk', it says,"It was in the garden of Eden that the creator first communed with His creation. Since that time, generations of men have forgotten that God is a talking God, and as a result many live in a vacuum of spiritual silence. Thus, the age-old question: Could the Creator really be speaking today? And, if so, how do we perceive the sound of His Voice?" I hope you're encouraged to believe that God is speaking to you. You can hear God's voice every day, it iss much easier to hear God than you think.

Have You Had Your Chocolate "Son"day?

By Dana Rongione
Published October 10, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Dana Rongione
Dana Rongione is a full-time Christian freelance writer. For faith-filled messages, check out http://www.danarongione.blogspot.com.View all articles by Dana Rongione
Building the perfect ice cream sundae is a creative process. Personally, I like to begin with a hot, fudgybrownie. On that, I place two scoops of chocolate ice cream, topped with nuts, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate cool whip, and if I'm feeling guilty, a shiny red cherry (for the nutritional value, of course). Did you notice a trend? What can I say? I'm a chocolate lover, and if I'm going to make a sundae, I'm going to make it right. After all, sundaes are not served daily at my house. No, they are reserved for special occasions. They are intended for times of celebration.At this point, may I suggest that every day should be a cause for celebration? The very fact that we woke up this morning is reason to celebrate. Life is a precious gift, yet we are often too busy or too preoccupied to notice it. Yes, we perform our daily tasks, but is that really living. Don't get me wrong. I understand that we all have to work or to do things we really don't want to do. But, how is our attitude during these times? Are we resentful that we have to work, or are we thankful that we have the health to perform a job? Attitude makes a big difference.Picture in your mind a celebration. How many smiling faces do you see? How many people look like they're having fun? It's hard to be somber and gloomy in the middle of a party. Isn't it? That is, unless of course, it's a pity party.Now, picture your own life. See yourself doing the things that you do day after day. Are you smiling? Do you look like you're
having fun? Are you enjoying life or simply enduring it?In Psalm 118:24, David says, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Notice, David didn't give any stipulations. He didn't say, "If it's a good day, we can rejoice." He didn't say, "If things go my way, I'll be glad in it." He simply said, "God made the day, so I'm going to rejoice in it." Case closed.David understood the importance of celebrating life. Does that mean David didn't have any problems? Absolutely not! David's life had more twists and turns than a constipated snake. Nevertheless, David knew how to rejoice in the Lord during the good times and the bad times.Some of you may be saying, "But you have no idea how difficult my life is." You're right. I don't know, but God does, and He will help you through those hard times. He promised that He would never leave us and that He would always meet our needs, whatever they may be. Is that not a good reason to celebrate?Now, for those of you who already have the ice cream scoop in hand, let me say that I am not condoning indulging ourselves in an ice cream sundae each day. Instead, let's partake of chocolate "Son"days. Let's celebrate living by spending time with the One who gave us this gift of life. Praise! Thanksgiving! Worship! What a wondrous treat!Christians, we should be the happiest people on earth. If we can't find a reason to celebrate, why would the lost want what we have? We have Jesus, therefore, we have joy. Let's not miss another opportunity to celebrate. Life is may not always be good, but it is always special. Have you had your chocolate "Son"day today?

Are These Simple Mistakes Holding You Back From Being Happy?

By Jinger Jarrett
Published October 16, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Jinger Jarrett
Like these tips? Then visit my site and download your free copy of "The Science of Getting Rich": http://www.101christian.com. Read my blog for more tips and strategies for changing your life: http://blog.101christian.comView all articles by Jinger Jarrett
I read in one of Joel Osteen's books that seven out ten people are angry. I must be one of the three that aren't because I really don't see any profit in being angry all the time.What I do know is that more often than not, we only have to go as far as the mirror to find the real culprit who has sabotaged our lives.If you're not happy, or you're angry, or your life isn't what you want it to be, there are things you can do to change it, and you can start doing those things right now.So I have to ask again, are you making these mistakes?1. You dream about the life you want, but you never do anything.The truth is, the Secret doesn't work. If all we had to do was dream what we want, then our dreams would be the real reality. If you want to find true happiness, then start by putting some action behind those dreams. Ask yourself what you want, write it down, and then start deciding now what steps you need to take to reach your goals. Then take those steps.2. You read thousands of books, or take thousands of dollars in courses, but you never do anything.I say this because I've read thousands of books on just about everything. I love to read. Doing nothing more than reading can be quite pleasurable if you're reading for entertainment.However, I have to ask: what have you really learn? That you need another book. Again, the thing you need to do is look
at what you've learned from the experience. Decide what part of what you've learned is helpful and then act on that knowledge.Sir Francis Bacon once said "Knowledge is Power." I say that "Applied Knowledge is Power."3. You blame others for your lack of success because of: you fill in the blank _____________________.No matter the colore of your skin, age, sex, or any other act of birth, we all face challenges. In this area I have learned no one is exempt.If you're waiting for the right circumstances, the right political candidate, or something else, maybe it's time to take a good look at your life. To my knowledge, the Savior came 2000 years ago and not everyone wanted to listen to Him.Acknowledge that we all have struggles. Just don't let those struggles stand in your way. Blame is a useless emotion anyway. It only prevents you from examining the situation objectively and taking action that brings results.4. You know what you want, but you don't know how to get it.This is another of those situations where you will need to take action. Find a mentor, someone who is similar to you who can teach you what you want to achieve. If this isn't possible, find a group or someone online to help you. There are millions of groups and forums on just about any topic you can imagine. Get involved. You may find you have something to offer someone else wants.Regardless of your circumstances, there's always room for improvement. It's part of the human condition. Don't wait until it's too late to take action.

If You Were God What Would You Do To Get Your Attention?

By Penny Shellswell
Published October 30, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Penny Shellswell
Copyright2008 Penny Shellswell Jointly leads training courses in Intimacy with the Father. Holy Spirit is stirring believers across the UK to intercession. The goal? Winning the lost and dying of the UK through the setting up of 800 Intercession groups. http://www.outofafrica-uk.orgView all articles by Penny Shellswell
What more does God have to do to make us sit up and take note? Have these questions ever crossed your mind?Almighty God lives in Heaven. We live on the earth. Yes, it all belongs to Him but He has given us the responsibility of ruling here. As believers, we know, it is only through Jesus that we can have a relationship with our Father.But as a non-believer I used to have times of great joy singing around the house or wherever. There was no specific reason for this joy. No one had given me a present, come to visit me or sent me a letter. I was just full of joy.I realise now that being made in His image, joy is part of the nature that He has put within us. That joy should have caused me to question where it came from. Was He seeking to get my attention? 'The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart'. (Ps 19 v 8) Wow! There's the reason. So if I had joy it should have caused me to question and search. I regret it didn't. It was many years later before I came to know Him.What about ill health? Is that Father God seeking to get our attention? Again from my own experience of TB and other health problems, I believe the answer is again, yes.Psalm 119 says, 'Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word.' 'It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees'. 'I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.' 'If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.' (v67, 71, 75, 92)What a wonderful understanding of the ways of the Lord. The progression of going astray, doing one's own thing, to learning His ways, coming out the other side and being able to say, 'in faithfulness you afflicted me'. Now recognising that if the law of the Lord had not become his delight he would have perished in his affliction.What a merciful God we have! But is that how we view afflictions?Now He's rattling our cage harder because we have not heeded Him. We have continued to go our own way. So now we have unusual weather patterns, food shortages and financial collapses.At the root of all these problems is one thing. Man. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jer 17 v 9) so we are open to the deception of the enemy. We have lived more for him, the enemy, through our carnal self, than we have for God. God in His mercy and desire that none should perish is making His Presence known in more powerful ways.Are we listening? Are we heeding? Or are we still like ostriches with our heads in the sand saying it can't happen to us?Jesus died and rose again so that we might have a dynamic relationship with Him, Father and Holy Spirit.Do we love Him for what He gives us, in which case we are controlling the relationship or are we passionately in love with Him so that He is our prize and very great reward, so that His heartbeat becomes our heartbeat?We need to develop that level of intimacy with Him so that He's in control of our lives. The
following story vividly demonstrates the power of God to intervene on our behalf if we will give ourselves to Him."I was 'low flying' through the African bush when I came upon a roadblock of communist soldiers. They were bristling with AK47 automatics, rockets, mortars and an array of other weapons. I always drove fast to beat the bullets! As the roadblock loomed up rapidly and I was still cruising at eighty, I asked the Lord, 'Should I run them?' The Holy Spirit distinctly whispered to me, 'No, stop. I will undertake.'As I screeched to a halt before those very aggressive soldiers, my vehicle was instantly surrounded and one young soldier thrust his AK47 through the window right into my ear. Now, in the thinking of the world, I was supposed to be intimidated and full of fear. If there is anything which makes me really angry, it is when somebody points a gun at me.I am certainly not afraid of that. The issue was whether I was going to rule or be ruled in the middle of the African bush. With the barrel of that weapon in my ear and the young soldier shouting, 'Today you die! Today you die!' I slowly turned my head towards him, looked him in the eyes, snatched the barrel away from my face with a sudden move and bellowed, 'No! I will not die, I belong to Jesus.'The soldier fell back from the vehicle in absolute amazement, as did his comrades at my shout. I could see the astonishment written all over their faces.'What's wrong? We have the guns and this man should be afraid! This is not working.'The intimidator suddenly became the intimidated.All natural understanding and behaviour demanded that I should have been terrified but I was not because the peace of the Lord was my portion as a result of delighting in Him and enjoying Him. I became the ruler and inherited the earth. While the entire platoon was jabbering in amazement at the reverse of roles, the captain came out of the bush shouting, 'What's going on here? What's going on?'In almost a chorus, the platoon replied, 'this man refuses to die!' They might have added, for it was apparent by their faces and behaviour, 'And we're confused.'The captain was coming to 'set things in order' but as he reached the vehicle, the same confusion overcame him.The Lord was present and fully in control of the whole situation. I was immensely enjoying myself and eager to see the outcome. The captain had clearly lost the initiative. Then he saw my Bible on the back seat of the car and with a stammer asked, 'Is that a Bible? Do you have one for me? I have not been to church for seventeen years.''Why sure I have a Bible for you. In fact, I have a whole box in the trunk. Just let me get them.'With that I alighted from the vehicle, grabbed the box of Bibles and distributed them amongst the soldiers. Hostility turned to peace and bewilderment to joy as they received the Word in a communist land where the Bible was forbidden. The entire platoon knelt down at my bidding, prayed the sinners prayer and then melted off into the jungle with waves and smiles as if nothing had happened."(Extract from Sermon on the Mount by Michael Howard).Doesn't that excite you? It sure does me. I want that level of intimacy with Him so that no matter what happens I know that He is in control.
If You Were God What Would You Do To Get Your Attention?
By Penny Shellswell
Published October 30, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Penny Shellswell
Copyright2008 Penny Shellswell Jointly leads training courses in Intimacy with the Father. Holy Spirit is stirring believers across the UK to intercession. The goal? Winning the lost and dying of the UK through the setting up of 800 Intercession groups. http://www.outofafrica-uk.orgView all articles by Penny Shellswell
What more does God have to do to make us sit up and take note? Have these questions ever crossed your mind?Almighty God lives in Heaven. We live on the earth. Yes, it all belongs to Him but He has given us the responsibility of ruling here. As believers, we know, it is only through Jesus that we can have a relationship with our Father.But as a non-believer I used to have times of great joy singing around the house or wherever. There was no specific reason for this joy. No one had given me a present, come to visit me or sent me a letter. I was just full of joy.I realise now that being made in His image, joy is part of the nature that He has put within us. That joy should have caused me to question where it came from. Was He seeking to get my attention? 'The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart'. (Ps 19 v 8) Wow! There's the reason. So if I had joy it should have caused me to question and search. I regret it didn't. It was many years later before I came to know Him.What about ill health? Is that Father God seeking to get our attention? Again from my own experience of TB and other health problems, I believe the answer is again, yes.Psalm 119 says, 'Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word.' 'It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees'. 'I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.' 'If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.' (v67, 71, 75, 92)What a wonderful understanding of the ways of the Lord. The progression of going astray, doing one's own thing, to learning His ways, coming out the other side and being able to say, 'in faithfulness you afflicted me'. Now recognising that if the law of the Lord had not become his delight he would have perished in his affliction.What a merciful God we have! But is that how we view afflictions?Now He's rattling our cage harder because we have not heeded Him. We have continued to go our own way. So now we have unusual weather patterns, food shortages and financial collapses.At the root of all these problems is one thing. Man. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jer 17 v 9) so we are open to the deception of the enemy. We have lived more for him, the enemy, through our carnal self, than we have for God. God in His mercy and desire that none should perish is making His Presence known in more powerful ways.Are we listening? Are we heeding? Or are we still like ostriches with our heads in the sand saying it can't happen to us?Jesus died and rose again so that we might have a dynamic relationship with Him, Father and Holy Spirit.Do we love Him for what He gives us, in which case we are controlling the relationship or are we passionately in love with Him so that He is our prize and very great reward, so that His heartbeat becomes our heartbeat?We need to develop that level of intimacy with Him so that He's in control of our lives. The
following story vividly demonstrates the power of God to intervene on our behalf if we will give ourselves to Him."I was 'low flying' through the African bush when I came upon a roadblock of communist soldiers. They were bristling with AK47 automatics, rockets, mortars and an array of other weapons. I always drove fast to beat the bullets! As the roadblock loomed up rapidly and I was still cruising at eighty, I asked the Lord, 'Should I run them?' The Holy Spirit distinctly whispered to me, 'No, stop. I will undertake.'As I screeched to a halt before those very aggressive soldiers, my vehicle was instantly surrounded and one young soldier thrust his AK47 through the window right into my ear. Now, in the thinking of the world, I was supposed to be intimidated and full of fear. If there is anything which makes me really angry, it is when somebody points a gun at me.I am certainly not afraid of that. The issue was whether I was going to rule or be ruled in the middle of the African bush. With the barrel of that weapon in my ear and the young soldier shouting, 'Today you die! Today you die!' I slowly turned my head towards him, looked him in the eyes, snatched the barrel away from my face with a sudden move and bellowed, 'No! I will not die, I belong to Jesus.'The soldier fell back from the vehicle in absolute amazement, as did his comrades at my shout. I could see the astonishment written all over their faces.'What's wrong? We have the guns and this man should be afraid! This is not working.'The intimidator suddenly became the intimidated.All natural understanding and behaviour demanded that I should have been terrified but I was not because the peace of the Lord was my portion as a result of delighting in Him and enjoying Him. I became the ruler and inherited the earth. While the entire platoon was jabbering in amazement at the reverse of roles, the captain came out of the bush shouting, 'What's going on here? What's going on?'In almost a chorus, the platoon replied, 'this man refuses to die!' They might have added, for it was apparent by their faces and behaviour, 'And we're confused.'The captain was coming to 'set things in order' but as he reached the vehicle, the same confusion overcame him.The Lord was present and fully in control of the whole situation. I was immensely enjoying myself and eager to see the outcome. The captain had clearly lost the initiative. Then he saw my Bible on the back seat of the car and with a stammer asked, 'Is that a Bible? Do you have one for me? I have not been to church for seventeen years.''Why sure I have a Bible for you. In fact, I have a whole box in the trunk. Just let me get them.'With that I alighted from the vehicle, grabbed the box of Bibles and distributed them amongst the soldiers. Hostility turned to peace and bewilderment to joy as they received the Word in a communist land where the Bible was forbidden. The entire platoon knelt down at my bidding, prayed the sinners prayer and then melted off into the jungle with waves and smiles as if nothing had happened."(Extract from Sermon on the Mount by Michael Howard).Doesn't that excite you? It sure does me. I want that level of intimacy with Him so that no matter what happens I know that He is in control.

Do You Need Spiritual Fuel?

By Dana Rongione
Published November 2, 2008
Christianity
Rating: Unrated
Dana Rongione
Dana Rongione is a full-time Christian freelance writer. For faith-filled messages, check out http://www.danarongione.blogspot.com. For more information on working from home, check out www.productsupplycenter.com/web62203.View all articles by Dana Rongione
Gas prices. It seems like that's all some people can talk about. You turn on the news, and you hear about gas prices. You pick up the paper, and you read about gas prices. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. Does the constant rise in gas prices affect me? Of course. Am I aggravated that it takes more money to feed my car than it does to feed my family? Absolutely. But, how does complaining about it help any of us? How does it help to keep such a negative topic in the forefront of our minds day after day? It doesn't help us at all. In fact, it hinders us from focusing on more important things, like spiritual fuel.I don't know a lot about cars, but I do know that they must have gas before they will run. No fuel, no go! Our bodies work in the same way. God created us in such a way that our bodies need nourishment from food in order to work properly. So, acknowledging what we know about our physical bodies needing fuel, why should we think our spiritual bodies are any different? Why do we often deprive our faith of the fuel it needs to grow and thrive?In Philippians 3, Paul said, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended." In other words, he's saying, "I've not arrived. I still have a lot of work to do on my faith." I think we can all say "Amen" to Paul's statement. I believe we can agree that we have not reached the level of
spiritual maturity that we long for. We possess the faith, but are we fueling that faith?The Bible compares the Christian walk with a race. So, let me ask you this question: how often are you making pit stops? I don't watch much auto racing, but more than once, I've seen a driver lose the race because his car ran out of gas. You can almost hear the conversation he has with himself as he passes that last pit stop. "I can make it a little father. I have enough fuel to finish. If I just keep going, I'll win this thing."Good thought. Bad plan. By not giving his car what it needed, he cost himself the race. Not only did he not win, but he didn't even get to finish the race.Aren't we like that sometimes, too? So busy with our daily demands and weekly routines, we bypass our spiritual fuel. We know we need to read the Bible, but it's often just too difficult to fit in into our schedule. Our daily time with the Lord is interrupted by phone calls, sick children, or job emergencies.Day after day, we struggle through, forsaking our spiritual fuel, then wondering why life is so difficult and why we can't seem to gain any ground in our spiritual walk.God has shown me time and time again that if I will devote the time to fueling my spiritual man, He will give me the time and energy to accomplish everything else on my "to do" list. Try it out. See what happens when your spiritual tank is full. It will cost you some time, but you'll soon discover that it's well worth the price.