Building a church school in Tomsk.

Do you think that your Church does not do anything to help people around? But can it be that you simply don’t know what your people around the world do? They do a lot, though they are not blessed with money like those who are lucky to live in the States or in Europe.  Do you think GOD Who blessed you did that so you can become a blessing for others?

If we are truly looking to be givers, we always will find that our Church has many social projects. Like that one for example:   A church school in Tomsk (Russia) Do you want to try your heart by giving to those who don’t know you, but need help?

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

Studying Torah

A Rabbi was seeking someone to instruct his young son in the wisdom of Torah. He finally found a young man who had a good reputation as a teacher. After interviewing him, the Rabbi was satisfied with his abilities.

“But before I hire you,” the Rabbi said, “I have to ask you one final question: Do you yourself enjoy studying Torah?”

“What difference does it make?” asked the young man. “As long as I sincerely want your son to study and will make every effort to teach him, I should be qualified for the job!”

“You are mistaken!” the Rabbi replied. “A teacher transmits whatever he enjoys. If you enjoy studying Torah, then you will transmit this feeling and my son, too, will enjoy studying. However, if your goal is only that my son should learn and grow up to be a scholar, then all he will learn from you is that he, too, will enjoy when someone else studies!”

Search the Scriptures

“Search the Scriptures,” was the injunction of the Master. Many have lost much because they have neglected this duty. When we search the word of God, angels are by our side, reflecting bright beams of light upon its sacred pages. The Scriptures appeal to man as having power to choose between right and wrong; they speak to him in warning, in reproof, in entreaty, in encouragement. The mind must be exercised on the solemn truths of God’s word, or it will grow weak. We have the truth brought out in publications, but it is not enough to rely upon other men’s thoughts. We must examine for ourselves, and learn the reasons of our faith by comparing scripture with scripture. Take the Bible, and on your knees plead with God to enlighten your mind. If we would study the Bible diligently and prayerfully every day, we should every day see some beautiful truth in a new, clear, and forcible light.—The Review and Herald, March 4, 1884.

A blessing

 

The Chafetz Chaim once wished to offer a blessing for a lawyer who was very helpful to the Jewish community. This is what he told him: “I cannot bless you to win every case, for justice may be on the side of the party you do not represent. I will therefore bless you that every party that is indeed in the right should hire you as his lawyer”.

Who are we really?

If we are talking of spiritual matters, I don’t think anybody will reject a statement that there are only two kingdoms available: the Kingdom of the Almighty God and the kingdom of satan. The Bible is very clear talking of the real ruler of the world which we live in:

Jesus says: “…the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me…” (John 14:30)

Paul says: “…you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience…”

So how do you think Christ’s people will feel in this world?  Here is the answer:

“…you as sojourners and pilgrims…” (1Peter 2:11)

“confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb.11:13)

But there is very good news in that. We don’t have to be sad about being foreigners here,  because our connection to Christ makes us citizens of a different Kingdom:

“…you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…” (Eph. 2:12)

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness…” (Col. 1:13)

Do we really belief that we are citizens of God’s Kingdom? Why do I ask that question? You see… sometimes I wonder if we just talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.

 

Isaiah 2:4

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.

 

Do you watch the sings ot time?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday’s gathering of the pope, Peres and Abbas saw delegations of Rabbis (mostly Israeli) and Muslim Imams (mostly Palestinian) sitting in one section of the spacious Vatican garden while high ranking Catholic clergy sat in one long line in another side of the garden.

Facing them, at some distance, to the left and right of the pope, were Abbas and Peres – all three in stately chairs spaced almost embarrassingly well apart. (Arabia News)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither;

and whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

What is wrong with that picture?

–     Do you love Jesus?

–      Oh yes, I do! Very much! With all my heart!

–         Do you love reading the Bible?

–         Well, not really…

What is wrong with that picture?

Let’s see…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… John bore witness of Him… And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.… He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

 Jesus is the Word of God, isn’t He?

The word of God was made flesh twice: in the human words of the Holy Scripture and in the human personality of Jesus. These are two of God’s revelations of Himself. So it is not possible to love one revelation and be bored with another one. Especially if those reveal the One Who is absolutely perfect and wonderful. So let’s stop lying in the midst of our hearts: if we don’t love abiding on the pasture of the Scripture, we don’t know the real Jesus yet. And if we do not obey the words of the Scripture, we do not obey Jesus yet.

Genuine Christians

With sufficient ego motivation, we can do a remarkable job of bringing our behavior into compliance with the letter of the law. That is precisely what having a form of godliness (2 Tim 3:5) is all about.  But we can deny the power thereof.

You see, the power of the gospel is in its capacity to transform us by the renewing of our minds… (Rom 12:2) to make us new creatures (2 Cor 5:17).  In what way do we become new creatures through the gospel? Do we get a new body? No, that’s not what makes us what we are. At least not yet – we’re going to before it’s all over. But… how is the creative power of the gospel manifested in our lives now? By recreating our minds into the likeness of Christ.

 (Pr 23:7)

By the power of the gospel, we learn to think in such a radically different way that we become a new creature. We become a new person. We used to think governed by the spirit and law of selfishness. But when we receive the law of love and learn, for the love of Christ, to govern our thoughts and feelings by it, we actually become a totally different person… a new creation.

This experience that all of us as Christians, as genuine Christians, ought to have is really not all that common. There’s a lot of hypocrisy amongst us as a people. I’m not judging you; I dare not judge you. But I am sharing with you the judgment of the True Witness. What does He go on to say about Laodicea?

We think that we’re  rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing. And we don’t even know that we’re wretched, poor, blind, miserable and naked. (Rev 3:17) Why are we so self-deceived? Because we have a form of godliness. We’ve done a real good job of putting whitewash on our sepulchers. (Mat 23:27) And we’re terribly impressed with how good they look. There’s no true conversion. But the thing that frightens me is that so many of us have a nominal profession of faith and we have a nominal observance of the law. We only have an external, behavioral letter-of-the law compliance. And we haven’t really experienced this writing of the law upon the fleshly tables of the heart.

(From Glory to Glory)

Why will God never take some people to live on the new earth?

Those who have chosen Satan as their leader and have been controlled by his power are not prepared to enter the presence of God. Pride, deception, licentiousness, cruelty, have become fixed in their characters. Can they enter heaven to dwell forever with those whom they despised and hated on earth? Truth will never be agreeable to a liar; meekness will not satisfy self-esteem and pride; purity is not acceptable to the corrupt; disinterested love does not appear attractive to the selfish. What source of enjoyment could heaven offer to those who are wholly absorbed in earthly and selfish interests?

Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion against God be suddenly transported to heaven and witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever exists there… Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place.  The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God.