Break Generational Chains!

How your prayers can destroy generational strongholds.

We all know we can inherit our mother’s eyes, our father’s nose, or the color of our grandmother’s hair. But did you know that we can pick up character qualities from our parents, such as a bad temper, a propensity for lying, depression, self-pity, envy, unforgiveness, perfectionism and pride? These and other characteristics that have a spiritual root can be passed along from our parents to us, and from us to our children. In a particular family there may be a tendency toward such things as divorce, infidelity, alcoholism, addiction, suicides or depression all mistakenly accepted as “the way I am.”

The Bible talks about the influence our parents can have on us. It says God will visit “the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (Ex. 20:5). This Scripture is referring to people who don’t walk in a loving relationship with God. However, a parent who is a believer and loves God can still choose to sin. And his sin will profoundly affect his children.

The Bible says “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). That doesn’t mean that when we receive Jesus we are suddenly perfect and incapable of sinning. It means we have been freed from the consequences of sin, which is death, and we have been given the power to resist it. But we must make choices every day about whether we will live in that freedom and power or not.

The Bible also says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). If it is not possible as a believer to become entangled again with a yoke of bondage, why does the Bible warn us about it? The answer is, even though Jesus set us free from sin we can still make choices that put us back into bondage to it.

The point is, sometimes we accept certain tendencies toward sin in ourselves and we don’t have to. Sometimes we carry on a family tradition that we shouldn’t and it affects our children. Unlike physical traits, tendencies toward sin are something we don’t have to receive as an inheritance from our parents. That’s because these tendencies are nothing more than the unquestioned acceptance of a firmly entrenched lie of the enemy. He wants us to believe that we are not a new creation in Christ and that we have not been set free from our old nature. He wants us to think that because dad or grandpa drank too much, or was a complainer, or cheated on his wife, or abused his family with his anger, or got divorced, or was dishonest in his business dealings, that’s the way things are done in our family. But we can choose to break away from these old familial habits through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. And when we see things we don’t like about ourselves reflected in our children, we can pray for them to be set free of that tendency as well.

“If God through His mercy has saved us, and the Holy Spirit has washed and renewed us, and we are justified by grace, then why am I still struggling with sin?” I asked my Christian counselor many years ago.

“It’s because the sin is either unconfessed, or you are choosing to continue to do it,” he answered.

“But I still have unforgiveness for various family members for things that have happened in the past,” I said. “I’ve reconfessed it. I don’t want to do it. Why can’t I get beyond this?”

“Your mother was an unforgiving person, wasn’t she?” he said.

“Very much so. She had unforgiveness for nearly every family member. That’s why she distanced herself from most of them. She had few friends for the same reason—she pushed them away with her unforgiveness for the most minor infractions.”

“Have you ever thought of the possibility that you could have acquired that tendency toward unforgiveness in your personality? Children pick up what their parents are,” he suggested.

I’d never thought about the possibility of there being anything outside my own mind that was propelling me to stay locked in unforgiveness, but the more I thought about it, the more I remembered seeing that trait manifest seriously in other family members. Nearly every family has to deal with that at some point, but most get beyond it without allowing it to cause a major breach in the family ties.

“I know this doesn’t relieve me of my responsibility to forgives, but I do see a pattern of this in my family,” I said.

“And what frightens me most is that it could happen in my own children. I see them now hanging on to unforgiveness toward one another for things that have happened. It would break my heart to think that after they’ve grown and left our house, or after my husband and I have gone to be with the Lord, they would have nothing to do with one another. I can see that I have to get free of this for them as well as for myself.”

The counselor and I prayed that day that the sin of unforgiveness in my family would not be passed down from generation to generation, but would be stopped by the power of the Holy Spirit. I proclaimed the truth of God’s Word, which says I am a new creation in Christ and I don’t have to live according to the habits and sins of the past. Through that revelation, I resolved to confess unforgiveness the moment it appeared—even if that meant doing it on an hour-by-hour basis.

The more I have released unforgiveness through confession, repentance and prayer before God, the more I have seen my children become free of it too. And their relationship with one another has improved. Of course, my children’s ability to forgive does not rely on me. It is their decision. But hopefully they will see forgiveness being modeled in a clear-enough manner as to make their decision to forgive easier.

A good way to see a negative trait broken in your child is to see it broken in you first. The best place to start is to identify any sin in your life. Wherever there is sin, you need to confess it. If that sin is given place time and again, it will become more and more entrenched. For example, a lie is a sin. By repeated lying, place is given for this trait to become entrenched, and soon lying gets out of control. Another example is wanting to die. This is a sin. When people say “I want to die” enough times, they can get to the point where they are plagued by suicidal thoughts.

If you see a place in your life where you have sinned or not lived God’s way, repent of it immediately by going before the Lord and confessing it. Ask for God’s forgiveness and say, “God, You be in control and help me not to live like that anymore.”

Then identify any sin in your parents and grandparents that you feel could be affecting you or your children and pray about that also. The Bible says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:16-17). We want to be heirs of God, not of our family’s sin.

In Jesus’ name we can be set free from any family pattern of sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can refuse to allow it any place in our children’s life. If you can think of any family traits you don’t want your children to inherit, start praying.

Stormie Omartian is the best-selling author of The Power of a Praying series, including The Power of a Praying Parent, from which this article was adapted. Copyright © 2007 by Stormie Omartian. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by permission

Culled from Charismag

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HOW SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE DESTROYS YOU AND YOUR GENERATION

Bible passage: Genesis 34

    Shecham the son of Hamor had sex with Dinah the daughter of Jacob and his soul was drawn to Dinah for he loved her.  The act done by Shecham and Dinah is very common in the world today. Most youths during courtship engage in premarital sex. Premarital sex is now seen as a normal thing that occurs between couples during courtship.

      

        Her brothers heard of what Shecham did to their sister, so they were very angry for he had defiled their sister. They kept quiet and pretended as if nothing had happen. This is exactly how God feels whenever you engage in premarital sex. Don’t you know that you simply defile His temple and His property whenever you engage in premarital sex?  You are God’s own and your body is His temple.1 Cor 3:16: 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor 6:18-20 (KJV): Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. God is angry whenever you defile your body, which is His temple and property and keeps watching you as if nothing had happened, for He is a God that keeps quiet while executing His judgment.

    

     Shechem decided to marry Dinah because of the love he had for her, so he did all he was told to do by Dinah’s family. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. This is a typical example of how the punishment for premarital sex hunts us down unexpectedly while we are moving on with our normal lives and had forgotten about the immoral act.  We can all see how premarital sex led to the destruction of shechem and his household. For it is written that whoever destroys the body shall be destroyed. Whenever you engage in premarital sex, you are destroying God’s temple, and the bible says that such people shall be destroyed.

There are different ways in which premarital sex can destroy a person:

1.  Death:  For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23 (KJV). God did not condemn Simeon and Levi for killing Shechem, He allowed it to happen because of what shechem did. This is the more reason why we need to stay away from sin, for the moment you engage yourself in sin, God will distance Himself from you and the devil or your enemy would use that as any opportunity to attack or harm you.

2. Failure: Premarital sex reduces or destroys one’s glory and it also hinders one from getting to his/her promised land provided by God. Moses was the only man that ever saw the back view of God, this is to tell you how close he was to God, but he was unable to get to the promised land because of anger and disobedience. If anger could hinder Moses from prospering, can you imagine what premarital sex would cost you?

3.  Premarital sex delays ones blessings and destiny: Premarital sex can make you jobless for years after graduating from the higher institution with good grades, it can make you single for years finding it difficult to have a good man or woman to marry. It can also make you barren for many years after marriage and also make you experience poverty for a very long time, for if you are destined to become a millionaire at the age of 25, premarital sex can delay such blessing until you are 50years old. Remember the Israelites, their trip to the promised land should have taken them just 11 days; instead, it took them 40 years! What’s astounding is that out of the 1.5 million people who left Egypt, only two from the original group made it to the Promised Land. Today, it seems there are many believers who have escaped “Egypt,” which represents their former life of slavery to sin. They are always looking towards the Promised Land but seems to end up wandering around the same mountains of their lives, dealing with the same problems, having the same issues.

    

      4. Illness and Diseases  : Sin is one of the main causes of illness and diseases such as cancer, leukemia, diabetes etc .In the end of the book of Deuteronomy, God gave the people of Israel a list of blessings and curses, depending if they listened or not to His Commandment and He says this:

If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed. Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 28:58-62)(NASB) 

But not all diseases are the result of our personal sin.

          Dear reader, have you ever engaged in premarital sex and are feeling bad right now? The good news is that, Christ came to world because of people like you. Matt 9:13 (KJV) For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Christ is ready to forgive, restore and accept you the way you are as long as you are ready and willing to repent and never go back to your old ways.

      

      Written by Adebayo Tosin

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Bible Study: Making God Your Strength in Weakness

Read Genesis 14:1–24

As followers of Christ, we strive to live in a way that visibly attests to the work of God in our lives. Yet it’s easy to feel timid or reluctant about displaying our faith—especially if we've failed before. Abram knew what it was like to fail in trusting God fully. In Genesis 12, he acted out of fear and self-preservation in the face of danger instead of trusting in God’s promise (Gen 12:10–20). Yet God remained faithful to him. In Genesis 14, when Abram learned that his nephew was in danger, he didn't hesitate to act. Emboldened by God’s promise, Abram confidently set his eyes on the armies of the Mesopotamian kings, and with his band of trained men, he took down an army of giants.

Our past failures or lapses of faith do not prevent God from using us to accomplish great things, whether in witnessing to His work in our lives or defeating armies of giants (see Psa 118:6; Rom 8:31). Abram’s life shows us that God can and will use us despite our weaknesses and failures (see 1 Cor 1:26–31). This encourages us, like the Apostle Paul, to recognize that God’s grace is sufficient and that His power is made evident through our weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

In Colossians 3:17, Paul wrote, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (ESV). Paul recognized that when we live out our faith, others notice—and they benefit from our efforts. This was true in Abram’s life: The Canaanite priest-king Melchizedek recognized Abram’s courage and, more importantly, God’s hand in Abram’s victory. Our faith should not only affect us, it should affect those around us as we respond to God’s call to live as disciples of Christ (see Col 3:12–15).

1. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 and 2 Cor 12:9–10. How does Paul describe our weakness compared to God’s strength? How does this encourage you to rely on the Lord?

2. How can you show God’s love to others by living faithfully? How does putting to death “what is
earthly” and putting on a new being affect how you relate to others (see Col 3:5–17)?

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12 Tips to Guard Against Sexual Sin

   It only takes a small pin to burst a balloon. When trust is gone and when there is a leak in
the integrity and character of a person, the explosion is quick and even startling. What has
taken a lifetime of hard work to build disintegrates swiftly with an act of immorality, an act of
indiscretion. You sacrifice your integrity, lose your credibility, and forfeit the right to lead.

I often speak to men about the sin of adultery and perversion because of the seemingly tolerant
attitude in society toward this sexual misbehavior. And once you cross that line, once you go
over the boundaries into sexual sin and engage in immorality, it becomes easier and easier to
justify it.

There are 12 points I share on how to maintain moral purity.

1) Recognize your potential for moral failure. Don’t say, “It can’t happen to me.” Don’t
say, “I’m immune to this” because you’re not. And if you’re not careful, if you don’t
watch and pray, if you don’t develop spiritual disciplines in your life, you’re more than
vulnerable.
2) Realize you don’t have to give in. Don’t say, “The living Christ is in me and yet I
couldn’t help myself.” You have the power of God’s Spirit; the Spirit of the living God
lives in you and will enable you and empower you.
3) Resolve to be pure; purpose in your heart not to defile yourself. And if you have fallen,
you can start over again. And you can say, “From this day forward, God, make me pure
and make me clean.”
4) Remove all bitterness from your life. Often, when a person becomes bitter, he’s upset
about something that becomes an excuse or a rationalization to say, “Well, I deserve this
pleasure.”
5) Restrain the flesh in all areas. Paul said in Romans 13:4: “Make no provision for the
flesh.” That speaks for itself.
6) Refuse to give in even for a moment. Fight this all the days of your life. I’ve known men
who have lived in moral purity all their days and then at the end of their life made some
foolish mistake.
7) Run from every form of evil. The Bible says to abstain from every appearance of evil.
8) Resist the devil. He’s the author of these lies. He’s the ultimate enemy. And in the name
of Jesus Christ you can resist the enemy.
9) Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.”
10) Renew your mind in the Word of God. Saturate your heart and your mind. Renew your
mind in the washing of the water of the Word of God.
11) Rejoice in the goodness and the grace and the forgiveness and the love of God. When
you praise God, you are empowered to be pure. Worship Him! Praise Him! Because in
the praise … the act of praise itself, we are enabled to overcome the work of the enemy.
12) Remember that you will give an account before a holy God and that’s a sobering
thought. Paul said, “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? You
were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus.”

It takes time to restore trust and credibility and integrity. It takes time, it takes counsel, it
takes the Word of God working in your life and cleansing your heart and your soul and
your mind and your will, and standing you back up again so that you can make a comeback
in your life by the grace of God. And we’re forever grateful for that grace that covers and
cleanses all sin.

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Reaching your promised land

Is your attitude causing you to journey in the wilderness longer than you should?

   If you are facing a struggle in your life, perhaps the problem isn't what you think it is. Many times, we focus on another person or a situation and we think that’s what is causing us to be unhappy. But the real issue might be that you have a bad attitude.

It may seem like your problem is your spouse, your children, a co-worker, the traffic, the economy, your church ... but actually, you might be wandering around in the wilderness, unable to find your promised land because your attitude stinks.

I can relate to this. There was a time when, just like the Israelites, I used to blame the things that were wrong in my life on my outward circumstances instead of looking at what was in my heart. I remember when God taught me this as I studied Scriptures about the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness.

What’s Keeping You From Your Promised Land?

We can learn a lot about the importance of a good attitude by looking at the Israelite  Consider this: The Bible says there was an estimated 1.5 million people who came out of Egypt. God delivered them from slavery and led them on the journey to their Promised Land, a place described as flowing with milk and honey. The trip should have taken just 11 days; instead it took them 40 years!

Why did that happen? In Numbers 14, we see the people were continuously grumbling and complaining about everything. They even complained about the bread that God miraculously provided for them. Anytime something difficult crossed their path, they were ready to give up and go back to Egypt—back to slavery.

What’s astounding is that out of the 1.5 million people who left Egypt, only two from the original group made it to the Promised Land. It seems even today there are many believers who have escaped “Egypt,” which represents their former life of slavery to sin. They are always looking toward the Promised Land but seem to end up wandering around the same mountains their entire life, dealing with the same problems, having the same issues.

Are you one of these people? Do you feel like you've been going around the same mountain long enough?

Early in my walk with the Lord, I was wandering around in a wilderness of carnality. That’s what the wilderness is—fleshly living that lets your soul (mind, will and emotions) be in control. This leads to a lousy attitude, because when our soul is in control, we aren't submitting our thoughts to Christ, thinking and acting like Him. Let the Lord work in your soul. He wants to change your attitude by changing the way you think.

Get a New Attitude

Ephesians 4:22-24 says: “Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; and be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness” (AMP).

In these verses, God lovingly asks us to stop acting like we used to. This takes effort on our part, but by God’s grace and with His help, we can change. The key is to constantly renew our mind each day with God’s Word.

Although I’ve been teaching from the Bible all these years, I still have to make a daily decision to renew my mind with God’s Word. God has brought me a long way and some things are easier now than before, but I haven’t “arrived.” There are still times when I need to take off the old nature and put on the new nature of Christ. It is part of the lifelong journey we all have in our walk with the Lord.

As you become more like Christ, you’ll get closer to the promised land God has for you. Renew your mind with God’s Word every day and enjoy the journey!

By Joyce Meyer

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How to shine

Philippians 2:12-18

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputing: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me”.

To shine, our personal faith must have a public presence. You must hold out the word of life. By guiding people into Righteousness

Daniel 12:3. Those who are wise [Or who impart wisdom] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

 2. We shine by allowing God to do his full work in us and through us.

 3. By working out our salvation with fear and trembling. God works in us before working through us.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed —not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence— continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

4. We shine by reflecting the light of God in a dark world by illuminating others. Matthew 5:15-16. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

5. We shine by doing good works without complaining.

Philippians 2:14-16. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out [Or hold on to] the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

6. By doing what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10

Ephesians 5:8-15. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the

Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise,

7. We shine through our deeds and our creeds.  Deeds are our good works, while creeds are your belief, message and your witness about Jesus Christ. Those around you must not just hear your good message. They must see your good works. If your deeds are important, your creed is equally important. That is why those who are born to shine must avoid sinful deeds and evil creed that don’t give glory to God.

8. We shine by remaining connected to the source of light. If light is cut off from the source, no matter the voltage it carries, it cannot shine.

9. We shine eternally by surrendering all our victories and success at the feet of the master, it all belongs to God.

                                          

                                           Written by Dada Samson  

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Does the Bible Really Say All That About Romance?

The HolyBible speaks not only of ardent love between men and women, but it presents God Himself as a lover and his courting of creation as the Great Romance.

The symbol seems a strange one, considering the Christian reluctance to embrace romantic love. Yet it is distinct throughout Scripture. God desires Israel for his bride: "For, as a young man weds a maiden, so you shall wed Him who rebuilds you" (Isa. 62:5; all quotations from the NEB). He fondly recalls the days of harmony, "the love of your bridal days, when you followed me in the wilderness" (Jer. 2:2). Yet Israel is unfaithful—God is the unrequited lover. "Will a girl forget her finery or a bride her ribbons? Yet my people have forgotten me over and over again. How well you pick your way in search of lovers!" (Jer. 2:32). God is a passionate lover, and passion can fuel anger. Like the country singer who wonders, "if I saw you, would I kiss you or want to kill you on sight?" God storms at his lover for her prostitution.

After all, He rescued her as a newborn baby lying in her own blood, raised her to full womanhood, gave her fine clothes and jewelry, provided for her the best of foods, and presented her with sons and daughters (Ezek. 16:114). In return, she imperviously fornicates. "How you anger me!" shouts God (Ezek. 16:30). He threatens to turn her over to her many lovers, to strip her naked before them. The lovers will rob her jewelry, stone her, and hack her to pieces (Ezek. 16:39-40).

Which is it, then, kiss or kill?

Wait, for God is the perfect lover. He vents his anger, then whispers: "But now listen, I will woo her, I will go with her into the wilderness and comfort her" (Hos. 2:14). He follows her through fires, floods, dark woods, wherever she goes, then pleads "How shall I deal with you? Your loyalty to me is like the morning mist, like dew that vanishes early." Don't you see, he adds, "loyalty is my desire, not sacrifice" (Hos. 6:4-5). Love will heal: it will reveal the eternal identity and make all things new. Come, God says, and Israel may be "fair as the olive" and "flourish like a vine" (Hos. 14:6-7).

Then the persistent lover takes another tack. He is not out to woo only one tribe, one people, but all, and all of creation. This wild lover will stop at nothing. He condescends and assumes the nature of a slave. He walks among us and heals and proclaims peace and routes demons (and takes up a whip to show some of that old anger too). He demonstrates his power over death by raising the dead, He tells story after story to win our trust. He looks on us adoringly, and yearns, "How often have I longed to gather you children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings: but you would not let me" (Luke 13:34).

And still we will not let him. He is embarrassing us. He keeps company with prostitutes, for one thing. Sometimes He acts too happy, and he eats and drinks more than a holy man should. Worst of all, He makes outlandish claims that He is the same God who has been chasing us all along. Finally, cruelly, we turn our backs on him once more, and nail his back to a cross.

But he is God, and mad in love enough to bear it, to take all our anger and guilt. Three days later, He is backand this shocks us into trying to love him better. Our infidelity is long and habitual, though, and we still slip often. There are yet many other gods winking at us, seducing us. Our resolve to be unfaithful is weakened, just the same.

We have been betrothed to our "true and only husband" (2 Cor. 11:2). We have seen that love really is stronger than death, stronger than life or angels or principalities or powers or anything else. In the end, there is no fighting it. We already hear fiddles scratching away at a distant feast, and we wonder more and more why we ran so hard from this lover. "Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-supper of the Lamb!" (Rev. 19:9).                                                                                                         Written by Rodney Clapp

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Egyptian Blogger on Trial for Desecrating Bible.

   Radical Muslim blogger Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Abdallah, also known as Abu Islam, has spoken out on his recent charges for "contempt for religion" after he ripped the pages of a New Testament Bible in mid-September in Cairo, Egypt.

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Virgins Wanted: Brazilian Woman Selling Virginity May Face Spiritual Consequences, Says Pastor

    Brazilian Catarina Migliorini, who is just 20-years-old, became a viral sensation in recent weeks after she decided to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder. The move has sparked a wave of criticism and debate about sexual morality and prostitution issues, with Christian leaders

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Meet Kanon Tipton, a 4 year old preacher from Mississippi.

     I know his story is no longer news in some part of the world,but i want those that haven't heard of him before to see what God is doing in the life of the young boy. See the video after the cut

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Ten things Pastors dont like about pastoring.

The expectations of a pastor are endless. Many members expect them to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. But different pastors are wired differently. One pastor may get great fulfillment out of counseling, while another dreads every minute of it.
So I did an informal and unscientific survey of pastors. I asked them a simple question: “What do you like least about being a pastor?” The question was opened-ended and they could give more than one response.
I learned two things from this survey. First, pastors can have strong opinions about what they don’t like. Second, pastors are really different. The responses were wide-ranged and often in opposition to each other.
So here are the top ten things pastors don’t like about pastoring. I’ve listed them in reverse order. I then follow each dislike with a comment from a representative pastor.
10. Dealing with budgets and finance. “I have a pastor friend who has a finance major. He was in business before he went to seminary and he loves working with numbers. Not me. I get nauseas at the thought of working on the church budget.”
9. Weddings. “Emotions are usually high at weddings. Some people are difficult to handle. Plus the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception take away my whole weekend. I wish we could pass a law that no weddings can take place during college football season.”
8. Announcements in the worship service. “This past Sunday I was asked to announce that one of the older Sunday school classes was having a garage sale to raise money to repair the pipe organ. Their hearts were right, but I had to talk about a garage sale and a pipe organ right before I preached.”
7. Persistent critics. “You have to deal with critics if you are a pastor. I just struggle with those who are always on me about something. They never let up. It can be demoralizing.”
6. Anonymous critics. “I shouldn’t even let anonymous critics bother me. If they don’t have the courage to use their name, I have no reason to dwell on it. But, I’ve got to admit, it really bugs me. I find myself wondering throughout the day who it might be.”
5. Counseling. “I really envy those pastors who are counselors. They get energized by listening to people at their points of need and hurt. I have to admit that my mind wanders and I watch the clock. I don’t think I really help anybody when I counsel.”
4. Treating spouses like they are paid staff members. “I really hurt for my wife because we have one church member that expects her to put in the same amount of hours at church as I do. My wife is taking care of our three preschool children at home, but she feels guilty every time the church member talks to her.”
3. Supporters who don’t support pastors publicly. “One guy was ripping into me at our last business meeting.  But he didn’t bother me as much as my so-called supporters who remained silent the whole time. They’ve told me that they are behind me, but they weren’t there for me when I needed them the most.”
2. Funerals of non-Christians. “I’ve been a pastor for nearly thirty years, and I still struggle when I’m asked to do the funeral of someone who never professed Christ. Most of the time my funeral message is directed at the family, and how God will comfort them. It’s still not easy.”
1. Business meetings. “Let me know if you come across a pastor that actually likes church business meetings. I want to find the secret to his moments of delusion.”
What do you think of this list? What would you add?
                                                                                               by Thom Rainer

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'Pakistan Christian Girl Innocent of Blasphemy'

Pakistani police say they have found no evidence that a mentally challenged Christian girl burned pages with verses of the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims, in a case that sparked international upheaval, Worthy News learned.

An interim police report seen by Worthy News suggested that Rimsha Masih, 14, is innocent of the charges of "blasphemy" against Islam.

The report came after earlier this month an Islamabad court ordered her release on bail of one million Pakistani rupees ($10,600).

Tables already turned when an imam who accused the girl of burning pages of Noorani Qaida, a religious textbook used to teach the Koran to children, was himself detained on charges of blasphemy, which can carry the death sentence.

Imam Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chisht allegedly stashed the Koranic papers in the girls bag to ensure her conviction and push out Christians from the area. Witnesses have already testified in the court against the cleric.

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

Pakistan had come under international pressure to release the girl.

Worthy News obtained a copy of a medical report, saying she is mentally impaired, suggesting she would not have been able to burn or even read the Koran.

The police report, which was handed over by investigative officer Munir Jaffari to judge Ghulam Abbas Shah on Saturday, September 22, claims two witnesses have confirmed "that it was not Rimsha who went to throw the garbage" but her six-year-old sister Savera.

The torched pages found in the bag were sent for forensic examination in Lahore with a final forensic report expected within weeks, investigators said.

However her accuser has rejected the police report saying the government changed the course of the case to prove Rimsha is innocent.

BLASPHEMY LEGISLATION

Rimsha was detained August 16 under Pakistans blasphemy legislation.

The case gained international attention, in part because of the girls age and questions about her mental capacity.

Amid international pressure she was eventually released from a prison for adults and airlifted from Adiyala jail to an unspecified location within Islamabad.

Christians have warned however that Rimsha and her family will be forced to live in hiding, fearing for their lives.

In Pakistan even being accused of blasphemy is equivalent to being sentenced, according to rights activists and local Christians.culled from worthy news

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Egypt Frees Christian Boys Accused of Blasphemy

                                               

Egyptian authorities on released two Coptic Christian children who were accused of "insulting Islam" by allegedly urinating on a paper with verses of the Koran, prosecutors and other officials said.

Nabil Naji Rizq, 10, and Mina Nadi Faraj, nine, from Beni Sewif province in southern Egypt were held at a juvenile facility.

Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmud reportedly took the decision because the accused, aged nine and 10, are minors.

The boys were reportedly detained in their home village of Ezbet Marco on September 30 following complaints from a local imam, identified as Ibrahim Mohamed Ali.

Local Christians said the situation remained tense in the village, with members of Gamaa Islamiya, a militant group, going to mosques urging Muslims "to rise up" against the court order to release the boys.

TENSIONS RISING

"I don't know why they are inciting people now. Right now, villagers from outside our place are gathering," The Associated Press news agency quoted a priest as saying. "God help us," he added, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

Christian rights activists view the case as part of growing hostilities towards Egypts minority Christians, known as Copts, who comprise up to 10 percent of the over
180 million population.

At least 17 people, mainly Christians, have been detained in the country on similar charges in recent weeks following "rising sensitivities" over the release of a
U.S.-produced anti-Islam film, said advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC).

Among those detained is a Christian teacher in the southern province of Assiut who received six years in prison for posting anti-Islam material on his page of the Facebook website.

Rights activists said a female Coptic teacher in another southern town was summoned for interrogation last week and detained for a night after her students claimed she spoke "offensively about the Prophet Muhammad" in class.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The teacher was released from detention, but prosecutors are still investigating her, according to rights investigators.

A Coptic Christian activist, Alber Saber, faces trial for posting material on his Facebook page deemed offensive to religion.

He was first detained after neighbors complained he had posted the anti-Islam film, but investigators didn't find it.

Yet, he was put on trial on charges of "contempt of religion". His trial reportedly began last week.

Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi has pledged to protect the Coptic community, but critics claim violence and detentions suggest otherwise. culled from worthy news             

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MARRIAGE:Love commandos rescue forbidden couples

    It feels so bad to hear that some parents still forcefully choose or decide for their children when it comes to the issue of marriage .  Please parents out there that are still having this mentality or idea of choosing patners for their children should kindly stop.Such act is not even biblical , Rebekah wasn't forced to marry Isaac , she married him willingly(Genesis 24:57-58). Read the couples story after the cut..

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Words of wisdom for celebrities: Don’t be a RICH FOOL.

            This message is not meant for the celebrities alone, but it is also meant for others that do not use their wealth to serve God. The reason why I am focusing on celebrities is because of the way most of them spend millions and billions on houses, cars, mansions and estates, and can’t give account of spending a penny for God. God calls such people fools and such people don’t live long (Luke 12:16-21).

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Christian Students Executed by Boko Haram in Nigeria; Believers Pray for 'Change of Heart

Multiple sources have confirmed that about 25 to 30 Christian college students were massacred at a university in northeastern Nigeria late Monday night, causing Christians to pray for a "change of heart" among the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram to put a stop to the continued violence.

While there is speculation as to the motive of the massacre, sources close to the human rights watchdog Open Doors USA confirm that the massacre was performed by Boko Haram.
Emily Fuentes, the communications and public relations coordinator for Open Doors who recently visited Nigeria and spoke to Christian leaders about Boko Haram, told The Christian Post that believers around the world can agree that prayer is the "only thing that will change the people of Boko Haram."
"There are people who are turning to Christ who used to be in the Boko Haram, and God is changing their hearts," Fuentes told CP.
"A lot of Christians believe that God will change these peoples' hearts," she added.
The killings reportedly occurred in the late night hours on Oct. 1, when masked gunmen went door-to-door in the off-campus housing section of Federal Polytechnic College in Mubi, a city in the remote Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria.
   
   Open Doors USA sources confirmed that the gunmen separated the Christian students from the Muslim students, addressed each victim by name, questioned them, and then proceeded to shoot them or slit their throat.
"Open Doors is calling on Christians in the West to bear this horrific burden with our brothers and sisters in Mubi and Adamawa state," Open Doors USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra said in a press release emailed to The Christian Post.
"Nigeria is becoming a killing field," he added.
Fuentes told CP that according to a local Nigerian police chief, Monday night's killing were performed by Boko Haram as an act of reprisal after 156 Boko Haram members were arrested in Mubi in late September.
Fuentes told CP over the phone interview that the goal of the terror group, which has reportedly overtaken 13 of Nigeria's northern states, is to make the country a completely Islamic nation and rid it of all western influence.
"In these [Nigerian] states to be a Christian is of grave danger," Fuentes said, adding that killing Christians is "Boko Haram's way of wiping out western influence."
Fuentes confirmed that in Mobi, where Monday's massacre took place, there has been some form of violent attack on Christians nearly every day since Nov. 2011.
Fuentes shared the testimonials involving a change of heart by two Boko Haram members. In one testimonial, a former Boko Haram member found the Gospel of Jesus Christ and converted. He now serves as a witness to other Boko Haram members, and although he receives threats to his life daily, he has managed to stay alive.
Other Boko Haram members, according to Fuentes, have not converted to Christianity but have seen the "goodness of the Christian religion" and now warn Christians before there is an attack.
In light of Monday's attack, Open Doors USA requested that all Christians pray for the families of the deceased students, who have been "thrown into mourning" and are reportedly in "indescribably pain right now."
"Please pray for the parents, families and friends of the innocent victim of this slaughter. Pray that they will receive the comfort only our Lord can give. Pray that justice will prevail. Pray that Christians will not retaliate," Open Doors said.
Boko Haram has yet to openly claim responsibility for Monday night's massacre. Culled from christian post

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Marriage: SEX rules for Christians

   

Christian Sex Rules

A guide to what's allowed in the bedroom

       
          When it comes to sex, most married Christians just do what works for them. If they have been blessed enough to have discovered something that brings satisfaction, pleasure, closeness, and climax, they most likely will continue that practice. However, some are plagued with guilt because they wonder if what they're doing is sinful.

Marriage Partnership receives many, many questions from Christian couples who want to know what is and what is not okay to do sexually. Unfortunately, churches tend to ignore this issue, small groups usually don't talk about sex, and most Christian books deal with more "spiritual" ideas.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a list of sexual practices categorized by "sinful" or "okay"? Is there such a list? Would everyone agree with the list? Is there a solution to this dilemma?

We think the answers to those questions are: yes, no, no, and probably not—in that order. We'd really like to create such a list that could settle once and forever the niggling doubts about sexual practices. But that's not possible. Different communities of Christians have different understandings about sexual practices that are based on a few general biblical principles. No list would be accepted by all Christians. Still, we do want to provide some guidelines that we hope will help you enjoy the gift of your sexuality to the fullest. That's what we're convinced God wants for each of his children.

We doubt that God's surprised by the intensity of our sexual desire or of its fulfillment. Seeing us enjoy the passion and pleasure seems to fit with his creative nature. There are some definite boundaries, however, that were identified through his Word. These are established to protect and enhance the maximum enjoyment of the gift. We think it's like our giving our kids bicycles. We'd teach them the safety rules right away so they could delight in the ride without being run over by a car on a busy street.

First, we'd like to point out the obvious—the Bible is not a manual on sexual technique. We've heard some people say that Song of Solomon describes acceptable sexual positions and behavior. We see it as a poetic love song that clearly embraces the joy of sexual play. We don't think it is an attempt to outline any specific sexual practices.

Second, we want to emphasize again that there are some specific sexual behaviors that are forbidden in scriptures. Adultery, that is having sexual intercourse with another person's spouse or a partner other than your own spouse, is a sin. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, deepens the importance of marital faithfulness by extending the prohibition of infidelity to include a lustful thought life as well as the physical act of intercourse. Looking into our minds and hearts is an important principle for safeguarding the delights of intimacy. Go to page 2

                                                                                

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You ladies that won't stop FORNICATING hear the word of God.

  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Rev 2:21-23 (KJV) . Fornication can be defined as sexual intercourse between people not married to each other. The reason why you are still alive today, is because HE is giving you the opportunity to repent and amend your ways before it is too late. STOP having PREMARITAL SEX with your boyfriend,girlfriend, man friend or sugar daddy . If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.Mark 4:23 (KJV),you can't tell this might be your
 LAST WARNING message. Guys are not exempted.                                                                   
                                                                                                                   Written by Adebayo Tosin

Have you been blessed through this message, and would like to support or contribute to this ministry to

help spread God's word and win more souls for Christ. Please kindly CONTACT US NOW. God bless you as you do so.
 Thank you

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Christians 'flee Egypt town after death threats'

AFP - Several Christian families have fled their homes in Egypt's Sinai peninsula after receiving death threats from suspected Islamist militants, officials and residents told AFP on Friday.
Last week, flyers began circulating in the town of Rafah on the Gaza Strip border demanding that its tiny Coptic population move out, residents said.
Officials at the local church informed the authorities of the threats, but no actin was taken, they added.
Days later, a shop belonging to one of the families was fired on with automatic rifles, witnesses said.
The events prompted the families to leave Rafah but there were conflicting accounts over whether they had done so voluntarily or been evicted.
"The families have left Rafah and gone to El-Arish," one official said on condition of anonymity.
Another official denied that any Coptic families had left at all.
Representatives of the families, many of whom hold government jobs as well private businesses, sat down with the governor of North Sinai earlier this week and asked to be transfered to the nearby town of Al-Arish, the official said.
The events come amid heightened sectarian tensions in the country, particularly in the lawless Sinai peninsula where the armed forces launched an unprecedented campaign in August to root out Islamic militants.
Father Mikhail Antoine of El-Arish church told AFP "the families moved voluntarily because they feared for their lives after the threats."
He said the Coptic population of North Sinai numbered 5,000 to 6,000, adding that around seven Coptic families had been living in Rafah before the move.
Copts have been nervous since Islamists came to power following an uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.
They have also been fearing the backlash from an anti-Islam film apparently produced by a Copt in the United States that sparked violent protests worldwide, and that they believe will lead to further persecution at home.
Egypt's Christians, who make up six to 10 percent of the country's population of 82 million, have regularly complained of discrimination and marginalisation. They have also been the target of numerous sectarian attacks. Culled from France24

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Deadly Kenya grenade attack hits children in church

    One child has been killed and three seriously hurt, police say, in a grenade attack on a church's Sunday school in the Kenya capital, Nairobi.

The attacker targeted St Polycarp's church on Juja Road.
A police spokesman blamed sympathisers of Somalia's al-Shabab Islamist militant group, angry over Kenya's role in the UN-backed intervention force.
A mob later rounded on Somalis living near the church with sticks and stones in a suspected revenge attack.
Police chief Moses Nyakwama told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that 13 people had been injured in the revenge attack, in the suburb of Eastleigh.
Separately, two police officers were killed in an ambush in the town of Garissa, near the border with Somalia.
In July, 15 people were killed in raids on churches in Garissa, and there was speculation that al-Shabab or its sympathisers were responsible.
'Running for their lives' Reports suggested a number of those hurt at the church were injured in a stampede after the attack.

A police spokesman, Charles Owino, told Reuters news agency: "We suspect this blast might have been carried out by sympathisers of al-Shabab.

"These are the kicks of a dying horse since, of late, Kenyan police have arrested several suspects in connection with grenades."
The authorities said three children were seriously hurt in the attack, and a number of others suffered lighter injuries.
The Red Cross had earlier said six children were critically wounded.
Irene Wambui, who was in the church at the time of the attack, said: "We were just worshipping God in church when suddenly we heard an explosion and people started running for their lives.
"We came to realise that the explosion had injured some kids who were taken to hospital and unfortunately one succumbed."
Senior Nairobi police officer Moses Ombati appealed for calm after youths reportedly attacked the nearby Alamin mosque.
Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa have suffered a series of grenade attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October.
The attacks in Mombasa escalated after radical Islamist preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed was killed in a drive-by shooting in August.Culled from BBC Africa

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