More on the Power of the Blood.

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

'...YOU BELONG HERE...' EPHESIANS 2:19 TM

Ever notice when somebody sins, on falls short in an area that we relate to, we're quick to say I made that mistake myself; and I can understand how that happened, or give thanks that Jesus' blood covers all our sins!

But if that person happens to fail in an area where we're strong, often our first inclination is to feel morally superior, and think deep down that, that was a stupid thing to do, or them the blood's cleansing power. (Especially if that person is not a committed Christian).

Sin affects each of us differently, according to our background and disposition. But regardless of the symptoms it's the same disease, and there's only one remedy; the blood of Jesus. Without that we are all in trouble; black, white, rich, poor, homosexual, heterosexual, drug addict and alcoholic alike. Jesus' blood is the only thing that makes forgiveness and a clean slate possible, regardless of what we've done.

The Bible says that Jesus '...created...a fresh start for everybody.. .through His death.. .Christ came and preached peace to.. .outsiders and... insiders.. .treated us as equals.. Through Him we.. .have equal access to the Father.. .You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone.. .He's using us all - irrespective of how we got here...'(Ephesians 2:15-20 TM).


Ephesians 2:15-20
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Don't for a second think that you have unlimited access to God's mercy and forgiveness, then deny that same access to your brother and sister in Christ! The Bible says,'.. .If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.' Why? Because, 'You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out' (Galatians 6:1 TM).

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

This ties in with:

Luke 6:29-31 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

In other words, don't burn the bridge you yourself might need to cross some day. If you're secretly harbouring a condescending attitude about somebody else's failures today, you need to repent and allow the blood of Jesus to cleanse you.

The Power of the Blood.

Does a guilty conscience play heavy on your mind, or are there a few areas that trouble you. Maybe not, but every now and again something will trouble your conscience. I used to be greatly troubled and at times still am, but consider:

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

God designed blood to deliver oxygen and nutrition to your cells; without it your limbs and organs would die. Your white cells are uniquely qualified to act as a ‘militia’ attacking harmful bacteria that could otherwise kill you. And you’re your physical body illustrates the function of Jesus’ blood in the church, which is His body.

Paul says,

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have

not the same office:
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members

one of another.

Regardless of mortality, maturity or rank, we all need the sin-cleansing, life-giving power of the blood. Without it we’re no proof of our son-ship. Just as a doctor can draw blood to verify who your earthly father, the blood of Jesus makes us’ …[sons and] heirs[s].

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his

Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Galatians 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive

the adoption of sons.
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into

your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then

an heir of God through Christ.

Strength and nourishment, plus every promise and blessing, flow to us today through the blood of Jesus.

A Satan hates it, because not only does it redeem us, it’…makes our conscience clear.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the

eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your

conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

One Christian teacher writes: ‘We’ve toned down our teaching of the blood … We have learned about the Spirit …but failed to teach each other about the blood. Consequently we have produced a generation of believers who are empowered by the Spirit but don’t feel forgiven… They are exercising spiritual gifts, but living in guilt… Without the blood, there is no forgiveness of sins’ (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

Soul Food Reading Ester 4:9-5:3; Hebrews 4:7-16

I am extremely grateful to Bob and Debbie Grass for their inspiration through their daily devotionals from "The Word for Today", and for allowing me to use their material as a source. Their daily devotionals can be found free of charge from the united Christian Broadcasters UBC at www.ucb.co.uk.

The Most Important Thing is to tell people about Gods Grace.

Billy Graham was born in Charlotte, North Carolina to hard-working Presbyterian parents. When he was a teenager some Christian businessmen held a prayer meeting in his father's pasture. When somebody asked, 'Who are those men making all that noise?' Billy replied, 'Fanatics who talked daddy into using the place.'

That day businessman Vernon Patterson asked God to raise up somebody from Charlotte to 'preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.' Billy just didn't know he'd be the one! Later evangelist Mordecai Ham came to town for an evangelistic crusade, and although Billy vowed not to attend he ended up going and giving his life to Christ.

A few years later Paul's words captured Billy's heart:

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

The most important thing is, to tell people about God’s grace. Billy Graham has addressed more people than anyone else in history. He's been welcomed behind the former Iron Curtain, in China, North Korea, and on every continent. Yet he says, “The first thing I'm gonna do when I get to heaven is ask, ‘Why me Lord? Why'd you choose a farm boy from North Carolina to preach to so many people?" Billy Graham's life proves that in God's eyes the greatest ability is availability.
Paul writes, 'the kindness of God has been poured out upon us...and now He is sending us...to tell...people everywhere the great things God has done...so that they, too, will believe...'
Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Don't worry about closing the deal; they'll come when God draws them. Just tell them the story and let God do the rest. That is what I am trying to do in creating this web site for encouragement. At the time of writing this the seventh article, I have had only 15 hits on this web site, mostly from myself trying to see it it is working, and Google to check it out. So you say I am trying to listen to my own advice for once.

"A MILLIONAIRES SECRET"

Washington DC was nasty as it could be, as I sat on the bench waiting for my bus to arrive. I couldn't wait to get back to the backwoods of Louisiana. I had almost sat in a pool of blood that was on the far end of the bench and I truly hope people coming to visit our country don't make DC one of their stops.
Anyway, before my bus arrived I was approached by a nicely dressed elderly gentleman in need of directions. I told him I had no idea what he was looking for as I too was just passing through as well. To this day I'm not sure why, but we started talking as if we had known each other for years. We talked about life, people in general and eventually the conversation turned to business. It was here that the gentlemen saw something in me, I suppose, that made him feel like sharing what he said was the greatest secret ever told. He said everyone had heard it, but almost no one paid any attention to it, even though it was the one thing that could bestow a fortune upon any man or woman who used it.
My ears where definitely starting to perk up. Something about his tone told me this man knew from whereof he spoke. And I wanted to know what the secret was with a passion. He must have sensed my anxiousness because at that very moment he gave me a warning that was almost a scolding. I will try to recount here as best I can the rest of our conversation...
Man: "Do not make the mistake of shrugging off what I am about to tell you because you have heard it before. No doubt you have heard it already from at least one person in your life. You may have even heard it many times. Do you have any aversion to religion Mr. Says?"
Me: "No I don't. I don't believe many preachers know what they are talking about or even what they are trying to teach, but I do know the Bible has a lot of great knowledge in it."
Man: "Good. I would not want you to discount what I am about to tell you because it does come directly from the Bible. But its applications reach far beyond what most people can conceive of. It will take thought, intense pondering on your part, to begin to get some inkling of its power."
"This simple secret, when applied to business, will draw money to you as easily as water runs down a mountain. Even a fool can apply it and prosper. When applied to relationships, it will create more friends than you can handle" (laughing heartily)
Me: "What is it, I'm dying to know now?"
Man: "Patience Mr. Says, Patience. I will not give it to you as it has always been repeated by fools who have no respect or knowledge of what it even means. No. I will give it to you another way."
"What type of business are you interested in?"
Me: "Well, I'm dabbling in Mail Order right now. I would like to place ads and sell books."
Man: "Fine. Fine. Mail Order it is. Let me tell you how to create a fortune in this Mail Order. All you have to do is create the product you want to buy"
Me: "I don't understand"
Man: "You will"
"You see, you are your market. Whatever you want, there are millions of other people wanting the same thing. That elusive product you are looking for is the product millions of others are also looking for right now."
"All you have to do is create the product you want to buy, the product you yourself have been looking for. Once you have this product, what would you want the sales message to say so that you know this is the product you have been looking for?"
"If someone else where selling this product, what would you want the ad to say, what would get you to buy this product? When you have that answer, that then is the ad you want to create."
Me: "I see" (hesitantly)
Man: "See the business across the street here? Pizza, I could triple the business that place does inside of 10 minutes. That's what I do by the way" (smiling)
"All I would do is walk into the business as a customer. I would sit there and imagine all the things that could be done to me that would make me a loyal customer to that business for life. What could they do for me that would make me feel this way?"
"Once I had the answers to that question, I would implement them across the board. Every customer would be treated the way I had imagined. And without any doubt what so ever that business would triple the profits it now makes."
Me: "I think I know..."
Man: "Wait, you don't really know anything yet. That's the problem with people. They brush something off because of where it came from or because they heard it many times. Leave that for fools. You won't "know it" until you have deeply pondered it and put it to use."
Me: "Ok"
Man: "What I am telling you has power undreamed of. The simple words used to describe it cannot contain it, does not do justice to it, and has been prostituted by blabber mouths who let wisdom fall off their lips with not even a single brain cell grasping what they are rambling about."
"What I am telling you is Law, not man's Law, but the very Law's of nature herself. It's the way things work and those who truly understand it rise to the top in every field known to man."
"What people don't understand is that it applies to everything. This secret can be applied with virtually every step you take, everything you do, every word you speak and everyone concerned profits by it."
ü "If you are a writer, write like you would like to be written to"
ü “If you are a salesman, sell like you would like to be sold to"
ü "If you are a speaker, speak like you would like to be spoken to"
ü "If you want more love, then love like you would like to be loved"
ü "If you want more friends, be the friend you would like to see"
"When you infuse everything you do with this secret, it takes on a magical power. Businesses dominate the market, books become best sellers, and leaders attract huge and loyal followings."
v "How would you like it?"
v "How would you respond to it?"
v "How would it make you feel?"
"Those are great questions to think about every time you do or create something. You will get into the hearts and minds of everyone who comes under your influence if you will first think how you would have it done to you."
"I'm certain you already know the quote from the Bible I'm referring to. But don't repeat it, just ponder it and practice it."
Me: "I do. But I've never thought of how it could actually apply to everything in life. I too was one of those fools who passed it over without so much as a second thought. I really want to thank you for sharing this with me."
Man: "It's been a real pleasure talking with you Mr. Says, have a safe journey home."
And with that, he was gone. The funny thing was, as I was riding home on the bus I realized I never got his name, nor do I remember ever giving him mine. Maybe he saw my luggage tag. I'm not sure. It really doesn't matter. What does matter is that I've profited from that advice for the last 15 years.
This one simple secret is the answer. I always ask myself how I would like to be treated by all. What would I like to see? What would I like to get? How would I like to be dealt with?
Those simple questions are all you have to answer. When you do get the answers, put them into action and watch what happens.
This article was from the book, "How To Become A Global Internet Tycoon", but I thought is was so inspiring that I wanted to share it. A assume you know the bible verse which was never quoted, as “do unto other as would be done to yourself”, but that is not as it is quoted in the Sermon on the Mount in:
Luke 6:31, And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Articles like this also appear in "The Money Browser", and I intend to investigate and will publish them accordingly.

Marriage myths.

Can nothing can fix your relationship. A woman asked her female friend, 'Why are you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?' She replied, 'Because I married the wrong man!' Sound familiar? The biggest mistake you can make is calling it quits because you think you married the wrong person, and that nothing short of a miracle can save your marriage. I am sure ever married person has thought that at some time, and some probably still do.

The good news today is, God is still in the miracle business! With Him '...nothing is impossible...' (Luke 1:37 NIV). It's when problems seem insurmountable that God comes through for you. Jeremiah said, "...Lord, You...made the heavens and the earth by, your great power...Nothing is too hard for you' (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV).

The trouble is too many of us live in the realm of the probable, thinking things probably won't get better; that we'll probably always have money issues; or we'll probably get divorced. Instead, we should be living in the realm of the possible.

Paul says,'faith, is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen...the evidence of things we cannot yet see' (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). The Bible says God's plans for you are 'for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope' (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).

If you're feeling discouraged about your relationship, try fixing your thoughts on what God can do. The Bible says, ‘when you look earnestly for Him you'll find Him (see 2 Chronicles 15:2). He's not some distant deity who's disconnected from the challenges of your everyday life. No, He wants to have an intimate relationship with you; to use His power to transform your marriage into something lasting and wonderful.

Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Some Observation on ‘Tact’.

Tact is not a subject many of us pay attention to. We all think we are all right with it, but are we. I know when I am busy I want things communicated and done, tact takes second place, but that is maybe because I do not understand it. Consider:

Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.

Did you hear about the husband who was totally clueless? The day his wife left on a business trip their dog died. That night she called home and he blurted out, 'Your dog's dead!' Scolding him for being insensitive she said, 'You should've broken it to me gently. You could have said, ‘the dog's on the roof.' Then next day added, 'He fell off.' The following day you could've said, 'He's at the vet.' And the day after that you could have told me he died.' While her husband paused to consider this she asked, 'By the way, how's my mother?' Cautiously he replied, 'Well dear. . .she's on the roof!'

One dictionary definition of tact is: skill in situations where people's feelings need to be considered. An intuitive sense of what's right or appropriate. Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, tact is not about being deceptive or insincere. It's about being considerate and not hurting others unnecessarily.

Chuck Swindoll writes: 'I used to sell shoes years ago, [and] a seasoned employee told me never to say, 'Lady, your foot's too big for this shoe!' Instead you should say, 'I'm sorry, ma'am, but this shoe's just a little too small for your foot.' Both expressed the facts, but one was an insult, the other a tactful compliment. So, in sensitive situations engage your brain before opening your mouth. Remember,

Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words speaks like the piercing of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Or as a US advertising jingle for a popular antiseptic ointment goes, 'Stop the hurting and start the healing.' Make that your goal today.

These last few weeks I have been trying my best to implement it as much as I can, and do find it difficult; by somehow I think I will always remember it. I hope so, because tack was never a quality of mine. Maybe now I understand it more.

Do you want to change?

Everybody wants certain part of their lives to be different. Many have said, “I want to change, but I can’t”. I honestly believe that these people are very serious in saying that, and have tried very hard. I am sure there are areas in your life where you have wanted to change but cannot; there are certainly plenty in mine. Conside:

'...AS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WORKS WITHIN US, WE BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM.' 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 TLB

Did you hear about the frog that fell into a big hole and couldn't get out? Several of his friends tried to help but finally gave up. 'Since you're going to be in there for a while' they said, 'we'll go and get some food.' But no sooner had they left than the frog came hopping up behind them. 'We thought you couldn't get out’ they exclaimed. 'Oh, I couldn't,' he replied, 'but suddenly there was a big truck coming right at me - and I discovered I could.'

Usually it's only when we're forced to change that we discover we can. That's because we're more comfortable with old problems than new and untried solutions. If you believe nothing can ever be done for the first time, you'll never see anything done-and nothing will change.

There are three times in our lives when we're most receptive to change:
1. When our pain levels get so high we're forced to
2. When we accept the fact that what we're doing no longer works
3. When we realise that by God's grace we can change.

Nothing sparks the fires of faith more than the sudden realisation that 'I don't have to stay this way anymore.' And you don't! Stand on these two Scriptures:

Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Or ...God'[s]. .gracious Word can make you into what He wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need...' (Acts 20:32 TM). '...

2Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Or, as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him' (2 Corinthians 3:18 TLB).

So, do you want to change? I know it is easier said than done, but don’t give up, or let go, because you will eventually. More will be given in this topic later.

Handling difficulties

Weakness and limitations are restrictions that we all have, some of us have more than others, but does this mean we are to accept them and give into them, do you play on them, milking them to your every advantage

Make sure the issues you're dealing with are worthy of your time and energy. Often they are not, they are time consuming, painful and can bring out the worst in you. Yes you dealt with hem the best way you can, and often that results in bad feeling all round. Is there a better way? Think about what Paul says in Hebrews 12:3 NAS

'CONSIDER HIM WHO HAS ENDURED SUCH HOSTILITY...' HEBREWS 12:3 NAS

Ask yourself, 'Have I allowed myself to get distracted by something insignificant instead of keeping my eye on the ball?' The Bible says, 'Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.' Check and see how Jesus handled the circumstances you're facing and you will learn a lot if you do! Jesus did not destroy the other person's self-confidence. He did not stay away from all-inclusive statements like 'you always' or 'you never' ect ect.

Instead, assure them that you have confidence in them and their ability to recover and handle things better next time. After all, that's what God does with you. Correction will do much; encouragement will do much more. Deal with people on an individual basis. Comparisons always cause resentment. Why make the problem bigger? It's easier to be critical than creative, but unless you're willing to help you're not qualified to get involved. Straighten out the problem, not the person. When confrontation becomes a personal attack you only set out to destroy them, but your own credibility and end up in a 'no-win' situation. Your goal should therefore be to leave them with three things:
1. A clear understanding of the problem,
2. The assurance of your love and support,
3. Encouragement and confidence that they can turn it around and that you will be there to help them.

Are these three things easy to do? No. They call for love, patience and Christ-like character. Are we talking about family, friends or close colleagues? NO, we are talking about enemies. A straight forward confrontation will at best put you on level terms with them, and after a frontal attack both will loose valuable ground. Now Jesus attitude was not weak or passive or lovey dovey, no it was from a position of great strength, he knew God was his father, and he knew that he would overcome. In fact he was so confident that he could show love and understanding, knowing that it was the winning strategy. When you know you are good you do not need to prove it. When you know you are weak, you do need to prove it, and the other person knows it. Yes we can all be weak, but you show how weak you are by open confrontation. Try taking the higher ground, rise above the situation, in fact rise so high that you can afford to show love, understanding and care. What is the worst that can happen; the other person will withdraw, not always gracefully, within themselves, knowing that they have made a fool of themselves. Is this not therefore a winning strategy? But when you practice love and understanding you can therefore produce a joy that transcends the problem and you are never subjected to the actions of others.

Overcoming your weaknesses.

This is my first website, my first entry. I have sweated months getting this far. I am now 50 years old, and my computer knowledge has been described as limited. why should I bother, its going to be up hill all the way. I feel nobody will every access this site, let along read and enjoy it. Do I quit while I am ahead, and go sailing or something. Should I persevere? I just feel to limited and useless unlike all these computer wizzards nowadays. Anyway, I have came this far, lets see how many posts I can make.

Weakness and limitations are restrictions that we all have, some of us have more than others, but does this mean we are to accept them and give into them, do you play on them, milking them to your every advantage. Think about what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:-

“...MY POWER WORKS BEST IN YOUR WEAKNESS.”

Consider at 19 months, Helen Keller contracted the illness that eventually left her without hearing and sight. Back then those labelled 'deaf and dumb, were classified as idiots. But Helen's parents didn't agree. They hired teacher Anne Sullivan to work with her and eventually she learned to read and write using Braille. Amazingly, in 1904 she graduated with honours from Radcliffe College, and went on to devote her life to helping others. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid her an annual income; writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson praised her and almost every President of her' day invited her to the White House. Even though Helen died in 1968 her legacy of courage lives on.

When asked if there was anything worse than being blind, Helen replied, 'Yes, having sight but no vision. At 12 Thomas Edison developed such severe hearing loss that his teachers recommended he be taken out of school. Instead Edison used his handicap to drown out distractions and focus on his work. As a result the boy who was labelled 'a slow learner' gave the world over 1,000 inventions, including the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion camera.
Who gets to define 'normal' anyway? Is it being short versus tall, or rich versus poor? The truth is, God's given all of us unique abilities that He expects us to explore. And interestingly, the real handicaps don't belong to those who are born with physical and mental challenges. No, they belong to the so-called normal people who've accepted lethargy and limitation as part of life. God said, '"...My power works best in your weakness"' so you can let your difficulties impede or inspire you. Which will it be?

Both Helen and Thomas could have accepted their fate, and lived a life of self pity. Rather they fought it in such a way that it turned into an advantage to bless others, and in doing so they greatly blessed themselves.