#gospel proclamation

[biblebloodhound]

The Motivation of a Christian (Acts 4:1-12)

What motivates you?

The Great Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council) by Edouard Moyse, 1868 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in…

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#acts 4 #acts of the apostles #apostle peter #christian life #christianity #extrinsic motivation #gospel #gospel proclamation #intrinsic motivation #motivation #motives #word and deed

[take-note-of-this]

"Did Christ Die for Me?"

The Conversion of St. Paul, by Gustav Dore, 1866. From Meisterdrucke.us Sweat drips from the walls of a small basement packed with six dozen high school students. The room smells of raw fish and socks in the aftermath of several wild games, but the sounds of screaming girls and laughing boys has given away to a single voice. A Young Life leader is giving an impassioned talk about Jesus’ death on…

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#academic #Christianity #definite atonement #evangelism #Faith #general atonement #God #gospel proclamation #Jesus #Patrick Quinn #preaching #Reformed theology #religion #salvation #scholarly #seminary #systematic #Take Note Of This #theology #TNOT #universalism #who did Jesus die for

[justana0kguy]

2023 JULY 12 Wednesday

"Go rather to the lost sheep [...] and as you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

~ Matthew 10:6-7

#bible #scripture #bible verse #gospel #Matthew #go #rather #lost #sheep #make #proclamation #kingdom #heaven #at hand #God #Lord #Jesus #Christ

[grandsouldream]

Readings for 6 July

6/07/2022

#Make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand #Book of Hosea 10 #Book of Hosea #Psalms 105(104) #Psalms #Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10 #Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew #Pope Francis #God #Lord #Jesus #Holy Spirit #love #hope #heaven #life #peace

[nerdygaymormon]

I get that the church needs to be more inclusive, but how can it move forward with the proclamation hanging out there?

Why would the Proclamation on the Restoration stop the Church from being more inclusive?

I know you meant the Family Proclamation, but I decided to reference the most recent proclamation to show that proclamations don't define or restrict the Church.

Proclamations are not binding, they are not scriptures, they are not revelations. They are simply statements made to the world as opposed to statements or declarations which are aimed at members of the LDS Church.

Plus, there's a big difference between how the Family Proclamation has been used and what it actually says. It doesn't reference queer people even once! There's even an opt out for queer people: "circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation."

I wouldn't be surprised if one day we look back at the 25 years when the Church focused on the Family Proclamation as a big distraction when we should have been focusing on the Savior and the commandment to love. Above everything we are to love other people.

—————————————————————  

There's been 6 official proclamations, do you know any of them other than the Proclamation on the Family?

1841 - Proclamation to the Saints Scattered Abroad - Announces the creation of the city of Nauvoo and encourages all church members to move to the city

1845 - Nine months after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued this proclamation to fulfill a January 1841 revelation directing Joseph Smith to "make a solemn proclamation of my gospel" to "all the nations of the earth." This proclamation announced to the world that God's kingdom had been restored to earth and called upon all to repent and embrace the restored gospel

1865 - This proclamation corrected doctrinal errors about the nature of God and officially announced the First Presidency as the sole source of any new doctrine. It was a rebuke of Orson Pratt, who then encouraged everyone to destroy things he had written which were alluded to in the proclamation

1980 - A Sequicentenial Proclamation - Issued on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church, and is a testimony of the restoration

1995 - The Family: A Proclamation to the World - This is a statement on family, marriage, gender roles, and human sexuality. It is by far the most well-known of all the church's proclamations, it has been referenced many times during General Conferences and filed in amicus briefs, and members were encouraged to hang it in their homes. It was created in response to the possibility of gay marriage becoming legal in Hawaii

2020 - A Bicentennial Proclamation - Issued for the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, and it's a declaration that the restoration is ongoing with continuing revelations. This proclamation was made with much fanfare, including a video from the Sacred Grove and asking all members to join in the Hosanna Shout, and then it quickly faded into obscurity. I don't think I've ever heard it referenced in Sacrament Mtg or Sunday School

#tumblrstake

[coarsely]

Personality through quotes tag

Many thanks to @spideronthesun for tagging me!

The rules of this game seem to be to write in character quotes about a prompt given to you by the previous tagger!

My prompt was: A quote about hopes for the future

Your prompt is: A quote about non-romantic intimacy (friends, family, etc)

The Potentate Magnus: "My future is unending, unyielding. There is nothing the future could bring to me that I have not already done, that I have not already bared witness to, that I have not grasped and succeeded at. I hear them, whispered hushes, thinking me too senile to hear–that I am old, and my reign must reach its end soon. I am here to assure you–I am going nowhere. I am not only your past, and your present, I am your future too, and it is through me we shall enter the glory of the Empyre together, as the Prophet did so many eons ago."

Imperator III: "I am an Imperator. Ours is not the place to dream, to hope and to wonder. Ours is the place to swiftly carry out justice, to liberate the souls of the wicked, to spread the gospel of It's Purity, to cleanse this mortal world of sin. My only dream and hope is what the Priests of Eden dream and hope for, what the God-King dreams and hopes for."

Sylvester Praeceptor: "It's a strange thing. I fought every day to get a little closer to getting back to where we used to be, but now that we are here, I find myself at a loss. Such a driving force it was, that without it I am oddly lonesome. I suppose if we are in the same place every year, with wealth and social standing, I will be happy. All in the family, as they say."

Vítor Cadogan: "Oh, call me naïve or simple if you'd like, but I just want the world to be a slightly better place every morning when I wake up. I don't need any grand ovations, or proclamations of world peace, or a signed apology from every man and woman in Bronze Eden, I just reckon if we could all try a little harder to do good every day, it'll have an impact on the way we live, too. I suppose at the end of the day that's what I've always believed in... guess I'm just going about it slightly different now."

Saccade: "Not a lotta time to be dreamin' and thinkin' about the future out here. You gotta take it one day at a time, slowly. Wonderin' about what-ifs and getting too upset at the way your life has turned out is a sure-fire way to wind up dead, or worse. And shit, that's what some people want, but me? I've been kickin' around too long to give up now. My only wish is to go out fightin', rather than turning on my belly n' giving up."

Diana: "Oh, darling, I am the future. Don't let the cover fool your clever eyes–every bit of culture in this wonderful place we call Nod can be traced back to yours truly. What have I to hope for? I've already succeeded. Been there, done that! The only thing I could ever hope for is for our wonderful, brave, immortal freedom fighters to take a little better care of what I've designed for them! I might be a miracle worker, but stains out of lace? Even I have my limits."

Ucalegon: "I wish for what every Wanderer of Nod wishes for; justice from the tyranny of our neighbour. To liberate ourselves from their presence on our borders, their influence in our lives. To avenge our dead, the many innocents lost to the Baptism. No matter what it takes, I will see this dream realised, or I will die in the fight to make it real. Dreams are all we have left."

I tag @noblebs, @albatris, @revenantlore, @ink-flavored, @xenascribbles, @digital-chance, @chauceryfairytales and as always, anyone who is interested in doing one of these!

#tag games #potentate magnus #imperator iii #sylvester praeceptor #vítor cadogan #saccade #diana #ucalegon #anti-chronicles

[edwardslovelyelizabeth]

I read that Richard III's settlement with Elizabeth Woodville included her returning to the palace, but she refused?

Under the settlement of March 1, 1484 Elizabeth was given an annuity of 700 marks per year to be paid to her by John Nesfield (one of Richard's squires) who was put in charge of her. There is nothing in the document/proclamation that indicates that Elizabeth was offered anything else. Personally i doubt that Elizabeth was offred a place at court because Crowland chronicle tells us that Elizabeth was "urged by frequent intercessions and dire threats’ from Richard to leave the sanctuary and she only agreed on the condition that he expressly guaranteed her daughters safety and would provide for them swearing an official oath before "lords spiritual and temporal” and the aldermen of London that that if the girls left sanctuary, he would see to it that they would be in ‘surety of their lives’ and not be ‘imprisoned within the Tower of London or other prison’. Rather, they would be put in ‘honest places of good name & fame’ and would be married to ‘gentlemen born’; the king would provide dowries for them of 200 marks per year. Elizabeth was called in that oath "Elizabeth Gray late calling herself Queen of England". Here is an excerpt from the oath (in Elizabeth of York bio by Arlene Okerlund):

"…promise and swear on the word of a king, and upon these holy evangelies [Gospels] of God, by me personally touched, that if the daughters of Dame Elizabeth Grey, late calling herself Queen of England, that is, Elizabeth, Cecily, Anne, Katherine, and Bridget, will come unto me out of the sanctuary of Westminster, and be guided, ruled, and demeaned after me, then I shall see that they shall be in surety of their lives, and also not suffer any manner hurt in their body by any manner [of] person or persons to them, or any of them in their bodies and persons by way of ravishment or defouling contrary to their wills, not them or any of them imprison within the Tower of London or other prison; but that I shall put them in honest places of good name and fame, and them honestly and courteously shall see to be founden and entreated, and to have all things requisite and necessary for their exhibitions [display] and findings [domestic arrangements] as my kinswomen…

As you can see Elizabeth's primary concern was the safety (that they will not be put in Tower or any other prison) and the well being of her daughters that were with her in the sanctuary by then already a year. It doesn't seem that she was looking for a return to court of the man who for a fact ordered to execute her brother and her younger son by her first marriage and under whose supervision her other two sons have "vanished".

#anonymous #ask #elizabeth woodville #history #15th century #wars of the roses

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

"There is something worse than death. And only the gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaimed by Christians and protected by the church, can set us free from what we truly must fear. The doctrine of hell reminds us that the greatest need of every person will not be met by the United Nations or Habitat for Humanity or the United Way. It is only through Christian witness, through proclamation of Christ crucified, that the worst thing in all the world will not fall on all those in the world." – Kevin DeYoung

[fruityyamenrunner]

that Science Has Solved SIDS shit is everywhere.

they just found a statistically elevated biomarker in dead babies that correlates with the diagnosis. I don't think there's much to it because everything has biomarkers like this

really this is a proclamation of the gospel: the epic science factory has proven that there is a biology doing it and not an evil spirit living inside a mother's heart. who will speak against it knowing the good news is lifting broken hearts

these fucking charlatans

[myremnantarmy]

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Optional Memorial of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues,

proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness.

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest."

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out

and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,

"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Cure the sick, raise the dead,

cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

#jesus #catholic #my remnant army #jesus christ #virgin mary #faithoverfear #saints #jesusisgod #endtimes #artwork #Jesus is coming #Gospel #word of God #Bible #bible verse of the day #bibleverse #bible verse #come holy spirit

[biblebloodhound]

Dealing with a Clash of Belief (Acts 3:17-4:4)

A lot of folks just simply do not realize how they come across to others; what impact their words and actions have upon others; and their illogical and nonsensical forms of thinking.

“And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of…

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#acts #acts 3 #acts 4 #acts of the apostles #apostle john #apostle peter #arrogance #belief #christian life #christianity #dogmatic #faith #good news #gospel #gospel proclamation #hermeneutics #humble #humility #illogic #logic #open minded #opposing views #opposition #pride #self-awareness #spiritually blind

[buggie-hagen]

Books I've read in 2023:

On First Principles by Origen. Translated by John Behr.

Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself) by David Zahl

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 1: Hiddenness, Evil, and Predestination by Steven Paulson

Luther's Works, vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6-8

Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land by Taylor Brorby

Theology is for Proclamation by Gerhard O. Forde

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 2: Hidden in the Cross by Steven Paulson

The Annotated Luther, vol. 4: Pastoral Writings ed. by Mary Jane Haemig

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and to Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Who is the Church?: An Ecclesiology for the Twenth-first Century by Cheryl M. Peterson

Messianic Exegesis: Christological Interpretation of the Old Testament in Early Christianity by Donald Juel

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 3: Sacraments and God's Attack on the Promise by Steven Paulson

Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted by Gretchen Ronnevik

The Early Versions of the New Testament: their origin, transmission, and limitations by Bruce Metzger

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Confessing Jesus: The Heart of Being a Lutheran by Molly Lackey

Adamantius: Dialogue on the True Faith in God translated by Robert A. Pretty

The Annotated Luther, vol. 5: Christian Life in the World, edited by Hans Hillerbrand

The End is Music: A Companion to Robert W. Jenson's Theology by Chris E. W. Green

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melodie Beattie

The Church Unknown: Reflections of a Millenial Pastor by Seth Green

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley

A Guide to Pentecostal Movements for Lutherans by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, vol. 2

--------------------------------------------------------

Not listed are some books that I chose not to finish and some books that I have yet to finish.

#books #reading #theology #fun #gay #serious #2023 #booklist

[vinnoa-articles]

Sweet Lies

[Image by Eiichiro Oda] Habit Substitute Drabble Series! This will be 3 out of the 8 drabbles I will be writing, because, why not? Some characters like certain things on a daily. But what if you were there? Here are the links for the others. [Luffy] [Zoro] [Usopp] [Sanji] [Law] [Smoker] [Crocodile]

Rating: Anyone

Word count: 989

Type: Fluff

Characters: Usopp, reader (anyone), mentions of Chopper, Luffy, Robin, Sanji and Zoro (other members of the Straw Hats)

Trigger Warnings: None

“I am the GREASTEST!”

“That’s another lie!”

“No, it’s not!” Usopp stood at the helm, his right hand on his hip, his thumb pointed at his face, cocky, arrogant, a big crooked smile that showed his confidence, proclamation of his words. “I am the GOD Usopp!” There you were, standing opposite of him, your hands stuffed in your overalls, your eyes narrowing at every lie he was spouting today.

“Now you are going to say you are Sogeking right?” Leaning forward, to egg him on further with his lies. “Cause apparently, that another thing you-”

“Ah!” Usopp screamed, almost falling over his own feet. “I am not going to say that is a lie nor the truth. Just know, I am one of the best snipers out there!” If his nose could grow, you knew it would be so long, you could probably have everyone on the Grand Line perch upon his nose. “I trained under some amazing people. Don’t doubt my skills!” Flexing his left arm muscles, trying to impress no one, yet it seemed to only be directed at you. This was a pure headache, but there was a slight idea that popped in your brain.

“Oh, so pigs fly too right?” There was a pause, then he sat down cross-legged pondering. Hoping he would catch the bait, saying it was false.

“Well, maybe they do on some island,” his fingers stroking his jaw, glancing at the sky, seeing the gears in his brain turn through his eyes. “I did see some crazy animals too!” You sigh, plopping across from him on the top part of the deck as you hear Chopper and Luffy playing around on the grass, some faint sounds of Zoro and Sanji arguing, as always. If only life was super easy like theirs, but instead you are stuck with this guy, whom you had to admit had a slight grip on you. His constant bragging, his lies, yet some truths, his random talents he would whip out of nowhere. There was a lie? Maybe it was, but the ones you doubted heavily, he would prove wrong.

“Okay fine Usopp. If that is true, then I guess I am a warlock of the seas,” his eyes widened as you spewed out a lie. “Oh, and I can single handedly defeat Zoro and Sanji combined.” nonchalantly shrugging as if it was gospel.

“Hey hey, that can’t be true-”

“Oh but it is Usopp!” Leaning forward to convince him of your sweet lies, not swaying at all from what you just spoke. “Oh but if you would like to stick around and find out, I am more than willing to show you.” Your face was so close to his, he had to back up. There was a hint of pink on his cheeks, there it was, the one thing he can’t hide nor lie properly about; face-to-face confrontation.

“Fine, fine, but you have to believe me when I say that I am the one that has a lot of followers! People look up to me, in the thousands- no, tens of thousands!” Jumping up and pointing to himself again. Your eyes almost roll into your skull with his lies again.

“So it’s a lie that you like me then?” He paused, he heard those words, looking down on you, there was something about your posture that was intimidating, yet relaxed. Thank god, you listened to Robin, she was someone you heard those words from, ammunition to use against him. Leaning on the back of your palms, looking up at him. “Well?”

“Erm, well…I can’t confirm or deny that,” looking away, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull, confronted by the facts you were stating. “B-besides! My emotions are under lock and key!” That was it, you needed him to shut up, there was no way he was going to continue this little tale he keeps spinning, this game he wants to keep continuing. Standing up slowly, you grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face you.

“Fine…Usopp,” your voice was so dark, it was menacing, Usopp trembled under your touch. Your grip was firm, but definitely not strong enough to bruise him. You leaned forward, your face parallel to his cheek. Feeling your breath, he shuddered, his whole body froze and you could feel his blood almost running cold from his nervousness. “I’ll prove it then,” he shrieked, almost screaming, wanting to move.

“LUFFY!” He screamed, but you planted a quick peck on his cheek. You could see the poor fragile man nearly crumble before your very eyes. Of course, there was a faint “huh?” from the captain, but it was just something he misheard. Continuing to play with his crewmates as Usopp tried to pick himself up from what just happened. “W-w-w-what was that….that for?” Finally jumping away from your grip as you loosened your fingers around his shoulders.

“Hm, well it seems the lie was true. You don’t like me,” shrugging, knowing all too well his true feelings for you. It made your heart flutter too, being a little playful along with his personality. You smiled softly, jumping away towards the stairs to meet the others, stopping right at the top with your heels crossing. “I guess if it’s a lie that you like me, then it’s also a lie that I also don’t like you,” winking at him. His voice was caught in his through, his face so red it was evident what your words meant. “See ya.” Only for you to go down the stairs, him crying out for you, tripping over each step to try and reach out for you to get his words straight. It was cute, his lies. Maybe it was a lie that you hated seeing that man so flustered with something so simple. Maybe you just had to cut his lies off by something so simple like this, maybe he will tell the truth one day.

#one piece #one piece fanfic #one piece fanfics #one piece fanfiction #one piece fanfictions #one piece usopp #usopp #op usopp #usopp fluff #fluff #reader x usopp #usopp x reader #y/n x usopp #usopp x y/n #you x usopp #usopp x you #one piece fluff #drabble #one piece drabble #one piece one shot

[bluevaractyl]

“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” – The Family: A Proclamation to the World

I’ve seen a lot of people giving up on the idea of the family and the gospel lately, so I felt like I should share. There is nothing broken about the ideal of a family with a father and mother and children, all striving to live as Jesus taught. Not all families look like this, and not all families that try to follow the gospel are happy, but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the idea. It is still worth striving for.

If you ever worry that you are somehow doing your child a disservice by teaching them what you believe and encouraging them to follow the commandments you believe in, consider whether they would really be happier without it, and whether they would find it on their own. Without your active, positive influence, they will be far more susceptible to the adversary, who will not step back just because you do. He does not have their best interests in mind. The world needs parents who care enough to show their children the path. It is up to the child to decide whether to walk it.

#this is kind of random I know #if you disagree with any of my beliefs that's ok #I respect that #but I really needed to share #I am really really grateful to have parents who taught me the gospel #*goes and hides in my cave* #blue speaks

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

21st February >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Wednesday, First Week of Lent 

(optional commemoration of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor)

(Liturgical Colour: Violet: B (2))

First Reading Jonah 3:1-10 The Ninevites repent, and God spares them.

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 50(51):3-4,12-13,18-19

R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Acclamation Ezekiel 33:11

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – but in the turning back of a wicked man who changes his ways to win life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or: Joel 2:12-13

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, for I am all tenderness and compassion. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel Luke 11:29-32 As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign.

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them: ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[albertfinch]

EMBRACING THE FIGHT OF FAITH

We must not look at the pressures of our times as though they were obstacles set to restrict us. For in the hands of the Almighty, these are the very tools He is using to perfect us.

But the same Spirit that predicted the perilous conditions at the end of the age also forecasts that, in spite of difficulties and battle, the Gospel of Christ's love will be proclaimed worldwide to all nations (see Matthew 24:14). The Lord also said that the "crop" of last-days Christians will reach full stature (see Mark 4:28-29), and that those who know their God will be strong, do exploits, shine like the stars and lead multitudes to righteousness (see Daniel 11:32; 12:3).

WALKING AS OVERCOMERS IN OUR DESTINY

In every age God requires that we walk as overcomers. To position ourselves as overcomers we must ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7) until we come to understand and begin carrying out God’s purpose for our life. We are not to surrender the vision that God has put in our heart to advance and bear fruit that remains for His Kingdom (our Christ calling)), regardless of whatever temporary setbacks we may face.

We must ask ourselves, is our focus upon the enemy's flood?

Or are we bearing fruit that remains for His Kingdom, in the midst of the onslaught of evil, through moving from glory to glory in His calling on our life?

We don't forget that even when darkness covers the earth and deep darkness the peoples, the promise of God is that His glory shall rise upon us and His presence shall be visibly seen through us!  The  Lord promises that, at the end of the war between light and darkness, "nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (see Isaiah 60:1-3).

THE FIGHT OF FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES

Our fight is the fight of faith: Do we believe, affirm, and meditate on what God has promised to build up our spirit each and every day? Our war is against principalities and powers: Do we believe the report that Christ shall "sprinkle [that is, cleanse, and bring forgiveness and transformation to] many nations" - (Isaiah 52:15) as we co-labor with Him to advance His Kingdom in the earth?

His Word is not just a comfort to us in times of trouble but a sword that we wield in times of spiritual war.  His faithful Word is what we proclaim over our Christ CALLING, our family, our church, our city and our nation!  Consider His proclamation: "So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" -  (Isaiah 55:11). No matter how the battle rages, God's Word shall not return to Him void.

Consider also His commitment: "I am watching over My Word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12).

"The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' – that is, the Word of faith which we are preaching" -  (Romans 10:8).

CREATING THE FUTURE

The Lord does not want us worrying about the future; He wants us to create it through the knowledge of His will for our lives (our Christ calling), through the vision He puts in our heart, through the proclamation of His Word, and through our yieldedness to the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

And then He promises, "Whoever believes in [Me] will not be disappointed" (Romans 10:11).

He assures us, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). Let's break the bondage of a passive spirit. Let's take up the sword of the Spirit and embrace the fight of faith!

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

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