Only Jesus

Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

— Mark 9:8

Peter, James, and John had watched as Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. Not only that, but Moses and Elijah appeared, and Jesus had a conversation with them. But Moses and Elijah were gone now. And when it was all over, there stood Jesus, reminding us that is who we need.

We don't need Jesus and the Law, because Jesus fulfilled all of it. We don't need Jesus and the sacraments. We don't even need Jesus and good works. If you really know Jesus, however, good works will follow. Works don't save a person, but they are a good evidence that a person is saved. If you really are a follower of Christ, there will be results that are evident in your life.

We need Jesus. This is not only true of salvation, but of life in general. When you go through a crisis, here is what you need to know: you need Jesus. Friends will help you. Family will help you. And Jesus can work through family and friends. But sometimes friends will disappoint. And family will let you down. Sometimes the advice that friends will give to try and help will actually cause pain.

People have come to me and said, "I have lost a loved one. Is there a book I should read? Is there someone I should talk to?" There are books that I can recommend and things that I can say. But what I ultimately will say is, "You know what you need right now? You need Jesus. You need to lean into Him. You need to trust in Him. You need to cling to Him. That is what you need."

Only Jesus will get you through this. Only Jesus can heal a broken heart. Only Jesus can give you the strength to go on.

Greg Laurie

Praise Him...

The Secret to Spiritual Growth

We all want to experience spiritual growth and success. Sadly, we all know people who have been spiritual failures in life. Perhaps we regard ourselves that way.

Some have grown in leaps and bounds spiritually, while others have not grown at all. Some have done great things for God and His Kingdom, while others have done nothing.

You might say, "Well, Christianity just didn't work for me!" Listen, Christianity is not a product that works for some and not for others. Plain and simple: Christianity is Christ. He can and will work in any life that is truly dedicated to Him. G. K. Chesterton said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It's been found difficult and not tried."

Why do some succeed spiritually, while others fail? The short answer: Because they choose to. They want it, so they go for it. Others don't really want it, so they don't go for it.

You might protest, "That sounds like you think living the Christian life is human effort." I am not saying that. Scripture clearly says that it is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy He has saved us (see Titus 3:5).But clearly there are some things that only God can do, and some things that only you can do.

Paul reminds us that we are to work out our own salvation "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). That does not say that you should work for your own salvation but work out your salvation. Another translation says to "carry to the goal and fully complete with self distrust."

The following verse explains it: "For it is God who works in you both to will and do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). As the Beatles famously sang, "We can work it out." We need to work out what God has worked in. God enables us to do this, but we must also apply ourselves.

Let me say it again, there are some things only God can do, and some things only I can do. Only God can save a person. Only God can forgive and forget our sins. Only God can change the human heart. But at the same time, only I can believe. Only I can repent. Only I can follow. God will not do those things for me, as He has given me a free will to choose.

Greg Laurie

When we pray,

When we pray,

GOD hears more than we say

He answers more than we ask

He Gives more than we imagine 

But....

In his own time,

in his own way 

So KEEP FAITH.

من هو الروح القدس؟

هناك العديد من المفاهيم الخاطئه عن شخصية الروح

 القدس. أن البعض يرون الروح القدس كقوة خفيه. والبعض الآخر يفهمون الروح القدس كقوة يتيحها الله لأتباعه. ماذا يقول الكتاب المقدس عن شخصيه الروح القدس؟ ببساطه - يقول الكتاب المقدس أن الروح القدس هو الله. الكتاب المقدس يقول لنا أيضا أن للروح القدس عقل وارادة.

أن كون الروح القدس هو الله موجود فى العديد من الاصحاحات - منها (أعمال الرسل 3:5-4) فى هذا العدد يواجه بطرس عنانيا بكذبه على الروح القدس ويقول له أنه "لم يكذب على أنسان بل الى الله" . هذا يوضح لنا أن الكذب على الروح القدس هو كذب على الله. يمكننا أيضا معرفة أن الروح القدس هو اله لأن لديه العديد من صفات الله على سبيل المثال وجوده اللامحدود نراه فى (مزمور 7:139-8) " أين أذهب من روحك ومن 

وجهك أين أهرب. أن صعدت الى السموات فأنت هناك. وأن فرشت فى الهاويه فها أنت". وأيضا فى (كورونثوس الاولى 10:2) نحن نرى صفه اللامحدوديه فى الروح القدس " فأعلنه الله لنا بروحه . لأن الروح يفحص كل شىء حتى أعماق الله . لأن من من الناس يعرف أمور الانسان ألا روح الانسان الذى فيه . هكذا أيضا أمور الله لا يعرفها أحد ألا روح الله".

يمكننا معرفه صفات شخصية الروح القدس حيث أن لديه عقل ، مشاعر ، وأرادة. ان الكتاب المقدس يذكر أن الروح القدس يفكر ويشعر ( كورونثوس الاولى 10:2) . الروح القدس يحزن ( أفسس 30:4) . الروح القدس يعضدنا (روميه 26:8-27). الروح القدس يتخذ قرارات بحسب مشيئته ( كورونثوس الاولى 7:12-11). الروح القدس هو الله (المفرد). الثالث فى الثالوث المقدس. و كما الله ، فأن الروح القدس أيضا هو المعزى الذى وعدنا به يسوع المسيح في (يوحنا 16:14 و 26 و 26:15 ).

A woman asked a co-worker ??

A woman asked a co-worker,

"What is it like to be a Christian?"

The co-worker replied,

"It is like being a pumpkin.

God picks you from the patch,

brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.

Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.,

and then He carves you a new smiling face

and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Thought for today

Permanent Ink

Permanent Ink

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

Revelation 3:5

When my son was in the first grade, he came home from school very concerned. He said to me, “Mom, I got in trouble at the lunch tables today. My teacher wrote my name down and put it in her desk.” Sensing his anxiety, I told him not to worry. I knew that the teacher would call me if she had any real concerns. He then said, “But mom, you don’t understand, she wrote my name in permanent ink.” 

So often in life, having our name written in ink signifies a remembrance of something we have done wrong, ranging from teachers’ notes to public court records. But there is one place that we all should desire to have our names written in permanent ink. That place is called the Book of Life and the ink is nothing less than the blood of Jesus. Our names are not written down to remind Him of our sins or wrongdoings but to secure our place in His heavenly home for eternity. The only way to gain entry into this Book is by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and by believing that without His redeeming blood, our sins require a penalty of death. It is the blood of Jesus that keeps our names in His Book of Life permanently. He promises that, by His blood, He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He is permanently with us.

Are you assured today that your name is written in the Book of Life?

The only way in is to accept Jesus as your Savior and to mean it with all your heart. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. Thank Him for the work on the cross and know in your heart that without His redeeming blood, all are lost. This is one Book that you want to be sure your name is written in permanence.