Easter Together in Prayer

Nearly filling the outfield grass, worshippers from several South Orange County Churches came to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at the second Easter Together at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park in San Clemente Sunday.

As the sun rose over the nearby hills as if on cue, the first of two services began with songs and a short testimony by Cornerstone Community Church member, Darryl McFann. He explained how at an Easter service 11 years ago, his life began to transform.

"I couldn’t tell you one word that the pastor had said that day," McFann said. "But, I could tell you that I immediately understood that there was a void and it was being filled. I had a heart transplant. That’s how I feel about it."

South Orange County pastors took turns giving the message of the love and healing power available in Jesus. Seven local Orange County churches hosted the event.

Photo (Jeff LaHatt): Pastors pray during Easter Together at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park in San Clemente. (L to R) Roger Gales of Heritage Christian Fellowship, SC; Ron Sukut of Cornerstone Community Church, SC; Kelly Fellows of South County Church, MV; Chris Gleason of Living Hope Christian Fellowship, SC; Boogie Rose of Branches, SJC.

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Outreach New Media - Public, Media, & Social Network Relations
Email: alexander@outreachnewmedia.com

Newsweek's Tweaking of America

"The End of Christian America?"



Writer Jon Meacham and Newsweek play a little premature smash-mouth with Christians, fueled by an erroneously interpreted survey. Be sure to catch The Scrooge Report story: Newsweek Misuses Poll, Flies ‘The End of Christian America’ Banner.

A Reason to Celebrate

If you haven't been to TheScroogeReport yet, now is your opportunity. I've posted a Christmas devotional there by Rick Warren, Christmas is a Time of Salvation.

Now, more than ever, challenged by the tough economic times, our celebration of Christmas is important!

Blogging on the Purpose of Christmas

Want to do a 3-week study on the purpose of Christmas? It's simple. Start by getting Rick Warren's book, The Purpose of Christmas, then listen this coming Saturday (Dec. 6, 2008) to the study's opening message by Saddleback Church's Pastor Rick.

You can view and listen to his first message on the purpose of Christmas here!

Let's do this! Let's meet back here on Tuesday, Dec. 9th, to discuss Rick's opening message about the purpose of Christmas. Oh, and let's try and read that first chapter by then, too.

Let's have our own 3-week study right here!

Be sure to pick up a copy of The Purpose of Christmas now!

I'd love to see you back!

Note: The books are available at Costco as well!

DIGG!
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WEEK ONE: Why Celebrate Christmas?

Is the Bible True?

Today's Evidence

Origin of the Bible - The Reliability of Ancient Manuscripts, Part II

We are continuing to take a look at the evidence of God by taking a closer look at the Bible. Some dismiss its relevance altogether, others in parts. But why? Is there another dimension to the Bible? Is there a dimension that some enter and then believe?

We will be taking a look at these questions later in the "Today's Evidence" series. Today, we look at the New Testament with help from AllAboutTruth.org. Happy day fellow bloggers! - Alexander

Part II

The manuscript evidence for the New Testament is also dramatic, with over 5,300 known copies and fragments in the original Greek, nearly 800 of which were copied before 1000 AD. Some manuscript texts date to the early second and third centuries, with the time between the original autographs and our earliest existing copies being a remarkably short 60 years. Interestingly, this manuscript evidence far surpasses the manuscript reliability of other ancient writings that we trust as authentic every day. Look at these comparisons: Julius Caesar's "The Gallic Wars" (10 manuscripts remain, with the earliest one dating to 1,000 years after the original autograph); Pliny the Younger's "History" (7 manuscripts; 750 years elapsed); Thucydides' "History" (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed); Herodotus' "History" (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed); Sophocles (193 manuscripts; 1,400 years); Euripides (9 manuscripts; 1,500 years); and Aristotle (49 manuscripts; 1,400 years).

Homer's "Iliad", the most renowned book of ancient Greece, has 643 copies of manuscript support. In those copies, there are 764 disputed lines of text, as compared to 40 lines in all the New Testament manuscripts (Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, Moody, Chicago, Revised and Expanded 1986, p. 367). In fact, many people are unaware that each of William Shakespeare's 37 plays (written in the 1600's) have gaps in the surviving manuscripts, forcing scholars to "fill in the blanks." This pales in textual comparison with the over 5,300 copies and fragments of the New Testament that, together, assure us that nothing's been lost. In fact, all of the New Testament except eleven verses can be reconstructed from the writings of the early church fathers in the second and third centuries. (A General Introduction to the Bible, Ch. 24.)

Source: www.allabouttruth.org/origin-of-the-bible.htm

Genesis: Intelligence Allowed

Hope you have time this weekend to catch Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. With all this "intelligent" debate I thought maybe it's time to take a look at some scripture. Ah, yes! Remember our manual?!

This from the Bible Nut blog, starting with the Word:

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:28

“This is the place in which God has set man to be the servant of his providence in the government of the inferior creatures, and, as it were, the intelligence of this orb; to be the receiver of God’s bounty, which other creatures live upon, but do not know it . . .” - Matthew Henry

...Another way that Adam was to ‘subdue’ the Earth was to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ – thus filling the planet with people. Today, we are to ‘subdue’ the world we are in. We are not supposed to let the world 'subdue' us. As Christians we are to be loving and kind to others. We are not supposed to gossip or slander or use hateful speech against others. We are to fight and ‘subdue’ the world with ‘spiritual fruit.’ (See Galatians 5:22-25) By staying in God’s Word and by being submissive to the Spirit’s leading, a Christian will produce ‘spiritual fruit’ and ‘subdue’ the flesh-feeding values and false teachings of this world...

Read full commentary at the Bible Nut.

Calling Down Fire...or Not So Much?

A lot of Christians seem to be ready to "call down fire" when it comes to the morality of their neighbors, friends, relatives...and even this country. However, from what perspective are they coming from...their own or God's?

Something, that has resonated with me now for a few years is a message I heard from Pastor Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life, at a men's conference.

"It's time for Christians to be known for what they are for, not for what they are against," Warren said.

This is my prayer today...rather than rail against something out of our own will, let's support someone or something truly in need. Let someone say, "Those Christians are about love!"

This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did? - Luke 9:54

James and John were called the “Sons of Thunder.” When they discovered a Samaritan village that would not receive Jesus, they were fully prepared to call down fire to consume the entire community! Perhaps they felt that through such a show of power, their gospel message might be enhanced. The two brothers were willing to sacrifice the lives of the villagers in order to further the cause of the gospel. Jesus rebuked them.

Later, the apostles heard that Samaria had responded to the gospel (Acts 8:14). Who was commissioned to go and help them receive the Holy Spirit but Peter and John! God’s purpose had not been to destroy those people but to save them. God chose not to rain down fire on the village, but to shower it with His Holy Spirit. What must have gone through John’s mind as he saw those same people, whom he had been ready to destroy, now rejoicing in their salvation? How grateful he must have been that Jesus had prevented him from carrying out his plans!

What an enormous contrast between man’s thinking and God’s! Man’s thinking would have resulted in the destruction of an entire village. God’s plan brought salvation to it. People will benefit far more from what God wants to give them than from your best plans. Have you been shortchanging the people around you by merely giving them your plans instead of God’s?

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Gold Medallion Award winner "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" is based on Henry Blackaby’s multi-million selling Experiencing God book and Bible study. Find insight and grace in this 365-day devotional focused on the divine presence in each life. This book will help you see what God has instore for you while sustaining the essential habit of turning to God on a daily basis.

Choosing Blogosphere Battles, Internet Missions

There's something about the stream of thoughts on the internet that makes humanity very real...and that includes the exposition of good and evil.

Blogging, forums, discussions, and comment sections bring out the best and worst in people.

I'm going to try and discuss this kind of "spiritual battle" as often as I can here. I wanted to start today with part of this discussion found at BlogCatalog.

If you are new to social networking, just hang in there...there's nothing too complicated. Just follow along.

The group at BlogCatalog is Religious Debate. The Discussion headline: to all blievers. The discussion text: to all believers 2 simple questions do you thing that your religion is the true and the only true religion and if yes then why

BlogCatalog does a great thing...they allow "religious" discussion although, there was a moment when its managers were fed up with the "personal attacks" (a common social networking problem) so, they decided to sequester "religious topics" out of general discussion and into its own discussion group. However, it appears that's no longer the case.

Anyways, my response to the "2 simple questions" is this:

I don't belong to a particular "religion". I am Christian (which is not a religion). It means I am saved through Jesus. Yes, I made a decision to follow Him...but it was by His grace that I can have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus is the door.

My faith is real by the assurance I am given since the time I made that decision.

Now, whether someone follows a certain "religion" and then is able to spend eternity in heaven upon his death or not...is not my call!

Let me say this, I would highly discourage anyone from ignoring the possibility that Jesus is the answer! He has been for me and millions of others. My life has been transformed...and I have never been the same since!

....and I still have "fun"!

So, I'd like you to ponder this...we choose our battles...do you choose the blogosphere as your battleground for what you believe is right? ...and if you are a Christian...do you consider the internet a mission field?

Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

Failure is Part of the Deal

Sometimes, I cry out for God's plan for me. I do OK with the short term stuff...like I know He wants me to show up to work today and do my best. But, it's the long term stuff I wish I had a "heads up" on.

When will it be the right time for marriage? Do I make a career change now or later? What type of ministry do I need to be involved in? What's my purpose?

Whether or not you're asking yourself and God these particular questions, or other important ones, there's one thing for certain...there will be failures.

So, how do we deal with failures? This morning I found a way...a very good way. First, know that failure is part of the deal of living. Second, give it up to God...He already factored failure into your life and has planned a way for you to come out of it...on the victorious side!

This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:

FACING FAILURE

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written..." - Mark 14:27

As you follow Jesus you will face moments of great distress. At times it will seem that events conspire to cause you to stumble in your relationship with Him. You do not initiate them, but they arise from opposition or the intensity of your circumstances. Nevertheless, failure is the end result. The disciples faced such fierce opposition to their Lord that they all failed Him on the night Jesus was crucified.

Peter boasted that he was incapable of forsaking Jesus (Mark 14:29–31). Yet Jesus assured the disciples even before their failure that it was inevitable. The Scriptures had prophesied it. God always knew the disciples would fail His Son; He wasn’t caught by surprise. He had made provision for their shortcomings, knowing He would eventually develop them into apostles who would fearlessly preach the gospel, perform miracles, and teach others. Later, when the risen Christ encountered Peter on the seashore, He did not ask Peter for a confession of his sin, but a confession of his love (John 21:15–17).

You may fear that your failure has caught God by surprise. Perhaps you promised, like Peter, to stand with the Lord, but you failed. God was just as aware that you would fail Him as He was with the original disciples. He has made provision to respond every time you stumble. Don’t think that somehow your failures are bigger or more complex than any God has dealt with. If you are facing challenges that seem overwhelming, don’t be discouraged. God has already foreseen them and prepared for them. (1 Cor. 10:13).

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Gold Medallion Award winner "Experiencing God Day-By-Day" is based on Henry Blackaby’s multi-million selling Experiencing God book and Bible study. Find insight and grace in this 365-day devotional focused on the divine presence in each life. This book will help you see what God has instore for you while sustaining the essential habit of turning to God on a daily basis.

Take a look at these top devotionals

Adams: Constitution Made For Moral and Religious

The drumbeat from non-believers in the U.S. is deafening...we are not a Christian nation, we were not founded on Christian principles, the Constitution is for separation of church and state...and so on.

I beg to differ.

This from PresidentialPrayerTeam.org:

PRESIDENTIAL QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

— John Adams, October 11, 1798
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Consider picking up a copy of Lee Strobel's The Case for Easter Book & DVD Set. Doing so just may change someone's life!

Getting to the End of Yourself

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2 Peter 3:18

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

Spiritual growth is a process. There is an order. Lessons must be learned before other lessons can be assimilated....

I don't know where you are in the process, but God does. He is engineering your circumstances with a definite result in mind. Part of His plan is to bring you to the end of yourself, to a point of desperation where you get so sick of yourself and your inability to change that you throw up your hands in surrender. When that happens, you are closer than you have ever been to knowing the joy of the Spirit-filled life.


Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

Is This All There Is?

Something is awry—we feel disconnected. We connect with a career, find meaning in family, yet long for something more.

From Max Lucado's 3:16, The Numbers of Hope

We feel the frustration I felt on Christmas morning, 1964. I assembled a nine-year-old’s dream gift: a genuine Santa Fe Railroad miniature train set, complete with battery-powered engine and flashing crossing lights. I placed the locomotive on the tracks and watched in sheer glee as three pounds of pure steel wound its way across my bedroom floor. Around and around and around and . . . around . . . and around . . . After some time I picked it up and turned it the other direction. It went around and around and around . . .

“Mom, what else did you get me for Christmas?”
Similarly, our lives chug in long ovals, one lap after another.

First job. Promotion. Wedding day. Nursery beds. Kids. Grandkids. Around and around . . . Is there anything else? Our dissatisfaction mates with disappointment and gives birth to some unruly children: drunkenness, power plays, eighty-hour workweeks, nosedives into sexual perversions—all nothing more than poorly disguised longings for Eden. We long to restore what Adam lost. As someone once said, “The man who knocks on the door of a brothel is seeking God.”

Where and when the brothel fails, Jesus steps forth with a reconnection invitation. Though we be “dead in [our] transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1) and separated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18), whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (I John 5:1). Reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.” (John 1:13.)

Don’t miss the invisible, inward miracle triggered by belief. God reinstates us to Garden-of-Eden status. What Adam and Eve did, we now do! The flagship family walked with God; we can too. They heard his voice; so can we. They were naked and unashamed; we can be transparent and unafraid. No more running or hiding.

Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! - 1 Pet. 1:3–4 MSG


If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

To Live Forward, Understand Backward

The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

This from Os Hillman's TGIF - Today God Is First:

When I was in my 20's, I participated in a wilderness training course in a desert and mountain area. For our "final exam," we were blindfolded, placed in the back of a pickup truck, and taken to a remote area. We were dropped off and told to meet back at the camp in three days. We did not know where we were. We had to determine our location with our compasses. It was a frightening experience for four young people who had learned to navigate through the use of a compass only a few days earlier. With our food and water on our backs, we began our trek. It had just snowed that morning, so the way was difficult. We walked through valleys, canyons, snow-covered hills, and forests. In all, we walked more than 60 miles in three days. There were times when we did not think we could go another foot. Exhaustion and frostbitten feet were taking their toll. However, we finally made it to our base camp successfully, and to our surprise, we were the first ones among the other patrols to make it back.

At the conclusion of our journey, we were able to stand on top of a ridge, look behind us and see the beautiful terrain that we had just scaled. The pain of what we had just endured seemed to subside. We could not believe we had actually walked through those valleys and snowcapped hills. There was a sense of accomplishment.

Life is very much like this. It is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road a bit that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life as a result. When you begin to realize some of this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Are you in the midst of a difficult journey that seems almost impossible to continue? Be assured that God is providing grace even now to equip you for that journey. There will be a time when you can say, "Wow, look at what God has done because of what I gained through that valley." Trust Him with the outcome of where you find yourself today.



In TGIF: Today God Is First, Os Hillman provides a scripture and commentary for each day of the year. The 365 meditations on the principles of Christ in the workplace wonderfully focus the readers attention on how God's way is to employ ordinary men and women leading ordinary lives to achieve extraordinary things and personally experience how even adverse situations can be doors to spiritual opportunity. Highly recommended reading, Hillman's commentaries are not just simple homilies, they are enduring messages of principles and testimony of how God has worked experientially in his own life -- and can work in yours. - Midwest Book Review

Wisdom from the Psalms: Trust

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. - Psalm 22:11

This from Dan R. Dick's Wisdom from the Psalms:

Sam stuck close to his older brother Ed. Some bullies had been bothering him, and so he felt wisdom the better part of valor; he dogged Ed's every step. Ed didn't mind. He kind of liked it. He liked knowing that his little brother trusted him and looked up to him. If it was protection Sam wanted, then protection he would have.
The Lord is never far from us. Once we put our trust in Him, He is true to protect and defend us. He loves us to put our faith and respect in Him. Though life may get stormy and rough, the Lord is there to calm the waters and get us through safely.

Prayer
Dear Lord, be with me as I face the challenges of each new day. Protect me from those things that can harm me. Stay close to me, for I know of no great strength than Yours. Amen.

Testimonial: My mother recommended this book to me. Before I got this book I had good days and bad days but since I started reading this book every morning before the start of my day and it has made my days go great. Wisdom from the Psalms has helped me put things into perspective and inspires me to appreciate my life as it is. If you feel lost, lack inspiration, and need to feel better about your life this book is a must. It not only strengthens your spirit but it reaffirms even the shakiest bond with God. I have shared this book with a friend who is dealing with the passing of one of her children and it has made a world of a difference for her. You owe it to yourself to check this book out. - James C

Get Wisdom from the Psalms: Daily Thoughts and Meditations now!

You have won!

This is the victory that conquers the world — our faith. - I John 5:4

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Vol. 2:

What is unique about the kingdom of God is that you are assured of victory. You have won! You are assured that you will someday stand before the face of God and see the King of kings. You are assured that someday you will enter a world where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow.

If you have no faith in the future, then you have no power in the present. If you have no faith in life beyond this life, then your present life is going to be powerless. But if you believe in the future and are assured of victory, then there should be a dance in your step and a smile on your face.

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Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times—1999 for "Just Like Jesus," 1997 for "In the Grip of Grace" and 1995 for "When God Whispers Your Name."

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists – a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past dozen years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. He has won eight ECPA Gold Medallion awards. - MaxLucado.com

Go to Max Lucado's Book Selection at Amazon to order now!

The Right Direction

It is this Good News that saves you... that Christ died for our sins just as the scriptures said He would, and that He was buried, and three days afterwards He arose from the grave. - 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 (LB)

After church shopping for a few months, trying to find a place I could hang out at for awhile, I landed at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. I liked the contemporary Christian music and the overall buzz of the place.

After a few weeks of attending, I was standing in the church's plaza area in between the worship center and the information tables, and saw a banner I could not ignore: "Celebrate Recovery". I figured, "Hey, I've been in Alcoholics Anonymous for a couple years, maybe I should hang out by that sign draped over the table."

There was no one else by that Celebrate Recovery information table except for a man named John, who was behind it. After what must have been less than a half a minute, John asked me this question, "Do you know Jesus?" I had been asked the same question a few times before, but for the first time in my life I answered honestly. "I don't know," I said. Then he asked me if I would like to say a prayer with him and I accepted the invitation. We went behind the table, he asked me a few questions and we prayed. I have never been the same since and I know in my heart that if I continue to follow Jesus, I am headed in the right direction.

What were the questions?

Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and showed He was God by coming back to life? 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 (LB) (above)

Do you accept God's free forgiveness for your sins? Romans 3:22 (LB) Now God says He will accept and acquit us -- declare us "not guilty" -- if we trust Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.

Do you want to switch to God's plan for your life? Mark 1:15 (LB) Turn from you sins and act on this glorious news! Romans 12:2 (Ph) Don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed.

Do you want to express your desire for Christ to be the director of your life? Romans 10:19 (NIV) If you confess with your lips, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

What was the prayer?

Dear God, I believe you sent your son, Jesus, to die for my sins so that I can be forgiven. I'm sorry for my sins and I want to live the rest of my life the way you want me to. Please put your Spirit in my life to direct me. Amen.

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If you said the above prayer right now, I recommend finding a good Bible-teaching church to help you in your walk. Also, get a Bible! It's God's love letter to you! You can order the New Believer's Bible right now by clicking on the image or link. If not, be sure to get your hands on one any way you can!

Love in Christ,
Alexander

The Greatest Test

I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity. - 1 Chronicles 29:17

This from Os Hillman's Today God Is First:

God tests His children to know what is in their hearts. God's desire for each of His children is to walk in relationship with Him, to uphold His righteousness and integrity. It is a high calling that we will fail to achieve without complete dependence on Him.

The greatest tests come not in great adversities, but in great prosperity. For it is in prosperity that we begin to lose the sensitivity to sin in our lives. Adversity motivates us to righteousness out of a desire to see our adversity changed. Prosperity fails to provide this motivation for obedience. We fall into a satisfaction and confidence in life that is based on our prosperity rather than on God.

Hezekiah was a great godly king. He was a faithful, God-honoring king most of his life, but toward the end he became proud. God wanted to find out if he would still honor Him and recognize His blessings in his life. He failed the test when God sent an envoy to his palace to inquire about a miracle that God performed on behalf of Hezekiah. The test was designed to find out if Hezekiah would publicly acknowledge the miracle performed on his behalf.

But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart (2 Chronicle 32:31).

Hezekiah's failure resulted in his children failing to carry on as rulers of Israel, and the nation would eventually be taken over by Babylon.

The lesson of Hezekiah is clear. If we are to remain faithful to our Lord, we must remain steadfast in our obedience to Him. Prosperity can be our greatest test. Ask the Lord to give you the grace to be a faithful follower during times of prosperity.

In TGIF: Today God Is First, Os Hillman provides a scripture and commentary for each day of the year. The 365 meditations on the principles of Christ in the workplace wonderfully focus the readers attention on how God's way is to employ ordinary men and women leading ordinary lives to achieve extraordinary things and personally experience how even adverse situations can be doors to spiritual opportunity. Highly recommended reading, Hillman's commentaries are not just simple homilies, they are enduring messages of principles and testimony of how God has worked experientially in his own life -- and can work in yours. - Midwest Book Review

Will We Live Forever?

These perishable bodies of ours are not able to live forever. But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. — 1 Corinthians 15:50,51

This from Today's Devotion With Greg Laurie:

Historian Will Durant, when he reached the age of 70, said, "To live forever would be the greatest curse imaginable."

Will we live forever? The answer is "yes" and "no." Will our bodies live forever? No. Will our bodies cease to exist at one point? Absolutely. But the soul is immortal. Each one of us has a soul. It is the soul that gives each of us uniqueness and personality. That part of us will live forever.

Today, many people are searching for immortality, that elusive fountain of youth. Sometimes, it is hard for us to accept the fact that life is passing and death is approaching. One day, you will wake up and realize you have more life behind you than you have in front of you. But the question we should be asking is not, "Can I find immortality?" Rather, it should be, "Where will I spend my immortality?"

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive you of your sin, the Bible teaches that you will go immediately into the presence of God in heaven when you die. That is God's promise to you.

But God not only promises life beyond the grave. He also promises life during life, not just an existence, but a life that is worth living. Jesus said, "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10).

That is the hope and promise for all Christians. That is why the believer does not have to be afraid to die. Or afraid to live.
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Featured Book By Greg Laurie

Beyond: A Devotional

The Experience God Has for You Is Beyond Anything You Could Imagine...

Don’t let anything stop you from strengthening the most important relationship of your life. Drawing closer to God starts right here–with warm, clear, Bible-based devotionals on the core issues of your faith.

In his down-to-earth style, Greg Laurie helps you reinforce your commitment to God and develop the habit of responding to His voice every day. Beyond: A Devotional guides you into Scripture reflection, prayer, and application with daily devotions that take only ten minutes a day. Discover a greater intensity and intimacy with God as your desire to trust and obey Him keeps growing. Are you ready to move beyond your present spiritual limitations?

Open this book to stretch your spiritual muscles…and go deeper, further, and higher in your relationship with God. (Amazon.com)

“Greg Laurie is not only a personal friend, but is one of the great communicators of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our generation. I highly recommend him.”
–Billy Graham

The Reason for God...and a Pastor in NY City

Before the release of Keller's first book this week, Newsweek publishes a story on the New York pastor and his flock fitting right at home inside Manhattan

Always fun to check in on how the secular media is reporting on Christianity. Sometimes all wrong, sometimes all right, but always keeping us guessing as to whether a bias or two, or three will show up or not.

I like this story on a New York pastor with a growing number of followers. There's something about the concrete canyons of NY city juxtaposed with the Holy Spirit moving through men and women. What a great God we have!

This from Newsweek:

The Smart Shepherd
A New York pastor who says he thinks too much wants to bring his Christian message to the world.

By LISA MILLER

Place: New York City. Time: 9 o'clock on a Sunday morning. It's fair to say that many, if not most, of the inhabitants of Manhattan —mostly single, professional, well educated and young—are sleeping it off somewhere. Half of America has roused itself by now and is heading off to church, but in the city that never sleeps, the Sabbath is a time for slumber.

There's an exception. On a sun-splashed corner near Central Park a churchlike building is filled to the rafters with Christian worshipers. By 9:15, the room is at capacity. By 9:20, even the balcony is full. There's nothing sexy here. There's no rock band, no drop-down theater-size video screen, no 100-member gospel choir—just a few chamber musicians and a couple of prayer leaders to help the congregation along in its hymns. The crowd at Redeemer Presbyterian is overwhelmingly young, single, professional and—for lack of a better word—sober.

Don't let your mind drift, or you will miss the main attraction. At 9:40, the voice you hear reading from the Scriptures changes suddenly; it becomes deeper, more authoritative and coarser, with traces of Pennsylvania and Georgia in the vowels. Look up. The callow junior minister has disappeared. Standing at the microphone is a man more than six feet tall with a shiny bald head and wire-rim spectacles, looking more like a college professor than a megachurch pastor. This is the Rev. Tim Keller, a Manhattan institution, one of those open urban secrets, like your favorite dim sum place, with a following so ardent and so fast-growing that he has never thought to advertise. He rarely speaks to the press.

His reticence, though, is about to belong to the past. With the publication this week of his first book, "The Reason for God," Keller, who is 57, is in the midst of a dramatic change in direction...

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Photo: Rev. Tim Keller (Newsweek)

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Book Description (Amazon.com)

The End of Faith. The God Delusion. God Is Not Great. Letter to a Christian Nation. Bestseller lists are filled with doubters. But what happens when you actually doubt your doubts?

Although a vocal minority continues to attack the Christian faith, for most Americans, faith is a large part of their lives: 86 percent of Americans refer to themselves as religious, and 75 percent of all Americans consider themselves Christians. So how should they respond to these passionate, learned, and persuasive books that promote science and secularism over religion and faith? For years, Tim Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his Manhattan church. And in The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, he single-handedly dismantles each of them.

Written with atheists, agnostics, and skeptics in mind, Keller also provides an intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash. The The Reason for God challenges such ideology at its core and points to the true path and purpose of Christianity.

About the Author

As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Tim Keller started his congregation with a few dozen people. It now draws over five thousand weekly attendees who meet in three Manhattan locations. Redeemer has since spawned a movement of churches across America and throughout major world cities. Many pastors model their churches on Redeemer and Tim’s thoughtful style of preaching.