Tag: Bible

When God Says No

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When God says no to our prayers. When it seems He doesn’t hear our petitions, it can really hurt, especially if we are praying for something really big, such as for a loved one..

When we pray and pray for something that seems so important to us, it may even seem like a matter of life and death to us and yet, God doesn’t answer our prayers. It can throw us off guard. We may even have our doubts about God. It may hurt so much that we turn our back on Him.

But that is never the answer.

Consider why God may say no. If you are a parent, then you have certainly said no to your children, yet you want the very best for them. Maybe you said no in order to teach them values, patience, or to set priorities. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, or because you know something they don’t. You can see the bigger picture. 

Those are all good reasons for saying no. Those could all be reasons God is saying no to you. I have used the illustration before that living our lives is like putting a puzzle together without the box top. We have no idea what the finished puzzle will look like until we are near the end. We begin by just putting the pieces of our life together, the best we can. 

Thankfully, God has the boxtop. He knows what our life will look like when the end comes. He can see the big picture that we can’t. This is where faith and trust come in. As hard as it may be, when He says no, we must trust that He knows best. One thing we can be assured of and that God has our best interests at heart. We may not understand why we don’t get the things we ask for. But our heavenly Father promises to always look after us and to provide for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

We live in a broken and sinful world. Even as Christians, we are not going to get everything we want. God is much more concerned about the eternal aspects of our lives than He is with the temporary physical things in our lives.

When we go through difficult times and heartache in our lives, and God doesn’t answer our prayers as we think He should. We can still be assured that He is with us, helping us, and will work everything out in the end for our good.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

When God says no, we need to say yes, God, Thy will be done.

The Shroud of Turin

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Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin, or Turin Shroud, is a length of linen cloth bearing the image of a man who is alleged to be Jesus of Nazareth. The cloth itself is believed by some to be the burial shroud he was wrapped in when he was buried after the crucifixion. The shroud is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy.

The origins of the shroud and its images are the subject of intense debate among theologians, historians, and other researchers. Diverse arguments have been made in scientific and popular publications claiming to prove that the cloth is the authentic burial shroud of Jesus, based on disciplines ranging from chemistry to biology and medical forensics to optical image analysis. In 1988, radiocarbon dating tests dated a corner piece of the shroud from the Middle Ages. Certain shroud researchers have challenged the dating, arguing the results were skewed by the introduction of material from the Middle Ages to the portion of the shroud used for radiocarbon dating.


The image of the “Man of the Shroud” has a beard, mustache, and shoulder-length hair parted in the middle. He is muscular and tall (various experts have measured him as from 1.70 to 1.88 m or 5 ft 7 in. to 6 ft 2 in). Reddish-brown stains are found on the cloth, showing various wounds that, according to proponents, correlate with the yellowish image, the pathophysiology of crucifixion, and the Biblical description of the death of Jesus.

Forensic doctors have interpreted markings on the cloth as follows:

1. One wrist bears a large, round wound, apparently from piercing (the second wrist is hidden by the folding of the hands)
2. Upward gouge in the side penetrating into the thoracic cavity.
3. Small punctures around the forehead and scalp
4. Scores of linear wounds on the torso and legs.
5. Swelling of the face
6. Streams of blood down both arms

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The Hierarchy of Angels

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Angels seem to be organized according to rank and authority, which include archangels, angels, seraphim, cherubim, principalities, authorities, powers, thrones, might, and dominion (Colossians 1:16). Medieval theologians divided angels into ten different grades. We may not know for sure how angels are ranked; however, we can be sure that they have different jobs and duties and vary in power and authority. 

Archangel  

Only Michael is mentioned in scripture as an archangel (Jude 1:9). Some Bible scholars believe Lucifer was an archangel before his fall. We can not know for sure whether he was or not, but we do know that the scriptures refer to Michael as “the” archangel, so obviously, he is the only one now. Daniel 10:21 refers to Michael as our prince. He is the angel above all angels, the prince of heaven. He leads the fight against the devil and his demons (Daniel 10:13).  Michael will be the primary angel during the end times. He is a warrior without equal, except the Godhead. Whether this is his main job or not, we do not know. But as we see in the Scriptures, Satan is no match for him.

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part 4

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Forgiveness and Prayer

The lack of forgiveness among Christians is, without doubt, the biggest reason that so many Christians are living a life of ineffectiveness. This is certainly true in their prayer lives.

D. L. Moody said: “I believe this (forgiveness) keeps more people from having power with God than any other thing; they are not willing to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. If we allow the root of bitterness to spring up in our hearts against someone, our prayers will not be answered. It may not be an easy thing to live in sweet fellowship with all those with whom we come in contact, but that is why the grace of God is given to us.”

The “Lord’s Prayer” says that God will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others. This is the only part of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus explained.

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part 3

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How to Pray

There has been much written on how to pray. If you are unsure how to approach God in prayer, look at the great men of prayer, such as Daniel or Paul. Both men relied on prayer as the source of their strength and on doing the will of God.

Prayer in public is good, but it is when we are alone with God that prayer can take us even closer to the Almighty. At this time, prayer should not be a one-sided conversation; it should also be a time for quiet communion, meditation, listening to the Spirit, and praising God. It is a time of looking to God, the source of our help and strength. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part 2

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The Prayers of Jesus

As Christians, we want to pattern our lives after the life of Christ. We pray to be more like Him. We sing songs about being more like Him. There is nowhere where we should emulate Christ more than His prayer life.

Christ prayed to His Father for everything. Prayer preceded every great event in His life on earth. He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29). He prayed all night long before choosing the twelve disciples, whom He deemed apostles (Luke 6:12-16). And of course, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, the night He was arrested before being crucified (Luke 22:39-44).

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part I

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Prayerlessness

Is not praying a sin, or is it just a weakness? We have so many excuses for not praying. We are so busy, there just isn’t time, and then there are so many distractions in our lives, not to mention the interruptions that happen. We can come up with all kinds of reasons for neglecting fellowship with our Lord.

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God’s Guarantee to Us

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When you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit. You can be sure you will spend eternity with the Lord.

As believers in Christ, we are sealed from the moment we become Christians until the rapture and resurrection. God’s seal is our guarantee of Heaven. 

“The Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

“God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come…..For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:5,7).

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

We have God’s word that He has sealed us until the day of redemption. This means that God has put His personal seal upon us through the Holy Spirit. We have His protection until the day Christ returns. The devil cannot touch us, for we belong to God. He can tempt us and he can make our lives miserable at times, but he cannot take our salvation from us. We can have that assurance that we will share eternity with Jesus.  (more…)

What will be Your Legacy?

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Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  It is easy to become discouraged when we are seeing few if any results from our work. If only we could see into the future. This is where we need to trust God and believe that He will bless our efforts, especially when we are doing His will. Like the missionary, Hudson Taylor, we may not see the results of our efforts in our life time, but in the eternal picture, that doesn’t matter. It is enough to know that God is faithful and good and we will eventually be rewarded for our efforts at the right time, even if we don’t see immediate results.

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Getting to Heaven

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Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven.

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14: 2-3).

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