Deception Through Religion

"Thou Shalt

Not Have any

Strange Gods

Before Me"

***

This is the 1st

Commandment;

the one which

is broken and

disregarded

the most.

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Without adherence or respect to this, the very first command of God, we are just 'spinning our wheels' with the rest of our efforts. Of coarse, atheists are not concerned about this issue. I am appealing to the 'believers' who have been deceived. The deception of Satan has been suffused throughout the planet for ages. Today his influence has convinced even spiritual leaders that maybe there is a better way to view what God really meant by 'this commandment or that one'.

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The real misconception of this very first Commandment, again, is the product of Satan's deception. A professed Christian is convinced they don't have to worry about this issue; they don't bow down to Buddha, or praise Allah. Most Christians living in the mainstream believe they only worship their (concept) of 'God in the Bible', they profess to believe in. However, many studies have shown most people professing to being a Christian, never pick up a Bible, even if they own one. In fact, many rank themselves a little higher in spiritual devotion, just by the simple reality they possess a Bible, like wearing a cross. How can we know who we worship if we don't have a relationship with God? If we wear a cross, but, are not aware of its meaning, at all times, it is just a bauble.

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The sad truth is: 1) most people professing to be Christian, do not worship the true Creator on a regular basis, and 2) that which one focuses most of their time, is what they are worshiping.

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One definition of religion in a dictionary is any object of conscientious regard or pursuit.

For some this is money, or other worldly things which bring us temporary pleasure. Sadly, for others, this is actually an icon or another human which they have made an idol. Most established religions are stemmed from the Old Testament. The most prominent of which is Islam, created from the illegitimate son of Abram (later called Abraham, by God), Ishmael; Gen,16:15.

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The Jewish Torah is basically the Old Testament; it teaches Jesus was just a prophet, and not the Son of God. Then, there are the vast number of religions which were primarily formed as an alternative to the true teachings of the Holy Bible, but, still claim Christianity as the basis of their belief. The lot of 'believers' which is succumbed to Satan's deceptions the most, both objectively and subjectively, is the non-denominational 'Bible Believing' churches, which stray from the true integrity of the Word of God. This is because there is no distinguishable discernment in the hearts of those whom are seeking spiritual guidance, but, are not devoted to a relationship with the Father on their own time.

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Satan empowers secular ideals and special interest groups as he knows the basic heart of most people is to do good things. This is true in 'believers' as well as atheists. The common 'believer' has to have a cause to display to the world they are really nice people. This also temporarily fills the void left by the lack of devotion to the God which they believe in, but, aren't quite ready to repent for. Many Christian Pastors are empowered by Satan, as well. If they are teaching false doctrine or have been deceived, themselves, into believing "This surely must have been what God meant", they will open the door for so many others to steer away from the integrity of the Word and seek the "warm and fuzzy" word. This usually leads to the pastor having a certain following which worship him, and not God. As the ego (or pride) of many pastors grow, they step out of God's Grace. As the rest of the world sees this, it fuels the fire of skepticism.

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I have had "Christians" tell me God's Word is what is true for each individual, the way we wish to interpret it. They can explain that to their comrades in the lake of fire.

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The confusion, which Satan has so cleverly led the majority to adapt, is to be a Christian is just another religion. This allows us to fall victim to the lie, "You believe what you want, and I can believe what I want", and still be convinced we are righteous in doing so. This is why Satan loves religions. It is a tool, to classify Christianity in this regard. A Christian believes in the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of God. From the beginning of humanity, Satan's mission has been to draw us away from that simple fact. His whole sales pitch to Eve was, "God didn't really mean that". The Word of God is our 'way of life'. Whether we choose to believe that, or not, is irrelevant. By translating it to mean what we want it to mean(through deception), changes nothing; it just means we don't get the point. By intentionally changing the meaning, for our own personal gain, or lifestyle, is blasphemy.

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Satan does not pay any attention to the ones already in his clutches; there would be no point to that. Rather, he concentrates all his power and demons to the ones attempting the hardest to be righteous. If he can knock them off coarse with temptations of the world, he has also diverted the ones they were assigned to lead to God. Anything which diverts our attention away from serving the Master, is a score for Satan. His whole desire is to destroy us. All he needs to accomplish that is his lies (or deception). He is the prince of lies. It has worked from the beginning of man, and it will continue to work, except in the hearts of those whom are firm in their faith that Jesus is the true Son of God, the only way to the Father, and His Word is true.

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If you don't believe because you think God has shown you no physical proof, then why would we need faith? Faith is the basis of our Grace. He has given us all the proof we need throughout history... it is up to us to remove the stubborn walls so we can accept it. Once all the world has had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and believe, Jesus will return to judge His enemies. With satellite and far reaching missions, do you understand that time draws near?

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Religion, and the aspects of it, is a dangerous thing. Do not allow yourself to be led astray. The Holy Bible is not a religion. It is not meant to be tricky or serve any hidden agendas. It is written allegorically to provide us with all the proof we need to assure ourselves, and others, that it is true, and Jesus is the only true way to our salvation. Do not sacrifice your salvation based on the ignorance of man. If you earnestly get into the Word and have faith in Jesus, God will lead you. Find a Bible believing church, but, do not neglect your personal growth in the Word and a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Deadly Deception

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples
of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will
make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's
descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone;
how is it that You say, `You will become free'?" "If the
Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:31-36)

The deadliest deception in life is to go through it believing
you are free, when in fact you are really bound! If you
never realize you are bound, you will never fight for your
freedom. The tragedy in being bound and not knowing it, is
that you never live the life God created you to live.

In the text, the Pharisees make a statement that reveals their
true condition - bound. They tell Jesus that they are:
"Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to
anyone". The Bible is clear in that, throughout the Nation
of Israel's history they were at various times enslaved
(Egyptians, Philistines and the Babylonians).

As a matter of fact, they where presently under the Roman
Empire's rule. They had become so accustomed to being in bondage
that their bondage appeared to them to be freedom. It is
possible for you to become so familiar with a situation (no
matter how dysfunctional, painful or out of order it may be)
that it becomes the standard by which you measure life.

What is bondage to one person may be freedom to another. Our
perception of life can become skewed by our circumstances.
Self-deception is the precursor to self-destruction.

Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 2:11, "so that no advantage
would be taken of us by Satan, ... we [should] not [be]
ignorant of his schemes. The enemies' primary mode of
operation is deception. He offers us a counterfeit of true
freedom, hoping that we will embrace the substitute never
having experienced the real thing.

Much of the fruitlessness in the lives of Believers today is
a result of unidentified bondages. Bondage does not have to be
painful to be bondage. As a matter of fact, the worse kind of
bondage is bondage that you've become comfortable with.

You can recognize bondage if it hinders your ability to
experience the fellowship, fullness and freedom that God has
planned for your life.

Jesus said, "the truth will set you free". Take a moment,
get away from everybody and everything, close your eyes and
ask God to reveal to you anything that is hidden in your
heart and life where you've been operating in deception.
Allow the light of His Word to illuminate your life and path.

Let this be the beginning of a new chapter in your life.
Discover the freedom and fullness of living transparently
and you will really know what it means to truly be free indeed!

How Long?

"And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening
to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "It has often thrown
him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him but
if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And
Jesus said to him, " `If You can?' All things are possible
to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out
and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:21-24)

In this text, Jesus asks a timeless question that is just as
relevant today as it was the day it was spoken. Whenever you
read that Jesus asked a question, it is a teaching moment.
He never asks questions because He doesn't know the answer
or for edification. For Jesus knows what is in the hearts of
men. Whenever Jesus asks a question, He is not only speaking
to the individual before Him, but to those who would
subsequently read the account.

Jesus, after coming down from the mountain, is immediately
presented with a situation. He is met by a father who has a
demon-possessed son. This is not something that has recently
come about, but is something that he has been living with for
years. It is a persistent problem. A problem that has not
become better but has grown worse over time. A problem that
he was able to hide in his home for a while, but has grown to
the point that it has spilled over into his public life.

Now the problem has taken over and he is no longer able to control
it. It shows up at the most inopportune times. It now affects
his relationships and his ability to live and enjoy life. He
has become a captive to this issue in his life. Jesus seeing
this man asks a question that appears simple, but is the key
to the man and his son's deliverance.

Jesus, the God-Man, who knows the beginning from the end,
asks: "How long has this been happening...?" It was a question
designed to cause the man to reflect on his situation. How
long have you been living with this dysfunction, disorder,
habit or issue in your life? How long have you been putting
up with this issue that you should have cast out along time
ago? How long have you been tolerating its presence and
accepting less than what God has for you in your life? How long
have you allowed this situation to fester? Jesus is asking you
and I the same question.

You can live with a situation so long that dysfunction becomes
normal and sin becomes acceptable. Suffering becomes routine
and disappointment is now expected. Things that you would
originally have cast out and cast away a long time ago, you now
tolerate.

In Jesus' question "How long", he illuminates the path to
deliverance for the father's son and for us as well. This
question causes us not only to look back at the origin of our
issue(s) or situation(s), but the reason why they remain an issue,
and how we can prevent them from continuing in our lives.

The first step toward deliverance is recognition. The question,
'How long?", was designed to cause the man to reflect upon his
situation. To cause identify the origin of his problem. How did
it begin and how did it get to the place it is today? It is
important for us to understand and identify the source and origin
of our pain, before we attempt to deal with it. If you don't
identify its origin, you may only be treating a symptom and not
the source.

Secondly, the question also insinuates that this was something
the father had control over. I believe that Jesus was really
asking him, "How long have you been willing to tolerate this
situation?" There are some thing in life that God has given us
the power and responsibility of handling ourselves. We pray and
seek others to help us with our issues, when the answer and power
to deal with them, has already been given to us.

Thirdly, you must believe that things can change. The reason this
problem became a persistent one is found in Jesus' statement to
the father that, "All things are possible to him who believes."
Many of our situations don't change because we've lived with them
for so long, that we no longer believe or expect them to change.
What you believe matters the most.

Jesus did what the father should have been able to do. You may be
dealing with or tolerating a situation that seems impossible.
It has become an impossibility because you have given up on
believing that it can change. You must believe that you deserve
better. You must believe that the rest of your life will be better
than the life you have already lived.

You have the power to make a change that will not only affect
your life but those you love. Your belief that deliverance and
breakthrough in your life is possible will determine "how long"
you must endure you current situation. Jesus said, "All things
are possible to him who believes." This includes you too!

By Dr. J.C. Matthews, Senior Pastor of Dunamis Life Ministries and Chancellor of The International Kingdom Institute.

Run For Your Life

Are you running in the wrong direction? Are you following false doctrine? Who is your ignorance of the situation benefitting? Certainly not yourself...definitely the enemy. If your position is to just 'pray about it' (God will handle it) that is fine, but, please do not preach that to others as it is not biblical. It's a personal preference.

The Khilafah Conference 2009 is scheduled to be held July 19, 2009 at the Hilton Oak Lawn hotel.

A group committed to establishing an international Islamic empire and reportedly linked to Al Qaeda is stepping up its Western recruitment efforts by holding its first official conference in the U.S.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a global Sunni network with reported ties to confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Al Qaeda in Iraq's onetime leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It has operated discreetly in the U.S. for decades.

Now, it is coming out of the shadows and openly hosting a July 19 conference entitled, "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam," at a posh Hilton hotel in a suburb of Chicago. Hizb ut-Tahrir insists that it does not engage in terrorism, and it is not recognized by the State Department as a known terror group.

But some terrorism experts say it may be even more dangerous than many groups that are on the terror list. "Hizb ut-Tahrir is one of the oldest, largest indoctrinating organizations for the ideology known as jihadism," Walid Phares, director of the Future of Terrorism Project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told FOXNews.com.

Phares said that Hizb ut-Tahrir, rather than training members to carry out terrorist acts like Al Qaeda, focuses instead on indoctrinating youths between ages of 9 and 18 to absorb the ideology that calls for the formation of an empire — or "khilafah" — that will rule according to Islamic law and condones any means to achieve it, including militant jihad.

Hizb ut-Tahrir often says that its indoctrination "prepares the infantry" that groups like Al Qaeda take into battle, Phares said.

"It's like a middle school that prepares them to be recruited by the high school, which is Al Qaeda," he said. "One would compare them to Hitler youth. ... It's an extremely dangerous organization."

Phares said Hizb ut-Tahrir has strongholds in Western countries, including Britain, France and Spain, and clearly is looking to strengthen its base in the U.S.

"The aim of this conference is to recruit within the Muslim community in America," he said. "The Middle East governments go after them, but in the U.S. they are protected, so having a base here is going to help their cells around the world."

Representatives of Hizb ut-Tahrir declined to comment when contacted by FOXNews.com.

Oren Segal, director of Islamic Affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, said the conference is cause for concern.
"While they're not, for the most part, engaging in violent activities, and they publicly say that they're against violence, there have been examples around the world where people who have spun off of this group have engaged in violent activity," Segal told FOXNews.com. "That's why they're banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries, as well as Germany and Russia."

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is one of the group's most famous alumni, New Statesman journalist Shiv Malik reported, citing intelligence sources. In addition to plotting the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he also is implicated in the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, the Bali nightclub bombings and the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Malik's report, the public policy institute the Nixon Center and the counter-extremism think tank the Quilliam Foundation agree that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq until he was killed in June 2006, also was once a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

They say other former members include Asif Muhammad Hanif, a British man who blew himself up outside a bar in Tel Aviv, killing four people (including himself) and wounding more than 50; and Omar Bakri Mohammed, a radical cleric currently banned from Britain who praised the 9/11 attacks, raised funds for Hezbollah and Hamas and called for attacks on the Dublin airport because U.S. troops transferred there on their way to Iraq.

Segal said Hizb ut-Tahrir is becoming more active online in the U.S. — particularly on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace — and now it may be able to add a significant number of Americans to its ranks.

But one place the group will likely not be recruiting is a local Islamic school that backed out of hosting the conference. The non-profit Aqsa school in Bridgeview said Hizb ut-Tahrir had deceptively portrayed the conference as a bazaar-type event where traditional food and clothing would be sold. "They misrepresented themselves and the event. We don't want to be in the middle of something like that," the school's business manager Rana Jaber, told CBS News.

The conference's new venue doesn't seem to mind. Hilton Oak Lawn General Manager Rick Harmon said Hizb ut-Tahrir used its own name when it reserved the room for the conference, but the hotel was not aware of the content of the event, which includes lectures entitled "Capitalism is Doomed to Fail," "The Global Rise of Islam," and the "Role of Muslims in America," until after the contract was signed. Still, Harmon said the hotel is open to all kinds of meetings, that don't necessarily reflect its position or beliefs.

"We're United States citizens and an American business — if it's legal, we're able to host it, as long as it's nothing that disrupts our other guests' privacy and security," Harmon told FOXNews.com. According to the Khilafah Conference 2009 Web site, the group aims to do neither.

"Hizb-ut-Tahrir is convinced that change must start in the minds of people, and therefore does not accept for people, or societies, to be forced to change by means of violence and terror," it reads.

The site, which includes a promotional YouTube video, says the group "does not work in the West to change the system of government, but works to project a positive image of Islam to Western society."

But former member Ishtiaq Hussain said Hizb ut-Tahrir is repackaging itself as a moderate organization as a tactic, while in reality it is "extremist."

"They don't recognize countries like Israel, for example; they don’t believe Israel should exist," Hussain, now a trainer for the Quilliam Foundation, told FOXNews.com. "Some of their leaders have denied the Holocaust, and they believe homosexuals should be thrown off the highest building. ... It's actually a very dangerous group."

Hizb ut-Tahrir itself has also published writings that seem to contradict its tenet of non-violence. In his book, "How the Khilafah Was Destroyed," Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zalloom, the former global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, says anyone who rules by a non-Islamic system should "either retract or be killed ... even if this led to several years of fighting and even if it led to the killing of millions of Muslims and to the martyrdom of millions of believers."

Islamic Supremacist Group Holds First U.S. Conference
Friday, July 17, 2009
Diane Macedo

A Fixed Fight

"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great
multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.
'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves,
stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf,
O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed;
tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you"
(2 Chronicles 20:15-17).

If you are a boxing fan, you are familiar with the
statement: "the fight was fixed". If there was ever a
fixed fight, the one in 2 Chronicles 20 was just that.
Three nations, that God forbade the nation of Israel from
destroying earlier, has now come together to destroy them.
The Bible records the Nation of Israel saying to God:

"Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir,
whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of
the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not
destroy them), see how they are rewarding us by coming to
drive us out from Your possession which You have given us
as an inheritance" (2 Chronicles 20:10-11).

Unbeknownst to the Nation of Israel, God was using these
nations to serve a higher purpose. This seemingly
impossible situation was orchestrated by God to: (1)
demonstrate to Israel that He was able to care for them,
no matter how severe their situation seemed, and (2) that
their ability was not determinative of their success, but
their faith in Him. God allowed Israel's problem to grow
until it was out of their control. Now they stood face to
face with a situation that they could no longer avoid.
This situation was not to destroy them but to teach them,
that the battle is not theirs, but the Lords.

Many of you may be facing situations in your life that
seem to have come out of nowhere, when in reality they are
old problems that have re-surfaced. This problem seems to
be unavoidable and insurmountable. You've thought about
and considered every scenario, trying to find a way of escape
and delivery but none have been revealed. You've prayed to
God about it but He seems to have turned a deaf ear to your
prayer. Now it appears that you are on the brink of losing
everything. Just remember, that God did not allow the
problem in your life to destroy you but to develop your
faith in Him. He already knows how you are going to win.
The fight has been fixed! Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy is coming in the morning! (Psalms 30:5).

This problem is only temporary. God never intended for you
to have to fight this fight. It is too big for you. God
has allowed the situation to get to this point to reveal
to you that: (1) no problem is too big for Him, (2) you
are never alone, even when it seem like it, and (3) that
the fight is really His. Understand, that the decisive
factor in your success is not "what" has come against you -
but Who is with you. Remember, it may look like you are
insufficient, out numbered and unable to overcome what is
facing you. In the natural this might be true if it was
up to you alone. However, the battle is not yours but
the Lords.

Before the battle ever begins, God has already declared
you delivered and victorious. Your fight is not against
the problem, but yourself. You must fight to hold onto
your faith in God, even when the facts contradict what
God has promised. Remember, facts change everyday, but
the truth of God's word never changes regardless of the
facts. When your opponent or problem raised up against
you, it was already defeated. The fight has been fixed -
it just has to be told so.

Learning How To Avoid Making Bad Decisions

"One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived
home exhausted and hungry from a hunt. Esau said to Jacob,
"I'm starved! Give me some of that red stew you've made."
(This was how Esau got his other name, Edom - "Red.") Jacob
replied, "All right, but trade me your birthright for it."
"Look, I'm dying of starvation!" said Esau. "What good is my
birthright to me now?" So Jacob insisted, "Well then, swear
to me right now that it is mine." So Esau swore an oath,
thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his younger
brother. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau
ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to
the fact that he had given up his birthright"
(Genesis 25:29-34, NLT).

How many of you have made bad decisions in your life? It
may have been five, ten or even twenty years ago and you are
still paying for them. A decision that took only moments to
make ends up costing you years of your life trying to recover
from it. It may have been a financial, marital, relational or
occupational decision that has shaped your world as it exists
today. One thing is for sure: If you knew then, what you know
now, you would have chosen differently.

For some of you, one bad decision has kept you from experiencing
the fullness and purpose that God has for you in your life. However,
bad decisions do not have to be fatal - they can also be formative.
One of the most difficult but necessary skills we must develop
in life is how to make decisions. When we make the best
decisions, we gain ground. When we make good decisions, we
maintain ground. However, when we make bad decisions, we lose
ground and oftentimes much more. There is no formula that can
be applied to every situation that will enable us to avoid making
bad decisions. However, the Bible does contain principles that
can be applied to our situations to enable us to make the best
decisions possible considering our circumstances.

In Genesis chapter 25, the Bible presents us with a situation in
which Esau makes a bad decision. Not only does his decision
impact his life, but the lives of generations to come. If Esau
where here today, I believe he would give the following advise:

1. Never make a decision while needy. "Esau
arrived home exhausted and hungry from a hunt. Esau said to Jacob,
"I'm starved! Give me some of that red stew you've made" (verse 29-30).

A man could sell a thirsty man a glass of water for all he owns.
This actually happened when Joseph was placed over Egypt during
the great famine. People came from far and near giving him all
their money, land and the right to 20% of their future produce.
"Need" clouds our vision and ability to make sound decisions.
Whenever we make decisions in the midst of a crisis, or ones that
are based on need, it will more than likely be shortsighted
decisions and will end up costing us disproportionately more than
what we received.

2. Never allow anyone to make you decide "now" on
something that can wait. "Jacob replied, "All right, but trade me
your birthright for it." (verse 31).

There are very few decisions in life that need to be made right now
on the spot. Often, by waiting and praying prior to making a
decision, we can more fully take into consideration the totality of
our situation and the consequences of making the decision. If
someone tries to pressure you into making a decision right now
about something that doesn't require an immediate decision, you
will more than likely regret the decision.

3. Avoid empowering or exaggerating your need.
Jacob replied, "All right, but trade me your birthright for it."
"Look, I'm dying of starvation!" said Esau. "What good is my
birthright to me now?"

Often, we become victim to pressure because we exaggerate or
create a need that does not exist. Esau was not dying - he was
merely hungry. His exaggerated perception of his situation, paved
the way for him to lose what was most valuable to him. We know
that the birthright was important to him because in the Book of
Hebrews we are told that he sought after it with great weeping
(Hebrews 12:17).

4. Never exchange something enduring for something
temporary. "Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau
ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the
fact that he had given up his birthright"

When Esau finished eating his stew, the fact remained, that he would
become hungry again, but Jacob now owned an enduring blessing and
birthright. Decisions that are made based on your flesh will more
than likely be bad ones. These decisions generally momentary
satisfy, but have long-term consequences.

Short sighted and quick decisions are a major means by which the
enemy robs Believers of the blessings that God places in our lives.
Since God has given you authority over the enemy and his kingdom,
he must convince you to give him what he cannot take. He's been
using the same trick from the very beginning. It was a bad decision
that caused Adam and Eve to fall in the garden. Satan offered them
a piece of fruit for something eternal.

You may be struggling to overcome the consequences of bad
decisions made in your past and wondering how you can stop paying
interest on something that happened years ago. The answer is - by
making good, better and the best decisions now. It was a good
decision that empowered you to overcome the death Adam caused by
his fall. Make better decisions today and experience all God has
planned for your tomorrow!

By Dr. J.C. Matthews, Senior Pastor of Dunamis Life Ministries and
Chancellor of The International Kingdom Institute.

Waiting On Something To Move

"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In
these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt,
withered, waiting for the moving of the water. And a certain man
was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years."
John 5:2-5, KJV

I can remember driving home one night from work when I caught a
flat tire. I didn't have a cell phone, flashlight or spare tire.
There I was, on the side of the highway praying that someone
would stop and help me get to a phone. I sat inside of my car
with my flashers on for over three hours waiting for someone to
stop. I will always remember the helpless feeling of being
totally dependant upon the benevolence of a stranger.

Finally, someone did stop and agreed to give me a ride to a phone.
I was in his car for less than 5 minutes. To my surprise, there
was a payphone less than a half a mile away that I could have
easily walked too. I waited hours for someone to do what I
could've done for myself.

In the text, Jesus recognized a certain man who has been infirm
for over 38 years. Jesus picked him out from a multitude of
what the Bible describes as "impotent folk". Maybe Jesus
recognized him from the many years He and His parents would go
to Jerusalem to observe the various feasts. Maybe, his specific
condition was such that it drew attention to itself. However, I
believe the reason Jesus singled him out from the crowd was
Jesus saw something within the man that the man didn't see within
himself. There are three lessons we must take from this text
that will cause us to overcome the things that have kept us from
experiencing wholeness in our lives.

First, this man's infirmity had become his identity. The Bible
gives us his condition, but never gives us his name. We must be
careful not to allow our problems, issues, situations or weaknesses
to define who we are. It is possible for you to deal with
something for so long that it begins to determine who you are
and what you strive for in life. As a result, you lower your
expectations and settle for much less than what God has planned
for your life.

Secondly, sometimes those around us fortify our infirmity.
Oftentimes, our immobility is in part due to the company we keep.
People are more willing to tell you what you can't do as opposed
to what you can do. They kill any dreams you may have of moving
on by telling you all of the risks involved with the move, instead
of encouraging you to take a leap of faith. The reason many of
them do this is because they fear that you just may succeed at
what they were afraid to attempt. Often, deliverance is found in
doing what others around you have never done and risking the
possibility of failure.

Finally, Jesus saw and knew his condition. Jesus knows exactly
what you are going through and how long you've been going through
it. He knows the desires of your heart and wants you to realize
them. However, He allows us to experience the disappointment and
frustration of relying on other to do what we must trust God to
do. When this man's hope in others exhausted God stepped in.
Jesus did in a moment what he and others couldn't do over a 38
year period of time.

Are you waiting on something to move in your life before you
attempt to achieve it? The Bible says this man waited 38 years
for something to move, remaining in the same impotent condition.
Jesus is saying the same thing to us He said to the man at the
pool; "If you want to reach a dream or goal in your life, stop
waiting on someone to help you achieve it- "Get up and ... walk!

By Dr. J.C. Matthews, Senior Pastor of Dunamis Life Ministries and
Chancellor of The International Kingdom Institute.

You Must First "Be" What You Hope To Become

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy
name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have
I made thee." Genesis 17:4-5, KJV

I can remember when I began to write my first book. I
felt as if God was leading me to do it, but I wasn't sure
of how to start. I had never written a book before and did
not personally know anyone who had done so themselves. As
I considered actually doing it, doubt and fear ran through
my mind saying, "No one knows who you are. What do you have
to say that hasn't already been said? Who do you think you
are? As these thoughts went through my mind, I heard God
say, "I'll tell you who you are, - you are an "author".
Now get started writing!"

At that moment I realized something that revolutionized the
way in which I approached achieving the things in life I
hoped to achieve. I realized, in order to become an author
I had to first do what authors do. I had to first write. If
I had waited for someone to declare me an author before I
began writing, I would have never authored my first book.
Part of my ''being" what I was seeking to "become", I began
to read as much as I could about the publishing process,
and went to industry events that authors frequented, so I
could familiarize myself with that environment. I had to
"be it" before I could ever "become it".

There are some promises and opportunities in life you cannot
afford to wait until they present themselves to begin the
process of preparing for them. You must be ready for your
moment when it comes. You must become so pregnant and
possessed with your promise that when your moment comes you
are able and ready to deliver. You must position and prepare
yourself to operate at the level you intend to occupy before you
actually occupy it. If you practice being what you hope to
become, when the opportunity arises, you won't be intimidated
by it because you have already prepared for it.

So many people fail to realize what they hope for because
they believe that they must wait until everything is in place
before they attempt to accomplish anything. They want all of
their resources and support in place first and leave no room
for faith in God. Because this ideal rarely materializes, they
allow their hopes to go unrealized and are unprepared for the
opportunities that do present themselves.

This is backwards. In the Kingdom of God "we walk by faith and
not by sight" (2 Corinthians. 5:7). "Faith is the substance of
things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen"
(Hebrews 11:1). Anything that God places in your heart to
accomplish you already possess the substance necessary to cause
it to manifest in your life. You must believe that whatever God
has promised you already exists and is yours before you actually
possess it. Just because you can't see it (yet) doesn't mean
it doesn't exist. If God said it - it's already done!

Oftentimes in the Bible, when God spoke a promise concerning a
person He spoke it in the past tense. When God told Abraham
that his name would no longer be "Abram" but "Abraham", because
He had made him the father of many nations, Abraham was still
childless! Did God lie? Never! God was simply revealing to
him what He had already done. In order for Abraham to receive
his promise he had to operate within his promise. Every time
Sarah called him "Abraham" he was reminded of who God had made
him - the "father of many nations".

What is it that you are hoping will manifest in your life? You
must be what you're becoming because transformation is the
precursor to manifestation.

By Dr. J.C. Matthews, Senior Pastor of Dunamis Life Ministries and Chancellor of The International Kingdom Institute.

Arab Festival 2009: Sharia in the US

This what we can expect, but, on a much higher scale, if we continue to be apathetic or "Politically Correct".

more about "Arab Festival 2009: Sharia in US", posted with vodpod

This is what we can expect, but, on a much higher level, if we continue to be apathetic and turn a blind eye. "Politically Correct" is a label the left created so we would abandon our principles and accept the will of a few. The few are growing and attempting to abolish our Constitution with the help of our presumed President. As you can see in the video, the people that were just trying to ask a question regarding the absurd claim that Islam is against terrorism, were accused of preaching and made out to be trouble makers.

Even Christians, with the help of certain Pastors, like Rick Warren, are ignorantly believing Islam is just another religion we should respect. Warren is the Pastor of Saddleback Church in Lakewood ,California, and author of Purpose Driven Life. Over the past weekend, Rick Warren was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Muslim Conference. Mr Warren calls for unity in the "global" issues, and calls for all Christians to "Team up" with Muslims in solving the world's problems.

To a Muslim, we Americans and Christians are the only problem. Christians and Americans had better wake up to how much of a problem that is for us. Muslims do not play by the same rules. They do not believe in loving everyone, as Christians are taught. The Koran teaches they are to love and make peace with Muslims only. All others not converted must die. A Muslim that converts must die.

They will use God's Word against Christians stating we are to love one another. God says go to all nations and offer them the Gospel. If they reject you, brush off the dust and move on. God did not say we are to accept their way of life into ours, but, to stay with like minded people.

Most Christians think jihad is a radical group. Rather, jihad is the Muslim equivalent to a Christian Soldier, or evangelist. The big difference is jihad's mission is to convert all infidels (or non-Islam) and if they refuse, the Koran states they must be eliminated (or die).

I have found, since I started to enlighten people of the true nature of Islam, that most Christians believe Islam worships the same god as we, but, they just do not believe Jesus was the Son of God(Koran teaches Jesus was a prophet). This is the "Politically Correct" deception. The Islamic god is NOT the God of Israel.

Our God is the Son, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit...The Holy Trinity. Our God is alive and well. The god of Islam is dead.

The God of Israel's Holy Word teaches us to hate the sin and love the sinner. The Koran teaches it is alright to deceive and take advantage of anyone other than a Muslim. All infidels must be destroyed before their messiah (the grand mufti) can return. This is why many Muslims believe they can hurry the process along so it will happen in their lifetime, by creating a third world war.

Also, I have found that many Christians believe since it is all written that New World Order, and the end times, is coming anyway, why bother trying to stop it? They believe that we should only pray about it, and hope for the best. When I expressed my desire to go to Washington, D.C., in support of Israel, Several Christians became ANGRY at me and quoted unrelated scripture, saying anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God. They never talked to me again.

This is how so many Christians are deceived. The enemy, working through evil agendas, has cleverly managed to create the illusion to believers that we are supposed to do nothing and hope for the best through prayer. There is nothing more further from the truth. Read Mark 13:32-37; we are to stay diligent and continue to work while the Master is away, and not be asleep when He returns.

This is a video every American should watch. These are not radical Muslims. This is a professor in Kuwait, speaking to large room of common everyday Koran believing Muslims who cheer for the 9/11 terrorists, calling them heroes, and the most holiest men in the world.

And Don't Miss Rick Warren's next book... The Purpose Driven Jihad

Jesus Is Everything

This may be a hard message to swallow, but, you better swallow it!!!

more about "Jesus Is Everything", posted with vodpod

For More From Paul Washer:

Paul Washer's Shocking Sermon (full length)

How Do You Know You Are Saved?

Paul Washer vs Joel Osteen

Heart Cry Missionary Society