Following Christ English

There are many ideas about how the earth was formed and they’re everywhere. You can read theories in textbooks, watch reenactments online, and listen to debates. Why do people wonder how the earth was made? It was years and years and years before any of us even existed, so why does it matter? Could it be because the answer may lead to something more significant? The earth and the universe both have an origin. Both are also made out of matter. The Law of Conservation of Matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed—so what is the origin of the matter that was used to form the earth and surrounding universe? How do we go from a starting point where there was nothing and then something a moment later? The Bible has an explanation. “[Jesus] existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see“ (Colossians 1:15-16). Eve

we ask God to help us see our work from His point of view. Let’s be honest; work isn’t always exciting, and when we focus only on its problems or spend our time wishing we were doing something else, we’ll probably end up resentful, angry or bored. But when we begin to see our work from God’s point of view, our attitude will be much different. We’ll begin to realize that God gave our work to us, and because of this it has dignity and importance. For most of His life, Jesus worked with His hands as a carpenter; the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. From the very beginning of the human race, even before sin entered the world, the Bible says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). Begin by committing your work, and your whole life, to Jesus Christ. Then thank Him for giving you a job, and ask Him to help you do it well. And if He has another job in your future, trust Him to lead you to it in His time. The Bible s

In his letter to the Romans, Paul has presented the gospel — from our need for divine rescue to the glorious future that Jesus Christ offers us. In chapter 12, Paul explains that the gospel has implications for the way we should treat one another. He begins with attitudes and principles rather than specific actions. Serving with our gifts. Paul first describes how the Roman Christians are to work together as a worship community: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (v. 3). By grace, God authorized Paul to give commands, and this first command is a call to humility. Take a realistic look, Paul says. Whatever faith you have, has come from God. We have value only because God chooses to give us value; no one has any reason to boast. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these

In his letter to the Romans, Paul has presented the gospel — from our need for divine rescue to the glorious future that Jesus Christ offers us. In chapter 12, Paul explains that the gospel has implications for the way we should treat one another. He begins with attitudes and principles rather than specific actions. Living sacrifices Paul begins with the word therefore, indicating that he is drawing a conclusion. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” (12:1). Since God is giving us mercy, we should submit ourselves to him. Our bodies are to be given to God in worship — not to be killed, but as a living and continuous response to God. We are set apart for him, to serve him — and as we do his will, he is pleased. A literal translation of the last clause says, “this is your reasonable service.” Sensible people respond to God’s mercy by serv

2: JESUS IS IMMEASURABLY STRONGER THAN DEMONS When ever people talk about God vs Satan or good vs evil, we think of these huge epic battles or this boxing match between them and we are on the side hoping good will win or some kind of divine arm-wrestling match like this picture: Right? We think God and satan are equals, each fighting for the world. That you got an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. But the truth is its a lot less like this picture and a lot more like this one: There is no contest, no comparison, no threat, no chance. God and satan are not equals. They are not even close to being in the same weight class. satan is like a gnat. Sure, he can be annoying and a distraction, but he is easily squashed. In one corner we have the Almighty Creator of the Universe, who spoke matter into existence, wrote the laws of physics, imagined stars and all manor of creatures, who exists outside of time and always accomplishes His purposes and in the other corner we

1: DEMONS ARE REAL The story of the Bible takes place in two places; the physical world and the spiritual world. Although the Bible does not go into great detail about everything we’d like to know about the spirit world, it does tell us what we need to know.   God created different kinds and levels of spiritual beings to do different jobs.   Cherubim, Seraphim, Angels, The Living Creatures, etc.   Much like our human rebellion, a number of spirit beings also rebelled.‌   The leader of these spiritual rebels is satan, who wants to be God.‌   They are bent on destroying God’s creation     They are not red with pointy horns.‌   Their work is best done in secret. It has been said “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” What does the devil look like? It can look like many different things. recurring intrusive thoughts or dreams feelings of anxiety or depression Disease Temptations and Habits. Note.. So don’t be unaware, but don’t be a

We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. – Acts 6:4-7 I never thought about how the early church prayed, until now. Once they were filled with the Holy Ghost in Acts 2, it is safe to say that the type of prayer that the early church gave themselves continuously to, was praying in the Spirit. Thus, we see why their ministry took off the way that it did. Praying in the Spirit had a great emphasis on what happened in the early church and it still does in today’s church. Both, the belie

Christians talk a lot about “ God’s power ,” but sadly there are many who have no understanding of how to tap into this amazing resource. However, a Christian who spends time in prayer and Bible study knows that the real secret of " spiritual power " is "time spent alone with God! When you are on your knees pouring out your heartaches and deepest desires, you are drawn into a "oneness" with Him. Being alone with God is an awesome privilege that is available to everyone. And prayer is not just to tell God your problems. Prayer provides an opportunity to really get to know “who” God is and to feel His presence. It’s also a time to praise Him and thank Him for His many blessings. God loves to hear from His children, and the good news . . . prayer is available to everyone! It’s not just for those who can afford a club membership to the throne room of God! His door is always open, any time of the day or night! He wants us to depend solely on Him! Start t

If you are a believer, the Bible calls you to respect your husband (Ephesians 5:33) or your wife (1 Peter 3:7). It does not say that wives should respect perfect husbands, or even righteous husbands. It does not say that husbands should respect agreeable or unusually loving wives. There are no qualifiers, because biblical respect, in a sense, comes with the rank, not the person. The apostle Paul insulted a man in bold language ("You whitewashed the wall!") but then when he learned he was speaking to a high priest, he apologized: "Brothers, I didn't know that He was the high priest; for it is written, "Do not speak ill of the ruler of your people" (Acts 23:3-5). Your spouse, because he is your life partner, deserves respect. You may disagree with his decision; You can object to the way things are handled—but according to the Bible, their position calls for you to give them due respect.