Amazing story of forgiveness

Mark Finley gives an amazing story about forgiveness based one woman's experience during the Rwanda genocide. 

christianity vs atheism

An amazing testimony given by Mark Finley about Christianity vs Atheism

How to be a nonanxious farmer

While a large crowd was gathering and the people were coming to Jesus from after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed” Luke 8:4,5, NIV

Did you know that Labour Day is supposed to be the best day of the year to plant a new lawn? And so even though it was raining that September Monday, my daughter Kristin and I headed out to the front yard to do just that in a 10’ x 12’ bare patch of earth that covered a now-buried culvert. We did whatevery farmer from time immemorial has done-we scattered our seed. And sure enough, it turned out just the way Jesus said it would.

Remember His parable? One early morning a farmer traversed his rolling fields, grabbing from his bag of seed fistfuls of potential grain and “broadcasting” them to the right and to the left. It didn’t matter the soil-rocky, trampled, weedy, or rich-the farmer’s solitary mission was simply to keep on hurling his seed. No pausing or fret over the outcome of his sowing, he depends on the Creator for the germination and growth of the seed. He is a nonanxious farmer.

And so must the chosen be, too. Nonanxious. Which is usually what we aren’t, isn’t it, when it comes to the mission of evangelizing and witnessing? I have a young friend who pines because he feels he hasn’t had very much measurable success in sharing the Word of God with his neighbours and colleagues and friends. Ask him, “Well, aren’t you sharing the seed?” and he’ll reply, “Sure I am-everywhere-but nobody ever gets baptized from all the sharing that I’ve done. I can’t seem to get a harvest.” Truth is, he isn’t the only farmer in the church who feels that way, is he? Nonanxious really isn’t how we feel when it comes to witnessing.

But read Jesus’ opening line again: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.” Period. And it’s that period that’s the good news! No paralysis of analysis for that farmer. Because he knows it is his task to sow the seed-and it is God’s task to grow the seed. The farmer sows, God grows. You sow, God grows. It’s not ours to worry about where the seed lands or how the seed grows or when the seed gets harvested. All we farmers must do, who want to be about our Father’s business, is take the seed by the handful and sow it everywhere we go. A handful of gospel pamphlets, some Web site cards for the Discover Bible School (www.discoveronline.org), a gift subscription to Signs of the Times – the sky is the limit, and so are the seeds. So why be anxious? Instead, simply be God’s farmer and go out to sow the seed- today.

'Sex and the city´ and country and other virtual places

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” Gen. 39:6, 7

Malcolm Muggeridge, the celebrated English Journalist, once wrote: “Today people have sex on their minds, which, if you think about it, is a strange place to have sex.” But today’sculture is utterly saturated with it. America has sex on it’smedia mind around the clock. In the city, in the country, in outer space, in cyber space, sex is virtually everywhere.

It’s even in the Bible. Our text today is from one of the greatest sex-on-your-mind stories in all of scripture. Everybody knows the tale of Joseph and Mrs Potiphar’s attempted seduction of the virile yound slave in her husband’semploy. Don’t think her perfumed amorous advance wasn’t a temptation to Joseph. It could be his ticket to freedom. But remember, “Come lie with me” always requires two lies: to lie with her, and to lie about it afterwards.

It is the most critical line in the plot and the most important line to memorize in your battle against sexual temptation- Joseph’s response: “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (verse 9). Not against Potiphar, not against her, not even against himself – the sin of sexual temptation is always against God.

So it is with porn, the greatest moral killer in the world today. An equal opportunity slayer, it preys on every category of men and women. Its insidious online accessibility, anonymity, and affordability (“the three A’s of Cybersex”) brook no survivors. I have heard grown men weep over the power of their sexual addiction! What can spare you the same anguish? The answer lies in Joseph’s and David’s radically opposite responses to the identical temptation: Joseph FLED – David FED. And therein lies the fatal difference. Kill the “mouse”, shut off the computer, turn off the DVD; get out of the car, walk out of the office, get off the phone, toss out the magazine. And run! Flee as if your life depends on it, for it does.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Ps. 50:15). There is a God who can set you free from temptation, from addiction. Having withstood the sexual battle when He was here, Christ promises that you can be “free indeed” (John 8:36). Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (verse 7). Because of Calvary, like David you can become a new creation, pure and clean again.

Psalms 34

34 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lordheard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lordheareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

God's Love for Man

Steps to Christ in song.
A wonderful compilation of songs and personal testimonies.
Chapter 1: Gods love for man.
Language: English with romanian subtitles

Forks over Knives

Clean your Shoes

‘Keep your tongue from evil…’ Psalms 34:13 NIV

You know the feeling. You're walking along, not quite paying attention, and your foot goes straight into a little pile that some prized poodle's owner failed to clean up. Walk that through a door, and your housemates will let you know about it. Yet, it’s so much harder to notice when we bring gossip into the house.
Think about the mess you’re likely to make. Ask yourself, ‘Who’s going to benefit from me saying this stuff?’ ‘Who are you going to hurt? ‘Whose confidence are you betraying?’ If it has the potential to cause a stink, leave it outside. Don’t drag potentially hurtful half-truth into your house. Clean your shoes, and conscience, at the door. James 1:26 seems to imply that ‘gossip’ is a stain on your spiritual life, ‘If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless’ (NIV). Solomon warns that we will eat the effects of our unwise words: ‘The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit’ (Proverbs 18:21 NIV). And just in case we need it spelt out further, 1 Peter 3:10 tells us, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil’ (NIV).