Practical and simple ways of overcomng sin

 ^{The important thing mentioned in the Bible is to put Gods instruction to practice.} 

⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

 Luke 6:47-49

 This is easier said and done. Once you have committed to following Gods instructions satan will try to do anything in his power just to prevent you doing just that. 

So in this modern world how to follow instructions. I too was held in the grip of sin for many years until God showed me the way to win it. Here i shall give you a few simple techniques to quit your sinful life.

What is sin and how it dominates you...???

Sin is the opposite of Gods Law...

No one is born a sinner. Every sin to which you are a slave too... didnt become your master in one day. 

For example if you are addicted to smoking you could not have started smoking this much cigarettes in the first day right.As day passes you gradually learn and it invades your inner self strongly so that it becomes harder and harder to let go.

The same way applies for all the sins.

Sin enters you through your sensory organs. This is how satan tempts. (eyes, ears,)

you see bad things and want to do or you look a women lustfully through your eyes.

you feel jealous, angry or fret because you hear about something.

The decision to do good or bad rest with your soul.

The more you see bad things and people doing that eventually leads you to follow that. Just like a goat to the slaughter house.

Remember  satan only tempted eve. He didnt pluck the fruit and give to eve neither did he feed her. He just fed doubts into her mind.

( When Seith was born Adam was 130 years old and if we assume that Cain and Abel were teenagers then rougly Adam was 100 years in the Garden. In other words it took satan 100 years to defeat Gods strongest creation)

You see a women and your mind thinks bad things of her. Imagine how you started thinking or looking  this way first. Imagine. There would have been a couple of people having fun or there would have been a source through which you started doing this stuff.

Gradually now you have to a point where you cannot see a women normally.

So how to overcome sin??? 

So to summarize the above discussed... you have made a habit of sinning. Now the same can be reversed if you start a habit of doing good things.

So if you have a habit of looking lustfully at women or drinking or any bad habits the next time you try not doing it. It would be difficult but if you keep on trying eventually you will overcome.

This easier said than done as i said. so to do it follow these steps

First you have identify your sins. For this write down the sins and good qualities that you have from the below list

 

While reading Galatians 5 to the end of that chapter, i came across a  list that indicates what are evil things you should not do so that the holy spirit will dwell in you.(Galatians 5:19-21)

evil desire
unclean things
wrong use of the senses
worship of images
use of strange powers,
hates,
fighting
desire for what another has
angry feelings
attempts to get the better of others
divisons
false teachings
envy
uncontrolled drinking and feasting

And also it tells what are the characteristics in us that tells that if the holy spirit is in us (Galatians 5:22-23)

love
joy
peace
a quiet mind
kind acts
well-doing faith
gentle bahaviour
control over desires

There are 14 bad things and 8 things that will be there in you if you do not have those 14 bad things.

Most of the 14 bad things come either the result of seeing or hearing.

Now after marking it done. You can see that you are not so bad. The reason is simple. Satan needs you to be addicted to anyone sin so that he can take you to hell. So thats his aim. 

Now that you have identified your sin. First get down on your knees. Confess to God these sins. Now ask him strength to overcome these sins. For the bible says

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Without the power of the Holy spirit and without Gods help its nearly impossible to overcome.

And he will help only if you have confessed. 

The one and only power above satan and everything else is God Almighty. And as we know Jesus Christ defeated sin and only through his power we can win.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

1 Corinthians 10:13

No one knows you better than God. He knows your strength and weakness and he only knows and can make crooked paths straight. So cling to God first and do the rest as follows.

Now that you have Confessed to God your sin and asked the power from God start first by trying not to do the sin again.

The first time it would be though. Satan wont let you go of easily. Keep trying. Eventually you will overcome.

Something in you will prompt you to do that sin. Analyze, pray and God will overcome.

Whatever makes you sin avoid those situations

But constantly meditate and try to win.

Your addiction to sin has a lot of side affects too. If you have observed people subject to sin are the most unpleasant people with whom you can hang out with. The way they talk and move around makes you to avoid them.

Satan does this so that you will be constantly under the influence of bad people.And never with Good People.

Always in society like minded people club together.

To get better in this front follow the golden verse of the Bible.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12

When others do a wrong we are there to judge. But if we wrong we expect the other to forgive us and leave the matter.

What you expect from God and People do it first to other.

When i started this i didnt receive kindness. But eventually and very quickly i received kindness.

The list above of good things mentions "kind acts". God is kind enough to give us everything even though we do not deserve anything. The air we breath, parents, being Christians, ability to practice faith in church and outside in peace, shelter and the list is endless.

But giving these to others is a essential christian practice. Many including me like talking about Mother Theresa   and admire her but it is much difficult for us to do what see did.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:38

Go to the internet and see the list of kind acts by googling and try doing some of it. It would transpire you.

Try Try and Try. Resist the Devil and he will flee... I resisted. He didnt leave me immediately. Nor has he fully left me. But in almost 2 years i have overcome almost 90%. He threw me into confussions, doubts, and heartaches but Without the holy spirit i would have over come him. Put on the Armor of God and fight. With dreams, visions and divine intervention he will lead you and take care of you.

 Armor of God.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:10-18

  

 
Amen!!!

 God Bless you...

 

8 Christian Tips For Dealing With Difficult People

In the book God in the Dock, author C. S. Lewis describes the kind of people we have trouble getting along with. Selfishness, anger, jealousy, or other quirks often sabotage our relationship with them. We sometimes think, Life would be much easier if we didn’t have to contend with such difficult people. So as a christian how can we deal with such people in our life. Listed below are 8 practical tips that would help you get along with such difficult people in your daily life.

 As Christians we should try to get along with the people around us. That does not mean we have to always agree with them, but we also should not intentionally look for opportunities to anger and upset people. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” This verse does not say it will always be possible, but we should try.

Speak With Respect

Disagreements and misunderstandings will happen in life, but this is not an excuse to disrespect others. The Bible tells us that we should speak to others with love, even if we have to deal strongly with them. Love and respect should be our guide. Our speech should be kind but firm when necessary.

Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Colossians 4:6 “ Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Follow The Pattern in Matthew 18

There is a distinct pattern given in Matthew 18 for dealing with a problem. I believe this is primarily talking about dealing with problems among believers, but it can be applied in many situations. First you go privately to the one with whom the problem is. Secondly, you take a couple of people with you so that you can establish the facts and that it is no longer a “he said, she said” argument. Finally, if you cannot resolve the issue then bring it to the attention of the authorities. Again, these verses are talking about the authority of the church, but it could also be applied to your office situation.

Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

Along the lines of this, remember that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. Find people to talk with about the problem. These should be trusted people and not the church gossip. When talking to others about the problem, they may point out to you your own faults in the conflict. Check out Proverbs 11:14; 24:6.

Sometimes You Need To Walk Away

Sometimes it is better to walk away from an argument than to continue to dwell on it. This is not liberty to walk away from everything. There are things worth fighting for. But then there are things that just aren’t worth your time and allowing them to spoil your own relationship with the Lord.

You have to allow the Lord to give you direction on how to deal with different problems. After David was anointed king, but before he took the throne, he had to deal with Saul. God had already rejected Saul from being king over Israel. David realized that was a fight between Saul and God.

David allowed God to fight on his behalf. This is the same man who years before stood up for God and fought on behalf of God when facing Goliath. David had wisdom on knowing when it was time to fight and when it was time to walk away and allow God to handle the problem.

1 Samuel 24:10 “Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.”

Their Argument May Not Be With You

Sometimes a person will take out their frustration and anger on you when you aren’t really the problem. It doesn’t make you feel any better, but it may keep you from carrying a burden that isn’t really yours to carry. You may represent something (Christianity, God, authority) that they don’t like. Try not to take the argument and conflict personally.

The Hebrew people said to Samuel that he was too old to be their leader. They wanted a king who could go out to war and fight with them. Samuel felt pretty bad about the situation. He went to God depressed and complaining. God replied that the people were not angry with Samuel but they were angry with God. They were just taking out their frustrations on the prophet.

1 Samuel 8:7 “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”

Examine Yourself

Before we can effectively deal with the problems in others, we must take care of ourselves. Matthew 7 gives an illustration that may seem silly, but it talks about human nature. The idea is that someone with a large piece of wood sticking out of their eye is criticizing another person who has a speck of dust in theirs. The one with the large piece of wood tries to ignore their own problem while dealing with the problems of others. Don’t be that person. Go to God and deal with your own faults before you try to correct others. When you humble yourself before God in confession then you will more gently handle the situation that you are in with the other person.

Matthew 7:3-5 “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

Remember You Are Accountable To God

You are accountable to God for your own actions. You cannot control what the other person does, but you can control how you respond. They too will be accountable for their actions, but not to you. They are accountable to God. God will hold you responsible for the way you act towards them. Paul admonishes us in Romans to realize that we are individually responsible for our actions and to not intentionally cause others to stumble and fall before the Lord.

Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Romans 14:10-13 “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”

Pray For Them

The book of 1 Corinthians is a book of conflict. Paul was having to deal with problems in the church. But he starts the book by saying he is praying for them. He certainly gave them the correction they needed, but he began with prayer. He then closes the book by asking for God’s grace on the Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 1:3, 4 “ Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;”

1 Corinthians 16:23, 24 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

Matthew 5:44, 45 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Sometimes You Must Agree To Disagree

Realize that ignoring a problem does not make it go away. One of the greatest missionary evangelists of all time, the Apostle Paul, had a disagreement with his mentor Barnabas. These two great men could not avoid a conflict. It is unlikely that we can too. However, they were able to deal with their conflict by agreeing to disagree on the issue. The Bible does not say who was right or wrong in the argument it just says that they split up.

As a side note, Paul later wrote that he wanted the young man John Mark (the cause of the conflict) to join him in the work because Paul could see he was profitable.

Acts 15:37-40 “And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus: And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.”

Summary: Treat People With Love

Maybe the best way to sum this all up is to deal with people in love. Love the unsaved in such a way that they will want to know more about your God. Love them so that their arguments will melt away. Love your Christian brother in a manner that will help him see how petty his arguments with you are. Your love may bring conviction to the saved or unsaved to help them turn to God for forgiveness.

 

Sources

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/8-christian-tips-for-dealing-with-difficult-people/

 

Also Read

http://odb.org/2014/08/07/difficult-people-2/

The Man Who Saved 669 Children

The story of Nicholas Winton is one of the most profound tales of humanitarianism that you’ve probably never heard.

Nicholas Winton organised mass evacuations of children to help them avoid being sent to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps is having a world premiere in Prague, the Czech capital.

Nicholas Winton arranged eight trains to carry 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia through Germany to Britain at the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

An article in the The Huffington Post says:

In December 1938, Winton gave up a vacation as a London-based stockbroker to travel to politically turbulent Prague, according to the Guardian. He was curious to see firsthand what was happening to refugees in what was then Czechoslovakia. Nazis had recently invaded the country, and Winton sensed the grave danger refugees there were facing.

He created advertisements for foster homes. He manipulated paperwork to sidestep government red tape that would have gotten in his way, CBS News reported. He even persuaded Germans to go along with his plan. Continuing his efforts from his home in London for the next nine months, Winton coordinated eight train evacuations of 669 children from Czechoslovakia to Britain, saving them from almost certain death.

Winton himself was so modest he didn’t even tell his wife what he had done. He felt he had done many things since then that were more meaningful to him.

For decades, Winton’s heroic efforts largely went unnoticed — until 1988, when a BBC program surprised him by planning an emotional reunion with several of the survivors he saved.

When the war started he joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver and was evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Allied retreat. He later returned to France as a Royal Air Force pilot.

After the war, he worked for various international organizations, among them the International Refugee Organization and the U.S. Marshall Plan, which helped fund the recovery of Western Europe from the ravages of the war.

In the 1950s, as a family man, he returned to the business world. But he never gave up on his good works. He helped establish Abbeyfield, a giant charity that runs hundreds of homes for the elderly throughout the UK.

Original Article

25 Fascinating facts About the Dead sea scrolls

1.The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea between the years 1947 and 1956. The area is 13 miles east of Jerusalem and is 1300 feet below sea level. The mostly fragmented texts, are numbered according to the cave that they came out of. They have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. 

2. Only Caves 1 and 11 have produced relatively intact manuscripts. Discovered in 1952, Cave 4 produced the largest find. About 15,000 fragments from more than 500 manuscripts were found. 

3. In all, scholars have identified the remains of about 825 to 870 separate scrolls. 

4. The Scrolls can be divided into two categories—biblical and non-biblical. Fragments of every book of the Hebrew canon (Old Testament) have been discovered except for the book of Esther. 

5. There are now identified among the scrolls, 19 copies of the Book of Isaiah, 25 copies of Deuteronomy and 30 copies of the Psalms . 

6. Prophecies by Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Daniel not found in the Bible are written in the Scrolls. 

7. The Isaiah Scroll, found relatively intact, is 1000 years older than any previously known copy of Isaiah. In fact, the scrolls are the oldest group of Old Testament manuscripts ever found. 

8. In the Scrolls are found never before seen psalms attributed to King David and Joshua.

9.There are nonbiblical writings along the order of commentaries on the OT, paraphrases that expand on the Law, rule books of the community, war conduct, thanksgiving psalms, hymnic compositions, benedictions, liturgical texts, and sapiential (wisdom) writings.

 

10. The Scrolls are for the most part, written in Hebrew, but there are many written in Aramaic. Aramaic was the common language of the Jews of Palestine for the last two centuries B.C. and of the first two centuries A.D. The discovery of the Scrolls has greatly enhanced our knowledge of these two languages. In addition, there are a few texts written in Greek.

 

11. The Scrolls appear to be the library of a Jewish sect. The library was hidden away in caves around the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-70) as the Roman army advanced against the rebel Jews.

 

12. Near the caves are the ancient ruins of Qumran. They were excavated in the early 1950's and appear to be connected with the scrolls.

 

13. The Dead Sea Scrolls were most likely written by the Essenes during the period from about 200 B.C. to 68 C.E./A.D. The Essenes are mentioned by Josephus and in a few other sources, but not in the New testament. The Essenes were a strict Torah observant, Messianic, apocalyptic, baptist, wilderness, new covenant Jewish sect. They were led by a priest they called the "Teacher of Righteousness," who was opposed and possibly killed by the establishment priesthood in Jerusalem.

 

14. The enemies of the Qumran community were called the "Sons of Darkness"; they called themselves the "Sons of Light," "the poor," and members of "the Way." They thought of themselves as "the holy ones," who lived in "the house of holiness," because "the Holy Spirit" dwelt with them.

 

15. The last words of Joseph, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, and Amram (the father of Moses) are written down in the Scrolls.
 

16. One of the most curious scrolls is the Copper Scroll. Discovered in Cave 3, this scroll records a list of 64 underground hiding places throughout the land of Israel. The deposits are to contain certain amounts of gold, silver, aromatics, and manuscripts. These are believed to be treasures from the Temple at Jerusalem, that were hidden away for safekeeping.

 

17. The Temple Scroll, found in Cave 11, is the longest scroll. Its present total length is 26.7 feet (8.148 meters). The overall length of the scroll must have been over 28 feet (8.75m).

 

18. The scrolls contain previously unknown stories about biblical figures such as Enoch, Abraham, and Noah. The story of Abraham includes an explanation why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

 

19. The scrolls are most commonly made of animal skins, but also papyrus and one of copper. They are written with a carbon-based ink, from right to left, using no punctuation except for an occasional paragraph indentation. In fact, in some cases, there are not even spaces between the words.

 

20. The Scrolls have revolutionized textual criticism of the Old Testament. Interestingly, now with manuscripts predating the medieval period, we find these texts in substantial agreement with the Masoretic text as well as widely variant forms.
 

21. Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls actually appeared for sale on June 1, 1954 in the Wall Street Journal. The advertisement read — "The Four Dead Sea Scrolls: Biblical manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BC are for sale. This would be an ideal gift to an educational or religious institution by an individual or group. Box F206."

 

22. Although the Qumran community existed during the time of the ministry of Jesus, none of the Scrolls refer to Him, nor do they mention any of His follower's described in the New Testament.

 

23. The major intact texts, from Caves 1 & 11, were published by the late fifties and are now housed in the Shrine of the Book museum in Jerusalem.

 

24. Since the late fifties, about 40% of the Scrolls, mostly fragments from Cave 4, remained unpublished and were unaccessible. It wasn't until 1991, 44 years after the discovery of the first Scroll, after the pressure for publication mounted, that general access was made available to photographs of the Scrolls. In November of 1991 the photos were published by the Biblical Archaeological Society in a nonofficial edition; a computer reconstruction, based on a concordance, was announced; the Huntington Library pledged to open their microfilm files of all the scroll photographs.

 

25. The Dead Sea Scrolls enhance our knowledge of both Judaism and Christianity. They represent a non-rabbinic form of Judaism and provide a wealth of comparative material for New Testament scholars, including many important parallels to the Jesus movement. They show Christianity to be rooted in Judaism and have been called the evolutionary link between the two. 

 

Original Article

10 Famous Christian Missionaries

There are many famous Christian missionaries throughout history. While we may not agree with every one of them from a doctrinal standpoint, they are an inspiration and example to those of us who are serving the Lord as missionaries today. Here is a list of 10 famous missionaries and what they are known for. I hope you are inspired to pick up a book and study each of these men and women and see what they contributed to the cause of Christ.

William Carey (1761-1834)

William Carey is known as the father of modern missions. Carey was an English missionary to India who was a skilled linguist, writer and printer. He translated portions of the Bible in many languages.

Carey grew up in the Church of England but was saved while an apprentice to a shoemaker. He eventually joined the Baptist church and went to India as a Baptist missionary. As a self motivated learner he taught himself Latin, Hebrew and Greek.

He founded the Baptist Missionary Society and was instrumental in influencing many other missionaries to the foreign field; particularly to India.

Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)

Judson was a Baptist missionary who became the first North American Protestant missionary in Burma (Myanmar). Like other early missionaries, he was involved in translation work and church planting. He went to the field of India as a Congregationalist but, after much study of the Bible, became convinced that Baptist doctrine was more biblical. Because of anti-Western sentiment in India, he moved to Burma.

It took him 12 years to see his first 18 converts. By the time he died he had established 100 churches with over 8,000 members. The Baptist churches of Myanmar celebrate “Judson Day” each year to commemorate his arrival in the country.

David Livingstone (1813-1873)

David Livingstone was a medical missionary with the London Missionary Society. He was born in Scotland in 1813, but spent most of his life in Africa as an explorer and doctor. Coupled with his love for the Lord and desire to spread the Gospel, Livingstone used his understanding of nature and science to help him map much of southern Africa.

Livingstone never stayed long in any one place. He was driven to map the continent of Africa in preparation for the many missionaries who would come after him.

Livingstone is considered one of the greatest missionary heroes. God has used his life to open doors for the Gospel.

George Müller (1805-1898)

Müller is known as a prayer warrior who started orphanages and preached heavily about the need for missionaries around the world. In his lifetime his orphanage in England took care of more than 10,000 children. He was instrumental in promoting the idea of “faith missions.” This is where missionaries are not supported by a denomination but by individuals and churches. He believed in never asking anyone for support, but trusting God to lay it on the person’s heart to support the need.

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)

Hudson Taylor spent more than 50 years in China as a missionary and is known for his respect for the Chinese culture. He was widely criticized in his home country of England at the time for dressing like a China man in his efforts to blend in while sharing the Gospel. This practice made him much more accepted by the people when he preached.

Hudson Taylor was trained as a physician. He worked as a doctor, evangelist and translator while in China. He continued his translation work when he returned to England for medical reasons.

He personally influenced hundreds of people to be missionaries in his lifetime. Many missionaries today attribute their introduction to the need for missions from reading biographies about Hudson Taylor.

Jonathan Goforth (1859-1936)

Though Jonathan Goforth and his wife went to China in 1888 as traditional missionaries, he soon found a need for short-term trips as an Evangelist. Instead of staying in one place and establishing a church and mission station, he traveled in various regions in China helping to encourage the believers and evangelize the lost.

Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

Amy Carmichael was an Irish missionary who served in India for 56 years without ever returning to her homeland. Her primary work was with orphans in the southern region of India. She was influenced to consider a career in missions after hearing Hudson Taylor speak about the need for missionaries in China. She applied to be a missionary with the China Inland Mission (Taylor’s missionary group) but was eventually turned away because of her poor health. Many of her final 20 years of life was spent in bed due to illness and injury from a fall.

Nate Saint (1923-1956)

As a Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) pilot, Nate Saint helped make contact with the Waodani (or Auca) Indians in Ecuador. Eventually he and his companions were killed in their efforts to evangelize the tribe. However, through the efforts of Nate’s sister and the wives of the other men who died that day, the Auca Indian tribe came to know the Lord.

The short lives of men like Nate Saint may seem like a waste during the time of the tragedy, but God has a plan and works all things out to His glory.

Jim Elliot (1927-1956)

From an early age Jim Elliot learned the Bible and used it to lead his daily life. He is most remembered for his dramatic death (along with Nate Saint and three other missionary men) at the hands of the Waodani (or Auca) Indians. While their deaths were tragic, the response by the wives of these men towards the ones who killed them opened up their hearts to the Gospel.

Eric Liddell (1902-1945)

Eric Liddell is probably best known for the 1980s film Chariots of Fire. The film mainly focused on his life as an Olympic runner, yet the story of Eric Liddell as a missionary is important. Liddell was born to missionary parents in North China. His parents were Scottish missionaries serving with the London Missionary Society. Though he was born in China, he spent his school years in Scotland.

After school, and his time as an Olympic athlete, he returned to China as a missionary in 1925. He worked as a school teacher as well as a minister. By 1941 British nationals were encouraged to leave China by the British government because of the coming Japanese invasion. Liddell’s wife and children returned to Canada which is where she was from. Eric remained to work in a hospital with his brother. In 1943 he was put in a prison camp by the Japanese and continued to teach children and preach the Bible.

Mr. Liddell died of a brain tumor in the Weihsien Internment Camp on February 21, 1945. He died of an inoperable brain tumor. I recently had the privilege of meeting a lady who was a young girl in the same camp with Eric Liddell. She said that as children (she was with him from the time she was 9 to 11 years old), they knew nothing of his fame as an athlete. The children only knew that he was a kind gentle man and one of their favorite teachers.

Jim Elliot is often quoted as saying, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Original Article

Twins in the Bible

1. Jacob and Esau – Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebecca, are the first twins mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 25:19-28). The story of Jacob is told in Genesis 25:19-37:36 and 42:1-50:3. The story of Esau is found in Genesis 25:19-28:9, 32:1 -33:20, and 35:27-36:43. From Jacob the twelve tribes of Israel descended. Esau became the father of the Edomites (Genesis 36:19,43; Obadiah 1:6; Malachi 1:2-3).

2. Perez and Zerah – Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar, was widowed and did not want to be childless. Wrapping her face in a veil and disguising herself as a prostitute, she intercepts Judah on the road and he sleeps with her. The result of their union was Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:12-30). From Perez would come the family of David (Ruth 4:18-22).

3. Ephraim and Manasseh –The Bible does not directly state that the two sons of Joseph and Asenath were twins, but there is good reason to believe they were. First, Genesis mentions they were both born “before the year of famine came” (Genesis 41:50). Second, two conceptions are not mentioned in the text. Third, if they are twins they fit nicely into the pattern seen in the lives of Isaac and Judah: both their younger twins inherited the birthright, just as the younger Ephraim was blessed first by Jacob (Genesis 48:19). Jacob promised that both Ephraim and Manasseh would become patriarchs of a multitude, which began a traditional blessing said in Israel: “God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20).

4. Thomas and his unnamed sibling – Thomas was one of the twelves apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). His name means “twin.” His surname was Didymus (John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2), meaning “double,” or “twofold.” Thomas is perhaps best known as “Doubting Thomas” because of the resurrection story in John 20:24-29, but other stories in the Gospel of John reveal Thomas to be a man of great devotion of to Christ (John 11:16; 14:5).

5. Were Cain and Abel Twins? – Some Bible scholars believe Cain and Abel were twins. Genesis 4:1-2a states, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel.” The word “again” is the Hebrew term yacaph can also mean “add” or “increase,” giving the impression that Abel was born directly after Cain. This is a possibility, but because the text moves very quickly through time (in the very next statement Cain and Abel have grown up and engaging in their respective occupations), one can’t be dogmatic about it. There is no early Jewish or Christian tradition supporting this claim.

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17 Important Women in the Bible

1. Mother Mary: She was Mother of Jesus Christ and hence she was a Mother of God. Because of her virtue, humbleness, obedience and purity she was the only woman above all women chosen by God to become the mother of Jesus and she is the only woman spoken in both Old Testament and New Testament which makes her special.

2. Abigail: She is the woman of integrity, beautiful and wise woman who was married to Nabal, a harsh and evil man. This wise woman became wife to David after Nabal's drunkenness led to his own death. When David proposed marriage, "she quickly went with five damsels" to become his wife.

3. Deborah: She was a wife of Lappidoth and was a prophetess and the only female judge of Israel.

4. Priscilla: was a wife of Aquila and she was a Worker in Christ and gifted by God in the ministry of the word and Risked her Lives for the Gospel. Her involvement with Paul must have helped her get rooted in the word.

5. Anna: was an elderly widow by the time Jesus was presented at the temple. She was called a prophet and became the first person to publicly proclaim that Jesus would be the redemption.

6. Bathsheba: is one of the maligned women of the Bible linked with adultery and murder, was part of our Lord's heritage.

7. Delilah: who uses her feminine qualities to deceive and destroy a man and was responsible for Samson's downfall.

8. Hagar: is a Sarah's slave-girl .When Sarah found herself unable to have children, she arranged to make Hagar the concubine of Abraham, to start a family through her as a result she shared the same promise of Ishmael's descendants.

9. Hannah: She Was Provoked By Elkanah's 2nd Wife, Peninnah, Because She Was Not Able To Bear Children And Peninnah Had Sons And Daughters. She prayed fervently that God would give her a child and went to the house of the Lord. The priest there "marked her mouth" and thought she was drunk but in time she gives birth to Samuel the Prophet. They are of the tribe of Ephraim, and only the Levites were allowed to be priests.

10. Jezebel: daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Sidonians, and the wife of King Ahab of Israel is the most notorious evil woman in the Bible. She was an evil woman who killed many prophets of God while feeding and caring for the prophets of two gods called Baal and Asherah. In the end, she was eaten by dogs as Elijah had prophesied.

11. Leah: was the wife of Jacob, the firstborn daughter Laban and the sister of Rachel. Leah is the mother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun - the progenitors of 6 of Israel's 12 Tribes .She is also the mother of Israel's only recorded daughter, Dinah . When Leah died, she was buried in the family tomb in Hebron, known today as the Tomb of The Patriarchs.

12. Rebekah : she is a Wife of Isaac -Sarah's son, and mother of Esau and Jacob. Through her son Jacob, who God renamed Israel, she is an ancestor of all of The Tribes of Israel, including Judah therefore also an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

13. Ruth: Her first mother-in-law is Naomi, but her second is Rahab who marries into the tribe of Judah, and bears a son named Boaz. Naomi planned that Boaz should marry Ruth. She was favored by God, and she became an ancestress of King David and of Jesus through an illustrious marriage. The story of Ruth beautifully illustrates the conversion of a non-Israelite into the fold of Israel, giving up her former god and former life to unite with the household of faith in the service of the God of Israel.

14. Sarah: Her original name was Sarai. The Lord renamed her Sarah after she had married Abraham. When Abraham and Sarah remained childless into their old age, Sarah took it upon herself to have children through a surrogate, her Egyptian handmaid Hagar. So Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100 when Isaac, the son of their own flesh was born. Hence she is a Mother of Isaac.

15. Sapphira: was the wife of Ananias. They were both members of the early Christian congregation at Jerusalem. Their deception and cunning brought about their deaths. Two of the members of this group were Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, who also had sold a field. But the profits from this sale were kept in part by the couple, and only a part was laid at the apostles' feet by Ananias. This hypocritical show fooled no one, especially not Peter who was filled with the power of the Spirit. Peter knew instantly that Ananias was lying not to him, but to God and exposed his hypocrisy then and there. Ananias fell down and died .When Sapphira showed up, she too lied to Peter and to God, saying that they had donated the entire proceeds of the sale of the land to the church. When her lie had been exposed, she fell down and died at Peter's feet. God was making a statement with Ananias and Sapphira that hypocrisy has no place in the church. God hates sin and will punish it, and that He is concerned for the purity of His church.

16. Martha: she is a sister of Mary and Lazarus who lived in Bethany. She is the one who met Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus. When Jesus and his disciples visited Martha's house, she treated Jesus with good hospitability.

17. Miriam: she is the prophetess and older sister of Moses and Aaron. Miriam was with Moses throughout the nine plagues. Miriam died and was buried at Kadesh before the Israelites entered The Promised Land

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