A BIBLE STUDY ON DIET & HEALTH

Are Health Principles part of Bible religion?

3John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in HEALTH, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Why did God give health rules?

Exo 23:25 “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will TAKE SICKNESS AWAY from the midst of thee.”

Do God’s Health rules have anything to do with eating and drinking?

1Cor 10:31 “Whether therefore ye EAT, or DRINK, or whatsoever ye do, do all TO THE GLORY OF GOD.”

What perfect diet did God give people to eat when He created them?

Gen 1:29 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every HERB BEARING SEED, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the FRUIT of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

Gen 2:16 “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every TREE of the garden thou mayest freely eat.”

Everything was vegetarian before sin and death. God gave man fruits, nuts and seeds for food, which were harvested without killing the plant. After sin man lost access to the tree of life and God added vegetables, “the herb of the field.” (Gen 3:18), which lose their life to feed us. 

When was meat eating permitted?

Though God never intended meat to be eaten,  He permitted it after the Flood “even as the green herb,”  (i.e. an addition given because of sin, but which God never intended. Gen 9:3). Therefore, from Adam till meat eating was permitted after the Flood, a period of over 1600 years, all of God’s people were vegetarian. 

Did God allow men to eat all kinds of animals?

No. God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals and made this known to Noah from whom all races come (Gen 7:1-2). The distinction between clean and unclean did not originate with the Jews or the Mosaic law. 

Milk and eggs, which were always intended as foods - for baby animals - were also permitted. However meat requires death, and as death is the result of sin, meat was never intended as food.

Note: Cow’s milk is for growing calves. Cows don’t even drink milk. Where do cows get the calcium that is found in their milk? From plants. Milk contains lactose. Most human beings are lactose intolerant beyond the age of weaning. Many people are also allergic to milk. There is no need to drink milk if one is on a balanced vegetarian diet.

See Vegetarian Christians at the top of this page.

Because God loves us and knows how our bodies work, what items did He call unclean and forbid us to eat?

Lev 11:4 “Nevertheless these shall ye not eat...the camel...the coney...the hare...the swine...Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that [shall be] an abomination unto you.”

Could eating Pork, when one knows what God commands, jeopardize one’s salvation?

Isa 66:15-17 “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire...They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating SWINE’S FLESH, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

Didn’t the distinction between clean and unclean end at the cross?

Rev 18:2 “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every UNCLEAN and hateful bird.”

Acts 10:14 “But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or UNCLEAN.”

Note: These passages were written long after Calvary and the distinction between clean and unclean still exists. Isa 66:15-17 shows the distinction will exist till the Second Coming.

Does the Bible forbid Alcohol?

The word “wine” in the English Bible is usually translated from the Hebrew “Yayin” and the Greek “Oinos” and can refer to fermented OR unfermented grape juice. Those texts speaking favourably of wine, or using it to symbolize good things, refer to UNFERMENTED wine (grape juice). Those texts condemning wine, or using it to symbolize evil, refer to fermented intoxicating wine. 

Prov 20:1 “Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

Prov 23:31-32 “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”

Christ’s pure truth is represented by the pure uncorrupted juice of the grape. Corrupted teachings are represented by fermented grape juice:

Rev 17:2 “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made DRUNK with the WINE of her fornication.”

See study on Alcohol and the Christian above.

Does the Bible condemn Tobacco?

1Cor 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.”

What else should Christians avoid?

Caffeine is one of the world’s most widely used addictive mind-altering drugs. 

Caffeine:

Increases the risk of developing many cancers. Increases the risk of miscarriages. 

Increases blood pressure and the risk of heart attack. 

Increases calcium loss leading to osteoporosis. 

One cup of tea or coffee reduces iron absorption by 39-72%. Am. J of Clinical Nutr 37:416-420, 1983.

We should not harm our body temples (1Cor 6:19) by using Caffeine products.

What solemn reminder is given to those who ignore God’s Health Rules?

Gal 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

What fearful and shocking truth about health involves our children?

Deut 12:25 “ Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.”

Exo 20:5 “...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me.”

What more fearful, sobering fact does the Word of God reveal?

Rev 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Eze 11:21 “But [as for them] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.”

What should every sincere Christian do at once?

2Cor 7:1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

1John 3:3 “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Can I really give up these bad health habits I have?

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:”

Php 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

What thrilling promises are given about God’s new Kingdom?

Isa 33:24 “And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein [shall be] forgiven [their] iniquity.”

Rev 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Since Health is truly a part of Christian living, are you willing to follow God’s Health rules?

Happy Mothers Day !!!

Mother's Day is special to all of us, isn't it? All of us look forward to this day to let our mummy dear know how special she is to us. But do you know just how this day came into existence; when was it first observed or who celebrated it first? If you don't, read on to know about the fabulous history of Mother's Day. You are sure to enjoy it. To share this splendid article on the history and origin of Mother's Day with your friends.

The history of Mother's Day is centuries old and the earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, the early Christians in England celebrated a day to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. By a religious order the holiday was later expanded in its scope to include all mothers, and named as the Mothering Sunday. Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday, the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

With the passage of time, the practice of this fantastic tradition ceased slowly. The English colonists settled in America discontinued the tradition of Mothering Sunday because of lack of time.

In the United States, Mother's Day was loosely inspired by the British day and was first suggested after the American Civil War by social activist Julia Ward Howe. Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) was horrified by the carnage of the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War and so, in 1870, she tried to issue a manifesto for peace at international peace conferences in London and Paris (it was much like the later Mother's Day Peace Proclamation). During the Franco-Prussian war in the 1870s, Julia began a one-woman peace crusade and made an impassioned "appeal to womanhood" to rise against war. She composed in Boston a powerful plea that same year (generally considered to be the original Mothers' Day proclamation*) translated it into several languages and distributed it widely. In 1872, she went to London to promote an international Woman's Peace Congress. She began promoting the idea of a "Mother's Day for Peace" to be celebrated on June 2, honoring peace, motherhood and womanhood. In the Boston Mass, she initiated a Mothers' Peace Day observance on the second Sunday in June, a practice that was to be established as an annual event and practiced for at least 10 years. The day was, however, mainly intended as a call to unite women against war. It was due to her efforts that in 1873, women in 18 cities in America held a Mother's Day for Pace gathering. Howe rigorously championed the cause of official celebration of Mothers Day and declaration of official holiday on the day. She held meetings every year at Boston on Mother's Peace Day and took care that the day was well-observed. The celebrations died out when she turned her efforts to working for peace and women's rights in other ways. Howe failed in her attempt to get the formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace. Her remarkable contribution in the establishment of Mother's Day, however, remains in the fact that she organized a Mother's Day dedicated to peace. It is a landmark in the history of Mother's Day in the sense that this was to be the precursor to the modern Mother's Day celebrations. To acknowledge Howe's achievements a stamp was issued in her honor in 1988.

It should be well to remember that Howe's idea was influenced by Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called "Mothers Friendship Day". In the 1900's, at a time when most women devoted their time solely on their family and homes, Jarvis was working to assist in the healing of the nation after the Civil War. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors. Ann was instrumental in saving thousands of lives by teaching women in her Mothers Friendship Clubs the basics of nursing and sanitation which she had learned from her famous physician brother James Reeves, M.D. In parts of the United States it was customary to plant tomatoes outdoors after Mother's Work Days (and not before).

It was Jarvis' daughter, Anna Jarvis, who finally succeeded in introducing Mother's Day in the sense as we celebrate it today. Anna graduated from the Female Seminary in Wheeling and taught in Grafton for a while. Later she moved to Philadelphia with her family. Anna had spent many years looking after her ailing mother. This is why she preferred to remain a spinster. When her mother died in Philadelphia on May 9, 1905, Anna missed her greatly. So did her sister Elsinore whom she looked after as well. Anna felt children often neglected to appreciate their mother enough while the mother was still alive. Now, she intended to start a Mother's Day, as an honoring of the mothers. In 1907, two years after her mother's death, Anna Jarvis disclosed her intention to her friends who supported her cause wholeheartedly. So supported by her friends, Anna decided to dedicate her life to her mother's cause and to establish Mother's Day to "honor mothers, living and dead." She started the campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. With her friends, she started a letter-writing campaign to urge ministers, businessmen and congressmen in declaring a national Mother's Day holiday. She hoped Mother's Day would increase respect for parents and strengthen family bonds.

As a result of her efforts the first mother's day was observed on May 10, 1908, by a church service honoring Late Mrs. Reese Jarvis, in the Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where she spent 20 years taking Sunday school classes. Grafton is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. Another service was also conducted on the same date in Philadelphia where Mrs. Jarvis died, leaving her two daughters Anna and Elsinore. So it was more of a homage service for Mrs. Reeves Jarvis than a general one conducted in honor of motherhood. Nevertheless, this set the stage for the later Mother's Day observances held in the honor of motherhood.

Following this, it gained a widespread popularity across the nation. The Mother's Day International Association came into being on December 12, 1912, to promote and encourage meaningful observances of the event. Anna's dream came true when on May 9, 1914, the Presidential proclamation declared the 2nd Sunday of May to be observed as Mother's Day to honor the mothers.

It was here in the first observance that the carnations were introduced by Miss Jarvis. Large jars of white carnations were set about the platform where the service was conducted. At the end of the exercise one of these white carnations was given to each person present as a souvenir of Mother's Day. All this was done because the late elder Jarvis was fond of carnations.

From there, the custom caught on -- spreading eventually to 45 states. The first Mother's Day proclamation was issued by the governor of West Virginia in 1910. Oklahoma celebrated it in that same year. It stirred the same way in as far west as the state of Washington. And by 1911 there was not a state in the Union that did not have its own observances for Mother's Day. Soon it crossed the national boundary, as people in Mexico, Canada, South America, China, Japan and Africa all joined the spree to celebrate a day for mother love.

The Mother's Day International Association came into being on December 12, 1912, to promote and encourage meaningful observances of the event. Starting from 1912, Mother's day began to be officially declared a holiday by some states. Anna's dream came true when in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.

The House of Representatives in May 1913 unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the President, his cabinet, the members of both Houses and all officials of the federal government to wear a white carnation on Mother's Day. On May 7,1914, a resolution providing that the second Sunday in May be designated Mother's Day was introduced by Representative James T. Heflin of Alabama and Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas. It passed both Houses and on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the first official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May. He asked Americans to give a public expression of reverence to mothers through the celebration of Mother's Day:

"Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."

And issuing a Mother's day Proclamation has since then been a convention.

Nine years after the first official Mother's Day, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become. While honored for her part in the growth of the holiday, Anna Jarvis' last life was miserable. As the observance of Mother's Day enjoyed increasing popularity, new dimensions came to be added to it. This made Anna Jarvis disillusioned with her own creation. Though the original spirit of honoring the mothers remained the same, what began as a religious service expanded quickly into a more secular observance leading to giving of flowers, cards, and gifts. And Anna Jarvis was unable to cope with this changing mode of expression.

In 1934 Postmaster General James A. Farley announced a stamp to commemorate Mother's Day. The stamp featured the famous painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black". The painting was a portrait of the mother of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, an English artist. It was brought in to the United States as part of an exhibit in the year 1934.

Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States. The occasion is now celebrated not so much with flags as with gifts, cards, hugs, thank yous and other tokens of affection. While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day on different days and at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. In some countries, the appreciation lasts for two days.

Today, Mother's Day is a day honoring mothers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. It is the day when you acknowledge your mothers contribution in your life and pay a tribute to her, often with flowers and gifts. It complements Father's Day, the celebration honoring fathers.

Does prayer require a secret formula to get through to God?

Does prayer require a secret formula to get through to God? Is there anything in life as exciting as prayer? And yet, we single people have managed to turn it into a chore, haven't we? If we don't get what we ask God for, we have to forceourselves to keep praying for it. When you think about the privilege of communicating with God, however, the idea is truly overwhelming, even when you feel frustrated at times. To look at the night sky, the trees, mountains, oceans, and other people on this planet then to realize that the Being who created everything wants to talk with you, personally, intimately, is almost too much to grasp. How are your conversations with God going, as a single? Do you talk with him as much as you should? Have your career, busyness, and worries crowded these conversations out of your life? Have you felt the same frustration I have, because it seems as if God never answers? What I learned about prayer Being a fairly methodical person, several years ago I decided to get to the bottom of prayer. I set out to learn as much as I could, and I gave myself five years to do it. I read every book I could find on the subject. I read magazine articles, newspaper articles, talked with people, and of course, plumbed the Bible. I studied books by men and women who were recognized experts on prayer, but I also went through new books that contained radical theories. At times my research became hopelessly confusing. Much of the material was contradictory. Some of it bordered on downright weird. When my five-year study was done, I came to one unassailable conclusion: Prayer is talking with God. In addition, I gained some insight into what our job is not when we pray: Our job is not to bargain with God. We're not hagglers at a bazaar. Our job is not to persuade God. We're not lawyers in a courtroom. Our job is not to convince God. We're not traveling salesmen. Our job is not to plead with God. We're not beggars on a street corner. Through the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our position is adopted sons and daughters of God. That means God is our caring, loving Father. Our job, then, as sons and daughters, is to request from our Father God in a spirit of respect and humility. What? No secrets? Maybe you're disappointed. At first, I was too. But the more I thought about my finding, the more I liked it. It made good sense. It was perfectly in keeping with what Jesus taught in the Bible. And best of all, it took much of the mystery and fear out of prayer. God isn't playing games. He's too loving and holy for that. He doesn't lay down a complicated set of criteria before he'll listen to us. He doesn't listen more intently to religious celebrities than he does to you and me. And he doesn't reserve prayer for huge, crisis situations. The concept that prayer is talking with God makes some Christians nervous. They like to believe that you have to be spotless from sin, completely holy and clean before God will listen to you. That's not what Jesus said. In his parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple (Luke 18:10-14), he said that the Pharisee bragged about how he was better than sinners, how he followed all the rituals so he would be pleasing to God. The tax collector, in contrast, said "God have mercy on me, a sinner." Then Jesus said, "I tell you that this man (tax collector), rather than the other (Pharisee), went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Certainly God does want us to confess our sins to him and repent for them. But if only spotless, sinless people were qualified to pray, God would have a lot of time on his hands.   How to pray better, live happier... Every month, our FREE popular ezine, Inspire-O-Gram, gives you down-to-earth tips on how to be happier as a single Christian. You'll find articles you can put to use immediately, our monthly inspirational or funny poem, a quotation on that month's topic, and our exclusive tool for change, The Rut Disruptor. To subscribe, just fill out the easy form below...

Doctor Jesus wants to heal you

Doctor Jesus wants to heal you

Have you ever been to a doctor? Of course you have. But have you ever been treated by Doctor Jesus?
Maybe we don't use that title for him, but he told us that he is a doctor:
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence." (Luke 5:31-32)
And since we're all sinners, that means he'll make a house call--or a work call or hospital call or wherever you need him--just to see you.
Here's what the Bible tells us about Doctor Jesus:

• He's on duty 24/7, 365 days a year.
• You never need to make an appointment.
• You never have to wait.
• He'll take all the time you need.
• No problem is too hard for him.
• He always makes the right diagnosis, even when you don't know what the problem is yourself.
• He can heal you physically.
• He can heal you emotionally.
• He can heal you spiritually.
• He charges no fees.
• He's never lost a patient.

What's more, he's eager for you to come to him for treatment. In fact,he'll even come to you. Sometimes his treatment may be difficult, like giving up your bad habits, but he's the only physician who took the painful treatment you had coming, so your life could be saved.
When you begin to see Jesus in this role, you'll have a much better understanding of how he can help you. Your health--your very life--is in his hands, but these are skilled hands, gentle hands, forgiving hands. You're absolutely safe in his hands. The outcome is always life. And not just renewed life or extended life, but eternal life.
So take your problem to Doctor Jesus tonight. Ask him to heal you and give you the medicine of his presence to strengthen you in your daily struggles. This Great Physician knows exactly what you need. You can trust him with your life. 

Live Like Jesus

Escort Him!

Escort Him!


 


   I am sending HIM to you because you Are a  Special Person in my life.
   When HE gets to your PC,
Please escort HIM to the next point on HIS  journey.
   

Please don't allow HIM to sleep on your PC. The message HE is carrying is so very important and needs to continue on its journey.
May God bless you  as you do this.

- In Jesus'  name, AMEN † † † † † †† † †† † †† † †† † †† † †† † †† † †† † †  
Jesus is making His way around the World via
e-mail.
   Say a prayer, and then pass HIM on to Bless others.
   

Our assignment is to
Love    others and

Spread the Gospel
Throughout the world!
Have a Blessed Day and reach out and touch someone's life  today!

I just did !

With God all things are possible...

Matthew 19:26

Not a Crown of Gold ...

Who am I ?

Who am I ?

Pray for Japan ...

Let ur heart be happy always..:

damascus speaks the movie apostle paul part 1- دمشق تتكلم

Saul of Tarsus

(Animated) - God speaking to Moses from the Burning Bush

BE DETERMINED

                                  WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. . . . . 

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is” ~Jeremiah 17:7~

Be Determined!

It takes courage to be led by God. It’s not easy to “break the mold” and rise above the limits others place on you. When you do, you’ll face disapproval. Jesus did. When the folks He grew up around said, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55 ), they were really saying, “He should stay in His place!” 

When they tell you that, don’t listen. “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

In the final audit you’ll discover that not only is it wrong to be judgmental of others, it’s also wrong to permit their opinions to control you. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope [confidence]is in him.” 

To follow God’s leading you must have confidence that: 
(1) He loves you in spite of your shortcomings; 
(2) He has a definite plan for your life; 
(3) you are capable of hearing from Him for yourself; 
(4) whatever He asks of you, He will enable you to do. 

Once you’ve heard from God, be resolute! Things worth having never come easy. If you find yourself weakening, ask God for determination and He will impart it to you through His Spirit. If you find yourself being “double minded,” go back and ask yourself what God told you in the beginning - then STICK WITH IT. .. . . 

Don’t go in a different direction because of worry, or discouragement, or the sentiments of others. Remind yourself that YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN WHATEVER GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO. If you’ve made Jesus Lord of your life, HIS determination lives in you - because HE lives in you.



This song was playing on the radio when I was preparing this message so I thought I would give ya all a taste of the "Son" sunny days…...

Sunny Days by Jars of Clay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCMKJPY3AKY



I think the message today was one that the Lord gave to me [just for me] as I am always questioning my ability to follow through on the Homeless mission the Lord has called me to.

I am always telling those that write me and say the message was just for them that the Lord was on time.. As He is an on time God every time . . All the time…… Well I am saying that to my self right now…. When we need to hear something the Lord will always find a way of getting the message to us.

So I am encouraging all of you to listen carefully to what others have to say, read diligently words that across your way… it just may be the Lord trying to tell you something that you need to hear or an answer to your prayer….

God Bless my friends and have a great day in the Lord….
Carolyn

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit ( Bible verses suitable for Lent and Easter )

Bible verses suitable for Lent and Easter

Ash Wednesday: 

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; 

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51.18

He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; 

and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Mark 1.13

Fasting/any time in Lent:

Is this not the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free, 

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, 

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them, 

and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Isaiah 58.6-7

Palm Sunday:

Mark 11.1-11, John 12.12-16 or Matthew 21.1-9

Maundy Thursday:

The Last supper: Luke 22.14-23

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet: John 13.1-11

Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26.36-46

Good Friday

Crucifixion accounts: Matthew 27.32-54; Mark 15.25-39; Luke 23.32-49; John 19. 16-

30 Surely he has borne our infirmities 

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken, 

struck down by God and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that

made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

Isaiah 53.4-6

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed,

rarely will anyone die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person

someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we

were still sinners Christ died for us. 

Romans 5.6-8

Easter Day

‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has

been raised; he is not here.’

Mark 16.6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has

given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from

the dead.

1 Peter 1.3

Source …http://www.livelent.net/

The Meaning of Life

WHAT IS THE PLAN OF SALVATION?

The Plan of Salvation is our Heavenly Father's plan to enable us to become like Him and receive a fullness of joy.  This plan is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and includes all the commandments, ordinances, and teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

By following the teachings of Jesus Christ, we find a lasting and true inner peace in this life and eternal joy after we die.

As you learn about the plan of salvation, you will find answers to these questions: "Where did I come from?" "What is my purpose in life?" "Where will I go after this life?"

Below are links that will further discuss each of those concepts.  May you have the spirit of understanding and wisdom as you find your meaning in this (earthly) life.

Life Before Birth


We all lived in a premortal existence, as spirits, with our Father in Heaven before birth.
 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee a prophet unto the nations.   (Jeremiah 1:5 - To Jeremiah in the Old Testament)


What's the Purpose of Life?


Life on earth is a testing period during which we prepare to meet God again.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do, to live with him someday  (Child's song, I Am a Child of God, 2nd verse, by N. W. Randall & M. T. Pettit)


Where do we go when we die?


The gift of the resurrection will come to all men because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
21.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive   (1 Corinthians 15:21,22) 


Where do those who die by suicide go?


"Such are not to be condemned for taking their own lives.  Judgment is the Lord’s; He knows the thoughts, intents, and abilities of all his children; and he in his infinite wisdom will make all things right in due course."
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)


Everyone will have an opportunity


Our Heavenly Father has provided a way - The Lord will judge each of us with justice, mercy, and love. 
For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.  (1 Peter 4:6) 


The Full Blessing


10.  "Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and  be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. 
11.  And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. 
12.  But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!" (Moroni 8:10-12)

Aim, Shoot, and Keep Shooting!

Aim, Shoot, and Keep Shooting!

''..."Strike the ground"...'' 2 Kings 13:18

When the king of Israel needed a strategy for defeating the Syrians he turned to the prophet Elisha, who told him,

 '..."Take a bow and some arrows."...' So he took himself a bow and some arrows.

Then he said to the king of Israel, '..."Put your hand on the bow."...' So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.

And he said, '..."Open the east window"...'; and he opened it.

Then Elisha said, '..."Shoot"...'; and he shot.

And he said, '..."The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them."'

Then he said, '..."Take the arrows"...'; so he took them.

And he said to the king of Israel, '..."Strike the ground"...'; so he struck three times, and stopped.

And the man of God was angry with him, and said, '..."You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it!

But now you will strike Syria only three times"'(vv. 15-19).

What are you asking God to do?

To save someone you love? To provide finances? To help you break a habit? To succeed in your career?

Find out what He has promised you in His Word, and use those promises like arrows.

Aim them at your problem, shoot, and keep shooting until God moves on your behalf.

If this story teaches you anything, it's this:

there are situations in life when faith and persistence not only determine your victory, but also the extent to which you win.

So aim, shoot, and keep shooting!