Biblical numbers --- seven

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. (Joshua 6:4)

In the Bible, numbers have spiritual significance. Of all the biblical numbers, seven is the most familiar because it appears about 600 times. Seven denotes spiritual perfection. It means divine fulness, completeness and totality. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to be full,” “to be satisfied,” and “to have enough.

Many times seven is important as a symbol rather than as an actual number. Whenever you read seven, it does not always literally mean seven things or seven occurrences. It is symbolic of the whole or the completion or the ideal situation or the perfect picture of things. Seven constitutes a complete cycle.

One of the most profound examples of the use of the symbolic number seven is related to the fall of Jericho in the Joshua 6:1-20. Notice how many sevens appear in the scripture above. The use of the number seven simply means fulfillment or enough. Enough priests blew the trumpets and enough people marched around the walls enough times for the walls to come tumbling down.

Revelation, the last book of the Bible that completes the word of God contains more sevens than any of the other books. There are seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven personages, seven vials, seven woes, and seven new things. Additionally, there are seven glories of the Son of Man, and seven blessings. The word “Jesus” is found seven times, “Jesus Christ” seven times and the wrath of God seven times.

In just one verse in Isaiah 11:2, the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus in seven distinct ways: Spirit of God, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of God. Our desire should be that the Holy Spirit will rest within us in the same seven ways.

Biblical numbers --- six

Six

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning; the sixth day. (Genesis 1:27, 31).

Six is the number for man because he was created on the sixth day. It should remind us of our human incompleteness. Man without God will always be incomplete. No matter what we do in our own strength, we will always fall one below the perfect number seven. What God created on the previous days, “And God saw that it was good.” However, when God made man, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

The sixth commandment calls our attention to the value of the human life that was created on the sixth day. It says, “Do not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The serpent was also created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24). This lets us know that Satan is capable of tricking us if given the chance. Six days mark the completion of creation as God’s work. Therefore, six days were appointed for man’s labor. Like God, man should cease from his labor after the sixth day. If God could complete all creation in six days, we should take a break from our labor after six days.

Six is also the number of balance, harmony, cooperation and marriage. Jesus’ first miracle changed six pots of water to wine for the wedding feast (John 2:6). A wedding represents love as does the number six. Is that the reason June (the sixth month) is favored for weddings? Could it be the reason Boaz gave Ruth six measures of barley symbolic of his love and protection (Ruth 3:15)?

If we want miracles to happen in our lives, we should remember that we are incomplete without God. Satan is out to trick us because of our human weakness. We should allow ourselves to be filled to the brim like the six water pots. Then, like the wine at the wedding, our lives will change miraculously.

Biblical numbers ---- five

Five

Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. (Matthew 25:2)

The number five is seen throughout the Bible, but almost every time it is used, it is merely a part of a whole. It is so small of a bigger piece that it could be considered only a “handful” as the five fingers on one’s hand. The first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch comprise only a portion of the 66 books of the entire Bible.

Even though five represents a small sum which appears to be insignificant within the larger scheme, it does individually possess high value. When Abraham pleads to God to spare the people of Sodom, he begins by pleading for five fewer righteous people as to suggest that the loss of five would be insignificant in its consequence (Genesis 18:22-23). Sometimes in the Bible, the number five is half of the perfect number ten as in the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise (Matthew 25:2). The Ten Commandments are distinctly divided into two pairs of fives. The first five commandments deal with our relationship with God; the last five deal with our relationship with others. Only Commandment #5 is different in that it is the only one with a promise associated with it.

At times five indicates just recompense or bounteous reward. Thieves must repay five times the value of the oxen they steal (Exodus 22:1). Benjamin was honored by Joseph with five times more food than his brothers (Genesis 43:34) and five sets of clothes (Genesis 45:22). We can’t forget that Jesus took five loaves to feed five thousand. It was abundance for the multitude.

The number five represents God’s grace seen throughout the structure of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The pillars were five cubits apart and five cubits high. The brazen altar was five cubits by five cubits. There were five pillars at the end of the Holy Place. The sides of the tabernacle were reinforced by five bars on each side (Exodus 26:26-27). The inner covering of the tabernacle was composed of five curtains which were attached to five other curtains for a total of ten curtains (Exodus 26:3). Notice the double five pattern. There were five original priests: Aaron and his four sons (Exodus 28:1)

Five is a number of preparation as the first five books of the Bible prepare you for Israel’s story throughout the rest of the Bible. The five wise virgins were prepared. David, in preparing for Goliath, took up five smooth stones. To prepare and perfect the saints for ministry, some are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). Through these five outlets goes forth the gospel of Jesus Christ. Surely, you are prepared to fit into one of these five because of God’s grace.

Biblical numbers --- four

Four

Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:29)

Four is the creation number and it has special significance to the earth. Four is symbolic of earthly completeness. On the fourth day, all materials for the earth were created. Four is the number of the great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. There are four regions or directions: north, south, east, and west. There are four seasons of the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. There are four phases of the moon: first, half, full, and last. There are four divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night. The Bible also has ten references to the four winds.

The number four indicates universality. This means that from one point to the next point, everything is included such as in the scripture above. It is universal participation. All people will come from all four corners of the earth to enjoy the kingdom of God as is illustrated in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Four in the scriptures portrays universal observation, worship and adoration as in Revelation 4:6-8. “Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.”

Let’s conclude our study of the number four on a note of hope for those who might be in a fiery furnace today. Don’t give up. Jesus appeared as the fourth man to save the three Hebrew boys (Daniel 3:25). He will do the same for you.

Biblical numbers --- three

Three

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

Three in the Bible is divine fullness or completion as in the Godhead of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We know this concept as the Trinity even though the word “trinity” is not in the Bible. The trinitarian formula is mentioned in the Great Commission listed above and also in Paul’s benediction at the end of this message. Some examples of three being the number of spiritual fullness: Jonah was in the belly of the big fish three days and Jesus was in the grave three days. Three days were enough to prove that Jesus had conquered sin, death, and the grave.

Three is the minimum number necessary to establish a pattern. Something can happen once by chance; twice by coincidence; but three consecutive times usually indicate a pattern. For example, Samuel heard his name called three times before Eli confirmed that it was God calling Samuel (I Samuel 3:8).

When we are expecting confirmation concerning a certain act, it is good news to know that when something happens three times, it points to greater fulfillment yet to unfold. For example, if you have been asked out on a date three times, there might be further development of the relationship. If you have been on a job for at least three years, more than likely you could be in line for a promotion. When something happens three times, it gains emphasis such as when Peter denied Jesus three times. Three times Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but three times the chief priests and rulers rejected Him. This repetition represents the emphasis placed on the rejection (Luke 23:13-25).

Three speaks of totality, sufficiency and the complete work of God. Man is a trifold being: body, spirit and soul. Notice when preachers preach and Bible teachers teach, they usually speak using the trifold concept whether they realize it or not. It is usually automatic. Listen to hear them say: faith, hope and love; grace, peace, and mercy; morning, noon, and night; Peter, James and John; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and “Holy, Holy, Holy” etc.

And now the three-part benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Biblical number --- two

Two

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Then God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (Genesis 1:6-8)

The number two in the Bible has several meanings. The number two denotes a difference. The number two proves there is a division or a separation. From the beginning of Creation we see the number two in the scriptures. On the second day of Creation, God divided the waters: earthly waters and heavenly waters. Throughout the Bible, we see the duality of two things being opposite and at no times can these two things be both at the same time: light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, the saved and unsaved.

The number two suggesting division and separation is seen in the following examples: two birds, one slain and one set free; two goats, one slain, the other one set free; two masters; two covenants (Old Testament and New Testament); law and grace; Christ and the anti-Christ; the natural and the spiritual; male and female; the righteous and the wicked as in Psalm 1.

Two is the minimum number of people to be sent on an important assignment. Two angels were sent to Sodom (Genesis 19:1); two spies were sent to Jericho (Joshua 2:1); and Jesus sent His disciples out two by two (Mark 6:7). Also, two is the minimum number for witnesses. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15).

In conclusion, the number two is symbolic of (1) a difference or division; (2) the minimum number for an important assignment; (3) and the minimum number of witnesses for a matter to be established.

Quiz: (1) Jesus separated how many thieves on the cross? (2) How many disciples ran to the tomb? (3) How many angels were at Christ’s resurrection? (4) How many disciples did Jesus walk with on the Emmaus Road after His resurrection? (5) How many men in white apparel testified at Christ’s ascension? If your answer is TWO (2) for all questions, then you are correct.

Biblical Numbers from 1 to 10

Biblical Numbers from 1 to 10

Let us see Biblical numbers and their meanings. 

One

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

There cannot be two firsts. One is God’s number. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is the only God. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The number one stands alone, independent of all others. God doesn’t need help in His accomplishments; therefore He is the one and only God.

Number one in the Bible means “unity” and “uniqueness.” There is one body; the church made up of true believers. There is one Spirit; the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer individually also indwells the church collectively. There is one hope; the hope to be like Christ. There is one Lord; Jesus Christ who died for us all. There is one faith; the Christian faith based on Christ’s death on the cross. There is one baptism; the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. There is one God and Father of all; God Almighty who is over all and through all and in all.

The songwriter is right. “One is a lonely number.” The number one does stand alone, independent of all others. God is independent, and we are dependent. But that’s a good position for us to be in since the one on whom we depend is the ONE and ONLY true living God!

A quote about a prayer

In all states of dilemma or of difficulty, prayer is an available source. The ship of prayer may sail through all temptations, doubts and fears, straight up to the throne of God; and though she may be outward bound with only griefs, and groans, and sighs, she shall return freighted with a wealth of blessings! С. Spurgeon
Молитва всегда уместна: и при свете дня, и под покровом ночи мы должны дорожить ей. Молитва привлекает внимание небес и в тишине полночи, и в суете дня, и в жаркий полдень, и в вечерних сумерках. В богатстве и бедности, в болезни и здравии, в покое и тревоге, в сомнениях и непреклонной вере ваш Бог завета услышит вашу молитву и ответит на нее со Своего святого престола.

© Чарльз Сперджен

Беспокойство, можно ли быть довольным?

Беспокойство в нашей жизни. Можно ли быть довольным, живя в этом мире?
Радуетесь вы сегодня, в эти весенние деньки солнцу? Когда пасмурный день, что мы обычно говорим? Сегодня нет солнца. Но если подумать лучше, действительно его нет, или оно спряталось за тучки? Конечно оно, по-прежнему есть, только мы его не видим. Так и в различных ситуациях в нашей жизни. Какие обстоятельства нашей жизни дают нам повод для беспокойства? И что такое беспокойство вообще? Беспокойство --- неприятное чувство неопределённости, неуверенности или страха, тревога, отсутствие удовлетворённости от достигнутого, имеющегося. 1. В Библии беспокойство нередко описывается как естественное состояние человека в напряжённых обстоятельствах. В 1-й кн. Царств 9:5 описывается, как Отец Саула беспокоится о пропавших ослицах, а потом о Сауле, который пошёл искать их. И действительно: родители очень часто беспокоятся о своих детях, особенно мамы. Стоит мне только приехать домой, как мама начинает очень сильно беспокоиться обо мне. Она может не спать до 12 часов ночи, ожидая меня. 2. Псалмопевец признаётся, что «скорби» умножаются в его сердце (Пс. 93:19). Чем больше у нас проблем, тем меньше часто становится спокойствия в сердце. Нас всех подстерегает эта опасность: больше думать о проблемах, чем о Боге. И если только и смотреть на проблемы, то проблемы и будешь видеть. А каким далёким и маленьким будет казаться всемогущий и великий Бог! Вот и получается, что мы могли бы и горы двигать (Мрк. 11:23), а в итоге только и делаем, что мечемся от проблемы к проблеме, мучая без толку себя и всех окружающих. 3. Заботы способствуют тому, что мы углубляемся в мирскую суету, и это отвлекает нас от преданности Богу.

Я чувствую, когда я вижу. Я замечаю, когда я помню.

Все люди делятся на две категории – те, кто замечает благословения и те, кто предпочитает жаловаться. Представьте себе друга, который несколько часов рассказывает вам о том, как он сильно устал от ремонта. Ремонт, кажется, никогда не закончится в его новой пятикомнатной квартире. А вы в это время думаете только об одном: «У тебя есть пятикомнатная квартира, и ты жалуешься на что-то?» Вспомните того коллегу по работе, который три недели подряд убивался, когда мальчик из соседнего подъезда случайно поцарапал велосипедом его новенький Mercedes. Мы все знаем таких людей. Нам всем неприятно находиться рядом с ними. При этом, мало кто из нас признается, что бывают моменты, когда мы ведем себя точно так же. Мы сталкиваемся с небольшими трудностями в жизни, и начинаем уделять все свое внимание именно им, не замечая всего того, что Бог дал нам. Поступая так, мы элементарно утрачиваем вкус к жизни. Практически ничто больше не радует нас. Мы все еще живы, все еще дышим, но все реже можем сформулировать зачем.
Начинается это отношение незаметно. Сперва в сердце появляется мысль, что всего в жизни я добился собственными силами. Мы смотрим на то, сколько мы недосыпали, как упорно трудились и нам легко подумать, что всего мы достигли сами, без чьей-либо помощи. Мы забыли о том, что ничего не сделали, чтобы получить дары и способности, и даже трудолюбие и усердие были даны нам при рождении. Затем мы начинаем подмечать трудности, с которыми нам еще предстоит справиться самостоятельно. Мы просто не замечаем более всего, что уже есть у нас. Заканчивается все неминуемым вопросом, адресованным небесам: «Чем Ты мне помог, Господи?» Мы вряд ли услышим ответ на этот вопрос. Вкус жизни утрачен. А ведь все могло бы быть иначе, попроси мы Бога: «Поможешь увидеть Твою любовь?»
Книга пророка Малахии начинается именно с того, что пророк помогает увидеть израильтянам реальную любовь Бога, которая казалась им такой далекой и эфемерной. Мы чувствуем вкус жизни тогда, когда видим эту любовь. Мы замечаем ее тогда, когда вспоминаем обо всем, что Бог уже сделал для нас.
Аудио запись этой проповеди см. на http://biblechurch.ru/audio/listen/questions-answers-1

Why is life hard?

Why Is Life So Hard?

"Why?" When life is hard, is there a way to have peace?

Why do people get cancer? Why are there earthquakes that destroy entire cities? Why do people have to work so hard just to have enough money to barely feed their families?
Subconsciously, we probably ask ourselves questions like these quite often. But consciously we rarely do. We're so busy living our lives we rarely stop and wonder WHY?
But then something happens to wake us up. Our parents get divorced. The girl down the street gets abducted. A relative gets cancer. That wakes us up for awhile. But then we can often sink back into the denial. That is, until another tragedy hits, another incongruence. Then we're likely to think, Something isn't right here. Something is really, really wrong. This isn't how life's supposed to be!
So, WHY do bad things happen? WHY isn't this world a better place?

There is an answer to the WHY question, found in the Bible. But it's not an answer that most people like to hear: the world is the way it is because it's the world that we, in a sense, have asked for.
Sound strange?
What or who could make this world different than the way it is? What or who could guarantee that life is pain-free, for everyone, all the time?
God could. God could accomplish that. But he doesn't. At least not right now. And we're angry with him as a result. We say, "God can't be all-powerful and all-loving. If he were, this world wouldn't be the way it is!"
We say this hoping that God will then change his position on the matter. Our hope is that putting a guilt trip on him will make him change the way he's doing things.
But he doesn't seem to budge. WHY doesn't he?

God doesn't budge -- he doesn't change things right now -- because he's giving us what we asked for: a world where we get to treat him as though he is absent and unnecessary.
Remember the story of Adam and Eve? They ate the "forbidden fruit." That fruit was the idea that they could ignore what God said or gave them, and strike out on life apart from God. For Adam and Eve sort of hoped that they could become like God, without God. They consumed the notion that there was something more valuable in existence than God himself, something more valuable than having a personal relationship with God. And this world system -- with all of its faults -- came as a result of the choice they made.
Their story is the story of all of us, isn't it? Who hasn't said -- if not audibly at least in their hearts -- God, I think I can do this without you. I'll just go this one alone. But thanks for the offer.
We've all tried to make life work without God. Why do we do that? Probably because we've all bought the notion that there's something more valuable, more important, than God. For different people it's different things, but the mindset is the same: God isn't what's most important in life. In fact, I'd just as soon do it without him altogether.
What is God's response to that?

He allows it. Many people experience the painful results of others' or their own choices that run contrary to God's ways...murder, sexual abuse, greed, lying/fraud, slander, adultery, kidnapping, etc. All of these can be explained by people who have refused to give God access and influence over their lives. They are going about their lives as they see fit, and they and others suffer.
What's God view on all of this? He's not smug. In fact, God could rightly be viewed as leaning forward, compassionate, hoping we will turn to him so that he can bring real life to us. Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."¹ But not all are willing to go to him. Jesus commented on this when he said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."² Again, Jesus brings the issue back to our relationship with him. "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."³
But what about when life is unfair? What about those horrible circumstances that hit us in life, caused by someone other than ourselves? When we are feeling victimized, it's useful to realize that God himself endured horrendous treatment from others. God more than understands what you are going through.

There is nothing in life that could be more painful than what Jesus endured on our behalf, when he was deserted by his friends, ridiculed by those who would not believe in him, beaten and tortured before his crucifixion, then nailed to a cross, in shameful public display, dying of slow suffocation. He created us, yet allowed humanity the freedom to do this, to fulfill Scripture and to set us free from our sin. This was no surprise to Jesus. He was aware of what was coming, foreknowing all the details, all the pain, all the humiliation. "And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." The rest of this article is on   ^{http://www.everystudent.com/journeys/why.html}   

Sex and Intimacy

Find out how to love and be loved. Experience real intimacy in your relationships...

By Dick Purnell
Dr. Henry Brandt, in the Collegiate Challenge magazine, said that there is a syndrome, a pattern, when couples come to him. They say, "At first, sex was exciting. Then I started feeling funny about myself, and then I started feeling funny about my partner. We argued and fought and finally we broke up. Now we are enemies."
This syndrome is what I call the morning-after syndrome. We wake up and find that intimacy is not really there. The sexual relationship does not satisfy us anymore, and what we end up with is not what we really wanted in the first place. All you have is two self-centered people seeking self-satisfaction. The elements of genuine love and intimacy cannot be obtained "instantly," and you find yourself in an unbalanced state, searching for harmony.

Intimacy means more than the physical.

Each of us has five significant parts in our lives. We have the physical, the emotional, the mental, the social, and the spiritual. All five of these parts are designed to work together in harmony. In our search for intimacy we want the solution today, or yesterday. One of our problems is that we want "instant" gratification. When the need for intimacy in a relationship is not met, we look for an "instant" solution. Where do we look? Physical, mental, social, emotional or spiritual? It's the physical. It is easier to be physically intimate with someone than to be intimate in any of the other four areas. You can become physically intimate with a person of the opposite sex in an hour, or half-hour -- it just depends upon the urge! But you soon discover that sex may only be a temporary relief for a superficial desire. There is a much deeper need that is still unmet.
What do you do when the thrill wears off and the more you have sex, the less you like it? We rationalize it by saying, "We are in love. No, I mean really in love." But we still find ourselves feeling guilty and unsatisfied. On campuses all across America I see men and women searching for intimacy, going from one relationship to another hoping, "This time will be it. This time I am going to find a relationship that will last."
I believe that what we really want is not sex. What we really want is intimacy.
Today, the word intimacy has taken on sexual connotations. But it is much more than that. It includes all the different dimensions of our lives -- yes, the physical, but also the social, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects as well. Intimacy really means total life sharing. And haven't we all had the desire at one time or another for closeness, for oneness, for sharing our life with someone totally? If you would like to read more go here: http://www.everystudent.com/features/search.html

How to be filled with the Holy Spirit

The Steps to Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

By faith, you can trust God right now to fill you.

By Bill Bright

be filled

• 1: The Wonderful News of the Spirit-Filled Life
• 1: The Wonderful News of the Spirit-Filled Life
• 2: Why Do You Need The Filling of the Holy Spirit?
• 3: Who is the Holy Spirit, and Why Did God Send Him?
• 4: What Does it Mean to be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
• 5: Why Not? Reason 1: Lack of Knowledge
• 6: Why Not? Reason 2: Unbelief
• 7: The Steps to Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
• 8: Empowered to Share
• 9: Study Guide

We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. How did you become a Christian? By faith. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him."

You receive Christ by faith. You live by faith. Everything you receive from God, from the moment of your spiritual birth until you die, is by faith. Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? You can be filled right now, by faith.

You do not have to beg God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. You do not have to barter with Him by fasting or weeping or begging or pleading. For a long period of time, I fasted and cried out to God for His fullness. Then one day I discovered from the Scriptures that the "just shall live by faith." You do not earn God's fullness. You receive it by faith. The rest you can look at http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/classics/transferable-concepts/be-filled-with-the-holy-spirit/07-steps-to-being-filled.htm

О духе блуда

Исправление этого порока особенно зависит от совершенствования сердца, из которого, по слову Господа, исходит гной этой болезни: «из сердца исходят помыслы злые, убийства, прелюбодеяния, любодеяния, кражи, лжесвидетельства» и пр. (Мф.15:19). Следовательно, сначала надо очищать сердце, в котором находится источник жизни и смерти, как говорит Соломон: «больше всего хранимого храни сердце твое, потому что из него источники жизни»(Притч.4:23). Ибо плоть подчиняется его изъявлению и власти, и потому с особенным усердием надо соблюдать строгий пост, чтобы плоть, утучненная обилием пищи, противясь внушениям души, бесчинствуя, не низвергла своего правителя – духа. Впрочем, если мы всю важность будем видеть только в укрощении тела, а душа не будет также воздерживаться от прочих пороков и не будет занята божественным размышлением и духовным упражнением, то мы никак не сможем взойти на самый верх истинной непорочности, когда то главное, что в нас есть, будет нарушать чистоту нашего тела. Итак, по словам Господа, нам надлежит очистить прежде внутренность чаши и блюда, чтобы чиста была и внешность их (Мф.23:26). см. Продолжение здесь:
http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/?Ioann_Kassian_Rimljanin/kastoru=6

"Is it right for a Christian to date or marry a non-Christian?"

"Is it right for a Christian to date or marry a non-Christian?"

Answer: For a Christian, dating a non-Christian is unwise, and marrying one is not an option. Second Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) tells us not to be “unequally yoked” with an unbeliever. The imagery is of two incompatible oxen sharing the same yoke. Instead of working together to pull the load, they would be working against each other. While this passage does not specifically mention marriage, it definitely has implications for marriage. The passage goes on to say that there is no harmony between Christ and Belial (Satan). There can be no spiritual harmony in a marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian. Paul goes on to remind believers that they are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, who inhabits their hearts at salvation (2 Corinthians 6:15-17). Because of that, they are to be separate from the world—in the world, but not of the world—and nowhere is that more important than in life’s most intimate relationship—marriage.

The Bible also says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’ (1 Corinthians 15:33). Having any kind of intimate relationship with an unbeliever can quickly turn into something that is a hindrance to your walk with Christ. We are called to evangelize the lost, not be intimate with them. There is nothing wrong with building quality friendships with unbelievers, but that is as far as it should go. If you were dating an unbeliever, what would honestly be your priority, romance or winning a soul for Christ? If you were married to an unbeliever, how would the two of you cultivate a spiritual intimacy in your marriage? How could a quality marriage be built and maintained if you disagree on the most crucial issue in the universe—the Lord Jesus Christ?

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/date-marry-unbeliever.html#ixzz2StdFrRlw

Страдание и успех

автор Билли Грэм (Billy Graham)

Страдание и успех

С великою радостью принимайте, братия мои, когда впадаете в различные искушения.

ПОСЛАНИЕ АПОСТОЛА ИАКОВА, 1:2

Чтобы обнаружить энергию атома, наука должна была найти способ расщепить его. Секрет неисчерпаемой и безграничной энергии атома заключался в его разрушении.

Некоторым из самых благочестивых людей, которых мне довелось знать, пришлось пережить великие страдания. Они могли бы ожесточиться и обидеться на весь мир... но, поскольку они знали Христа и всегда хранили Его мир, Бог благословил и преобразил их, сделав похожими на Христа.

Доктор Эдвард Джадсон произнес такую речь на освящении новой церкви в Нью-Йорке: «Страдание и успех идут рука об руку. Если вы преуспеваете без страдания, то это благодаря тому, что другие пострадали до вас; если вы страдаете без преуспевания, значит, успех ждет других людей после вас».

Конечно, когда приходит страдание, трудно осознавать, что все к лучшему. Но если это случается, проси Бога освятить твое страдание и укрепить тебя в вере.

Glory through suffering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igyCX7wmKgc

How to deal with your anger?

In fact, ignoring or denying your anger will simply make things worse. When conflict comes up, deal with it head on and quickly. Don't let it fester. It’s a big mistake to think, "Let's ignore it and hope it will go away.”

The Bible teaches, in Ephesians 4:26-27 (GN), “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin and do not stay angry all day. Don't give the devil a chance.”

Some people are surprised by this verse; they ask, “Is it ever right for a Christian to get angry?” Yes.

How do I know it’s all right for a Christian to get angry? Well, let me ask you this: Did Jesus ever get angry? Yes!

Did Jesus ever sin? No. Evidently there are times when anger is appropriate.

In Ephesians, we’re told, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin.” This implies there is an anger that leads you into sin, but there’s also an anger that doesn't lead you into sin. There’s a right way to get angry and there’s a wrong way to get angry.

How do you know the difference?

The wrong kind of anger is anger that is not resolved quickly. It’d becoming angry and then just staying angry all day and then the next day and the next. The Phillips translation of this Ephesians verse says, “Never go to bed angry.”

That will keep a few of us up sometimes! If you said, "In our marriage, we'll never go to bed angry," you might resolve problems a little more quickly.

Anger that is not dealt with turns into resentment and then into bitterness. Bitterness is always sin. Resentment is always sin. Those emotions are always wrong.

The Bible says, Deal with anger quickly. Don't let it hang on. Resolve conflict as fast as possible. (From Rick Warren)

Чему учит Библия? Основы христианства

http://gtgold.ru/