What Is Salvation? And Sharing Jesus with a Muslim

What Is Salvation ?

• Author Kevin Bart

The Need For Salvation

There is one very critical issue that needs to be settled before you can ever begin to deepen your relationship and fellowship with God. Do you have a reconciled personal relationship with God ? What are the requirements and details of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ ?

It is often said about the various religions of the world that there are "many ways to God" or "the various religions all lead to the same God." Is this true ? What does God’s Word the Bible have to say about Salvation & Gospel of Jesus Christ ? Is Jesus one of many ways to God, or is he The Way to salvation and a reconciled relationship with God ?

True Salvation And the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Step 1: God loves you and wants you to have a personal relationship with Him, and to experience peace and life. Abundant and eternal life

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." – Romans 5:1 (peace with God means to have a restored or reconciled relationship with Him)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." – John 3:16

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." – John 10:10

God offers peace with Him, a restored relationship with Him, and eternal life in heaven as a gift. Many people think they need to earn these things from God by being religious, or being a good moral person, or by doing more good than bad in their life.

Romans 6:23 – "… the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Even though God offers these wonderful things as a gift, and He wants everyone to have them (1 Timothy 2:4), sadly most people today do not have these things and they are far from God. Why ?

Step 2: The Problem – Our Sin & Separation From God

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." – Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 6:23

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." – Isaiah 59:2

Our sins cause us to have a broken relationship with God, and to be far and separated from Him. Many people try to fix this problem themselves in various ways.

Our Attempts To Reach God

People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap and separation between themselves and God. Good works, religion, philosophy, morality,… None of these work.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." – Proverbs 14:12 (death in this verse means to die and forever be separated from God and His love, and to forever be under punishment for your sins)

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one may come to the Father except through me." – John 14:6

Because God loves us and He knows we cannot fix this problem of sin & separation from God ourselves, He sent the solution.

Step 3: God’s Solution To Our Problem

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." – I Timothy 2:5

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." – I Peter 3:18

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Jesus is God’s answer and solution to our problem of sin, eternal separation from God, and eternal punishment for our sins.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." – John 3:16

God solved our problem of sin & separation from Him by sending His Son Jesus. In order to receive these wonderful gifts from God, the Bible is clear about what we need to do in response to God’s solution.

Step 4: Our Response: Repent from sin, Trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and Receive Him by Faith and Commit Your Life to Him

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." – Revelation 3:20

"That if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." – Romans 10:9

"Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" – Mark 1:14-15

"Yet to all who did receive him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." – John 1:12

You Need to Make Jesus Your LORD and Savior

Nearly everyone wants Jesus to be their friend. Nearly everyone wants Jesus to be their Savior and save them from their sins and the eternal punishment of hell. But many people do not really want Jesus to be their Lord. The Lord of their life. Which means to give up control and the rights to their life to Jesus.

It may mean you need to give up your dreams and goals and plans, and accept Jesus’ will and plans instead. It may cost you a lot. Their is a cost to follow Jesus as Lord & Savior and be His disciple (a disciple is a learner & follower of Jesus).

You need to commit your life to Jesus, and commit to follow Him as your Lord and Savior. If you have never trusted and received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you are ready to do so, then you can do it right now.

Repent, Believe With All Your Heart, Receive Jesus As Lord & Savior

1. Admit your need ("I am a sinner and I need a savior") 2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent -Mark 1:14-15). 3. Believe with all of your heart that Jesus loves you and died for your sins and paid the price for them. Believe also that Jesus rose again from the grave after 3 days, and later ascended back to heaven. (Mark 1:14-15 & John 1:12) 4. Through prayer, invite and by faith receive Jesus Christ to come into your life and be your Lord and Savior, and commit to follow Him (John 1:12)

Talk to God If You Are Ready to Repent, Believe Jesus, and Commit Your Life to Him

"Dear Lord, Thank you for loving me very much, and for sending Jesus to die for my sins. Lord, I have sins in my life. Please forgive me for all of my sins. And dear Lord Jesus, please come into my life, and be my Lord and Savior. I commit my life to you, to follow You and Your ways. And I repent and turn away from my sins, and I turn back to you. Please give me peace with God and eternal life in heaven. Please teach me your ways, and help me grow closer to you. In Jesus name. Amen."

You Can Know For Certain That You Are Saved

If you have done these things in your prayer to God – you truly repented of your sins, put all of your faith and hope in Jesus Christ, and received Him as your Lord & Savior and committed your life to Him and meant it with all your heart – then you for sure have a reconciled relationship with God, peace with God and eternal life, and new life in Jesus.

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." – Romans 10:13

"Those who have the Son (Jesus) have life. Those who do not have the Son do not have life. These things have I written, that you may know you have eternal life." – I John 5:12-13

You can find more information and articles about your relationship with God at the Pursuing Intimacy with God site.

Kevin Bart

Missionary & Author

Pursuing Intimacy With God

US High School Basketball Terryon Rogers CO 2022 Basketball Recruiting Video 2021 Men's NCAA Tournament Teams Courses & Playbooks to Study

 

2021 Men's NCAA Tournament Teams Courses & Playbooks to Study

• By CoachTube Basketball
 

---

Is this the year you nail your bracket?

Maybe this can help.

We thought it would be fun to list all the courses and playbooks to study up as you watch the tournament to get and edge and learn what they are doing to separate themselves. 

# 1 Seeds

Gonzaga - Gonzaga Playbook 

Baylor - Scott Drew Guard Development  -Jerome Tang - Skill Development for Posts and Guards

 

Illinois - Offensive and Defensive Playbook

Michigan - Juwan Howard Playbook

# 2 Seeds

Alabama - Assistant Coach Charlie Henry Spread Offense

Ohio State - Offensive Playbook

Houston - PNR Offensive and Defensive - Kelvin Sampson 

# 3 Seeds

Arkansas - Eric Musselman Offensive Philosophy

West Virginia - Larry Harrison Complete Guide to West Virginia Press Defense

Texas - Q and A with Shaka Smart TABC Virtual Clinic

Kansas - Bill Self Playbook

# 4 Seeds 

Florida State - Charlton Young Assistant Coach - Transition Offense

Purdue - Micah Shrewsbury Offensive Concepts and Actions - Purdue Offensive Playbook

Oklahoma State - Mike Boynton 

Virginia- Virginia vs Texas Tech National Championship X’s and O’s

# 5 Seeds

Creighton - Creighton Bluejays Playbook

Villanova - Jay Wright Multiple Defenses 

Tennessee - Rick Barnes Transition Basketball Course

# 6 Seeds 

Texas Tech - Offensive and Defensive Playbook

BYU - Offensive Playbook 

# 7 Seeds 

Oregon - Spread Offense Playbook

UCONN - Dan Hurley Defensive Philosophy and Drills

# 8 Seeds 

Oklahoma - Lon Kruger Clinic Notes 

# 9 Seeds 

Missouri - Cuonzo Martin 

# 10 Seeds 

Virginia Tech Offensive Playbook 

# 11 Seeds

UCLA  Mick Cronin Creating a Defensive Culture 

Michigan State Tom Izzo Defensive Skills and Drills

Drake Larry Blunt Breaking into the Coaching Profession 

# 12 Seeds 

UCSB Joe Pastarnack Program Defining Drills

Winthrop Pat Kesley Measuring your team success with analytics 

# 13 Seeds

Ohio Jeff Boals Recruiting Strategy 

UNC - Greensboro Chris Lepore  Climbing the ladder 

# 14 Seeds 

Abilene Christian - Joe Golding High Low Offense 

# 15 Seed

Grand Canyon Ed Schilling Player Development become the best

# 16 Seeds

Norfolk State Rob Jones Offensive Zone Sets 

Texas Southern Brandon Chambers Pick and Roll Coverages

Good Luck!

---

More basketball articles 

GCU Softball vs Utah Valley (DH) Presented by CoachTube

 

Defense: Fielding to Throw with Bonnie Tholl

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Increase your team's defensive prowess with drills, tips, and insights from one of the most respected coaches in the game. A solid defense is a must-have for all successful teams and this session will give you the jump start that you're looking for. Book this course.....

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Innovate Inspire Coach

Wolverine associate head coach Bonnie Tholl is in her 26th season as a member of the Michigan softball coaching staff and her 17th as associate head coach. A long-time fixture in the first-base coaching box, coach Tholl has been a part of all 12 of Michigan's Women's College World Series appearances, beginning in 1995 and most recently in 2016. Coach Tholl primarily works with the Wolverine defense and, off the field, coordinates the program's recruiting efforts. She has recruited 32 of the 38 Wolverine players who have received All America honors. Every four-year player since the 1991 recruiting class has been to the Women's College World Series. Book this course.....

The StrengthCast Power Show 8 Shirt Busting Back Exercises and The Trap Bar Deadlift

 

Trap Bar Deadlift

• Author Chris Adams

The trap bar deadlift (especially with low handles) is a great exercise to add to your routine. It’s a compound movement that works the glutes, the lower back, the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the trapezius, the abdominal muscles, and the forearms.

While it’s more common to see someone do a deadlift with a barbell, the trap bar deadlift has gained in popularity in recent years, and most gyms now have a trap bar.

There are more similarities between the barbell deadlift and trap bar deadlift than there are differences. Both are lifted from the floor. Both involve hinging at the hips. The weight people can lift is similar for both. People tend to be able to lift a bit more weight with the trap bar, but people lifting a huge amount more with the trap bar you'll often read about on the internet are people using the high handles which reduces the range of motions. If you use the low handles, which are the same height as the barbell deadlift, the difference is much smaller. The trap bar uses a little more quads, and a little less hamstring and back compared to the barbell deadlift.

Benefits of the Trap Bar Deadlift Over the Barbell Deadlift

The barbell deadlift is also a great exercise. This article isn't about one being better than the other, they are just different. I’m going to discuss some of the benefits of using a trap bar.

Easier to Learn: The trap bar deadlift is easier for most beginners to learn. The main reason being that with the barbell the weight is in front of you with makes it easier to lose your balance and round forward. While with the trap bar your hands are by your side. I don’t think the potential problems with the barbell deadlift are hard to avoid if you're coached properly, and doing deadlifts with a barbell isn’t that technical, or even hard to learn, but beginners do tend to pick up the trap bar deadlift and able to do them safely quicker than with a barbell, especially when they aren't receiving coaching.

Easier on the Lower Back: Trap bar deadlifts can be easier on the back, assuming your bracing and using good technique. The trap bar was invented in the 1980s by a powerlifter called Al Gerard. Al Gerard had many back problems, and he wanted to find a way to lift heavy weights with his bad back. The barbell deadlift is also good for your back if you're healthy, but some people who have back issues find that they can trap bar deadlift without pain while they can't with the barbell. There is less chance of being pulled forward and having spinal flexion with a trap bar. if you’re finding using a barbell is giving you back problems then using a trap bar could be a good option. This also makes the trap bar easier to use safely while doing high reps.

Low Handles and High Handles: Most trap bars have low and high handles. The vast majority of people only use the high handles. In fact, I've never seen anyone use the low handles apart from myself and my clients. If you search for #lowhandletrapbardeadlift on Instagram, you'll find only twenty videos, and three of them are me. Why do people mostly use high handles? Mainly because of ego and they can lift more weight with it.

However, there are some good reasons to use the high handles. A lot of people don’t have the mobility in the hips to get into the correct starting position with the barbell deadlift or the low handle trap bar deadlift because of previous injuries, or being active for a long time. However, most people can comfortably do a trap bar deadlift with high handles as it requires less mobility. I even have a 72-year-old client who can trap bar with high handles without a problem, but he wouldn't be able to use a barbell.

For everyone else, I use the low handles as it has a larger range of motion and carries over to the conventional deadlift better.

Grip: The trap bar allows you to use a neutral grip. Using a barbell gripping the bar with a double overhand grip will limit the weight you can lift as your hands can’t hold enough weight. That leaves hook grip, straps and mixed grip (one hand pronated, and one hand supinated). Hook grip is a strong grip but can be very painful on the thumb. Using straps take away the grip strength benefits. A mixed grip is a very strong grip but can lead to small muscle imbalances. It also increases the chance of tearing a bicep on the arm that’s supinated if bad technique is used. The trap bar is easy to grip and avoids these potential negatives.

Carryover to the Barbell Deadlift: I’ve personally found it to have a good carryover when using the low handle trap bar to the barbell deadlift. Three years ago, I pulled 230kg with a barbell with the vast majority of my training on the trap bar. I did deadlifts with a barbell around 5-8 times in my life before I did that. This was back when my one rep max on my squat was only 155kg, so the trap bar deadlift was the main reason I managed to deadlift 230kg.

Possible Negatives of the Trap Bar Deadlift

The handles might be too wide, or too narrow for some people depending on the trap bar being used. You might occasionally not grab the trap bar in the middle of the handle. This is simple to sort out as you can readjust before the next rep.

How to do a Trap Bar Deadlift

Step 1: Stand in the centre of a trap bar with your feet roughly hip-width apart and toes slightly out. This is a good starting point. Try a slightly narrower and wider stance to see what works best for you.

Step 2: Bending at the hip and letting the knees slightly bend, grab the middle of the handles of the trap bar.

Sit your hips back so you feel the tension in your hamstrings. Lift your chest up and flatten your back. Look straight ahead, or slightly down. While keeping your arms straight, rotate your elbows so they facing the wall behind you and pull your shoulders down. This will help engage your lats.

Step 3: From this position you need to get tight and brace. Getting tight and bracing will allow you to lift the most weight you can and reduce the chance of injury.

You now need to pull the slack out of the bar. Pulling the slack out of the bar is very simply lightly pulling on the bar and creating as much tension as possible throughout the body. You should be tense enough so that if I was to lightly push you, you wouldn't move.

Before lifting you want to take a deep breath from your diaphragm. When breathing into your diaphragm, your stomach should inflate out. If you’re chest and shoulders raise while you take your breath you’re not breathing into your diaphragm. You'll need to hold this breath until you've completed the rep. Contract your abs like you’re about to get punched in the stomach, and again hold it for the whole rep.

Step 4: Lift the bar driving your feet into the ground, straightening your legs, and thrusting your hips forward. As you approach the top of the movement to squeeze your glutes and push the hips forward to lock out the rep. When you lift it you shouldn't be jerking the bar off the ground. If you do end up jerking it off the ground it suggests that you didn't get tight enough during the setup.

Bracing, getting tight and pulling the slack out of the bar

Getting tight, bracing and creating full-body tension is important as it reduces the chance of injuring yourself and it allows you to lift the most weight. You need to be able to transfer the force into the bar through the torso. Make bracing and getting tight a priority when you're doing deadlifts.

Before every rep, you need to take a big diaphragmatic breath (breathing into your stomach/obliques) instead of breathing into your chest to create Intra-abdominal pressure. This helps protect your lower back. Your stomach should inflate out when doing this. If your chest and shoulders raise while you take your breath, you’re not doing it correctly.

You will hold this breath during the rep. If you need to exhale, do it at the top of the lift or with the bar resting on the ground between reps.

Contract your abs like you’re about to get punched in the stomach. This combined with taking a big breath will ensure you’re core is braced.

Pulling the slack out of the bar simply means that you have already put upward pressure on the barbell before you to lift the weight to create tension throughout the body. You should already be pulling the bar so when it’s still on the floor that adding that anymore force ill lift it off the floor. You shouldn't be jerking the bar off the floor. If you are, it means you're not pulling the slack out of the bar.

​

Touch and Go vs Resetting Between Reps

People have become big and strong using both methods. Some people argue that it’s better to reset between every rep because when you're doing a one rep max you're starting dead start so you should practice that with every rep. If you're a powerlifter, I would reset between every set so you can practice it.

There's nothing wrong with touch and go. Touch and go is a way of overloading the muscles as you'll be able to do more reps with the same weight. I've personally made my best progress doing touch d go deadlifts. Touch and go forces you to do the eccentric part of the exercise which is useful for building muscle. The main problem with touch and go is that most people will do it wrong. They will cheat and bounce the weight up. I wouldn't recommend touch and go to someone who hasn't been deadlifting for a long time.

Some benefits touch deadlifts are it will build you grip strength better as you'll be holding the bar for the whole rep. You'll have more time under tension which is good for building muscle

I like to get my clients to control the eccentric part of the deadlift and briefly pause at the bottom before doing another rep. By controlling the eccentric part of the lift you'll return the bar to the correct starting position every time which will limit the time spent between reps.

Common Mistake

Not setting up correctly: The trap bar deadlift is a very simple movement once you're set up correctly. It's The problem is a lot of people don't set up correctly. If something doesn't feel right, or doesn't look good when you record it, look at your set up and check you're doing everything you should be. Good chance that's where your problem is.

Jerking the bar off the floor: This is a common mistake, and again it's caused by not getting tight and pulling the slack out of the bar. Jerking the bar off the floor should be avoided as it greatly increases the chance of you hurting your lower back, and it will limit how much weight you're able to lift. Make sure you pull the slack out of the bar and brace correctly.

​

https://www.chrisadamspersonaltraining.com/

How to Slow Aging (and even reverse it) The Truth About Cancer Presents: Health Nuggets - What Is Leaky Gut?

 How to Slow Aging (and even reverse it)

• Author Nihon Takanawa

If you want to reduce those wrinkles on your face, you can adopt some lifestyle choices. In other words, if you follow the 7 lifestyle choices we are going to talk about, you can slow down your aging. Read on to find out more.

1. Get omega-3 fatty acids

Some good sources of omega 3 fatty acid include flax seeds and fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for your brain function. They reduce inflammation and stress in addition to repair your cell membranes. Therefore, you may want to have different types of fish, such as herring, tuna, mackerel, and salmon, just to name a few.

As an alternative, you can eat seeds and nuts, such as walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds. The oils of these seeds and nuts may also work.

2. Drink plenty of water

You may want to keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water on a daily basis. According to experts, the minimum daily amount is 3.7 liters for men, and 2.7 liters for women. The reason is that hydration may cause constipation, headaches, brain fog, and fatigue, to name a few.

Apart from this, keeping hydrated is important if you want to maintain your brain health. As you get older, it becomes harder for your body to absorb nutrients. So, your gut should remain healthy.

3. Get your B-vitamins

B-vitamins are important for your cognitive function. The good news is that you can get your required amount of vitamin B12 from your regular diet. But the problem is that people over the age of 50 struggle to maintain their B12 levels.

If you are looking for some good sources of these vitamins, you may want to check out grain products, fortified grains, breakfast cereals, beans, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Animal sources include dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish.

4. Maintain the volume of your brain

According to medical science, your brain shrinks by 5% every 10 years after the age of 40. However, if you want to maintain this volume, you may want to go for aerobic exercises. What happens is that your body produces a specific chemical that helps slow down the deterioration of the brain.

So, if you are over the age of 40, you may want to perform exercises, such as walking, running, cycling, and running on a treadmill.

5. Keep your brain active

According to researchers, you want to follow some brainy activities. With these activities, you can boost the generation of new cells in your brain. Apart from this, it will also slow down the process of cell loss in your brain.

So, what you need to do is keep your mind active by solving math problems and playing word puzzle games. Apart from this, you can engage yourself by adopting a hobby, such as painting and drawing.

6. Keep your gut healthy

The strength of your immune system depends on the lining of your gut. Therefore, you may want to try your level best to maintain the health of your intestines. For this purpose, you can have bone broth, as it is easier for your gut to absorb. Apart from this, it is full of minerals, protein, and collagen.

Long story short, if you want to slow down your aging, you can adopt the lifestyle choices described in this article.

Ready to start experiencing the anti-aging benefits of increased HGH levels yourself?

Police Officers Save OSU Student From Top of Parking Garage and The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Offers Much-Needed Assistance

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Offers Much-Needed Assistance

• Author Linda Rosenberg

The establishment of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention needs to continue to be commended, as there has been no better time than now to see such a project take shape.

When announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Department of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, it brought a major step towards developing the most effective solutions for preventing such tragedies.

I have increasing respect for the brave men and women in blue warriors.

Another case-in-point here as the quick thinking and cool heads of these two help save a young man from making a fatal mistake.

You train to expect the unexpected and even though you never know where that can take our tactical athletes, it pays to prepare.

The Action Alliance - created as a result of efforts by The Suicide Prevention Resource Center with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - will accelerate our nation's efforts to prevent suicide. In the United States, suicide claims over 34,000 lives annually. National concern continues to mount as we witness rise in suicides among members of the military, working aged adults, and young American Indians and Alaska Natives.

We have certainly lost too many to suicide, a preventable public health crisis. The strong federal support for suicide prevention through the formation of the Action Alliance is commendable and community-based mental health and addictions treatment providers are committed to supporting the mission of the Action Alliance in their communities through public education efforts such as Mental Health First Aid, and the provision of quality treatment and supports to high-risk groups.

The Action Alliance, a public-private partnership, will build on noteworthy achievements to date in national suicide prevention - federal and state legislation that has advanced suicide prevention planning and programming; programs to improve detection of suicide risk and access to care; the establishment of the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a national Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK); and development of the National Violent Death Reporting System.

As the Action Alliance moves forward its focus will include:

• Updating and advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

• Development of effective public awareness and social marketing campaigns, including targeted messages for specific segments of the population that can change attitudes and norms and reduce suicidal behaviors.

• Advancing suicide prevention among high-risk groups.

Out of this alliance will grow advancements for practitioners, policymakers, service providers, communities, families, agencies and other partners that play a vital role in reducing the burden of suicide in America.

We can all do something to help reduce suicide in this country, and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is a step in the right direction. Thanks to the establishment of this organization, we are now given the resources to reduce these tragedies and provide help to those who need it.

Linda Rosenberg is the president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. TNC is the unifying voice of America's community-based mental and behavioral health organizations, lobbying for mental and behavioral healthcare reform and integration.Lean more at www.thenationalcouncil.org.

The Rock Almighty Devotional, Praise, and Worship with Sun Bomb and The Way to Finding Purpose in Life

The Way to Finding Purpose in Life

• Author Jimi Akanbi

Almost every human on the earth does not grasp that he or she has a unique God-given purpose in life given to them while in their mother’s womb, including believers. Hence the convenient action they exercise is to either get a university education, or copy what profession a successful friend is doing in life or both.

It follows suit that if you are unaware that I gave you a gift, you are unlikely to unwrap it and start using it. In the same manner, if you do not know that there is a unique destiny deposited in you by God, you will unlikely search for it, let alone fulfill it. (Continued below.....)

 

(....Continued.....) The destiny of individuals is not ordained by chance but by divine arrangement. Many people live as such that, what will be, will be, or if it is mine, then it is mine. The latter is a key form of living by chance and not by destiny. Anyone operating outside of his or her God-given destiny may experience some measure of success but will not live a fulfilled life; but when he or she finds destiny, a sense of overflowing joy, peace, favor, victory and much success becomes the person’s portion.

Oftentimes, someone’s purpose in life is not realized through a formal education, but through a divine revelation. There are many humans who replace destiny with a formal education, and end up unhappy and dissatisfied after graduating from college, and working a job which they really hate and dread going to every morning. For example, statistics shows that more than eighty-five percent of employees on the United States of America hate their jobs. Note: It is only confirms that more than eighty-five percent of employees in the USA have not discovered their God-given destiny, because our Lord will not give you a destiny that will allow you to struggle and become miserable.

Some of the few people who understand that they have a high calling or destiny given by God, go about looking for it in the wrong places, and end up quitting and settling for the next best profession. In the discovery of a God-given destiny, the Holy Spirit is the best helper. You need to go to a quiet place, be conscious of His indwelling presence in you, and continually praise and worship God for an hour each day to activate the Holy Spirit, ask Him to reveal your destiny to you, listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit or the voice of your spirit, and act accordingly.

There are times an individual’s destiny may seem menial, but at the end of the day, he or she will be elevated and begin to dine with Kings, princes and rulers of nations. This is a key reason our Lord mentioned in His Word: "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand". Also, when athletes run a sprint race, no one cares about how fast they take off, but how fast they finish the race.

It is said that the greater an individual’s destiny, the greater his or her challenges. This is a major reason the Generals of God such as; Jesus, Moses, David, Joseph, Job, Daniel, Abraham went through the great storms of life, after which they began to enjoy life to the fullest.

Everyone has at least one gift or talent, which should be used to fulfill his or her purpose in life; put it to use and not waste it. Note: God does not like wastage of any benefits He endows to man. Begin to seek after and find your God-given destiny, and not a duplicate of another human’s destiny.

Learn more here. 

My name is Jimi Akanbi. I am a Christian Author based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I obtained an MBA in Finance in year 2004. I have been through the greatest storms of life. That is any and everything that can make a man commit suicide. Upon all, I am still standing. Perhaps this is the major reason God gave me the gift of writing for His Kingdom. Who better to counsel His people, than one who has experienced challenges and victory?

Problems In Life Come From The Tree Of Knowledge (the Forbidden Tree) Vs. The Tree Of Life and The Humble Coronation of King Jesus

 -Author Roger Himes

Someone has said, "If you can't understand something, go back to the beginning, and you will start receiving revelation and finding answers."

There Were Two Trees In the Garden

Our beginning was The Garden of Eden, where there were lots of trees, but only two of them were special enough to be named:

(1) The Tree of Life, which was free and available,

(2) The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was forbidden.

Soon after he ate, Adam feared God, with whom he had been in constant fellowship before, because he discovered he was naked. He immediately assumed that the problem was him " his flesh " his humanity. (Continued below......)

(....Continued.....)The Lord asked him why he was fearful and hiding. He said it was because he was naked. Ask yourself: wasn't he naked yesterday too? Sure he was. So what was the difference? The difference was Adam's perception of who he was. Yesterday he saw himself through God's eyes: he was the image of God. Today he saw himself through his own human eyes, and he saw he was naked.

Yesterday he saw what was right about him. Today he saw what was wrong about him. They approached the forbidden tree believing the lie of Satan, and they had a self-focused, narcissistic attitude: "I shall be . . ." (Gen 3:5). Yesterday their mindset was humility, today it was pride.

For 4,000 years man lived by The Tree of Knowledge. The law was later given to Moses, and it defined The Tree of Knowledge in every way " it defined everything that was good, and everything that was bad. Before the law was given, man was allowed to decide between what was good and bad " right and wrong. But this only led to a tremendous increase in sin, and sin focus. The last verse in Judges defines the thinking of man: "Everyone did what seemed right in his own eyes."

The law was then established to define sin, and it defined it ad-infinitum. And Paul said the result was, "No one is righteous " no not one."

We Are No Different Today

The fact is that today, we do exactly what Adam and Eve did in the Garden. We eat from (or today we might say that we consult) The Tree of Knowledge of Good vs. Bad in everything we do. Especially Christians live by an almost constant stream of thoughts about what is good or bad, or right or wrong. We live under thoughts of reward and punishment, and even the judgment of God.

Today we approach God with the same attitude Adam and Eve did. When we eat and live life by the wrong perception and false belief of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge, we think everything has to do with us. We may not be naked, but we think our flesh is our problem.

God does not mean for us to live this way. The Tree of Knowledge was forbidden for mankind to eat from in the Garden, and it is still forbidden today. I can't prove it in scripture, but I suspect that the 'tree' Jesus was crucified on, mentioned in Galatians 3, was The Tree of Knowledge. Jesus says he is the way, the truth and the life. The Tree of Life was made forbidden to mankind after the fall of man, when Adam and Eve left the Garden. But I believe it was re-instituted at the cross of Jesus.

The Tree of Knowledge and the Old Covenant

The Tree of Knowledge represents the Old Testament, and the old covenant of God. But the Tree of Life represents the New Testament, and the better, new covenant we have been given (Heb 11:39-40). The old covenant demanded from us, and could not produce what it demanded. The new covenant gives to us, and produces in us what it does not demand. The two are diametrically opposite.

The old covenant was founded on law that pointed out sin and made everyone guilty before God (Rom 3:19-20). The new covenant is founded upon justification by means of faith that allows access to all the grace of God and results in our righteousness (Rom 5:1-2, 5:17, II Cor 5:21).

The Tree of Life and the New Covenant

The new covenant is founded upon belief. The very first words out of Jesus' mouth after 40 days in the wilderness with Satan were that we should repent " of all other beliefs " and believe the gospel (Mk 1:15). It was the most important thing on our Lord's heart and mind. He couldn't wait to start telling us about this new gospel covenant he was giving us. He said it must be preached in all the world before the end will come (Mk 24:14). It is so important that even angels will preach it from heaven to people on the earth during the end times (Rev 14:6).

The Tree of Knowledge, and the law coming from it, makes us look at ourselves " at our flesh " at what we do either right or wrong, good or bad.

The Tree of life causes us to look at God, and his Son and his finished work. This is what produces intimacy with God, whereby we live in his love and grace. All our flesh does is produces alienation from God, as Adam's did, which causes us to live in doubt, unbelief and condemnation " and fear of judgment.

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden, and there are still two trees alive and well on the earth today. It's our choice which one we eat from " or consult and live by each and every day.

To see the results of a study as to how most Christians live, click through on the link to my website below. Run your cursor over 'Gospel Tips' in the navigation bar. It appears under 'God's Grace.'

Receive a lot more!!! Receive regular GOSPEL TWEETS on Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/TheGospelCoach