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Who Was Melchizedek?

melchizedek_angelic

FEW MYSTERIES of the Bible have attracted more interest than the mystery of the identity of Melchizedek. Who is he?

You will read in Hebrews 6:19-20 that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, is High Priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” The plainer English of the Moffatt translation words it: “. . with the rank of” that is, equal status with “Melchizedek.”

Melchizedek Was God‘s Priest

First, notice from both Old and New Testaments that the man of mystery, Melchizedek, was a priest of the Most High God. Turn ‘low to the account in Genesis 14. During the war between a number of ancient city-states in Canaan and Mesopotamia, Abraham’s nephew Lot had been captured. He and his family and goods were carted off.

One of their number escaped and brought the news to Abraham, who armed 318 of his own servants and pursued the invaders to what was later named Dan and beyond. Abraham rescued Lot and his family and returned them safely to the Canaanite cities.

On Abraham’s return a man of mystery bursts upon the scene. Abraham was ministered to by Melchizedek.

Here is the account:

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he [Melchizedek] blessed him [Abraham] and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’ And Abram gave him [Melchizedek] a tenth of everything” that is, a tithe of all, for a tithe means a tenth (Genesis 14:18-20, RSV).

Notice that Melchizedek was king of Salem. That is the city of Jerusalem. “Salem” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “peace.” That would make Melchizedek the “King of Peace” (Hebrews 7:2). The Hebrew name Melchizedek itself means “King of Righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2). The same individual is mentioned in Psalm 110:4. Speaking prophetically of Christ, David stated: “The Eternal hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” This verse is quoted again in Hebrews 5:6, 10.

Before we turn to Hebrews for the identification of Melchizedek, remember that this mystery figure is a mystery only to us. Abraham and the King of wicked Sodom knew exactly who he was. They must have seen him before. He could not have been a Canaanite, for they were steeped in pagan customs. And furthermore Canaan was a descendant of Ham, whereas God basically chose the descendants of Shem to accomplish His work.

Then who is the mystery man Melchizedek?

One other hint before we proceed. The land of Canaan from ancient time, before the days of Moses, was known among the Gentiles as “the divine land” the Holy land” the land of the place of worship!” Why? Was there someone in the Holy Land who was divine, holy, worthy of worship?

READ MORE »

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NEW AGE THINKING part one

By Neil Anderson

April 18

 
Psalm 83:18 NIV 
Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD–that you alone are the Most High over all the earth
 
The New Age Movement is very attractive to the natural man who has become disillusioned with organized religion and Western rationalism. He desires spiritual reality but doesn’t want to give up materialism, deal with his moral problems, or come under authority.
 
I’ve discovered six unifying factors in New Age thinking. We will consider three of them today and three tomorrow.
 
The first is monism –the belief that all is one and one is all. It says we all swim in one great cosmic ocean. History is not the story of humanity’s fall into sin and its restoration by God’s saving grace. Rather, it is humanity’s fall into ignorance and the gradual ascent into enlightenment.
 
Monism is a counterfeit to the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17:21. That unity is possible only when we are united together in Christian fellowship.
 
Second, all is God . If all is one, including God, then one must conclude that all is God–trees, snails, books and people are all of one divine essence. A personal God is abandoned in favor of an impersonal energy force or consciousness, and if God is no longer personal, He doesn’t have to be served.
 
New Agers say, “When I was a little child, I believed in God. When I began to mature, I stopped believing in God. Then I grew up and realized that I was God.”
 
A third unifying factor refers to a change in consciousness . If we are God, we need to know we are God. We must become cosmically conscious, also called “at-one-ment” (a counterfeit of atonement), self-realization, god-realization, enlightenment, or attunement. Their faith has no object, neither does their meditation, so it becomes an inward journey. To us, the essential issue is not whether we believe or mediate, but who we believe in and what we meditate upon. We believe God and meditate upon His law day and night.
 
Prayer: Lord, I affirm that I am nothing, can do nothing, and will amount to nothing apart from You. You are the object of my faith and life today.
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Give Thanks for Him

The crucifixion and burial…and then the resurrection from the dead. The best part of course being the resurrection of Christ to life.

Have you this weekend thanked the Lord for what He has done for you? Make it personal, Jesus death was not an impersonal event we read about in the Bible. Make it personal, Jesus did.

Jesus knows the number of hairs on your head, He also knows He died for you.

I hope that you know and understand the death and resurrection of Christ as more than a chapter in the Bible. Jesus did not die to become a few lines in a book, He died to bring new life to you and me.

Jesus by His own will suffered and died a painful death, taking on all sin upon Himself being the worst part. After this, He was raised to life never to suffer again.

We do not have any part in that suffering, we only have to say, “I do”.

I do…accept You as Lord and Savior
I do accept You died for me to pay for my sins
I do accept You rose from the dead and live forever more

Give thanks for Him

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We are Living in the Final Days…is Jesus your Savior??

You really need to see this, the end is not that far off. Are you saved? Regardless of your stance on the tribulation, the end of all things is not that far away.

I personally believe many Believers are not aware of how soon this may happen. Assuredly those who do not believe have no idea. Many Believers deny the truth that is right in front of them, things are occurring at a fast pace in the world and in the heavens. We who speak the truth are accused of being fear mongers. There is no fear here, merely a serious warning…I hope all of you reading this know Jesus. If you do not, accept Him today! 

If you hear His voice, if you are on the fence…I implore you, heed His words, accept the invitation of the Holy Spirit today. You might not have another chance! Setting aside the tribulation and the End Times, accidents happen…here today gone tomorrow. You most likely know someone who unexpectedly passed, or you know of someone who knows that someone. The point is that many people think they have time…you do not in fact know this. Today may be your last day…are taking a chance with your eternal destination? Once you die…it is to late to change your position, upon your death…you will know Jesus IS real, He IS the Lord…only then it will be to late to accept Him as your Savior. Do it now while you still have time…please!

Please head over to Vine of Life News and read the article, then watch the video all the way through to the end…then decide for yourself. We (Vine of Life staff) are committed to getting the word out about the End Times and what is currently happening. We would see all people saved.

God Bless
Greg

http://vineoflife.net/2013/03/17/prophecy-update-exciting-times/

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Do you know the truth?

Truth, a very relative term these days. What exactly is the truth anyway? Who defines this “truth”?

The way of the world is to make truth anything you the individual thinks it ought to be at any given time.

I say, and not I but the Lord…there is only One Truth, and that is God. The Truth of God is in the Bible, and the Lord Himself IS Truth. This simple concept needs to be taught today…shouted from the rooftops in fact!

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A Change of Season

It is almost that time again, at least for some of us. Time for the season to change, goodbye winter, hello spring. Some things about winter are alright, but not much.

Just as the seasons change, we also change. Have you changed for the better? What could you do to bring about a positive change in your life?

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The Word of God

The Word of God is an amazing resource, filled with all we need as Believers to live a life that is pleasing to God.

The Word only has one drawback to it that I can see, you actually have to open it and read it for the Word to be of any use to you.

Did you spend any time in the Bible today?

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From Worship to War

By Greg Laurie

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013

  Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.”
 



Wherever the apostle Paul went, something was happening. Usually it was either a conversion or a riot. But there seldom was a dull moment.

In Acts 14, we find Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, preaching to people who turned from worship to war. The Greek culture was filled with many gods. And there was a tradition in Lystra that the gods Zeus and Hermes once came to earth, incognito. When they arrived in Lystra, they asked for food and lodging, but everyone refused them. Finally, an old peasant took in these two gods, and all the inhospitable neighbors were drowned in a flood that was sent by the vengeful gods. The peasant and his wife were blessed by their gods, and their humble cottage was turned into a great temple. After their deaths, they were turned into two stately trees.

This was folklore, but the people believed it. So when Paul and Barnabas came along, and God was performing miracles through them, the people thought Zeus and Hermes had returned. So they began to worship them. But their worship turned to war: “Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe” (Acts 14:19–20).

G. Campbell Morgan said, “Organized Christianity that fails to make a disturbance is dead.” I think sometimes that instead of our turning the world upside down, the world is turning us upside down. Instead of us impacting our culture, our culture is impacting us. What we need more of today is a holy disturbance. And if we are not making a disturbance, then something isn’t right.

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Looking for Angels: Healing in a Hurting World

This song just reads “today” in so many ways, I imagine that is why John wrote it.
There seems to be so much unrest and anger in the world. There is for sure a plethora of drugs and alcohol to dim the pain. For you see…the drugs and the booze only temporarily damp down the feelings of rage, of worthlessness. The deep seated insecurities within people are never far from the surface, the fear of failure, always lurks just beneath every choice. Thoughts are all consuming, peace a fantasy.

Today’s teens are as never before pummeled with a never ending array of choices, many of them bad ones. Teen are also faced with parents who have high expectations…or worse yet no expectations at all. You think a parent that has no expectations is freeing to the youth…think again. Ask them how they feel about that.

The world has changed, it has changed into this crazy array of technology and stuff that has NOT made life so much better, rather it has made life so much busier. There are social websites galore…you have to belong to many you know. Now some of these sites are even (Klout) tied into your future job prospects! Before Tech reigned supreme…the world had more time, and people were more relaxed.

Adults are not immune either, the world moves at a faster and faster pace, some of this is intended for our ill. To much to do means in many cases God gets left out and Satan wins a victory. Get with God, do it today…right now!

The answer to the pain, the misery, the world’s suffering…all that is wrong. The drugs, the drinking, the anger…the killing and violence. It all has its solution in one place…Jesus Christ.

Read the words to this Skillet song, they are good. Then listen to it…

May God bless you, strengthen you, and give you peace, in Jesus name, Amen

“Looking For Angels”

Going through this life looking for Angels
People passing by, looking for Angels.

Walk this world alone try to stay on my feet

Sometimes crawl, fall, but I stand up cause I’m afraid to sleep
And open my eyes to a new day, with all new problems and all new pain
All the faces are filled with so much anger
Losing our dignity and hope from fear of danger
After all the wars, after settling the scores, at the break of dawn we will be deaf to the answers

There’s so much bigotry, misunderstanding and fear
With eyes squinted and fists clinched we reach out for what is dear
We want it we want
We want a reason to live
We’re on a pilgrimage
A crusade for hope
Cause in our hearts and minds and souls we know

We need it we need
We need more than this

[Chorus:]
Going through this life looking for angels
People passing by looking for angels
Walking down the streets looking for angels
Everyone I meet looking for angels

So many nations with so many hungry people
So many homeless scrounging around for dirty needles
On the rise, teen suicide, when we will realize
we’ve been desensitized by the lies of the world
We’re oppressed and impressed by the greedy
Whose hands squeeze the life out of the needy
When will we learn that wars, threats, and regrets are the cause and effect of living in fear

Who can help protect the innocence of our children
Stolen on the internet with images they can’t forget
We want it we want
We want a reason to live
We represent a generation that wants to turn back a nation
To let love be our light and salvation

We need it we need
We need more than this

[Chorus]

I became a savior to some kids I’ll never meet
Sent a check in the mail to buy them something to eat
What will you do to make a difference, to make a change?

What will you do to help someone along the way?
Just a touch, a smile as you turn the other cheek
Pray for your enemies, humble yourself, love’s staring back at me
In the midst of the most painful faces
Angels show up in the strangest of places

[Chorus]

[4x]
Walking down the streets looking for angels
Everyone I meet looking for angels

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The end is near: things you just have to know now!

©2013 πίστις

Some of what I will say here might ruffle a few feathers, but I am not writing to be popular, I am writing to teach the truth of God’s Word.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, there can be no doubt that the end of all things, as we know it is soon to come. The return of Christ is really not that far off, within the lifetime of many of us I think.

No one knows the date of Christ’s return, and if anyone claims to, you can be sure that such a person is deceived. That being said, there are many of us who do believe the return of the Lord will be soon, possibly even within the next ten years…remember I said possibly. I do not know when Jesus is coming, nor do I claim any special knowledge of that coming. If however you are paying attention to the world around you, and you are at all a student of prophecy…then you will see that things are coming to a head and rather quickly.

Look at what is in the news these days, how about this recent article and cover for Newsweek? Now I’m not suggesting that Obama is the Antichrist, but is it not rather telling to see something like this in print?

The world is actively looking for something, for someone to lead and solve the world’s woes. The media elevates people of their choosing to positions of near godhood. Unfortunately the media is filled with people that are not only ignorant and self deceived, but are only interested in “the story” (let me say here as a disclaimer that all media people are not like this). Ratings are king, anything for ratings and to make a name for oneself. Unfortunately these same folks cannot seem to understand that they are propagating a lie that will in time become a reality.

To finish reading this article, please head over to http://vineoflife.net/2013/01/19/the-end-is-near-things-you-just-have-to-know-now/


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Joseph, Jesus, and the Key to Your Choices: Genesis 49:22-26

Make Good Choices Jesus Joseph Genesis 49To see the previous post from Genesis, go to Can God Use a Sinner Like You, or Like Me?

Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel

Genesis 49:22-24

Joseph

Joseph endured a difficult life. Described as “archers” in this passage, Joseph faced arrows of persecution from his own siblings–they plotted to murder him, then they settled for selling him into slavery. So he was separated from his family, while he served as a slave in Egypt. Then he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, after which, he was tossed into a dungeon–for years.

In this great new article by Kurt from bennett’s blog, Kurt dives right in on why some of us make wrong choices and what we can do to fix that. We do nor have to continue making poor choices, we can do better!

To finish reading this article, please head over to http://kurtbennettbooks.com/2013/01/12/joseph-jesus-and-the-source-of-power-for-choices-genesis-4922-26/


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Carry My Cross…

Carry My Cross

by Third Day

As long as I remember
I’ve been walking through the wilderness
Praying to the Father
And waiting for my time
I’ve come here with a mission
And soon I’ll give my life for this world

I’m praying in the garden
And I’m looking for a miracle
I find the journey hard but
It’s the reason I was born
Can this cup be passed on
Lord, I pray your will be done
In this world

So I’ll carry my cross
And I’ll carry the shame
To the end of the road
Through the struggle and pain
And I’ll do it for love
No, it won’t be in vain
Yes, I’ll carry my cross
And I’ll carry the shame

I feel like I’m alone here
And I’m treated like a criminal
The time has come for me now
Even though I’ve done no wrong
Father, please forgive them
They know not what they’ve done
In this world

Three more days and I’ll be coming back again
Three more days and I’ll be coming back again

 

Warning, this video is graphic (Passion of the Christ)

 


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Living Water…Drink Deeply

Grant oh Lord a well within
A Living well of abundance
Water with no end

Living water that refreshes
A wellspring that flows forever more
Never to run dry

Bless me oh Lord
Bequeath to me your Spirit
Living within the heart, yet never contained

A spirit guided by the Spirit
Let the Spirit rule over all
Let the flesh be subservient to this Spirit

May the Spirit reign in me
May the water overflow
The Living water into other vessels in need

The Living water flows
Reflecting a light so bright
Dazzling to behold

The brightness of Christ
Yes Christ and no other
Light on a hill

The Spirit guides
The water flows
My spirit knows


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Missing the Point

By Greg Laurie

 

  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
 

Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, had a ravenous hunger for knowledge and wanted to be as devout as possible. As a Pharisee, he worked his way up the ranks and became a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was like the Supreme Court of that day. With this honor, he would have enjoyed great fame and influence.

However, it could be said that Saul was both famous and, ultimately, infamous. He felt that the followers of the Nazarene known as Jesus were dangerous. He thought they needed to be wiped off the face of the earth. So he made it his mission in life to hunt them down. But he didn’t stop with the Christians who were in his area or jurisdiction. He got extradition papers from the high priest and actually set out for Damascus, which was 140 miles from Jerusalem.

Although it was an arduous and difficult journey, Saul was so filled with hatred that he would go anywhere to find Christians and stop them. He later wrote that he did this ignorantly in unbelief (see 1 Timothy 1:13). 

It is hard to understand how a religious person can also be a hateful person. But sometimes people who claim to be devout can be very mean and actually use their religion as a means to destroy. That certainly was a description of Saul.

It can be very frustrating to have to deal with fellow Christians who try to undermine us or hinder us sometimes. But as Vance Havner pointed out, “If we are too busy using our sickles on one another, we’re going to miss the harvest.”

When we are so busy with infighting and arguing over minor points, we can miss the big picture of a lost world that needs to hear the gospel.


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Just A Quick Moment For Us To Worship Together

Originally from: Vine of Life News

A stirring song of worship to the Lord, the sax playing is just beautiful…you want to hear this!

IF THIS DOESN’T BRING YOU INTO THE ANOINTING, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL! PLEASE, WON’T YOU WORSHIP WITH ME FOR JUST A MOMENT?

ALSO INCLUDES THE SAXOPHONE! POWERFUL! BEAUTIFUL!


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Trust in the Lord Today, the End is not far Away!

Trust in the Lord right away, wait not another day
The end is near, the prophecies are clear
Watch and observe, be ready and serve

Israel’s friends disappear, enemies from afar have become near
Peace is talked about, but the absence of conflict is in grave doubt
Time is short; Israel desperately needs a strong fort

Each day, we move throughout the fray
Forces are arrayed; by evil’s spirits people are betrayed
Satan reigns on Earth; the time is coming when things shall be worse

The prophecies speak; things indeed look bleak
Society has become murky; righteousness is seen as quirky
Light is receding with the encroachment of dark; evil is striving to make its mark

The time draws near; let no one tell you when it will be here
The wise servant watches the sky; that the coming of the One will not pass him by
Wisdom says be ready for the King; fools say there is no such thing

Be wise and proceed with reason, for under the sun all things have a season
The world says all is well, no need to worry about some silly story of Hell
Trust in the world not, you must decide to be a part of it or not

The wise will hear, the discerning will fear
The simple will sneer; surely the end is nowhere near

Be not simple but think it through, this need not be the end for you
Fall on your knees, ask the Father please
Accept Jesus as Lord, forgiveness is yours

Serve Adonai now with grateful heart, it shall be noted in heaven’s great chart
The book of life is open to all, yet you need to accept the Lord as your all
Return to He who gave life, seek not to spend time with the bringer of strife

Do not tarry, travel with haste but be wary
Your trip must begin, with the spirit within
Pledge your allegiance not to the herd, but be in step with the Word


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Even If…the Healing Never comes

From: Kutless – Even If

Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn’t come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone

You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn’t come

Lord we know your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us
We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are

You’re still the Great and Mighty One
We trust You always
You’re working all things for our good
We’ll sing your praise

Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn’t come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn’t come

Lord we know your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us
We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are

You’re still the Great and Mighty One
We trust You always
You’re working all things for our good
We’ll sing your praise

Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn’t come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even if the healing
Even if the healing doesn’t come

Lord we know your ways are not our ways
So we set our faith in who You are
Even though You reign high above us
You tenderly love us
We know Your heart
And we rest in who You are

You’re still the Great and Mighty One
We trust You always
You’re working all things for our good
We’ll sing your praise


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The Exodus-Do You Have the Blood of the Lamb On Your Door Post?

Lyn Leahz, 2012

wrath_of_god

I was reading a post by a fellow blogger, which I’m pasting below here for your viewing. As I was reading it, something came to me…the Exodus and the ten plagues of Egypt. Let me explain.

The Pharoah was an evil king, and God’s people were in bondage to him. He refused to let God’s people go, and as a result, God brought judgment down on Egypt.

So here were the Israelites living in bondage to Egypt as God’s judgment came upon the Egyptians. However, the tenth plague was the death of the firstborn child of the Egyptians. God commanded the Israelites put the blood of a lamb on their doorpost so that when the death angel came (Abaddon) he would pass over their house and no person in their home would be harmed.

If they did not have the blood of that lamb on their doorpost, then the fate of the Egyptians would also come upon them.

Friends, we are living in the days spoken of in Revelation. Our King is holding God’s people in bondage, and God is mad! We are going to witness some nasty things. We will not be exempt from all the suffering. However, I believe God showed us something very important in the Exodus account: We are His people living in bondage to an evil government…an evil world! His judgment is beginning to pour out because of the sin of the nations!

WE all need to be aware of what is going on today, far to many are not. The end is coming sooner than you think, Christ warned to be watchful…many today including Christians are not watching!

You can finish reading this article here: http://vineoflife.net/2012/12/23/the-exodus-do-you-have-the-blood-of-the-lamb-on-your-door-post/


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A Short Important Message On Prayer & Salvation

Presidential Prayer Team 12/20/12   

“Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel .” 2 Timothy 1:10 

For the past several months, Christians and unbelievers alike have been focused on issues such as abortion, gun control, same-sex marriage and freedom of speech…. Attention has been turned away from the main matter, which is in today’s verse:

Jesus abolished death. That should be top headline news today and throughout eternity. 

Keep reading, there is more to this then you think….a few wonderful words by Max Lucado.

To finish reading, please head over to: http://vineoflife.net/2012/12/22/a-short-important-message-on-prayer-salvation/