Posted on 06/09/2018 5:36:42 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
If you want to help the rapid spread of Christianity in China, here is a great charity to support:
This charity has an astonishing Souls/Dollar ratio. A small donation goes a long way.
Do you yourself, O Loving King, be present now also through the descent of your Holy Spirit and hallow this water (3). And give to it the Grace of Redemption, the Blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a loosing of sins, a healing of sicknesses, a destruction of demons, unapproachable by hostile powers, filled with angelic might; and let them that take counsel together against Your creature flee there from, for I have called upon Your Name, O Lord, which is wonderful, and glorious, and terrible unto adversaries.
Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the signing of your most precious cross. (3)
We pray You, O Lord, let every airy and invisible specter withdraw itself from us, and let not a demon of darkness conceal himself in this water; neither let an evil spirit, bringing obscurity of purpose and rebellious thoughts, descend into it with him (her) that is about to be baptized.
But do You, O Master of All, declare this water to be water of redemption, water of sanctification, a cleansing of flesh and spirit, a loosing of bonds, a forgiveness of sins, an illumination of soul, a laver of regeneration, a renewal of the spirit, a gift of sonship, a garment of incorruption, a fountain of life. For You have said, O Lord: "Wash, and be clean; put away evil from your souls."
You have bestowed upon us regeneration from on high by water and the spirit. Manifest Yourself, O Lord, in this water, and grant that he (she) that is to be baptized may be transformed therein to the putting away of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and to the putting on of the new, which is renewed according to the Image of Him that created him (her).
That, being planted in the likeness of Your death through Baptism, he (she) may become a sharer of Your Resurrection; and, preserving the Gift of Your Holy Spirit, and increasing the deposit of Grace, he (she) may attain unto prize of his (her) high calling, and accounted among the number of the first-born, whose names are written in Heaven, in You our God and Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be all Glory and Might, together with Your Eternal Father and with Your All; Holy, Good, and Life; creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
I listened to a Voice of the Martyrs pod cast once. A fellow named Ali was asked about his experiences sharing the Gospel in Iran. He claimed that it was thrilling because of the risk and asked that when we pray for closed countries that we pray that the countries will remain closed and that we should pray that those who share God’s message of salvation and peace be hidden from the eyes of the enemy. That is how I pray today. I guess that the light is brightest when the room is completely dark.
Duh.
Wow, that’s amazing. I’d never heard the rest of the Serenity Prayer. I love it.
[[In particular, they were more likely to endorse values like helpfulness, honesty, and forgiveness after converting.]]
That’s what happens when a person’s heavy heavy burden of sins is lifted away from them- They appreciate the fact that, although they were unworthy, God redeemed them and set them free from the captivity of their sins- A Heavy burden is lifted, and the person rejoices and wants ot share that awesome experience with others-
Many thanks for posting this in its entirety !
Of course, when a serial killer stops, it's usually because they have been caught, put in jail for something else, or they are dead.
Not in this case. The investigators tracked down the wife and found out they had divorced and he had moved to Hawaii. Then, all the killing started. He visited the mainland to attend his son's high school graduation and then 3 days later his son was killed in a car accident. Shortly after that, the man became a born-again Christian.
That was the reason the investigators were never able to find another killing with his signature....because he stopped killing after his conversion...just like Saul did when he became Paul.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
I think the spiritual nourishment that Christianity affords is responsible for the greater comfort the converts experience. Expression of this comfort in the form of kindness, generosity and adopting a moral compass is an outcome.
Thanks for posting the serenity prayer. I’m guessing they remember the first part because it is easy to remember by any and all. I am going to print it out, as I often repeat the first part to help me through the day, along with the simple words: “This too shall pass.” Occasionally, my mom’s words come to me “Life is difficult, get over it and get on with it.”
Thanks, I realized that in Sunday school a couple of weeks ago. I’m the ‘teacher’ of the 65-75 age group. They teach me more than I teach them.
In this, like with all things, Jesus is the OEM, but Satan is the master of malware.
The world is like the internet, and if we plug into the world unprotected, we will become infected with Satan’s malware, just like Adam and Eve were.
However, if your inner computer subscribes to and receives the free Daily Bread downloads, your software will be cleaned, disinfected and returned to OEM functionality.
Staying constantly connected to The Source is the best defense of all.
“Would the same psychological changes occur if a person is converted to another religion, a cult, or a non-religion (e.g., atheism)?”
Same? Meaning what? Changing to the good psychological values of Christianity? Not, if they were converting to something else. Then they would take on the psychological values of whatever ideology to which they converted. One non-Christian ideology in particular would increase a convert’s aggression, dominance, superiority and tendency toward violence, which has been witnessed since the inception of said ideology and it isn’t the Amish.
Thanks RoosterRedux.
...everybody’s looking for something... :)>>>
Yes but instead or being saved is it not OK just to be suaved? :-)
A condition that may be even further out of reach for me! lol
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