Mantofa Articles Directory

Are you tired of those who claim to be tolerant but tolerate everything EXCEPT Christianity? It’s amazing how the saving message of Jesus Christ causes such a strong reaction among the politically correct crowd. Almost every vestige of Christianity has been stripped from the culture.

But one place they can’t strip it is off your back.

That’s why the wearing of Christian clothing and Christian jewelry has caught on so powerfully among believers who want to share their faith and counter the anti-God culture. Christian T-Shirts are hugely popular, with messages taken straight from the Bible emblazed across the front and back in brght and bold shirts with very creative designs.

T-shirts became a cultural phenomenon back in the Sixties. Today, they are a part of the social fabric of our world. They’re used for advertising, for marketing, to make a statement, to tell the world your politics, your position on social issues or just to make people smile. So it’s no wonder that Christians saw the opportunity, too.

The average T-Shirt is seen by 3,000 people during its life of wear. That’s a huge audience and the number of Christian T-Shirts in use today now reaches the millions. Christian clothing and Christian apparel is found in shopping center kiosks, at Christian bookstores and through several dozen online stores that usually offer huge selections… some with literally hundreds of designs.

Talk about an effective evangelism tool! Christian T-Shirts come in all sizes and styles, from toddlers to triple extra large adult sizes. There are designs for teens, women and kids and many are creative parodies of cultural icons. There are even Christian biker T-Shirts.

This year, long-sleeved Christian shirts and Christian sweatshirts and Christian hoodies have taken off. Same with Christian caps and hats.

The other big trend is in Christian jewelry. It started in the 1980’s with an explosion in Christian crosses worn around the neck. Now they’ve been joined by Christian bracelets, Christian headbands, Christian sliders, Christian rings, Christian watches and Christian earrings.

We live in a casual society where T-Shirts are worn almost everywhere. But some offices, schools and workplaces prohibit T-Shirts during working hours. That’s where Christian jewelry comes in.

Christian jewelry can be worn everywhere. Especially popular are Christian rings, which typically come in Sterling Silver and have attractive designs like the Crown of Thorns or a cut-out cross.

So while it may seem like the culture has conspired to keep the Christian message out of everyday life, there are ways to counter that intolerance by sharing your faith in a way that speaks just as loudly as a billboard.

Although we noted that some places prohibit T-shirts, we should also point out that is changing rapidly. Just look around your school or workplace, for example.

Casual dress is the latest rage these days in the workplace. While ratty-looking clothes are never appropriate, a clean T-Shirt, worn under a jacket, is downright fashionable. Most Christian T-Shirts have distinctive and attractive designs, come in dark colors that look well in most situations.

During non-working hours, Christian T-Shirts can be worn by themselves or with a another shirt, unbuttoned, as the top layer. There are also Christian sweatshirts, long-sleeved shirts and even hoodies. The bottom line here is that Christian clothing and apparel fits in almost everywhere.

Wear your witness on your back. Get the message out with a Christian T-Shirt or some Christian jewelry. They speak powerfully to a culture that needs to hear like never before.

Lots of time, you don’t have to say anything. Someone will comment on your short, often in agreement or, more often, by asking, “what does that mean?”

That’s your opportunity to be able to share the gospel. You can explain a Bible verse. Tell the quesytioner the context of the message as explained in scripture or just let them know how you came to Christ, what a difference He has made in your life and how anyone can find forgiveness and true purpose.

It all starts with the shirt. What a great opportunity!

The author is publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com) Christian clothing and jewelry Web portal.

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world!

A bright light in the form of a snow white dove descended the pinnacle of Heaven landing on the curly dark brown head of Jesus Christ. A sparkle of recognition immediately formed on His face as a flash of remembrance ignited warming His soul.

From this moment on, things would be different for He had a mission from His Heavenly father that He must fulfill. A call that demanded that He needed to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God that would inspire Him to help the lost.

Determined, He walked out of the Baptismal water wrapping His cloak around Him, and was led into the desert to pray and fast. For forty days God opened up the scriptures of prophecy predicted about Him.

At the end of the forty days when Jesus was hungry and His strength was fading Satan saw His opportunity to tempt Him. Jesus, knowing all the pain and suffering He would endure during His ministry, refused to allow Satan to turn Him away from God.

Satan tried to tempt Jesus into allowing food to be His god. He was tempted to harm Himself just to see if God would really rescue Him from death. Last of all, Satan tempted Jesus by promising to give Him all the power and riches of the whole world if He would just bow down and worship him.

In His most weakened human state, Jesus faced temptation down, and passed every test a man would face in this world. Satan snarled and was forced to flee as God’s Angels hurriedly became visible and immediately strengthened Jesus.

Matthew 4:11, “Then the Devil left Jesus; and angels came and helped him.”

Jesus had to convince God’s chosen children to believe that He was the Messiah. They needed to place their faith in Him by seeing the power of God working in His life through the extraordinary miracles He would perform.

They needed to believe in the impossible so they would be willing to be baptized and later receive the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit. They would have to believe that Jesus was more than a man, He was Superman!

A new teaching was dawning and a new concept of how to play the complicated game of life was about to be revealed. No longer would the Law be the only means by which people would be saved. Now an easier path would be laid giving people the ability to be instantly forgiven for their sins.

The Law explained the concept of sin, but believing in Jesus opens up the easy path of grace. Now we only had to believe in Jesus’ name and be baptized. Placing our faith in Jesus would usher in a new day where God’s Holy Spirit would be within each person.

John 3:5-8, “‘I am telling you the truth,’replied Jesus, ‘that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’”

Nicodemus was a highly respected Pharisee. He knew all the Laws of Moses and He applied them and taught them rigorously. He came to Jesus in secret because he understood prophecy and believed that He was the promised Messiah.

He expected Jesus to talk about revolutionary ideas. Like taking back the Jewish people’s country from the Romans, instead Jesus was talking about the wind and comparing it to how the Spirit influences the lives of men.

Nicodemus was mystified and questioned Jesus over and over again about who this Spirit was. Jesus was surprised at his lack of knowledge of spiritual things.

John 3: 11-13, “I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”

Jesus had to get Nicodemus and all people to think beyond their present situation. They needed to see how this world interacted with a unseen spiritual world. Then they would understand why they needed the supernatural working power of the Holy Spirit.

They needed to understand how the Spirit would give them the ability to fight beyond a normal human’s limited capabilities. This is why Jesus preformed miracles. This is why Jesus Christ was to be more than a man to all people. He was Superman.

We all have enjoyed shows about Superman. How he was impenetrable by bullets and stronger than any man alive. How he rescued people who were about to fall off of high buildings or be crushed by a freight train or car. We sat on the edge of our seats anticipating how he would once again defeat the evil villains who were determined to rule the world.

Superman, although he was powerful and strong, could only be at one place at a time. Jesus Christ Superman can be every where all over the world, all of the time. When we place our faith in Him we have the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not come as a commander of a legion of men, rather he came as a commander of a greater more powerful army. He came to help people to stand up and fight against Satan and his spiritual army of demons.

1 Peter 5: 8-10, “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.”

Jesus’ saving power of grace level’s the playing field. The Spirit gives Him a greater influence with every human being. The Spirit becomes a teacher within each of us and helps us to win our daily life battles.

The Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus Christ gives us the power to fight against the unseen world of demons. He helps us to resist Satan who is the real villain of the world. Jesus Christ, Superman is the Savior of the world!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com

There’s a new disease out there affecting almost everyone in today’s world: It’s called busy-itus.

Almost everyone is over committed and over scheduled. And that means when it comes to the church and helping others, finding the time to do so becomes a major burden for many.

How much do you care about the church?

About God’s people? How much of your time is spent helping, giving and praying for your church? A lot of people give money to the church but much less give themselves.

There are a lot of reasons that move people to give to the church. I know that some people give as a write-off so that they will get a break on the taxes they pay to the government. If that is your only motive for giving, it is not a proper one.

A tax write-off is just not enough. That is not going to help you any with God.

Some people give to the church to gain a reputation for giving.

The Bible talks about giving a lot. We are to tithe, or give off the top of what we received. We are supposed to be involved in ministry, or service to the church. And we are to pray, for our fellow believers, our spiritual leaders and our church itself.

The Bible has lots of examples about those who had the wrong attitudes about giving.

It is striking that the very first death recorded in the church occurred when a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, decided they would gain a reputation for giving that they did not really deserve. In the fifth chapter of Acts we read that other people were giving property.

This couple thought they would get in on the honor and prestige that was being heaped on those who generously gave, so they gave some of the proceeds from tome land they sold. But they pretended that they gave all of it when they really did not.

When the Holy Spirit dealt with that hypocritical kind of giving he dealt very severely with it.

Some people give because they were afraid of dying and they want to make Brownie points with God.

There have been people who give hundreds of thousands of dollars because they felt it would help them in their standing before God at the judgment seat. But they were not giving to help the cause of God or the church. They gave because they thought they could buy God’s favor.

All these are wrong motives.

When it comes to giving, motive is more important than the amount.

God is not so interested in how much you give the church, but why you give. Do you love the church? That is the example we have from Christ.

More than 24 million seniors collectively volunteer 6 billion hours each year in the United States. Researchers at the University of Michigan recently discovered that the survival rate of seniors who volunteered 40 or more hours a year for a single cause was 40 percent greater than that of non-volunteers.

“Seniors who volunteer say it improves their health, life satisfaction, and social well-being,” says Donna Thurmond, director of Senior Services for Volunteers of America.

That’s just one example of why serving and giving and ministry is not only pleasing to God but good for us.

We are supposed to serve because it’s somehow wired into our spiritual DNA.
Not to give and serve and pray is to turn our backs on God.

And that is never a good idea.

The author is publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com) Christian clothing and jewelry Web portal.

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At about three o’clock Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

Matthew 27:51-54, “The curtain hanging in the Temple was tore in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died were raised to life. They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them.
When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, ‘He really was the Son of God!’”

Joseph a rich man and Nicodemus, who at first had gone to see Jesus at night, came and took the body of Jesus. They prepared the body according to Jewish customs and laid it in a newly dug out tomb. They rolled a large stone over the entrance and Pilate posted two guards.

Three days later on Sunday morning suddenly there was a large earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down and rolled the stone away from the Tomb. Women went to the tomb and when they saw it was empty they ran and told the disciples the news.

Peter and John ran to the tomb and left after seeing that Jesus was not there, but Mary stayed crying. Suddenly two angels appeared in clothes as bright as lightning and stated that Jesus was alive! Then Mary turned around and saw Jesus!

John 20:15-17, “‘Woman, why are you crying?’ Jesus asked her. ‘Who is it that you are looking for?’
She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, ‘If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him,’
Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’
She turned toward him and said teacher.
‘Do not hold on to me,’ Jesus told her, ‘because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father, and their Father, my God and their God.’

Later that evening Jesus appeared before the disciples.

John 20: 19b-22, “‘Peace be with you,’ he said. After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’”

Jesus’ resurrection changed the game of life. Suddenly the disciples were given the same power as Jesus. As they went through their own game of life they had the ability to also forgive the sins of those who trespassed against them.

Jesus was condemned over and over again by the Pharisees when He openly forgave a person’s sin and then healed them. Now giving them this power enabled the disciples to be on the same level game field with God’s Son.

Jesus’ death and resurrection brought in the supernatural powers of the Holy Spirit. Early in Jesus’ ministry He sent out 72 men to go ahead of Him to the villages He was about to go.

Luke 10: 17-20, “The seventy-two men came back in great joy. ‘Lord,’ they said, ‘even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!’
Jesus answered them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you. But don’t be glad because the evil spirits obey you; rather be glad because your names are written in heaven.’”

Every word that came from Jesus’ mouth revealed the game of life. Every teaching He illustrated in parables showed the struggle we would face against the unseen wicked spiritual forces. But through the power of the name of Jesus all men have the ability to accomplish the same as Him.

Hebrews 2:14&15, “Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of fear of death.”

When we surrender to do the will of God we are changed into different people who have the ability to stand up to the sufferings and temptation of the world. Our faith in Jesus as our Savior gives us supernatural strength to become fearless even if it means death.

This is the reason why as Christians we are different when we face sicknesses of all kinds. Because we fight the disease with faith that even if we die from it, we will have a reward for Praising God during the entire time of our testing.

We have read stories of prisoners of war who stood before their torturers and overcame the pain, while Praising God that they were worthy to suffer for His sake. Many stories have been proclaimed concerning men and women who stood firm in their faith in China and Arab countries. Each refused to denounce their belief in Jesus and as a result were put to death.

Christians are different because we know within our spirits that we are fighting battles against the evil workings of Satan. So our knowledge of Jesus Christ and the power of His name gives us the ability to be strong no matter what happens to us.

Jesus Christ Superman, the Savior of the World, conquered every evil thing that can reach into a person’s life and corrupt them. His resurrection empowered all Christians with the ability to face war, famine, disease, acts of nature, lose of loved ones, and injustices of all kinds with fearless faith in Jesus’ name.

Believing in Jesus Christ allows us the freedom to face anything because we know that our lives here are temporary. We are convinced that we will share Jesus’ Glory in heaven and have an eternity free from pain.

We must have a Savior in order to win in this great battle! To not have God is to lose the game of life. To not place our faith in Jesus is to lose our purpose. To live in the world for what it has to give us is to be completely and forever lost.

Jesus Christ, Superman is my Savior and He can be yours too, if you will only believe! You will be saved!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com

Here’s an important question to answer: right now, if you really needed some help, how many friends do you have that you could call who you know would mimmediately be there for you?

Still thinking?

This is not good!

You were not made to go it alone.

God created us for relationships with others.

Have you ever realized that four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the remaining six deal with our relationship to each other. All 10 are about relationships.

The most important relationship is a personal relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ . But we are also supposed to be connected to others.

“Bowling Alone “is the title of a popular book from a few years ago that talked about how we in the United States have become a nation of loners.

This is not good. Doctors tell us that loneliness is a major health problem. A Boston Globe story on the issue reported recently that people who are socially isolated like this but otherwise healthy are twice as likely to die as those who have friends. A similar study fund that isolated men are up to 25% more likely to die of all causes at any age versus non -isolated men. The odds for women are 33%.

George Callup’s organization says Americans are among the loneliest people on earth, with more than a third saying they fell isolated and alone.

But George Gallup tells us something else, something he personally discovered that he says is “profoundly good news.” Let me quote him:

“I want to report to you now on a trend that may be contributing to a transformation of America. You will not read about this trend in our daily newspapers or on television, yet it is a powerful undercurrent in our society that, I believe, gives us cause for encouragement about the future! This trend could be described as a sociological and spiritual phenomenon: Americans on a massive scale are rediscovering each other, and coming together regularly in small nourishing support groups, many with a spiritual dimension.”

The news Gallup discovered is so profound that he has now basically retired from his survey company’s day-to-day leadership and has devoted the remaining part of his life to the development and encouragement of small groups. George Gallup, in case you didn’t know, is a devout Christian.

Small groups are all about relationships. And that’s something that Jesus teaches in the Bible that we are to develop and nurture.

Jesus said our love for each other is to be our witness to the world.

There is nothing intimidating about a Christian small group. They’re a lot like families. Think of them as a group of friends who meet regularly to support and encourage one another and to grow in knowledge of the Lord through Bible study, prayer and application.

For most, application means reaching out and helping others, beyond their immediate circule of friends. Many groups have regular outreach projects during the year. There is no shortage of needs. Working at a food pantry, babysitting for single Moms, mentoring school kids and visiting the sick in hospitals are just a few ideas.

Interpersonal relationships bring balance to life. And the best such relationships are when we make connect with others in a basic Christian community.

That’s the small group.

If you were to count them all up, the New Testament has over 50 references to how Christians are to be connected in friendship and fellowship. Bible scholars call them the “one another” passages. For example, we’re commanded to “love one another”, to “pray for one another” and to “build up one another”.

It’s clear from the Bible that God wants us to be in regular, close fellowship with each other. But such relationships are often the first to be sacrificed to our busy schedules..
This doesn’t make sense. For relationships, not wealth or prestige or the accumulation of material things, are what matters most in life.
Now listen. That is just plain wrong. That is sinful. And I say this on the authority of the Bible.

In Matthew 22:36-40. “Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ ”

That’s called the Great Commandment.

In Matthew 28:19-20. “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ ”

That’s called the Great Commission.

Both of those commandments emphasize relationships.

Here’s the bottom line: You cannot be the mature believer God intend unless you get involved with people. You will stagnate. It is unbiblical not to be connected with others. Pastor Rick Warren in big Purpose Driven Life Book said it this way: “If you are too busy to be connected you are too busy.”

Clearly, we must make friends a priority if we are going to be obedient to God.

All this is about having friends. And being a friend. We’re commanded by Jesus to love and pray and support one another.

What better way is there than in a Christian small group?

The author is publisher of the Online Christian Shopper (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com) Christian clothing and jewelry Web portal.

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! Jesus had to be attuned to the spiritual part of life so He could do battle with more than the seen of our present day world. He had to do battle with Satan and the evil he would perpetrate on all those who would choose to follow Him.

An audience of beautiful shimmering angels stood before the magnificent throne of God. The power that emanated from the Lord God Almighty could be felt spreading a warm sensation of adoring love reverberating into the hearts of all those who stood before His presence. Millions of voices could be heard chanting.

Revelation 4:11, “‘Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For you created all things, and by your will they were given existence and life.’”

In one great swoop of fan fair an angel more beautiful than any creature appeared before the throne. With him were a group of angels clad in armor and holding weapons of war. The music of praise quieted as Lucifer spoke to God.

His words brought sounds of war into the ranks of the council of elders that surrounded God’s throne. A battle broke out in Heaven with the Devil and His Angels being cast down to earth to wage war against all those who follow the lamb of God.

Satan asked for permission to test Jesus Christ and His disciples. He desired to put negative thoughts into the minds of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law so they would be threatened by how many were following Jesus. His ultimate goal was to make the religious teachers want to put Jesus to death.

God, understanding all things, accepted Satan’s challenge to test Jesus Christ and His followers. Raising the royal scepter of imperial power, God granted Satan and his demon angels permission to leave. At once they took flight to earth possessed with a determination to defeat the Son of God and put an end to everything He was teaching the people.

The guardian angels of God’s chosen children felt a wave of alarm for the lives of their charges. They immediately sent warnings into the thoughts of the disciples. A strong defense of angels surrounded the man Jesus Christ giving Him the courage to stand up and fight against the unseen battle of demons that were determined to defeat Him before the chosen time.

Matthew 5:17-20, “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point not the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with-not until the end of all things. So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven. I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.”

The disciples understood the Laws and they followed them, but they were shocked at Jesus’ final words. How could they possibly be more righteous than the Pharisees? Jesus began again teaching them the fundamentals of placing their faith in Him and asking Him to forgive them for their sins.

Jesus was laying the foundation for His disciples concerning the rules behind the game of life. At the time of Moses the rules of engagement in the game of life depended on how closely a person knew and practiced every Law. Now that Jesus would be the sacrifice for all sins the Law changed to that of grace.

This new teaching enables all God’s children to fight individually for God. Suddenly a different kind of world arose giving people the ability to stand up against the supernatural unseen world that wars against every person’s life.

The Law is the rule book for the game of life for all people. At the end of all things, those who do not place their faith in Jesus will be judged according to the Law. But those who have the Spirit of God written in their hearts will have the freedom that comes with God becoming their rule book separate from the Law.

Hebrews 8: 10&11, “Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the last days to come, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. None of them will have to teach his fellow citizen or tell his fellow countryman, ‘Know the Lord.’ For they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.”

This new teaching gave every child of God the ability to disregard the Law if that is what they had to do in order to win a battle against Satan. The Law locks people into behaving a certain way but grace allows all people the freedom to make a choice that may be contrary to the Law.

Now they could eat any kind of food without being condemned. Now they had the power to love their children who were born with deformities because their weaknesses were no longer considered sin. Now they had the ability to love their neighbor instead of judging them. Grace gave them the power to be a Law within themselves. Laws that allowed them to love even the Gentile nations that ruled their country.

Placing their faith in Jesus as the Savior of the world opened up a whole different way to view their world. The disciples were mystified at the power of the Holy Spirit and how it could change the circumstances of all people’s lives. They Praised God! Jesus Immediately explained the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:18-23, “Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don’t last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don’t bear fruit. And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it; they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.”

Lucifer and his evil angels pelted Jesus and His followers with weapons of disappointment, loss, and temptation. With the knowledge of God’s grace, each wound was miraculously healed and in it’ place grew a spiritual armor of protection.

Being aware of the inner, spiritual battle, we too can learn from life’s tragedies and find healing for our wounds when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, Superman, the Savior of the world. With each lesson learned, with each wound inflicted, we are being tailored an armor which will protect us, and defend us against Satan’s arrows of deceit.

Jesus Christ, Superman opened up a new way to view life separate from the teachings of the Pharisees. He allowed people to love all people. He revealed truths that are found in understanding that our world is more than the seen. We are at War doing battle against spiritual forces who want to defeat us in the greatest game that has ever been played.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com

Whether a Bible teacher, a small group leader or the facilitator of a Sunday School class, Christian leadership brings lots of challenges.

We all get tired. Most Christian leaders are volunteers, meaning they have “day jobs” and family responsibilities and jam-packed schedules. But God intends your service and leadership to be joyful. He has raised you up to do the very task before you. So, knowing that true fulfillment comes from being in God’s will, remember your call to leadership. God didn’t bring you to this place of leadership to fail

That said, here are five practical suggestions - along with some scriptural encouragement and wisdom - that will help you succeed.

Step #1: Pace yourself - See Heb 12:1, 1Thes 5:8, Eph 5:15 it’s human nature to wait to the last minute. Don’t. Plan your time. Understand that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. Identify your priorities, break them down into tasks and prayerfully commit them to God.

Similarly, be selective in accepting invitations to take on more work. Pray before saying yes. Know that even God rested. Your “down time” is not a luxury. It’s critically important to your physical, mental and spiritual health. Follow jesus’ example of prayer and solitude.

Step #2: Know what your job is… and what it isn’t - See Gal. 1:10, Luke 6:40 One job all Christian leaders have is to be an example. Let your lifestyle be one of evangelism and integrity. Know that people are watching. We teach by more than words so look atb your life carefully, as if you were the only Bible some people read.

You are also to be an encourager and a guide. Don’t be a stern taskmaster. Let your words build up.

You are not a fixer. Unless you have been trained and are serving as a counselor, most leaders are facilitators, teachers, mentors.

Step #3: Recognize your limitations - 2 Cor 13:5, Psalm 139:24

You will make mistakes. Understand that. learn from them. If you have hurt others, apologize promptly and seek forgiveness. Don’t let mistakes bring you down. Use them to build you up. Experience is a great teacher and we learn more from failure than success. SImilarly, be quick to forgive others when they make mistakes or hurt you.

Set goals. Work to learn more, gain wisdom and experience. Write down those goals. Identify your weaknesses and then figure out how to turn them to strengths.

Step #4: realize there is a cost - Phil 1:29, Luke 10:2

God has called you to a ministry. But realize that ministry is work. It requires lots of time. Something will have to go. Weed out from your life the distractions and pursuits that needlessly drain your energy and steal your time like too much TV watching or Internet surfing.

Also know that whenever a Christian steps up to leadership, Satan gets upset. Christian leaders have targets on their back. Satan does not want you serving. You will be criticized, sometimes with cause, often with out. The world will think you nuts. realize it just goes with the territory. Like Jesus said, if the world hated Him, how can we who follow Him expect anything different?

Step #5: Realize you will be blessed - 2 Cor 9:6, 2 Cor 9:10, John 4:36

As we said at the beginning, God has placed you in your role as a leader. That means he has planned your success. We may not see how or understand this side of heaven what’s happening but it is no accident you are serving where you are.

That means that the people you lead should be looked at as a gift from God. Just as it’s no accident you are where you are, its no accident that they are under your leading. Treasure them protect them. Shepherd them.

Know that God doesn’t make mistakes. Your leading will bring blessings.

The author is publisher of the Christian Statement (http://www.christianstatement.com) Christian Statement evangelism site.

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! “Roll the stone away, Lazarus come out!” Commanded Jesus. Immediately Lazarus walked out from his rocky crypt pulling the grave clothes away from His face while taking a deep gulp of fresh air.

John 11: 45-48, “Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, ‘What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!’”

Jesus Christ, Superman, had once again demonstrated His miraculous powers. Even Lazarus, being dead for four days, couldn’t stop Him from accomplishing His mission to show the world what He could do if only they would place their faith in Him.

All the people were astonished at His powers and celebrated Lazarus’ return from the dead. There were still those who loved the world and refused to believe that Jesus was the chosen Messiah. They wanted to control their own lives in this world. They didn’t need or want a Savior! They wanted to be in charge.

The power struggle that ensued, stirred the unseen wicked spiritual forces of Satan. They forced their thoughts into the minds of the Pharisees determined to put Jesus to death.

John 11: 46-52, “One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, ‘What fools you are! Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?’ Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.”

The stage was set and the plot against Jesus thickened. Now Jesus Christ, Superman, would give His life so that all people would have the opportunity to believe in Him and be saved from a lost and fallen world of darkness and evil.

Lazarus’ miraculous recovery changed from that of victory to one of secrecy and hiding. Now Jesus could no longer speak in the temple. Satan’s desire was to defeat Him and bring an end to Jesus’ teaching of truth.

Just the same, Jesus had more work to do in order to convince the world why they needed Him. He had to teach His disciples how believing in Him would help them to see through the darkness that Satan placed into every man’s life.

Jesus had to become the beacon of light that would shine brightly throughout the entire world and fill the hearts of God’s children with the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit. To believe in Jesus is to unleash the greatest power man has ever known.

The inner voice of the Holy Spirit would teach them the rules to the game of life. A voice of good that changes people and makes them radiant love and reflect a Spirit of purity that spurs others to desire what they have.

The Passover Festival was about to begin and Jesus had no choice but to go to Jerusalem. He did not go in secret this time, instead He road as a humble servant of God on the foal of a donkey.

The celebration that filled Jerusalem compelled all people to grab palm branches and cast their cloaks onto the ground. Jesus came in victory displaying before all people that God’s way is better than how men perceived the Messiah would come.

God desired for Jesus to be a soldier who would never fight a man made war. Jesus was a Savior that would go beyond this world and fight against the spiritual forces of the unseen heavenly kingdom. He would be the mediator for all people who would ask Him for help so they could fight the ultimate war found in the game of life.

Each person who was born a man would be given a task that went beyond an earthly battle. It was a war that took place in the minds of men. A war of Satan coming up against an equal force of godly men who would fight the human battles with faith and love.

John 15: 12-14, “My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Now the world and how people live in the world is radically different. We are now God’s soldiers doing battle against every bad thing that happens in the world. We carry our crosses just like Jesus and we fight against the plagues of the world found in illnesses, like cancer.

We are unleashed into the world so we can show people we are not even afraid to die. Death has no fear over us because we believe that this world is temporary. Our faith in Jesus Christ gives us the ability to hold in our arms children who have aids. Even when the child is sweating from the fever that has engulfed his body releasing the toxins that put the disease into his tiny body in the first place and exposing us to the disease.

Believing in Jesus’ supernatural power brings healing and miracles into our life so we can stand strong as a warriors determined to love the homeless and the drug addicts of the world. We are not afraid!

We don’t judge the weaknesses found in every man because we love our neighbors as ourselves. When we give to others we understand that the suffering that person is going through could be us. Having this knowledge allows us to forgive and live our lives just how Christ lived as a humble servant. A servant who was just as susceptible to suffering as anyone else.

John 15: 18-21, “‘If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from the world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: “No slave is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.’”

Suddenly the greatest game that will ever be played takes form, revealing to man the truth over the condition of the world. Anyone who fights for God will suffer persecution just as Jesus. For our fight is against more than man. Our fight is with the spiritual forces of evil and its desire to force all men to live in the world for Satan!

From the very first sin of Adam, a game formed. When Adam and Eve desired to become like God they forced all men into the valley of the biggest decision they would ever make. A life game that was geared to teach them the difference between right and wrong. In order for truth to be revealed all people had to be presented with a choice that would lead to a test.

Satan represented the wrong choices. Evil found in greed, sexual immorality, sickness, death, the desire for power, thinking evil about others, war, poverty, murder, and injustices of all kinds. God is the opposite from Satan revealing the value of being a servant. Showing us that love is better than hate. Giving is better that receiving and abiding by goodness is the ultimate goal for each person’s life.

Jesus brought a new light of understanding before all people. His truth about how the world works gives power to an individuals life so they can stand up against evil and win the world for good.

Lazarus rose from the grave so Jesus could prove to us that we can have the same power over death. Death was Satan’s control over people, but life is what we receive when we stop thinking like weak human beings and believe in the miracle working power that is available to all those who place their faith in Christ.

Jesus Christ Superman, was the ultimate Savior of the world. His message was that of love. His goal was to give His life so others would have the power to conquer the world game of life for God and good. Our reward is an eternity in heaven!

To be a miracle working Superman is to believe in the unseen and to know that our lives are more than the physical and concrete of our present day world. We must take up whatever cross of suffering we must bear and believe with faith that we can win our individual game for Jesus Christ.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! Jesus proved, not only to be powerful and miraculous, but all-knowing, filling the hearts of those who listened with hope.

Jesus Christ, Superman, went all over Galilee teaching and preaching in the synagogues and telling everyone the good news of how to be saved. He opened the eyes of the blind and many others began to hear for the very first time. The paralyzed walked again and those who had many incurable diseases were healed.

People possessed by evil spirits would throw themselves down at Jesus’ feet and proclaim that He was the holy lamb of God. Everyone paid attention wondering if Jesus was the Messiah, but Jesus would not tell anyone who He was.

People came from all parts of the world just to listen to His words of hope. It was as though every word had a purpose that revealed a truth that was simple, but so very hard to grasp by people who were lost in a world filled with so much evil and darkness.

Jesus’ words penetrated the thoughts of all those who listened. Jesus spoke as if He knew more than the Pharisees. He spoke as one who had an appointed authority to tell people the real truth about why they were here in the first place.

Jesus Christ Superman provided evidence that He was more than a man. He could tell stories that opened up people’s minds to their chosen destiny and parables that revealed God’s purpose behind each of their lives.

Luke 6: 32-34, “If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that ! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount!”

The words that Jesus spoke reached into a person’s soul and helped them to think differently about things that happened to them. It made them care, even when the Laws of Moses told them to practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus helped them to overcome evil with forgiveness and love.

Luke 6:35&36, “No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.”

Suddenly people began to see the people who took advantage of them in a different light. They could let go of their grudges and love their ungrateful children. They could give to others without demanding that they had to get something from them in return.

Luke 6: 37&38, “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands-all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

Every word that Jesus spoke uplifted the hearer and gave them hope. No longer did they have to judge those who did them wrong. This gave them the freedom to love family members who did not conform to what the Jewish Laws demanded. It gave them the freedom to love the Romans who ruled over them. It filled their hearts with hope, knowing that God saw their suffering and would give back to them everything that was taken from them.

Jesus made them see their world differently. He helped them to believe that everything bad that could and would happen to them had a purpose and God would reward them for their pain.

Luke 9: 23-25, “And he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, take up his cross every day, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but is himself lost or defeated? Of course not!’”

Jesus made the people see that their was more to their world than living their lives according to the teaching of the Pharisees. He helped them to see their own individual fight rather as an opportunity to show compassion and love.

He revealed to them a world game where they only won when they chose to do God’s will. Do not judge! Love your neighbor as yourself. When you do this you fulfill all the Laws of Moses.

The people hung on every word that came from His mouth. His words changed how they saw their world and made them determined to do it Jesus’ way. Now they could love and not feel ashamed. Now they could forgive those who took advantage of them. Now they could stop trying to keep up with their neighbors.

All they had to do was place their faith in Jesus. They didn’t have to conform to the standards of the world or the teachings given to them by the Pharisees. All they had to do was follow Jesus and trust Him with their lives.

Luke 21:34, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighted down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus Christ Superman was the Savior of the World. Following Him would take every ounce of strength. But when they placed their faith in Jesus they had the power to overcome the greatest world game of them all!

Fight for Jesus! Fight for the side of love and God. Fight for truth and understand that everything bad that natural comes to people will pass and victory will be reward to those who stand their ground and fight for Jesus Christ, Superman, the Savior of the World.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com

It’s a bird. . It’s a plane. . No! It’s Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the world! Peter was shaking and crying without even realizing what he was doing, he denied Jesus three times!

He thought he would be able to stand up to the pain and the suffering he saw Jesus going through and Be A Man! Wasn’t he a fisherman who was use to the difficulties of a grueling trade that demanded strength and determination.

John looked at Peter as this large muscle framed man ran from the court yard in defeat. Both had seen the intensity of hatred that was perpetrated against Jesus. Both knew that Jesus’ words concerning His death were about to be fulfilled and they could do nothing but watch it take place.

The helplessness of that moment facilitated them into seeing how impossible it was to follow God on their own. Even with all the miracles they saw Jesus perform, they lacked the strength of determination they needed to hold their ground when it could lead to imminent death.

All those who loved Jesus and knew his miracle working power abandoned Him. Jesus stood alone with no support as Pilate began the process of putting Him to death by taking Him through a mock up of a trial that was completely prejudice against Him.

John 18: 35-38, “Pilate replied, ‘Do you think I am a Jew? It was your own people and the chief priests who handed you over to me. What have you done.’
Jesus said, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world; if my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. No, my kingdom does not belong here!’
So Pilate asked him, ‘Are you a king, then?’
Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.’
‘And what is truth?’ Pilate asked.”

Pilate was in a cloud of darkness because he had no faith in an unseen God. He was the governor of the providence of Jerusalem. He had no understanding of the Jews except that Jesus was a so-called God and this was against their faith. He had been told about the miracles this man preformed. Yet all he could see was just a man.

Even if Jesus had explained to Him how the game of life worked, Pilate would not have seen any purpose in the game. He was a powerful, influential, rich man. He didn’t need Jesus as his Savior. All he wanted was the Jewish religious leaders to leave him alone and allow him to rule in peace.

Pilate had Jesus flogged. The soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe. They slapped Him and mocked Him.

John 19:7-11, “The crowd answered back, ‘We have a law that says he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God’
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid. He went back into the palace and asked Jesus, ‘Where do you come from’
But Jesus did not answer. Pilate said to him, ‘You will not speak to me? Remember, I have the authority to set you free and also to have you crucified’
Jesus answered, ‘You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin.’”

A new dawn began with a truth that is only understood by those who follow Jesus. The truth that God is in control of the world game of life. God allows suffering when the suffering serves a purpose.

Jesus came to be the Savior of the world. He suffered and died for our sins so we might have an easier path to God. The Laws condemned people, but the crucifixion freed people and gave them the supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit.

Why did my spouse abandon me? Why did my friend die? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do I have cancer?

All of these questions can be answered when we look at life in the perspective of a game of good versus evil.

We are not alone we have a divine purpose. We are appointed to lives that are flawed so we might fight battles for God on every evil front. If you were a child of incest or abused by a parent, you break the chain of abuse with Jesus Christ as your Savior. He gives you the power to remember your suffering and gives you the ability to not repeat the abuse to your own child.

If you’re born into poverty and homelessness, Jesus gives you the ability to help those who suffered like you suffered. If you were falsely accused and jailed for a crime you didn’t commit, Jesus takes what you learned about the cruelties of our justice system and helps you to be a crusader to change the system.

Everything you go through when you are a child of God leads you down paths of righteousness that put you into situations so you will stand up to evil and change it. To know the truth about life is to fight for God.

We are not suppose to be pulled into a lifestyle because we can’t change the people around us. We are suppose to do what is right and stand our ground with God’s help.

Above the cross of Jesus was a sign that stated, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

John 20: 29&30, “A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; so a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted up to his lips. Jesus drank the wine and said, ‘It is finished!’
Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

Jesus died for our sins so we might have the ability to call on Him immediately when bad things happen to us. His death started the beginning to a new game of life that equips God’s servants with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit of truth.

Jesus Christ, Superman, Savior of the World, took the Laws of Moses that demanded a sacrifice for sin and replaced it with a simple request. Please forgive me for my sins! Please help me for I am lost!

Please open my eyes so I might see the truth so I can overcome what is wrong with my life. Please help me to stand up to those who abuse me and not be pulled into repeating the abuse.

Peter ran away the day that Jesus was condemned because he was a weak human man. Later equipped with the Holy Spirit, Peter was a different man. A man who stood up to the Roman government and taught all people, who would listen, how to be saved.

Peter became a Superman, because Jesus Christ came to him in Spirit form and helped him to stand up to the persecution he faced because he trusted God with his life. When Peter was old he died on a cross just like Jesus, except he died upside down believing that he was not worthy to die in the same fashion as his Savior. He stood up to evil and his death was a victory for God.

Jesus Christ, Superman, was like every man except He refused to allow fear to keep Him from accomplishing His mission. Fight for God and pick up your cross and follow Jesus Christ, Superman, the Savior of the World!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT’S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents: AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. Lovinghandsministry.com