In this day in age, we need to use the internet to carry out our calling. Can you think of a greater way to reach the world than the world wide web? Each person who uses the internet has a great opportunity to share their faith with the world, and bring those who can connect with them to Christ.

Here some ways to spread the word about Jesus Christ online:

1. Use your Facebook to share your faith

Facebook is free and anyone can sign up. You can start sharing by posting Bible verses, Christian links, and devotional thoughts on your page for your friends to see. You can also comment on group or friend’s posts with appropriate Christian resources.

2. Starting a Blog

Blogs are free and easy to create and generally come up pretty well in search engines. Everyday people search for answers to all sorts of questions from divorce to parenting. If you share your thoughts from a Christian perspective on the subject, imagine the impact that you can have on someone’s life. You can create your own free blog on WordPress.com or Blogger.com.

3. Post Videos

Many churches today have embraced digital technology and have begun to post videos of their sermons. Post these videos on your Facebook profiles, blogs, and anywhere else you can think of. If you church has not been able to post videos yet, help them. YouTube is completely free and easy to use.

4. Embrace Twitter

Yes, Twitter is here to stay and is still growing. There are millions of users and the more connections you make on the website, the more people will see your “tweets.” Handy tools such as hashtags help push your tweets into popular categories. No need for long messages that people may not read. There are tons of statements that you can make about your faith in 140 characters or less (Bible verses, Prayers, etc.) and a huge possibility that many will read them because they are so short.

6. Connect with Old Friends & Relatives

Many people have found long lost friends and relatives online. These connections would have been lost without modern technology and the wonders of social networks. Maybe you remember someone from your past that you wish you could have at least talked about The Bible, if only once. Well, now you have that chance. You may feel a little awkward speaking to someone that you haven’t talked to in a while, so try to ease into the conversation. Reconnect, and then let them know about the precious gift that Jesus Christ has left for them.

There are of course many other ways, but it’s up to you to determine which is the best method to share with your friends and family.

Amanda Leavelle is the head of web marketing for Tapestry Productions Inc. They bring Christian Art to the public through biblically inspired prints by Ron DiCianni.

Everyone experiences fear. As a kid, you probably feared going to the doctor and getting a shot. In high school, you experienced fear of rejection, which I believe most of us go through during our adolescent years, almost like a rite of passage. You fear about going to a job interview. You fear about going into tightly-packed trains because you never know when something could go wrong-a mechanical failure, or a terrorist attack.

Simply put, fear is universal. Same as the feeling of falling and being in love. But what the Bible really say about fear? What does God teach us about not living in fear? Let’s find out.

First let’s learn about fear from a Biblical perspective:

“He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Rev 21:7-8

Another quote:

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Psa 118:6

The Bible says “fear not” almost 70 times from cover to cover. In the first quote, God made it clear enough that the fearful shall not inherit His Kingdom. Fear exists. The Bible doesn’t deny it. But the Bible wants us human beings – God’s own creation – to stand up to fear and rise above it. Living in fear is succumbing to the wishes of the devil. If you can cast fear aside, then God will accept you and you shall become His son, as stated in the Bible verses.

Remember that Jesus was fearful during the last hours of his life. He knew he would have to suffer in order to save mankind, suffer as a simple man and not as the Son of God. But he eventually overcame his fear and fulfilled his mission, and three days later he rose from the dead to take his rightful place in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus overcame fear because he believed in God’s love for all his creations. The Bible verses say:

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

“I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me.” John 17:23

Do not live in fear. Living in fear is robbing yourself the opportunity to appreciate the life God has given you. Fear is the work of the devil, and you should not succumb to it. As the Bible likes to say, “fear not!”

Looking for relevant Bible verses? Top Bible Verses has hundreds of Bible verses and quotes uploaded to the website on a regular basis. Visit the website Top Bible Verses for your daily dose of Bible verses and quotes.

Baby christening, communion and baptism allows the child a place in the church which their parents and family belong to, and plays a significant part in determining that child’s spiritual identity.

Baptism is different in each faith’s tradition. Often ceremonies are practiced where rites and recitations are delivered, and then the priest of the church will be present for the baptism. The priest will use affusion or aspersion, two common methods of baptism, to sprinkle or pour water over the baby which has religious significance.

Many orthodox and catholic faiths actually have traditions where the baby’s whole body is immersed in a font of water. However, pouring is still used most commonly, and the minister will recite words of significance during the rite.

As a baptism is undergone, the clothing which each child wears is very important. Christening gowns are often used and passed on for many generations, getting a certain amount of significance themselves. These gowns may be white or cream in color, and are usually embroidered in intricate details. However, now Baptism outfits are often of different types rather than just gowns, both for boys and girls. They may be different for each family, and often these garments are passed on for years.

Christening is very often considered so vital for a child’s faith that it is not an option, but a requirement. Christening provides the baby with a set amount of faith in his or her religion. At that point, the baby is given a blessing that will carry on for as long as the child wants to be part of that religion. At the same time however, baptism creates a binding to that religion which may make the child feel forced to stay a part of it even if the religion does not feel right to the child.

Sometimes, baptism is a way that gives children a method of feeling safe within a certain church or religious environment. Baptism is a practice which may be as much for parents as for children. Securing a child’s religious identity is important to many families, and this is part of the reason that baptismal garments are considered sacred and treasured. They are handed down for years within families, usually to ensure that the religious identity of the whole family is preserved.

In the end, having a child undergo a baptism is a method that ensures this child will receive membership and faith in a certain church. If the child has been baptised and received baby christening, communion and baptism, then the child will have a certain measure of religious protection in his entire life. It can be a way to give the child a shape to his or her religious sense, and to include the child in a certain denomination that has been provided to the child at the time of birth.

Doc No:LF-917-ULT5-ab57

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In fact, many people would receive this Pentecostal experience and were urged rather than coming out of their Denominations to stay in them and be a witness there. Even stay under the leadership of that denominational church and practice closet praying in the Spirit. The Movement gained an extreme amount of momentum and is really hard to tell the wide reaching effects because much of it is next to impossible to document.

The acceptance of such behavior clearly shows difference of the religious climate of the Day. At one time Pentecostals were labeled ad branded Holy Rollers, now they are openly embraced by all. This most likely is due to the fact that in the 20th century, most Denominational churches were losing membership, while the only growing church registrars were that of the Pentecostals. It is interesting to have Catholic tongue talkers following the Pope?

What Defines the Latter Rain Movement

The Latter Rain movement started in the remote areas of the Saskatchewan, however, was to grow much larger for Pentecostals in the Next few years. In February, 1948, the movement known as the “latter rain’ began to spread to the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. The leaders of the Movement were Ern and George Hawtin both of them brothers. They used the Magazine Sharon Star to promulgate their teachings around the world.

Many in this movement claim the phenomena of the movement are little different from what had been experienced at Topeka in 1901 and at Azusa Street in 1906. They claim that they are operating in the gifts of the Spirit and are operating within the realm of the five fold ministry.

Basically this movement focus’s very much on the manifestations of God, participants will prophesy over people and claim that was the Word of the Lord, and in turn the person prophesied over would change there whole life to try to fulfill the prophecy. As a lash back against the Latter Rain movement, many churches became very skeptical of the working of the Spirit of God.

This truly is a sad thing because obviously the Gifts of the Spirit are in operation today. The correct thing to do is not to throw out the baby with the bath water, but rather to use decency and order. It’s a tragic thing to think that the Gifts of the Spirit are off limits to us and our church.

The is one of the most notable factors separating the church of today from the 1st century church. Not only in the Bible are many miracles, signs, and wonders noted in the lives of Jesus and His apostles, but also history has many stories of others in the church as well.

Click here for more SpiritualityColorado Springs place of Worship See Church News here Church uses Colorado Springs Bible

I have been involved in homeless ministry for a few years and have just heard some really heart touching stories. I also have heard so pretty bizarre ideas of how to get a hold of God. It seems the more I talk with drug addicts, that when they first become religious the think drugs bring them closer to God.

I have heard of stories of people getting high before they read their Bible so they can get better insight to what they are about to read. I have heard of people wanting to sniff lines while reading the Bible for a better spiritual encounter. In fact, when I was coming off Meth, I used to do the same thing.

I am in no ways condoning this misuse of the Bible and it truly is horrible theology, but to them that are lost it seems to make since. But I do believe God sees their hunger, as he did mine, and will get them out of drugs, alcohol, adultery, pornography, what ever their vice may be.

This story of John 12:21 is about Greeks coming to see Jesus, meanwhile the people Jesus was sent to, rejected him. It is interesting that at the same time his own people were rejecting him, his fame was spreading through out the land so much people were coming from afar to see him.

At this point in Jesus life he was not willing to receive honor from Gentiles because he was not yet glorified. Since I am not an Israelite according to the flesh, this scripture must be interpreted spiritually to apply to me and the church.

It now is after the day that Jesus has been glorified so gentiles are now accepted into the kingdom of God. I thank God for that being a gentile myself. I think this text also shows the hunger that is in the human soul to have an encounter with God, not matter what the race of social status may be. This shows that God wanted not only to save the Jew, but the Gentile too. This could be a correct interpretation of this scripture, but I also think the scripture speaks even deeper than that.

It seems that Israelites are a type of the church, and the Gentiles are type of the people still in the world.

It almost seems like people that have been raised in the church sometimes don’t understand or possibly just take for granted that greatness of the message proclaimed from our pulpits.

It seems people that are in the world sometimes seem to be hungrier to have an encounter with Christ than the people in the church. Many times new converts want to go to church almost everyday because than cannot get enough of the presence of God, while people in the church most of their lives sometimes seem to want to have less church.

Click here for more SpiritualityColorado Springs Worship See Church News here Colorado Springs Church Bible Study

So this New World Order is coming, you and I see it in the media all day long. The news tells us this or that, it either strikes fear, or an occasional sigh of relief, depending on what they want to do with your emotions that day.

Outrageous bills, taxes and reforms are now being put together. Resistance has been met with large volumes of people telling these “leaders” who really is boss. But perhaps we’ve been sitting on the side lines too long and it’s already too late?

Well to take a quote from Gandhi, I say this is a very true quote for us to examine but realize this truth but do not let go of the reigns in which you and I are traveling with to maintain our liberties and rights, by pushing back and waking up our neighbors.

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it…always.” – Gandhi

But here now, within the sacred time in which we are all apart of, this is true for some and not for others. And in truth, the recognizing of your belief towards this quote will dictate further what we collectively want to experience & behold as the future. It really is a cross roads right now, to start seeing abundance, truth & love as the main decisive weapon towards these tyrants.

Perhaps some people dwindle upon this possibility, but have you considered that California lead the way to really creating a movement so large that in itself will never fall apart because of how people are now towards this. It’s the Marijuana movement, and even though it stills “illegal” there is absolutely so many people that decline the offer of federal intervention that it’s getting harder and harder for the federal government to regulate this “dangerious” drug.

Many have believed that Marijuana would be the reason for peace, perhaps in this case it’s the catalyst that shows man his true power over his reality!

That movement has spread through out the country, and even though they say Proposition 19 (of California) wen’t bust you and I must realize that voting fraud was counted every where this last election. So lets say that a good %50 of voters want this through. That’s well more then enough to tell the federal government to back off, and even though it didn’t go through, albeit it will not stop people from pushing back till the next time that vote comes around.

So in the same token we see that bills such as S.510 are being considered and we see abuse and aggression by the TSA. But now you and I are witnessing the same process where people are getting SICK and TIRED of being screwed around with. Again S.510 was held up in congress, again they must come back to it. It’s because of the massive push back that individuals are putting forth, same thing with TSA.

The America people are fit to be tied and many individuals who may have never thought they would be bothered by such things are now realizing the importance of keeping liberty. Many people are losing faith in the main stream media, many people are so sick and tired of liars in office that %33 of the Tea Party that ran won!

Just think now, we the people can say no again and again! No matter whose in office, with our voice and our none compliance of their issued Socialist “interests” that by the time everyone gets to vote again we will see more individuals from the Tea Party inside congress. There is a chance to move this away from the cliff.

Just imagine now will you, of the people’s push back against S.510 and the TSA issue by ratifying Ron Paul’s new legislator “American Travelers Dignity Act ” – I’m not sure if people really notice that if the American people can say NO! So strongly and push them off their high horse what else is possible? Anything.

Unifying is the answer to restoring the republic nothing else will do, people must be aware of these strong aggressive bills and SMASH THEM in their place to make a point and to continue to show this NWO that people of the world KNOW what they are doing and we will no longer be slaves to the Vatican and their Goonies.

But in the same boat – there’s a chance of total collapse if those people who sit at a distance and do nothing. The world is teetering on top of a mountain and we can swing either way just as easy. But those with the belief of liberty and freedom, that believe that the American people are marching towards a common goal – this in itself will help set the stage for those who do not yet believe in the power of the people.

Are you one? If so you are a beacon of peace and as you show this with unwavering faith that the word of god is set in stone from his or her belief then no mountain will stand once the word has been spoken.

Wake up, keep pushing back and restoring faith in yourself and by doing so you will inspire this in others! This is the magic of being connected to everything, you are not your thoughts you are being thought, so you as one little person do matter to the universe and your thoughts and belief WILL.. not maybe, WILL resurrect America to it’s fullest glory.

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First of all, a person with nothing to do, is what I would consider a very lucky person, but that’s just me thinking that way. I often wish there was a lot more hours in the day, to get things done, and so don’t most other people, in fact a lot of us don’t have time to get the winter blues.

If you do find the winter blues creeping in your life this season, why not take up an activity to help beat it, like attending Church services. From the time I was a baby who got baptized in a Methodist Church, until I was a teenager, I attended Church on Sunday morning, then again on Sunday evening and one evening during the week, usually on a Wednesday for Bible study. A few years back I attended Church again for awhile, but now I am ashamed to say I have slacked off a little in my Church attendance, but, I do plan on going back again, soon.

Church is not just great for children to attend, it’s great for adults and everyone. Now I know that some of you are not of the same faith or hold to the same beliefs that I do, and everyone has their own religious practices and beliefs. This article is basically for those of the Christian faith, whether you are Southern Baptist, Methodist, Protestant, or whatever, that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to Heaven, as I do. In fact, do you know that Jesus even tells us that He is the ONLY way to Heaven, yes in the Holy Bible in the book of John 14:6 ‘ I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me ‘, that pretty well shows there is ONLY one way to heaven, doesn’t it.

Now, I am not meaning to get in a debate about faiths and beliefs, I want to get back to what this article is mainly about, helping to fight against the winter blues by attending Church. Here are just a few of the rewards we can get from attending Church services:

1. It’s great for social skills, as folks often greet each other, and like to chat

2. It’s good for the voice as folks love to sings hymns of praise and worship

3. It’s always great to hear the word of God, in a Bible believing Church (like food for the mind and soul)

4. The Lord Jesus tells us to attend Church services (Hebrews 10:25)

These are just a few of the things attending Church services can offer to each of us, and there are countless other benefits. One major benefit that attending Church during the winter months is, it gives us something great to do that helps keep us centered in our Christian faith and beliefs. It is not only rewarding for us mentally and otherwise, it gives us a great way to help fight the winter blues.

There is a website that describes numerous activities and other methods to help eliminate the Winter Blues, this website is called: Winter Activities – and it may be found at this url: http://www.winter-activities.com

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been involved in weight loss and has been researching the Winter Blues for a few years. He has personally turned his life around at the age of 50, by reducing his body weight from 400 lbs to 185 lbs. If you want to turn your life around, and read other great info and ideas on beating the winter blues, please check out the website below: Winter Activities http://www.winter-activities.com

“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Okay, let us have a look at things. Jesus had good things to say about children. He said, “Let the children come to me for such is the Kingdom of God, unless you enter as a child, unless you think and reason like a child, you shall not enter the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:14) Yet here, He is using children as a rebuke. So what is the difference?

Well, let me tell you what childlike faith is. Childlike faith is like a child who is totally dependent on his parents. A child, if his Dad does not work and his Mother does not do the shopping, will starve. Most children do not know how to cook for themselves, how to pay electricity bills, how to pay the rent, or how to do adult things. Essentially, left to their own devices, our children would be in serious trouble.

To have childlike faith, therefore, is to be totally dependent on God and to let Him rule in your life. It is true, when an adult comes to God in humility, he becomes childlike.

In this parable “childlike” is something different. It is more like “childish”-a child who wants his own way, a rebellious, stubborn, sort of child. You know children are very good at getting their own way. They can be all happy and nice when it comes to wanting to get a treat. As soon as they do not get their treat, they can throw a tantrum on the floor. This is the sort of child that Jesus is talking about.

“We played a flute for you and you did not dance.” (v. 17a)

If you truly tried to please a person, it should not matter if they danced or not. If you wanted to play a flute for Jesus, you should be happy that He would listen to it. He does not have to dance.

“We mourned to you and you did not lament.” (v. 17b) You did not mourn with us. It is just selfishness and immature childish ways.

The Scriptures, in I Corinthians 13 says, “When I was a child, I did childish things. But now that I am a man, I have put away these childish things.” It is like Jesus saying to the Pharisees, the leaders and the people of this generation, “You need to grow up. John came in the spirit of Elijah. He did not drink as he was a Nazarite. Because he did not drink, you said that he had a demon. I came along and I was not a Nazarite, and I drank and you said I was a drinker; that I am a drunk. I did not fast all the time, so you called me a glutton and you think I am a bit of a jerk because I hang out with tax collectors and sinners and that would be beneath you, you Pharisees.”

Jesus is a very gentle, meek and mild person but he is also the sort of person I like. I like someone who does not speak about me to other people in a derogatory manner and you know that it would get back to me through other people. I would rather that a person who has a problem with me speak about it with me face to face. Now, I am a person who does not like confrontation but I enjoy hearing someone’s opinion of me. Even if it does hurt, I would rather hear it face to face

Jesus was talking about John the Baptist and this is what led Him to this. He was describing John the Baptist. Then He was talking about this current generation. John was said to be the greatest of all of the Old Testament saints. Jesus said that we, as mere Christians, are greater than John because we have got the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Today, people reject Jesus on a few grounds. People reject Him saying that He is not very nice, pronouncing that He is the only way to the Father. If Jesus was not the only way to the Father, He would not have had to die on the cross. Jesus in the garden said to His Father, “Let this cup pass from me if there is any other way, let it pass.” And His Father said, “No, there is no other way. You have got to die.” (Matthew 26: 39-42) If Jesus was not the only way to heaven, He would not have had to go through that death on the cross.

Jesus came to give us eternal life but the Pharisees had a problem with Jesus because He seemed to be a person that was not keeping their rigid laws. It was not so much the laws of Moses that Jesus was disobeying. It was all the added laws that the Pharisees had added in the interpretation of the Law. Jesus did not operate in the law; He operated in the spirit of the law. John the Baptist was not Elijah, John the Baptist operated in the spirit of Elijah. Jesus operated out of love and mercy. That would mean that He would heal on the Sabbath. He would heal a sinner. He would let a leper touch Him. What some people would consider breaking the Law, Jesus considered to be love. Love trumps everything. Jesus brought in a New Covenant.

This parable of the children in the marketplace is sort of a warning to people who are stubborn against Jesus. But it is also a warning to all of us that we should not be little children demanding things from Jesus. We should not be sitting down giving Him commands all through heaven; and then getting stubborn and upset because He did not jump to our commands or answer our prayers.

So many Christians pray the same prayer; but what they are actually asking for is something selfish or something that is not in the will of God. Some people fluctuate between not feeling loved by God and silently despising God. The Pharisees were no different. They despised Jesus.

The Christian church is a whole lot bigger today and has got a whole lot more people employed in full-time occupations today than the Jewish religion . In the Christian church Jesus has really trumped the Jewish leaders of today.

People of these days are inherently selfish and stubborn. They like things their own way. And so Jesus’ way just seems either too easy that you can be forgiven for all your sins simply by accepting Jesus into your life or too hard by having to give up what Jesus asks.

So, for whatever reason, they said to John that he had a demon because he seemed a bit way out. They said he was possessed. They also said of Jesus that He was filled with Beelzebub. They rejected Him because He was hanging around with the desperate and the hurting.

One way to imitate Jesus is to hang around the hurting ourselves and to give from what we have got. Like Jesus, this is showing an example; to hang around people who really need help and give out of our love in an overflow of what we get from Jesus Christ.

This is about all I have to say about this parable. It is a warning to us Christians not to be like little stubborn, sad, rebellious children. Instead be a child, someone with childlike faith, who does not hold grudges against God, who believes in a loving Father and knows that, like a good dad, Jesus does what is best for His children.

If you have enjoyed my article you can read a soon to be published book called “The parables of Jesus made simple” for free here in its entirety or just selected parables in chapters at http://www.parables-of-jesus-christ.net/ The book will be available in early 2011 For prophetic counsel, Christian life coaching, Dream interpretation, Christian chat and great Kingdom Teaching come and see us at http://www.kingdomassignments.com.au

“Now learn this parable of the fig tree: When its branches become tender, and it puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near: So also when you see all these things, know that it is near the doors.”

We all know when it is a season for fruit to be born. When spring comes and the tree starts to put forth its leaves, then it is time for the figs to come out and be part of the fig tree.

So, Jesus is saying, the signs are the leaves. He said previously “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many.” (v.23)

There are people in the world who claim to be Jesus Christ. There are people of the Hindu faith saying they are the One. There are New Age people that are saying they are an incarnation of Christ. Many people talk about false prophets being within the church. This is something we will discuss later.

These signs say that you will “hear of wars and rumors of wars” and the scripture warns you “not to be troubled, for all these things must come to the pass,” (Matthew 24:5-7). Today, we are seeing these things on TV, radio and the internet. War after war is broadcasted on TV and our news reports are full with how many of our soldiers are dying in other countries.

Jesus said in the same passage (Matthew 24:7), “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” The AIDS virus is killing millions of people and you could call it a pestilence. There are many famines in Africa and starvation in other countries. We have heard of earthquakes erupting all over the place. These are all like the “beginning of sorrows” (v.8). The tsunamis, earthquakes, famines, diseases and viruses are all the beginnings of sorrows.

Scripture says, “They will deliver you all for tribulation and kill you.” (v.9) People are being martyred in different countries for their faith. There are record numbers of Christians being killed for the sake of the Gospel.

The signs include “Many will be offended and betray one another, and will hate one another,” (v.10). This is true; you only have to preach the Gospel these days and you offend people. You know, I have got people on the internet who call me a false prophet and are offended with the things I share and teach. Yes, people are offended.

I have to make a note here. There is a problem with deception. The problem is that: when you are deceived, you do not know that you are deceived. It often takes new knowledge to bring you out of your deception. When you are in a delusion, you are deluded. If you know that you are deluded, you are not deluded anymore. Do you get the point?

Some of the Christian leaders do ministries; they do signs, wonders and miracles these days. Others call them false prophets. But I would be careful about which man of God I would call a false prophet.

Certain elements of the church believe that anyone who claims to be a prophet is a false prophet; because they believe prophets and apostles have passed away and those offices are not needed anymore. So, they believe that he who works in signs and wonders is a false prophet. That is not the case. Jesus is the same today and yesterday. You know, eight of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit have not disappeared off the face of the earth. They operate in all countries. They do not stop at certain borders. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are still in operation; and so are true prophets. It is foolish to think that there would be false prophets but not true prophets.

On the other hand, there are many people claiming to bring the words of an Archangel or Jesus himself or God in New Age bookshops. These should be avoided. There is a book called “Conversations with God” which is dangerous. There are many people in the New Age channeling Jesus and these are people who I would call false prophets and they lead many astray. The book called “A Course in Miracles” is dangerous too. Many other New Age books are leading millions of people astray because they are false. They say that they are speaking on behalf of God, but they are not.

According to the scripture, the signs include, “Because of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold,” (v.12). Let me illustrate this. I know of a Pastor who has a disabled son. One day, his son fell in a small gap between the train and the platform. The people in the station, rather than come to his rescue, just started to step over him and did not even worry if he was still there when the train took off or if it killed him. The Pastor was appalled! He could not get anyone to help him pull his son free. This is an example that people’s love is not as it used to be.

Another sign is that a great tribulation will come to the earth. There are a lot of tribulations on earth because people simply do not love each other anymore. They do not care and this is causing tremendous hardship. I tried to find out what one thing should be changed in order to stop so much suffering in this world. You know what? It is selfishness-people’s selfishness. Being selfish causes so much strife and pain in the world. So many people have died because of selfishness. It is through selfishness that people abort babies. It is through selfishness that people overseas have died of diseases that safe water and medication could have fixed. Clean drinking water can be solved. Diseases and starvation can be solved. Poverty can be solved. So many things can be solved if we stop being selfish. The love of many growing cold is a great sign.

“So, many false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive,” (v.11). Many people see the true works of miracles, signs and wonders yet naturally assume that these people are false because of warnings like these. There is a great lack of discernment and love in the Christian world, with brothers pulling down brothers.

All the apostles in the Bible walked in signs and wonders. These signs and wonders proved that they were of God. They proved their Gospel. They proved the power of their message but in the last days, certain people will arise who will deceive people through lies and deceptions.

Do you know that any form of witchcraft and pagan ritual can do miracles and it can also replicate healings, signs and wonders? You do not have to pick on anointed men of God to find false signs and wonders. Many people in the Hindu and New Age religions are rising up calling themselves Christ and the last-day Messiah.

We need not pick on Christian believers and call them false prophets. I do not know of a Christian false prophet in the world. The fact that he is a false prophet proves he could not be a Christian-the two terms are in conflict; so we need to be very careful.

And once again, when you are deceived, you do not know you are deceived. Many people who are false prophet watchers and people who point a finger and are calling all sorts of people false prophets, deceive themselves and they are full of fear and unbelief-unbelief in the fact that God is working through these people and fear within themselves. Actually, the people who point fingers to others seem to listen more to the teaching of the so called false prophets than most other people while they pick the guts out of everything the supposed false prophet is teaching. If you listen to someone’s teaching with an attitude of pointing the finger, you will find fault in everything.

Part of the discourse on the signs says “If they say Jesus is here or there or out in the desert, do not believe them,” (Matthew 24:26). As a person who has met Jesus in visions, I have to tell you that I have never been directed to Jesus by another person. When Jesus comes to collect His bride the whole world is going to know about it. We will not need a person acting as a tour guide, taking us out to meet Jesus. Jesus did include this in the warnings though, because it is going to happen.

Scripture records, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be dark and then the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the heaven. Then the son of man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of the trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds” (vv. 29-31).

We can see that the second coming of Jesus is not going to be a simple, silent secret. The whole world will know that Jesus has come back and He will take His people with Him. Aren’t you glad you are one of those?

Okay, that is the parable of the fig tree. These are all the signs. “When the branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors,” (v.32).

I think I have spent some time talking about the things that you need to look out for. God has all of these things happening in the world today. And Jesus is certainly at the door.

If you have enjoyed my article you can read a soon to be published book called “The parables of Jesus made simple” for free here in its entirety or just selected parables in chapters at http://www.parables-of-jesus-christ.net/ The book will be available in early 2011 For prophetic counsel, Christian life coaching, Dream interpretation, Christian chat and great Kingdom Teaching come and see us at http://www.kingdomassignments.com.au

“He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.

“Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years, I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’

“But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and fertilize it: And if it bears fruit, well: but if not, after that you can cut it down.’”

I feel compelled to share some of my experiences and ideas related to this parable.

First of all, on the surface, this parable is talking about a barren fig tree. I am not sure how long it takes a fig tree to bear fruit but from the parable it sounds as though a fig tree should bear fruit in its first year. Here, the owner of the vineyard had come seeking fruit for three years and had not found any. Maybe if the tree was able to bear fruit on its second or third year, it would have been different but the owner sounds very frustrated and he wants to cut it down immediately.

I find that I need personal applications to things that are in the Bible. I need to see what something says and I need to relate it to myself. I do not know if I am different to you on this, but this is how I am.

Now, I am 43 years of age. For 16 years, I thought I was one of the last two prophets that were called to come and judge the world. I thought I was a reincarnation of Elijah, the prophet. I suffered from a mental illness called schizoaffective disorder, which is a combination of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Part of the bipolar disorder is a situation called visions of grandeur. That is why I thought I was the last prophet here to judge the world, as mentioned in Revelation 11. I thought that I needed to learn how to do my job, which is to judge the world. So I spent years and years – twelve or thirteen years – reading the prophets, trying to work out every unfulfilled prophecy in the world, because I thought I had to fulfill all those prophecies. I was very judgmental.

People used to preach that we are saved by grace. All our sins, past, present and future, are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ and through the New Covenant. We are neither under the acts of the law nor the judgments of the law and I would agree with none of this.

For the past four years at least, I have been writing Christian articles on the internet. In these four years, I have been operating a prophetic website, doing personal prophecies for people, and only in the past eight weeks have I come to the revelation that I have been wrong in my understanding of the New Covenant grace found in the cross. For Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.”

There are many articles that I have done good work in. Yet there are many articles that I had to take off the internet, because they were entirely false. They were entirely wrong.

So, I look at this parable. As a Christian, called to be a teacher of the Word of God, I look at my life and I see that I am fruitful. I am called to preach in churches and doors have been opened.

For so much of my life I had been bound in sin and lived a good-for-nothing existence. I had been living with various addictions. I had problems with sexual addiction. When I look at my earlier life, it looks as though it had been wasted. Then I look at this parable and see that if I did not have the mercy of Jesus, I would have been long gone. I would have been cast off, cut off and thrown into hell.

It makes me wonder about the owner of the vineyard. Do you remember in another parable of the vineyard (see Chapter 21), that the owner of the vineyard sent servants and the men there killed the servants. So, the owner sent his son and they killed the son, thinking that they would have rights to the vineyard after they had killed him. I am starting to think now that the owner of this vineyard is God the Father. The law – that Old Testament covenant law – was the fact that the tree should be bearing fruit within three years or it should be cut down.

I am thinking that the actual gardener who said “No, give it one more year. Let me give it some fertiliser,” was Jesus himself saying, “No let me give these people some grace. Let me give them understanding. Let me give them the power of the Holy Spirit. Let me dig up their life and teach them some new things and give them the ability to overcome and let me see if they bear fruit after that.”

See? The message of the New Covenant is that you are forgiven. There is no judgment against you. There is nothing held in your account. The hand of God is not against you. All of your lawless deeds, God remembers no more when you have repented.

This is a message that says: Yes, the reason why Matthew has survived all these years in an unfruitful life is because he is living in the New Covenant as a New Covenant believer. Under the old covenant, as an adulterer and fornicator, I would have been killed. Under the New Covenant I am still alive. Under the old covenant, I would never be accepted as a priest, or a preacher or a minister of the Gospel. Under the New Covenant, I am forgiven, washed clean, set free, and given the ability to preach the Gospel.

Yes, this is a tremendously encouraging parable. I hope that you can capture its meaning. I hope that you can get into the teachings of grace and the finished work of the cross. May you understand the grace of God and let it fertilise your lives for you to bear good fruit in the coming season. I hope these chapters on the parables may one day be able to bless your life.

If you have enjoyed my article you can read a soon to be published book called “The parables of Jesus made simple” for free here in its entirety or just selected parables in chapters at http://www.parables-of-jesus-christ.net/ The book will be available in early 2011 For prophetic counsel, Christian life coaching, Dream interpretation, Christian chat and great Kingdom Teaching come and see us at http://www.kingdomassignments.com.au