16 Steps To A Happy New You #8

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16 Steps To A Happy New You #8

Did you blow it in 2015 or even more recently? Have you sinned BIG? Do you have haunting memories of your past. There is a real eraser that can easily take care of that. Let Ray explain it now.

Philippians 3:13b-14 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creature. Old things have passed away; behold all things are become new. 

16 Steps To A Happy New You #8

16 Steps To A Happy New You #8

Genesis 3 - Wycliffe translators with Ray

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Genesis 3 – Wycliffe translators with Ray

Chapter 3

v1 Now the snake was the most clever among all the wild animals that the *Lord God had made. The snake said this to the woman: ‘Did God say that you can eat the fruit from all the trees in the garden?’

v2 This is how the woman answered the snake. ‘We can eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. v3 But God said, “You must not eat the fruit from a certain tree. That tree is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it, otherwise you will die.” ’

v4 But the snake replied to the woman, ‘You will not die. v5 But when you eat the fruit, your eyes will open. God knows that. You will be like God and you will know right things and wrong things.’

v6 So the woman saw that the fruit was good to eat. And she saw that it was lovely to look at. She also thought that it would make her wise. She then took some fruit and she ate it. She also gave some fruit to her husband and he ate it. v7 Then their eyes opened. They realised that they were naked. They sewed together leaves from a fig tree to cover themselves. (Figs are sweet fruit with many seeds.)

v8 The man and woman heard God walk in the garden in the cool evening. They hid away from God. They hid among the trees in the garden. v9 But the *Lord God called aloud to the man. God said, ‘Where are you?’

v10 The man said, ‘I heard you in the garden. And I was afraid, because I was naked. So I hid.’

v11 God said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten the fruit that I told you not to eat?’

v12 The man replied, ‘You gave the woman to me so that she would be my partner. She gave the fruit to me and I ate.’

v13 Then the *Lord God said to the woman, ‘What have you done?’ The woman replied, ‘The snake tempted me and I ate.’

v14 The *Lord God said this to the snake: ‘Out of all the *cattle and wild animals, you are the animal that I *curse. You shall move on your stomach and you shall eat dust all your life. v15 I will make you and the woman enemies. Your *descendants and her *descendants will be enemies. The woman’s *descendant will badly hurt you, and you will hurt him a little.’

v16 God told the woman that she would have a lot of pain when she was *pregnant. And she would have a lot of pain when she had a baby. She would want her husband’s love, but he would rule over her.

v17 God told Adam, ‘You listened to what your wife said. You ate the fruit from the tree that I told you not to eat from. Now, because you have not obeyed me, the ground has a *curse. You will work hard all your life in order to get food from it.

v18 You will find thorns and thistles there. (Both are wild plants with sharp points along them.) You will eat wild plants.

v19 You will *sweat in order to grow food. That will happen until you die. And then people will bury you. I made you from the dust, and you will again be dust.’

v20 The man called his wife Eve. She would be the mother of all those that would live. That is why he gave her that name.

v21 And the *Lord God made clothes out of skin for Adam and Eve. They wore the clothes. v22 Then the *Lord God said, ‘Now, the man has become like us. He knows good things and evil things. Now, he might reach forward with his hand. Then he might pick fruit from the tree that makes people live. And then he might eat that fruit, and so he would live for always.’ v23And so the *Lord God sent the man out of the garden that was in Eden. God sent him out for always. God had made the man out of the soil. And now God told him to work with the soil.v24 God forced the man to go out. Then God put *cherubim to guard the garden in Eden. They were at the east side of the garden. There was a sword with them and flames were coming from it. The sword moved in all directions to guard every way to the tree. That is, the tree that makes people live.

This chapter is a very important chapter because it helps us to understand the Bible’s message. Before the events in this chapter, the world was perfect. People had not *sinned. They obeyed God. And they were friends of God. Everything changed after the events in this chapter.

Satan (the devil) used a snake to test the first people (called Adam and Eve). Satan told them that they should not trust God’s words. And Satan encouraged them not to obey God.

The results of their action were terrible. They were afraid and they tried to hide from God. They could not continue their friendship with God.

But, even afterwards, God was kind to them. He killed an animal so that they could cover their bodies. And he made a promise to Eve that seems to refer to Jesus. *Sin has been a real problem for every person who has ever lived. Because of *sin, our world is not perfect. Because of *sin, we have many troubles. But Jesus came to free us from our *sins. When he died, he suffered the punishment for our *sins. We need to confess our *sins to God. And we need to invite God into our lives. Then we shall be friends of God.

Notes on the verses

Verse 1 God had made the snake. But *Satan was using it to do something against God’s command. The snake was able to talk to the woman. That shows that it was not an ordinary snake. There was only one tree whose fruit God had forbidden the woman to eat. But the snake made her want that fruit. The snake made her think that God was not speaking the truth. It made her think that God did not care about her and Adam.

Verse 3 The woman spoke as if God had given a very strict command. She said that God had ordered her and Adam, ‘Do not even touch it (the fruit).’ But God had not said that.

Verse 4 The snake then denied what God had said. The snake said, ‘You will not die.’

Verse 5 ‘Your eyes will open’. Writers in the Bible often say that. It does not mean that we cannot see things round us now. It means that we do not understand about God. The woman was greedy. She wanted the fruit and she wanted to be like God. However, God had made the woman like himself already. God had given power to her and her husband, so that they had power over everything else. The woman could have sent the snake away.

Verse 7 ‘Their eyes opened’. *Sin affects all parts of us. Adam and Eve were not actually blind before. But now they saw that they had done something wrong. In other words, they understood it with their mind. They ate the fruit with their bodies, because they were not obeying God with their mind. Then they felt ashamed because they were naked.

Adam and Eve suffer because they *sinned, 3:8-24

Verse 8 The writer described the garden very well. Before Adam and Eve ate that fruit, they had liked to meet God. But we can imagine how Adam and Eve then hid from God. However, people cannot really hide from God, although they may try!

Verse 12 Adam blamed his wife Eve. And Adam even blamed God, because God had given Eve to him!

Verse 13 Eve blamed the snake. People are afraid to say, ‘I did it. I *sinned.’

Verse 14 God punished the snake first.

Verse 15 Next, God punished *Satan, who had seemed to be like the snake. In the original *Hebrew text, God said that the woman’s ‘seed’ (*descendant) would ‘bruise *Satan’s head’. That means that Jesus would hurt *Satan badly. But *Satan’s ‘seed’ (*descendant) would only ‘hurt Jesus’ *heel’. In other words, he would annoy Jesus. But he would not hurt Jesus seriously. Here, the writer uses a different word. It means only ‘hurt in some way’. It does not have the special meaning ‘bruise’.

Verse 16 Next, God explained to the woman the results of her *sin. She would suffer pain. Even the happy time when she had a baby would cause pain. But a woman would still desire a husband and children. And, of course, in verse 15, God had promised that the woman would receive something good by her *descendant or child. Her *descendant would oppose the devil. Her *descendant would free people from the devil’s power, like someone who uses his foot to break a snake’s head. Jesus was the woman’s *descendant. And he did these things when he died for us (Galatians 4:4-5).

There is a special promise to women in 1 Timothy 2:15. This verse says, ‘God will save women during the birth of a child if they continue to trust him. He will do that if they continue to love him. He will do it if they are holy and modest.’

Verse 17 God explained to Adam the results of his *sin. Adam would have to work hard for his food.

Verse 18 The garden in Eden was a nice one, which God designed for Adam. But Adam would not continue to live in that kind of garden.

Verse 19 Adam would have to prepare his own garden.

Verse 20 Eve means ‘someone that gives life’.

Verse 21 In this verse, we see how God showed Adam to *sacrifice animals because of *sin. That was like a picture (or a special description). It showed what Jesus would suffer. People would kill Jesus too, like the animals. He, too, had to suffer because of people’s *sin.

Skin from an animal would protect people better than leaves protected them. (Look at verse 7.) Also, an animal’s skin was warmer than leaves.

Verse 22 Jesus suffered because of people’s *sin. So he knew what *sin was like. People had started to *sin. And *sin causes people to suffer. *Sin is very bad for people. So God did not want people to eat fruit from the tree that makes people live. That was because they would then always live in that bad state. So they would always continue to suffer terribly.

Verse 23 The *cherubim were God’s special servants that guarded *holy things and *holy places. Later, someone sewed a design onto the curtain that people put in the *Temple. In that design, there were pictures that showed *cherubim. When Jesus died, God tore that curtain into two pieces (Matthew 27:51). That action has a special meaning for us. It means that we can now come to God because of Jesus.

Genesis 3 – Wycliffe translators with Ray

Genesis 3 - Wycliffe translators with Ray

How To Forgive Ourselves – Totally Chapter 2: False Guilt

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How To Forgive Ourselves – Totally Chapter 2: False Guilt

You have to look people in the eye and make them feel guilty. – A 13 year old Girl Scout on how she sold 11,200 boxes of cookies

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

A guilty conscience is the seasoning of our daily life. – Paul Tournier

The nice thing about being a celebrity is that when you bore people, they think that it is their fault. – Dr. Henry Kissinger

False guilt is a sense of shame in our hearts that God did not put there. It is sometimes called pseudo-guilt. Freud, for example, taught that pseudo-guilt is an unconscious need for self punishment, self torment, or self sabotage. This is the sort of thing we sometimes can do. One can accept an element of truth even from one whose system you would not totally endorse. The word pseudo-guilt comes from the Greek word pseudos, which means “untrue” or “lie.” It is false as opposed to true, not false as opposed to real. For false guilt is real. It is painful. It can be torture. But if we can recognize and identify  false guilt for being precisely that which did not come from God, as Christians we are often on our way to being set free.

The bottom line of this chapter is that we should learn not to feel guilty once we see that it is pseudo-guilt at work. Do not be controlled by false guilt.

One way forward in forgiving ourselves therefore can be summarized: we should not let ourselves be worried by any guilty feeling that is not from God. In the next chapter I will deal in detail with true guilt. In the meantime, here are two principles:

1. You must learn to identify and dignify what is from God (true guilt).

2. You must learn to detect and reject what is not from God (pseudo-guilt or false guilt).

If you apply these two principles, you are well on your way to forgiving yourself and letting yourself totally off the hook.

How To Forgive Ourselves – Totally Chapter 2: False Guilt

 

How To Forgive Ourselves – Totally Chapter 2: False Guilt

Life After Death: Angels - God"s Messengers

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Life After Death:  Angels – God’s Messengers

Are angels alive today on planet Earth? Why can’t we see them if they are? What is a fallen angel? Do angels have wings? How will Christians relate with angels in Heaven? Can angels take on the appearance of a human today in order to deliver a message?

 

Life After Death:  Angels – God’s Messengers

Life After Death: Angels - God"s Messengers

The Larry and Ray Show: Our Response To Same-sex Marriage

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The Larry and Ray Show: Our Response To Same-sex Marriage


The United States Supreme Court today – June 26, 2015 – sanctioned same-sex marriage and made it legal nationwide. How should Christians and churches respond? That question is what Larry and Ray respond to on this edition of the Larry and Ray Show.

 

The Larry and Ray Show: Our Response To Same-sex Marriage

The Larry and Ray Show: Our Response To Same-sex Marriage

8 Nobody"s perfect

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8 Nobody’s perfect

Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.

Noah got drunk.

Abraham twice put his wife in someone else’s harem.

Moses murdered a man.

Jacob was a liar.

David committed adultery and murder.

James and John kept losing their temper.

Peter ran away from the cross.

Thomas doubted Jesus Christ had risen.

I could fill in the blanks and mention every one of the major sins of men and women called by God or saved by Christ AFTER God had made himself totally known to them. So why does a husband or wife blame their spouse for being imperfect? We all have flaws as humans. That’s why Christ died for us and rose again for us. He’s not looking for perfection, but human’s who will take His direction, no matter how flawed they are. No one proves that better than a man who called himself “The chief of sinners” – the apostle Paul.

None of this excuses sin, but the blood of Christ canceled sin on the cross for every human who will sincerely ask Jesus Christ to be their one and only Savior (John 3:16–18). That’s all Christ asks so that He can forgive you of ALL your sins. If Christ forgives sins, shouldn’t we?

8 Nobody’s perfect

8 Nobody"s perfect

12 Christians live forgiven

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12 Christians live forgiven

There are two kinds of lifestyles that are equally destructive in any Christian’s life.

First is the self proclaimed “holier than thou” Christian who thinks their major role in life is to pick out everyone else’s flaws. They are egotists, big headed, puffed up, judging others from their high condemning perch of perfection. They are nitpickers. They believe the lie that they are better than anyone else and therefore have the right to be critical of anything they see in other Christians or non-Christians who do anything that they wouldn’t do, especially if it is something they consider sinful. They also believe that they have the corner on the market of truth and only exactly what they believe the Bible says is true. They aren’t open to changing their mind and expect everyone to do whatever they think they think they should. They can’t learn the truth because they think only what they believe is the truth. This person is in love with themself  and so concentrated on what they believe is their perfection that they can’t really concentrate on Christ and His purpose for their life. They make life miserable for others.

Second is the Christian who at some point came to a place in their life when they began feeling inferior to everybody else. They feel inferior especially when they compare themself with other Christians. Deep down they believe there is some flaw in them, some sin they have committed, that on judgment day will send them to hell. They believe this in spite of the fact that they have sincerely asked Christ to be their one and only Savior. I call these kind of people, “Christians with ‘myopic eyeballs!"” They concentrate so much on the sins they are or have committed and on their self proclaimed imperfection that they have no real time to concentrate on Christ and His abundant purpose for their life. Besides, they don’t think they are at all “worthy” of His love. In fact they often tell other Christians how “unworthy” they feel. They don’t realize there is no one worthy of salvation and the gifts Christ gives them – no one at all.

The real truth is that Christ paid the entire price for every Christian’s sins. Christ summarized this truth with His last words on the cross – “It is finished.” Three days later He rose from death and conquered it. He did that so He could wash with his shed blood every person who honestly asks Him to be their one and only Savior (John 3:16.)

Let me tell you more about this right now on Take Time for God….. –Ray

12 Christians live forgiven

I see dead people!

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#11 Take Time With God

I see dead people!

One of the most moving motion pictures in the past several years was a film that was anything but Christian. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s the movie “Sixth Sense” starring Bruce Willis. Some may call it an occult story. I would call it a science fiction story. The acting is top-notch and in one gripping moment a boy tells Bruce “I see dead people!” Now get ready – so do I! I see them all around me and the Holy Spirit grieves for them. What am I talking about? Join me right now to Take Time With God and I’ll explain…… –Ray


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Ray: raymossholder@gmail.com

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Larry: larrymjackii@gmail.com

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I see dead people!

 

I see dead people!

4 Take Time with God – Ephesians 1:1-8 Father God loves you

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Ephesians 1:1–8

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

4 Take Time with God – Ephesians 1:1-8 Father God loves you

1 John 5

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Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols. – 1Jo 5:1-21 NASB

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1 John 5

JONATHAN CAHN: THE 9 HARBINGERS AND AMERICA"S FUTURE

We live in a megabyte society where everyone wants to do and see things quickly. But if you live that way the truth will keep going in one ear and out the other. In this video Jonathan Cahn takes time to tell you the almost immediate future of America . – Ray

JONATHAN CAHN: THE 9 HARBINGERS AND AMERICA"S FUTURE