A GRAIN OF WHEAT ABIDING ALONE UNLESS IT FALLS INTO THE GROUND AND DIES

The Lord Jesus said, "Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). This word applies not only to the Lord Jesus but also to us. Today we have the Lord’s life in us, so we are the many grains of wheat. Yet we are unable to multiply, unable to bear much fruit, and unable to produce many grains because we have not been broken through death.

Many of us are very stable, steady, and whole. Many times, however, our stability, steadiness, and wholeness are our problem. For example, although we may have been saved for years, we may not have any scars or any evidence of the work of the cross on us, and our being may still be intact, whole, steady, and unchanged. The only difference may be that before we were saved, we were wild, careless, and misbehaving. After being saved, however, we are no longer wild and careless but rather well behaved. This is merely a change in behavior.

There are two kinds of change that can occur in a Christian. One is a change in outward conduct, and the other is a change in the inward life. A change in outward behavior means that in the past you did whatever you liked, acting loosely and without any restraint. But now, since you have been saved, you feel that your former conduct would not befit a Christian and therefore you need to be more cautious. However, this is merely an outward change; your inner being is still the same. You are still secure and firm, stable and steady, whole and intact. You are still your original person. Our problem is not in our outward behavior but in our disposition, our natural life, and our old self.

that's good for you bro. lucky Jesus is kind to us still want to forgives us although we commit many sins.. I myself have lots of sins. I am not perfect. Many Christians just go church and read bible but never apply them to their life. It's very sad. We do not know what happen next, this world is near ending, do you believe? Are you prepared for world end? I am myself not prepared yet, still have many sins    although many pastors said as long as we believe in Jesus so we do not need to be afraid.

Question: Any Christians here who does/practice incense 'offering/sticking' to ancestors?

CHRIST NEEDING BROKEN VESSELS TO BE CHANNELS OF LIVING WATER

Christ does not need whole vessels; instead, He needs broken vessels. This is because only broken vessels can be channels of living water. Whole vessels can only be cisterns of dead water (Jeremiah 2:13). The biggest problem today is that it is hard to find any wounds or scars in most Christians. Most of us do not have any wounds, scars, marks of death, or experiences of the cross. Even though we have been saved and truly have Christ’s life in us, this life has no way to come out. The reason is not that our behavior is too poor or too good but that we are too whole and too impregnable. Because we have no wounds, Christ has no way to be released from within us.

Suppose a person is quick-tempered and appears arrogant. It would be relatively easy for such a one to become humble because he may often examine himself and condemn his irritability. Suppose another person is meek by nature and apparently humble. It would be harder for such a one to know himself. Instead, it would be easy for him to become proud before God. He may think that the other person is irritable and arrogant while he is meek and humble. What is this? This is real pride. Sometimes when we go to visit people, the wife says, "My husband is too quick." What she means is that her husband is quick but she is not and that she is meek but her husband is troublesome. However, she is actually more troublesome before God than her husband. It is hard for many of the saints who have a number of good points to make any spiritual progress. This is due to the fact that they have listened to many messages not for themselves but for others.

Some of the saints do not seem to have a bad temper; they are as gentle as sheep. However, they always listen to messages not for themselves but for others. When they hear a word concerning breaking, they think, "Brother A is quick-tempered, so he surely needs to be broken. Sister B is not good either, so she also needs to be broken." It never occurs to them that those who are meek need to be broken even more than those who are quick-tempered.

It is often easier for God to deal with a stubborn person than with a pliable person. Someone may seem to be so pliable, like a rubber ball, that God has no way to break him. When a certain situation arises, he does not care. When he is dealt with by his supervisor, he does not care. When he is dealt with by some of his family members, he cares even less. Like a rubber ball, he bounces back whenever he is hit, and he bounces up whenever he is thrown down. This kind of person is indifferent toward everything; he is unbreakable. He cannot be broken by one person, nor by two, three, or even five persons. However, if he were a glass, he could be broken with a single stroke.

If a sister cannot be broken by her husband, her son, or her daughter-in-law, people will praise her, saying that she is really spiritual because she cannot be broken by anyone. However, we must realize that because she is not broken and cannot be broken, Christ has no way to live out from her. What she lives out is her whole self, her smooth and refined self, but not Christ. Christ has no way to live out of her.

Neither our kindness, our good deeds, nor our morality can represent Christ. Only Christ Himself can represent Christ. Nothing that we have, even if it is good, can represent Christ. The progress of a Christian’s spiritual life does not depend on how much he has changed; rather, it depends on how much he has been broken and to what stature Christ has grown in him. In other words, the growth of a Christian hinges on his being broken and Christ’s increasing in him.

That is what i thought at first, literally take out eyes out, and i thought, isn't it too much 

The best way is ask for this from the Lord. We are here not for any other thing but to know Christ. We should not pray for our work but for this revelation, the revelation that Christ in us has become our life. We have to comprehend, to sense, and to practically experience Christ’s working Himself into us through our environments.

Are you a pastor in this thread only or in reality too ?

Good to know you.

I'm from EMC ,  PJ.

If someone is punished, it means that this person still has sins. When a person has died in his sins, he is basically condemned.

A true Christian will still enter into heaven even though he has committed suicide. He may not be rewarded as much though but he will still enter heaven. Basically all his sins are forgiven and so there is nothing to be punished

Incredible. This is really getting to be an eyeopener

If a believer is not matured in the divine life in this age, he will have to go through dispensation punishment in the millennial kingdom where the overcoming believers will enjoy the rewards as co-kings. The defeated believers will be "trained"/"discipled" so that they are will be matured after 1000 years.

But what I am pretty sure is no "training" will be done over that 1000 year time period you are talking about to "unmaturing believers"

Dear All, Shalommmm

I am looking for church which either like

1. Joel osteen teaching
2. Jospeh prince teaching.
3  Or other church which focus more on prosperity teaching.

I am in malaysia selangor / KL area, english speaking.

Mohon bantuan jeee... tqvm n God Bless. :-)

those names u mentioned they does not emphasizes on prosperity teaching but more on the bibilical teaching, why their church can prosper is because of the approach they took and the way of teaching is not like traditional nor orthodox

then show me the proof that they mentioned prosperity in all their sermons?

if you can't mean you are just hearing this from 1 sided source

i have rad Rick warren book before so as joseph prince and Rick warren sermon truthfully said prosperity has many kind not the money prosperity type alone

Bible Devotions with UW

ALL JOY

Without Him, we are empty. Only God can give you the Joy that you're longing for. His very being is Joy itself.
You cannot achieve Joy on your own. It is only temporal and circumstance dependence.
but to have the Spirit of God dwelling inside of us brings lasting Joy that nothing in this world can bring.

It is that deep quiet peace and Joy.

When you practice the presence of God with you all day long, when you talk to Him, when you pray, when you contemplate his presence,
You will notice that inward Joy is In you.
Be at Peace, dear friends. Be at Peace.

God Bless.

No lar!!! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHEN... the real sign is if the second temple is build up first ... which is not possible right now ... also, once it is build up, the system of Jewish worship is build up ... and when you see real peace in the Middle East due to someone .... then 7 years left.

1000 years ago a lot of people believe it's the end of the world due to the black plague. Tunggu Jesus. Yet we are still here 1000 years later.

It may look like it's coming true now, but mana tahu plot twist. Then 500 years later our descendants read back and go 'Jeez why do people believe that? It hasn't come to pass also."

I thought we gotta be alert and be prepared anytime because the judgement day / second coming of Jesus can comes without any sign / warning. No one knows when (Matthew 24:36)

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3: 10

"For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night." 1 Thes 5: 2

which means ... now is the first three years ???

interesting. suddenly something cross my mind. what if israel as a nation need to be whole first before the Coming? meaning all the land where the palestinieans still sit need to be re-taken by the israelites first. and jordan and lebanon too i think.

if thats the the case its not gonna be by peaceful means. israel must use force to retake those lands. it may trigger a big war then.