God's Finances - Part 4 - The power of partnership

 BY Argie Simonis

Today we will talk about the power of partnership and the rewards we can have when we become partners and financially support a ministry that spreads the good news of the Gospel. I encourage you to watch the first, second and third part of the series on this teaching.

Let's start with Paul's example when he writes to the Philippians:

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19

This and the previous 5 verses (from v. 15) were written to people who partnered with Paul in the Gospel, supported his ministry financially and gave on a regular basis. We have spoken extensively in previous lessons that God does not rain money from heaven, but gives us the ability to acquire wealth, and the reason He does so is to establish His Kingdom on Earth:

"But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deut. 8:18

When we pray and ask God for guidance on how and where to give, we give the Lord access to personally intervene in our finances and you can be sure that He can take care of our financial needs much better than we can!

I would like to focus on something very specific. In Proverbs we read:

"A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men." Prov. 18:16

What does it mean when it says that our gifts will make room for us and bring us before great men?

I believe the Bible here describes a very important aspect of what happens when we become partners and supporters of a ministry.

Consider the example of King Solomon in 1 Kings chapter 10. The Bible tells us about Solomon, the wisest man on earth. When Solomon was given the opportunity to ask from God anything he wanted, he selflessly asked

wisdom to be a good king. God not only gave him what he asked for, but also gave him what he did not ask for, giving him long life and making him extremely rich. In fact, the Bible tells us that he was so rich that everything he had was made of gold and silver was not even used:

"And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." 1Kings 10:21

Solomon's fame spread throughout the land, and in 1 Kings 10: 1-3, we read:

"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not." 1Kings 10:1-3

The queen of Sheba was so impressed by Solomon's kingdom and wisdom that it actually took her breath away:

"And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her." 1Kings 10:4-5

When we continue reading:

"And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart." 1Kings 10:24

Solomon was the most famous man in the world in his day. He ruled the most powerful and prosperous kingdom and all the people of the earth asked for his attention so that they could learn from his wisdom, get his opinion and receive his favor. I'm sure others stood in front of him, but have you ever wondered why the Bible tells us only the story of the queen of Sheba? What opened the way for her to be able to hear Solomon? I ask this question because I think the waiting queue must have been very long. The answer is found in the verse from the Proverbs we read earlier:

"A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men." Prov. 18:16

Her gift was the one that opened the way and brought her in front of a great man. According to today's value of gold, the approximately 4.2 tons of gold (120 talents X 34kg / talent) gift equals to 230 million euros! And this is without counting the value of the precious stones, spices and other precious items that were included in the gift package.

So what did the queen of Sheba get from this? Everything she wanted and much more. In 1 Kings 10:13 we read:

"And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty.  So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants." 1Kings 10:13

The apostle Paul confirms the same:

"But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver." 2Cor. 9:6-7

With a little study I did on this, I estimate that the gift the queen gave to Solomon was about one-tenth of the king's annual income. So when we read that the king gave her out of his royal generosity, do you not think that the gift of the richest man on earth was greater than hers? I believe that when the queen left for her home, she left with more wealth, more wisdom and the favor of the greatest king on earth! Her gift opened the door to great blessings.

Here I will ask another question: Do you think that the queen of Sheba acted selfishly?

Do you think that all this wealth could have been given to the poor who really needed help instead of the richest man on earth?

I think this is a reasonable question. Remember what Judas, as the treasurer of Jesus, had said when the woman poured the myrrh on His feet and wiped it with her hair:

"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" John 12:5

"Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying has she kept this.

For the poor always you have with you; but me you have not always." John 12:7-8

Mary, the sister of Lazarus, gave the Lord a precious gift, which of course was very small comparing with the gift that the Lord gave her  resurrecting her brother.

I am sure that in the case of the queen of Sheba, such a large caravan carrying all these precious gifts, it was impossible to go unnoticed. It is very possible that this caravan passed through poor areas, but the queen understood a very important principle that still applies today in the supporting of a ministry:

Solomon did not need the queen's wealth, but she needed his wisdom and blessing, and her gift opened the door to what she needed. She probably left with more wealth than she brought and just think how much more blessing it could have been for the poor on her return journey. This is an excellent example of how things work in the Kingdom of God.

When you give to a ministry, you do not only bless the people who are touched by that ministry, but you start a supernatural flow in your finances and share in the anointing and blessing that is on that ministry. It is not bad to want the anointing that is on the life of a servant of God. The apostle Paul urges us to zealously seek spiritual gifts. I believe that my wife and I are moving in the anointing of the ministries we support because that is how God has set forth His spiritual laws. What we have prayed for is this:

"Lord, we want to be a part of it. We will sow in this person and in this ministry and in this way we will open a door that will allow the blessing that is upon them to flow to us as well."

You can begin to see these things happen in your life, as we have seen them happen in our lives, when you offer your gift in faith to the Lord.

The queen of Sheba needed something that her own people could not give her. So she went to the one who could, King Solomon. It was not just a selfish desire, but an important decision to be able to better fulfill her role as queen.

It is important to understand the power that exists in this type of partnership and then put that power to work in your favor. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to show you where to become partners.

I pray that the eyes of your mind will be enlightened and that with this teaching the Holy Spirit will bear witness to you.

The spread of the Gospel costs both in personal struggle and in money. In the ministry we do, we share the good news of the Gospel with you, as well as the revelations and experiences we have all these years walking with the Lord. If you are blessed by what we do, for those whom the Lord puts in your heart to support our ministry, I pray that the blessing and anointing that is on our lives will be released to you, our partners.

Amen!

Amazing Grace

  BY Argie Simonis

The letter to the Romans is Paul's masterpiece on the subject of God's Grace. If we really understand what it means to be under the Grace of God and not under the Law, we are freed from many bonds (guilt, self-blame, frustration, low self-esteem, unforgiveness and much more).

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?" Rom. 6:14-16

If you have never asked yourself the same question Paul asks here:

"So what? Will we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?", 

then you have not understood the true meaning of God's Grace.

Sin can not dominate us when we are under grace. Grace frees us from sin, while the Law strengthens sin:

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1Cor. 15:56

If sin prevails over us, it is because we are under the Law. What we read in Romans 6:14 clearly shows that a true believer is not under the Law.

It is equally important to realize that Grace does not give us a liscence to sin, but frees us from sin and teaches us how to live godly lives:

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" Titus 2:11-12

After we have been born again, our spirit becomes one with the Spirit of God, we become new creatures:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor 5:17

The reason that the believer still continues to sin is the residues of our old selves (wrong way of thinking, bad habits, wrong feelings) that have remained in our unrenewed mind. That is why Paul writes:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

Understanding our freedom from the Old Testament Law is a prerequisite for breaking the dominion of sin in our lives. The reason this happens is because the Law reinforced sin by creating guilt that brings condemnation and death:

"Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:19-20

The Law also brought the wrath of God against our sins

"Because the law works wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. 4:15

But when we accept Christ's redemptive work for our sins, we no longer need to fear the wrath of God, because all His wrath has been put on Jesus. The wages of sin, which is death, has already been paid by our Lord on the Cross of Golgotha.

The Law was given for a very specific purpose:

"Why the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Gal. 3:24-25

Knowing this, then, we are freed from the dominion of sin, even though as Christians we may continue to sin because we are still in the process of renewing our minds:

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John. 1:8-9

But the great benefit we enjoy because of this gift of our Lord, His amazing Grace, is that we are no longer condemned and we do not feel separated from God because of our sins, but we are free to run to God for help instead of walking away from Him out of fear:

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

I will close the message with some food for thought:

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

This is the third time that Paul has asked this question (Romans 3:8; 6:1, and this verse). If no one ever comes up with this question, that is, if man can finally simply continue to live in sin, then we have not preached the Gospel as Paul did.

Amen!

God's Finances - Part 3 - When and where to give

  BY Argie Simonis

The Word of God has more to say about finances than about heaven and hell combined. Jesus said that trusting Him with our money is the least faith we can apply:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" Luke 16:10-11

How do we do the greatest things if we can not do the least first?

In the previous message (part 2) we dealt with the application of God's Word for finances on two categories of people: The sowers and the eaters.

Here we will deal with when and where we should give. Before I get into the main topic I would like to mention something important. The reason many Christians are reluctant to offer financial assistance to Christian churches or ministries is the fact that they have often been manipulated or deceived through fundraisers by so-called "Christian" churches or ministries. My main concern  is not so much the distortion of the truth and the misrepresentation of God by these ministries. This is something that has happened and will continue to happen.

What really worries me is that these tactics work and many are the ones who are deceived. There are organizations that receive hundreds of millions a year through fraud and manipulation and it is something that clearly shows the immaturity and ignorance that exists on this area from the Body of Christ today.

I hope this course will bring revelation and help you to manage your finances with God's wisdom.

First I would like to point out that the motivation behind the gift is more important than the gift itself. This is exactly what Paul tells us here:

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing." 1Cor. 13:3

The reason you give is always more important than what or how much you give.

The salvation of a loved one, healing or any other blessing of God is not bought with money and if someone tries to convince you otherwise, keep away:

"But Peter said to him, Your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Acts 8:20

Let's take a look at the example of the prophet Elijah and the widow:

"Arise, get you to Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you." 1kings 17:9

It is true that the widow gave Elijah everything she had and that her needs were met supernaturally for many days. But the above verse says: "I commanded a widow there to sustain you." The Lord had commanded her to support Elijah. This widow gave everything she had  to help the man of God but by obeying the command of God her own needs were met as well.

In the book of Acts we read about Cornelius, the Roman centurion who was "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always." Acts 10:2

His offering was just a manifestation of his faith and trust in the Lord.

It is true that when we give, the Lord will return us a hundredfold in this life:

"And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundred times now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:29-30

Giving only to receive is the wrong motive. As 

I commented in the previous 2 messages on finances, God blesses us so that we can establish His kingdom (Deut. 8:18), give to those in need (Eph. 4:28) and abound in every good work (2Cor. 9:8). The Lord promises us to expect to receive when we give, but we must do so with the right attitude of heart, meaning that we expect to receive so that we can give more and become a greater blessing to those in need. It is purely a matter of priorities and that is why it is a greater blessing to give than to receive. When you receive you get your hands full, but when you give your soul gets full!

There has also been a misunderstanding about when to give. Many Christians give only after all their needs have been met. But the Bible teaches that our gifts should be among the first fruits we receive. This means that the first thing we do when we receive money is to honor the Lord by giving a portion of it to His work. There also is His promise:

"Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase:

So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine." Prov. 3:9-10

There are also doctrines out there teaching that that we give only after a specific command of the Lord. Of course it is very important to listen to the voice of the Lord when He guides us to do this too, but that is not the only way.

The Word of God tells us:

"But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver." 2Cor. 9:6-7

How would parents feel if their children said they loved them only when they were told to say so? Parents definitely need to teach their children to say "Thank you" and "I love you" and guide them in this, but all parents long for the day when these answers will come out of their children's hearts spontaneously. Likewise, the Lord wants us to give joyfully and not under pressure.

So when we are forced to give or you are made to feel guilty if you do not give, this is the wrong time to give. Every time we give to someone who is manipulating us (whether it is a church or a ministry) we are actually rewarding this negative behavior and giving a vote of confidence to do it again.

As for now where to give, this is the easiest of all. Let's see what God's Word tells us:

"Who goes a warfare any time at his own charges? who plants a vineyard, and eats not of the fruit thereof? or who feeds a flock, and eats not of the milk of the flock?

Say I these things as a man? or said not the law the same also?

For it is written in the law of Moses, You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. Does God take care for oxen?

Or said he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" 1Cor. 9:7-11

"Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things." Gal. 6:6

When you go to Goody's to eat, for example, you are not going to pay the bill at Mac Donald's. You pay where you eat. Likewise, you give where you are spiritually fed.

"Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, said the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Μalachi 3:10

Many people use this verse to say that we should tithe in our local church and then any other offering we want to make may go to other ministries or charities. I totally agree with that as long as  your church is a real storehouse, a place where you keep your food or go to get food.

The local church is the backbone of God's work here on earth. A local church can feed you in a way that no other ministry can. Your shepherd can take care of you personally and even pick up the phone one night when you are in need . That's the place you will go to marry your children, there you will send them for help and advice. We need the fellowship of other believers and this is something that the local church can offer.

All these things of course would be true in a perfect world, but we all know that we do not live in a perfect world and not all local churches respond to their call. There are people who go to church every week and never get fed. They starve. So if you are in a dead church that does not nourish you spiritually, it is time to go and seek a living church where there is proper teaching, the Word of God is preached and the Spirit of God confirms the Word with revelation, healings and miracles, with people who become born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. You should support such churches and ministries with your financial offerings (tithes, offerings, donations).

Let's look at it from another point of view. By contributing our money to the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are making the best investment of our lives. We turn something temporary that will eventually cease to exist (money) into something eternal that we will enjoy eternally in the presence of the Lord (eternal life).

The great comission the Lord leaves to His disciples is to make disciples in all nations "teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you..." Μatt. 28:20

The Gospel must be preached throughout the world but it has a cost, both in personal struggle and in money. Let us pray that the Lord will give wisdom and discernment to all of us in how to manage our finances, and when and where to give.

I hope you were blessed with this message. To be continued with the fourth and last part ...

God's finances-Part 2: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

  BY Argie Simonis

The Lord's teaching on finances and especially on offering and tithes is one of the least popular topics among Christians, while it should be at the top of our priorities. Our Lord says it clearly:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" Luke 16:10-11

This message is the second part of the series "God's finances." In the previous post (Part 1) I dealt with three fundamental principles:

- If I can not trust the Lord with my finances how will I trust Him with my life?

- God is my source

- I am not the owner of what I have, but the stewart of what the Lord has entrusted to me, in order to secure His covenant and bless me for others.

"For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?" 1Cor. 4:7

My wife and I have been applying these principles for years and I would like to share with you the revelations that the Lord has given us on the subject of finances. Let's see what Paul tells us here:

"Now he that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" 2Cor. 9:10

Here the apostle Paul speaks metaphorically to show us that the Lord supplies abundantly the people who give and covers the basic needs for food. The eater is therefore the one who uses his finances mainly to meet his individual needs, while the sower is the one who uses his finances mainly to give to others. This has to do with a heart attitude.

Those who want more money to be able to get more things, in the eyes of the Lord are eaters. Those who want more money to be able to give more are sowers. Which category do you want to belong to?

Of course sowers must be eat too. So as you trust in the Lord, there will always be much for you. Those who seek only to meet their needs, the Lord will supply up to there: To meet their needs.

They will not have the abundance and the prosperity that comes with being a sower. The Lord gets glory through our prosperity and not through our poverty:

"You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16

This answers many questions. Those who are focused only on what they need, God does not give them this abundance. Do you know why; They would spend them only for themselves. Just two verses before the verse we are studying, Paul said:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2Cor. 9:8

Notice that the reason God does grace to abound in you is that you can abound in every good work. Prosperity is not for you. It is so that you can bless others, and in the eyes of the Lord rich  is not he who has much, but he who can give much!

Many people believe that prosperity has to do with greed, and that is why they oppose it. Paul writes to Timothy:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1Τim. 6:10

Money is not the problem, but the love of money is. It all has to do with a heart attitude.

True Biblical prosperity is being able to be a blessing to others. The "I have enough. I would never ask for more" attitude may seem humble, but it is purely selfish. This is the attitude of an eater and not a sower.

According to 2 Corinthians 9:10 we read earlier, the conclusion is that if you do not have seed (money), then you do not sow as you should. God ensures that the sowers have plenty of money for every good work.

I'm sure if there was a survey with the question "What is the reason you work?" most would answer that we work to be able to pay our bills and meet our needs.

Look at what Paul says to the Ephesians:

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs." Εph. 4:28

The Word of God tells us here that the purpose of our work is to be able to bless others! Do you see how spiritual principles work? Heaven operates completely differently from the world.

In case you are wondering: "Well, what about me? How can I be blessed too?"

And of course the Lord wants you to be blessed too, but the way to blessing is to trust the Lord, and ask Him to make you a blessing for others.

"You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts." James 4:3

"But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." Μat. 6:33

God knows our needs better than we do. When we trust the Lord's promises that are "Yes and Amen" and pray how we can be a blessing to others, the Lord Himself becomes involved in our finances and covers our every need abundantly. God will take care of you much better than you can take care of yourself.

This is a great truth: The biggest obstacle to our prosperity is that we focus more on how we eat and not on how we sow. We become like the dam that blocks the flow of the river instead of letting it flow with full force.

The same God who promised eternal life when you confess Jesus as your Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9), also said: "Give.and it will be given to you." 

"I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

So why did Jesus say that it is better to give than to receive?

You know that when God asks us to do something, it is not because we need something, but because it is good for us. The Lord does not need our money or our services:

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of you, and of your own have we given you." 

For we are strangers before you, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you an house for your holy name comes of your hand, and is all your own." 1Chron. 29:14-16

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, even your God.

I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he goats out of your folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the most High:" Psalm 50:7-14

Begin to trust the Lord with your finances, ask Him to teach you not only to look at your own needs, but to start sowing where He shows you. This will change your life and rivers of blessing will flow through you.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19

I hope you were blessed with this message. There will be a 3rd part where we will focus more on the practical applications of everything we have said so far ...

The power of His Resurrection

   BY Argie Simonis

The Resurrection of our Lord is for many people a controversial issue, but for us it is absolutely fundamental to our Christian faith.

"But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 1Cor. 15:13-14

No other religion offers atonement for sins through a Savior who was raised from the dead. All the leaders of the other religions are still in their graves. But the tomb of our Jesus is empty because He overcame death and rose from the dead, and it is this fact that keeps all our faith alive.

The Resurrection of our Lord is a historical event that has been recorded even by non christians. Some have tried in various ways to justify the reason for the absence of Jesus' body from the tomb. They said that some people stole it, some people hid it, and lots of other unproven arguments.

The Roman soldiers guarding the tomb reported that angels had come and that Jesus had been resurrected (Matt. 28: 2-4). In fact, they were one of the first eyewitnesses of the Resurrection!

We may not yet be able to grasp the power of the resurrection in its entirety, but the Word of God promises to be fantastic:

We may not yet be able to grasp the power of the resurrection in its fulness, but the Word of God promises it is going to be awesome:

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom. 8:18 

Many bad and ugly things happen around us (wars, deaths, diseases, sufferings) that can bring  frustration and despair, but when we hold in our hearts this picture of Heaven, when we will be in the presence of the Lord, all these sorrows of the world are not even worth mentioning!

This is the power and hope of the Resurrection! The Resurrection cancels the fear of death. When you come to Jesus you are not just accepting a religion; you are securing your salvation and your own resurrection to eternal life with Him:

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" John. 11:25

"if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:9-10

Death existed from the beginning of creation, but it was idle. God is the first to use this word in the book of Genesis:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die." Gen. 2:17 

Jesus came to kill the one who wants to kill you:

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1John 3:8

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

Jesus overcame death with His own death. From the moment the wage is paid, (always speaking with the prospect of eternity and not with our temporary life here on earth) death no longer has any right over us:

"​And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Col. 2:13-15 

Let me clarify something very important here: Jesus was not sacrificed to ignore sin. The Lord continues to hate sin and died to remove its power from us. In short, the Lord went on the cross for three main reasons:

- He took our place, meaning he was punished for something that normally we should have been punished,

- Ηe canceled the power of sin,

- He restored our broken relationship with the Father because of sin and reconciled us to Him.

This is the hope we have thanks to the sacrifice of our Jesus. The word "hope" does not mean that I just wish for something to happen. The biblical definition of hope is "the joyful expectation of something good to come."

When the angel of the Lord moved the stone to show that the tomb was empty, he sat on the stone to portray God above all our problems.

So let us stay with this picture in our hearts and if there is a lack of hope in some area of your life I pray the Lord will reveal to you

"what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col. 1:27

Amen!

Τhe parable of the ten virgins

  BY Argie Simonis

In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) Jesus gives us a very serious warning. But in order to understand this parable, we must understand the spirit in which the Lord speaks and see what he said shortly before and after this parable.

From the previous chapter (Matt. 24:42-51) Jesus points out the need to be ready for His return. Just as the thief comes at an unsuspecting time when no one is prepared, so the Lord will return to a time when people do not seek Him. That is why God gave us in His Word the signs of the end times to help us be prepared and He prophesied that at that time there would be a state of apathy:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matt. 24:12

This apathy will tend to put even the faithful to sleep if we do not heed His words. So it was in the time of Noah, when people refused to prepare for the coming flood because they were absorbed in their own things:

"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:38-39

The parable of the ten virgins clearly continues the lesson of the need to be ready for the return of the Lord. As with the five foolish virgins, those who are not ready will not have time to prepare when the Lord comes. There will be no second chances. This parable, along with the other three that Jesus spoke, also teaches that the Lord will make a separation. Not everyone who cries out to Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).

Let's take a look at the symbolism and the lesson the Lord teaches us through this parable:

It is shown here that half of those who sought the Lord

they did not find Him, which means that many will end up in perdition with the coming of the Lord:

"Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" Matt. 7:13

The wise virgins took extra oil with them showing that they were ready to wait as long as necessary for the groom. The application for us is that we should stand as long as necessary without setting limits on serving the Lord.

At some point they fell asleep. Sleep is often used symbolically for death. With that logic, these virgins represent all humanity. We will all sleep or die and then appear before the Lord:

"And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27

Oil symbolizes life. They all had life but only five of them had eternal life. As soon as the five foolish virgins died, the ones that were not born-again were not given eternal life:

"Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

When the Lord comes at midnight, this symbolizes two things:

- He will come at an unsuspecting time and

- Midnight is the end of the day, or death, as I commented a little above.

Continuing the symbolism of these sleeping virgins, the Lord refers to death. They all died and were resurrected, showing that there is a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous:

"And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 24:15

The fact that the foolish virgins could not receive oil from the wise ones, symbolizes the fact that there is no second chance after death to settle your relationship with God. We must be prepared to stand before the Lord based on the choices we make in this life. We can not bring anyone to paradise with us based on what we have. They must have their own personal relationship with the Lord.

There are people today who reject and ridicule the Lord, but after death, when we all stand before God, every person who has lived throughout the history of mankind will confess Jesus as Lord:

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:10-11

These foolish virgins called on the Lord to let them in, but the Lord answered them:

"Truly I say to you, I know you not." Matt. 25:12

None of us knows the day of our death or the day of the Second Coming of the Lord. We must be ready at all times, so that when our Lord comes He will find us with our lamps filled up:

"if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:9-10

The answer to your problem

 BY Argie Simonis

As we get closer and closer to the week of the Passion, the crucifixion and the Resurrection of our Lord, the Word of God reminds us:

"Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Just as an athlete has a goal or a prize to which he is committed and strives to achieve it, so we are called to have our Jesus as our main concern. He is the author and finisher of our faith and if we are not committed to Him, our faith will never be complete.

So how did the Lord run His own race? We know that he won and the above verse reveals to us how he achieved this. He was focusing on the "joy that was before Him."

Jesus suffered more than any other human being on earth. He took upon Himself the disease and curse of the whole world, and became literally a sin for our sake:

"For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2Cor. 5:21

"As many were astonished at you; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:" Isaiah 52:14

The Lord did not look at the torment He would endure, but at the spoils of His victory, and this is the example we must imitate. In order to be able to face the difficulties in our life we ​​must focus on the good and not the bad. Jesus knew very well what was coming before Him. We see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion praying to the Father and asking him if it is possible to fulfill His will in another way:

"Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42

 But as soon as he realized that this was the only way, he put aside the agony of His sufferings and focused on the joy of His victory. He saw you and me as the fruit of His sacrifice and He rejoiced!

Just like the Lord, we have the power to value or devalue everything that happens to us. Some say that we are just products of our environment and that we can not control the way we react. In the verse we read here, however, Jesus teaches us the exact opposite.

Our mind is like a magnifying glass. The more we focus our attention somewhere it gets bigger and from where we move our thinking away, it gets smaller and with less influence on us. We are solely responsible for the value we place on everything that happens around us and that is why many people, while going through the same situations, react differently. Some become psychotic with their problems while others may put aside what happened and move on with their lives.

We live in wicked times and with all that is happening around us it is very easy to fall into traps and become disoriented. What kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be with those who are carried away by every wind that blows, or by those who follow the example of the apostle Paul:

"Brothers, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13-14