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Case Upon - King Of Kings - It's Not What You Think It Means
Have you ever notice how biased the media is? Let’s look at the press for the moment. The New York Times is thought to have a liberal bias. How do you go about checking it out to see if it’s true? What you have to do is take a look at what’s being published that’s negatively based, and when is it being published.Let’s say Bill Clinton was in office, and something particularly bad happened, but the Times wanted to portray it in the best possible light. No, let’s go one step further; let’s say they had to portray it in a bad light. When would you publish? You would do it on the day of the week when you had the smallest print cycle. For the Times, there’s nothing like the Saturday edition.Saturday is the day when nobody reads the paper. If you have to print something that you would rather not print, stick it in the Saturday edition. If you have to print something good about a guy you inherently dislike, stick that in the Saturday edition as well. I find it fascinating to take a red heavy duty pen, and just mark up the Saturday editions of the newspapers to see all the news that’s fit to print, but especially on Saturday.You may be aware that the Wall Street Journal recently started printing on Saturday as well, so we have a new kid on the block, and they are part of the game as well. The print media is not only biased due to political orientation, but also financial orientation. It’s pretty tough to be very hard on corporate entities that are giving a fortune in advertising on a regular basis to the newspapers.A perfect example of the “hand that feeds the bird” concept of publishing is the car industry which spends a fortune on advertising. If you ever look at car magazines they are notoriously biased. If they do a nice write-up on a car, somehow the car company in question manages to have a nice big full page ad (sometimes several pages) very close to the favorable article that was written. Do you think this is coincidental? I don’t think so.The Wall Street Journal recently had a sweeping, long article on Ford’s problems. How bad are Ford’s problems? The are partially shutting down at least 10 plants that employ 20,000 plus people for the rest of the year. This will cut 21% of production between the US and Canada. Merry Christmas to those being laid off. They won’t have jobs the rest of the year. At the same time, Ford is expanding its operations in China. Ford blames the
So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Mes
Affiliate marketing makes it easy for anyone to have a product or service to market. In most cases, all you have to do is fill out a form and in return you will be given your very own unique affiliate link that you can begin promoting!Thousands of people are making money on the web through affiliate marketing. But this causes a dilemma. How are you going to differentiate yourself from the pack?DON'T DO THE SAME THINGS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ARE DOING... DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!Read on to discover four golden affiliate marketing tips that will have you pulling away from the affiliate marketing pack in no time.WRITE YOUR OWN ADSMost programs provide you with pre written ads to use in your promotions. But guess what? Thousands of people are using those ads.The most important way to set yourself apart from other affiliates and stand out in the crowd is to write your own ads! It is as simple as that. You don't have to be a great writer. Study ads that grab your attention and do a little research on writing ad copy then get creative and create your own ads.BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITEWhen you send people directly to your affiliate website their first reaction will likely be, "Oh, I have seen this a hundred times" and click away. By sending them to your own website, they are seeing something fresh and unique. They will be more likely to stick around and see what your site is all about! This is why it is important that you make it a priority to build your own website.There are many free resources online to help you build a website. Start learning how...NOW! It doesn't have to be a website with lots of bells and whistles. Simple and sleek will be just fine.What do you put on your site? Your options are only limited by your imagination. Keep in mind that most people are looking for information. Give them some information. Just make it related to what you are promoting. Then incorporate some links that send visitors to your affiliate program. Or BETTER yet, set up a form so they can request more information from you about a certain subject related to your program.GROW A MAILING LIST THAT YOU CAN CALL YOUR OWNWhen you send traffic directly to your affiliate program they may or may not buy into the program. If there is a contact form to fill out for more information they may enter their name and email. But in most cases you
Lord of lords?
We hear Jesus referred to as "King of kings" but what does it mean? We have a great deal of "Christianese" of this genre that we are prone to throwing around, arrogantly expecting that everyone who hears our pious, self-righteous, spiritual jargon will (A) understand us and (B) be impressed with how we wield that sword. For example, I recently gave a young man a book with the word "Christ" in the title. He couldn't even pronounce it, uncertain as to whether the "CH' were pronounced like a "K" (as in Kitten) or as the "CH" in "Children." In case you did not know, "Christ" comes from the Greek "Christos" which refers to the "Anointed One." Every king and high priest was anointed on the head with holy oil in ancient times, a tradition that continues during coronations of monarchs of European and Arabian history to this day. The Hebrew word for "Christos" is "Messiah."
Many believe that "King of kings and Lord of lords" refers to Jesus Christ's supremacy over biblical kings such as Herod, Pontius Pilate, all the rulers whose names are mentioned in the Old Testament. Certainly, history's kings like Charlemagne and Henry VIII, even America's Presidents were all much lower "kings" than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the phrase refers to something much more important than earthly kingdoms and territorial governments.
God, through His Christ - the Anointed King - broke into the world to establish His own sovereignty in the lives of every man and, thereby, defeat the powers of Satan (I John 3:8). Logically, the message we have to offer the world should center upon this. Sadly, too often it does not. A primary example of this - a major issue within the Body of Christ that serves to do little more than create or fuel the fires of dissension - is that we are unwittingly, if not deliberately, preaching a Gospel of Salvation rather than the Gospel of the Kingdom as Jesus exemplified.
Think about it! From one denomination to the next, the methods regarding how an individual is "saved" are legion. Baptism, professions of faith, adherence to dogmas and doctrines of men, recited prayers, mere membership...the list goes on and on, especially in "Christian" America. The Kingdom message has cosmic dimensions WAY beyond conversion of the masses (Jesus instructed us to make disciples, not mere converts). It calls people to repentance on the basis of the works of the King - NOT their own deeds. This King governs a spiritual Kingdom; He loves them and desires to rule with them in the world. Once that commitment is made, one can be properly discipled to reflect the nature of this holy God in whose image we were made, spirit-beings whose earthly mission is to advance the Kingdom by sharing this Good News with others, NOT converting them or even merely dragging them to a church service.
KING OF THE JEWS...AND OTHERS!
Our King elected a people to become His kingdom even though all the world was already His (Deut. 7:6-8). Apparently, Kings can do that sort of thing. His chosen people - the Jews - were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6). As the Levites were priests of Israel, so Israel was to be a kingdom of priests for the world. In case you don't know or have forgotten, priests represent a people to God; prophets deliver the will of God to His people.
Under the New Covenant, Jesus is, of course, our HIGH priest with His followers (you and me included) serving as priests.
No pecking order.
No hierarchy.
No titles.
Just responsibilities motivated by love.
In the Old Testament, we see Israel as the only nation ever in the history of mankind living according to a theocracy with God Himself as the Ruler of His Divine Government. Muslims would, of course, argue that point. Wrong god actually.
But Israel wanted an earthly king like all the nations had. They preferred someone they could elect and unelect. But that does not describe a king, does it? No, because kings are BORN, not elected. The prophets Gideon (Judg. 8:22-23) and Samuel (1 Sam. 8:1-8) told the Israelites that God was their king. That wasn't good enough. So, God allowed them to have their earthly counterfeit, warning them that their king would take their sons to do his fighting and their daughters to do his bidding and their belongings as taxes. Unphased, they persisted and Saul was eventually anointed the first king over Israel with the words "Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over his inheritance?" (1 Sam. 10:1). Obviously, the rule of God would always be sovereign over the rule of the king. Earthly kings who followed the reign of God, were blessed. When they forsook Him and acknowledged the sovereignty of other gods, or took the reigns themselves, even declaring themselves to be god, they were driven out of their promised land (2 Kings 17:13-18). In the case of King Saul, just as surely as he was chosen by God to be King, the Lord rejected Saul when he failed as King. I Samuel 13 records how Saul disobeyed a direct order from the Lord and how the prophet Samuel immediately told the king that his lineage would not continue as Kings of Israel and that the Lord had already chosen another to take his place as King. Though Saul continued as a sort of "lame duck" king for a while before David became king, God's blessing was no longer on him and Saul and his house ended in tragedy.
Today, when we forsake the New Testament concept of "Jesus is Lord," ("Lord" coming from "kyrios" meaning "owner") what we are actually doing is choosing another god (note lower case "g"). Whether it's power, money, prestige, fame, addictions, careers, even religion...many are the gods who are vying for rulership over our lives, essentially, holding us in bondage as their slaves. While we're convinced that WE are in control, the truth is that we are mere puppets in their icy grip. As Bob Dylan sang, "We're gonna serve somebody."
Although Israel was God's special kingdom of priests, God ruled over ALL nations and they were ALL accountable to Him for their sins (Amos 1-2; Ezek. 25-32). In other words, He is God whether one acknowledges Him or not. WARNING: Every counterfeit kingdom WILL fall and fall hard. You may recall that God, who freed the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, also delivered the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7). God not only gave Canaan to the Jews but also gave the Moabites and Ammonites their own lands (Deut. 2:16-19). God sent the Jewish prophet Jonah to save the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The theme of Daniel is that "the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men" (Dan. 5:21). "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19).
So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Mess
People refinance their mortgages for many different reasons. But the end goal is usually the same in all cases -- get a better interest rate!Improving your credit score is a crucial step in qualifying for a better interest rate. Sure, you can refinance to take advantage of a more favorable market. But when you improve your credit score at the same time, you could get an even lower rate. This, of course, translates to a small mortgage payment each month.Maintaining a Good Credit Score When it comes to your credit score, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's a lot easier to maintain good credit than it is to recover from bad credit. So the best strategy is to stay out of that "neighborhood" to begin with. That way, when the time comes to refinance your mortgage, you'll be more likely to qualify for the best rate.Five Steps to a Better Credit Score1. Debt-to-Income Ratio Try to keep your debt-to-income ratio at 20% or below. Mortgage lenders like it when your overall debt equals no more than 20% of your net monthly income. If you're currently above the desired 20% mark, try to pay down your debt as quickly as possible.2. Reducing Balances Keep your credit card balances as low as possible. When these balances get out of control, it increases your overall debt. This leads to an unfavorable debt-to-income ratio (previous item).3. Paying Bills Pay all your bills on time. You've probably heard this one before, but that's only because it goes hand in hand with a good credit score. On the contrary, a history of late payments will lower your score.4. Paying Minimums Pay your minimum balances. Every time you receive a credit card bill, pay at least the minimum amount that's due. If you can pay more than the minimum, that will certainly help. But at the least, pay off those minimums religiously. This will reduce your credit card balance more quickly and help you reach a favorable debt-to-income ratio (as mentioned above).5. Controlling Credit Avoid taking on too many loans. If you apply for a line of credit too often, you might send a signal that you cannot manage your finances.Refinancing your mortgage to take advantage of lower interest rates can be a smart financial move. But when you refinance with good credit, you stand an even better chance of lowering you
Think about it! From one denomination to the next, the methods regarding how an individual is "saved" are legion. Baptism, professions of faith, adherence to dogmas and doctrines of men, recited prayers, mere membership...the list goes on and on, especially in "Christian" America. The Kingdom message has cosmic dimensions WAY beyond conversion of the masses (Jesus instructed us to make disciples, not mere converts). It calls people to repentance on the basis of the works of the King - NOT their own deeds. This King governs a spiritual Kingdom; He loves them and desires to rule with them in the world. Once that commitment is made, one can be properly discipled to reflect the nature of this holy God in whose image we were made, spirit-beings whose earthly mission is to advance the Kingdom by sharing this Good News with others, NOT converting them or even merely dragging them to a church service.
KING OF THE JEWS...AND OTHERS!
Our King elected a people to become His kingdom even though all the world was already His (Deut. 7:6-8). Apparently, Kings can do that sort of thing. His chosen people - the Jews - were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6). As the Levites were priests of Israel, so Israel was to be a kingdom of priests for the world. In case you don't know or have forgotten, priests represent a people to God; prophets deliver the will of God to His people.
Under the New Covenant, Jesus is, of course, our HIGH priest with His followers (you and me included) serving as priests.
No pecking order.
No hierarchy.
No titles.
Just responsibilities motivated by love.
In the Old Testament, we see Israel as the only nation ever in the history of mankind living according to a theocracy with God Himself as the Ruler of His Divine Government. Muslims would, of course, argue that point. Wrong god actually.
But Israel wanted an earthly king like all the nations had. They preferred someone they could elect and unelect. But that does not describe a king, does it? No, because kings are BORN, not elected. The prophets Gideon (Judg. 8:22-23) and Samuel (1 Sam. 8:1-8) told the Israelites that God was their king. That wasn't good enough. So, God allowed them to have their earthly counterfeit, warning them that their king would take their sons to do his fighting and their daughters to do his bidding and their belongings as taxes. Unphased, they persisted and Saul was eventually anointed the first king over Israel with the words "Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over his inheritance?" (1 Sam. 10:1). Obviously, the rule of God would always be sovereign over the rule of the king. Earthly kings who followed the reign of God, were blessed. When they forsook Him and acknowledged the sovereignty of other gods, or took the reigns themselves, even declaring themselves to be god, they were driven out of their promised land (2 Kings 17:13-18). In the case of King Saul, just as surely as he was chosen by God to be King, the Lord rejected Saul when he failed as King. I Samuel 13 records how Saul disobeyed a direct order from the Lord and how the prophet Samuel immediately told the king that his lineage would not continue as Kings of Israel and that the Lord had already chosen another to take his place as King. Though Saul continued as a sort of "lame duck" king for a while before David became king, God's blessing was no longer on him and Saul and his house ended in tragedy.
Today, when we forsake the New Testament concept of "Jesus is Lord," ("Lord" coming from "kyrios" meaning "owner") what we are actually doing is choosing another god (note lower case "g"). Whether it's power, money, prestige, fame, addictions, careers, even religion...many are the gods who are vying for rulership over our lives, essentially, holding us in bondage as their slaves. While we're convinced that WE are in control, the truth is that we are mere puppets in their icy grip. As Bob Dylan sang, "We're gonna serve somebody."
Although Israel was God's special kingdom of priests, God ruled over ALL nations and they were ALL accountable to Him for their sins (Amos 1-2; Ezek. 25-32). In other words, He is God whether one acknowledges Him or not. WARNING: Every counterfeit kingdom WILL fall and fall hard. You may recall that God, who freed the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, also delivered the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7). God not only gave Canaan to the Jews but also gave the Moabites and Ammonites their own lands (Deut. 2:16-19). God sent the Jewish prophet Jonah to save the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The theme of Daniel is that "the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men" (Dan. 5:21). "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19).
So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Mes
Your Sony PSP system can be used for much more than just playing games. The Playstation can be used to play video clips, download and play music, store and view photos, and more. Now Sony has announced that the PS3 will include support for your bluetooth and an optional onscreen keyboard for text entry and other jaw dropping features. This amazing device has become even more amazing.The PSP is most widely used as a gaming platform. You can play online games that range from sports such as major league baseball to professional wrestling. You can imagine you are skateboarding like Tony Hawk or invading the beaches of Normandy in World War II.With a few simple steps you can transform your PSP into a music center. You can download and enjoy a wide range of tunes via your Playstation. From Hip-Hop to Gospel, it is all available for you to enjoy on your ingenuous PSP.You can enjoy movie clips and even full feature movies on your PSP. It seems that all the latest movies and television shows are readily available for you online. The functionality of this little machine is truly breathtaking.And now Sony is making the Playstation3 even more functional. With the new software update, users will be able to connect to the Folding@home project from Stanford. What is the Folding@home project? It is a program aimed at understanding diseases such as Alzheimer's and many cancers. The project uses the computing power of your Playstation to help perform computer simulations which help researchers better understand various diseases. Interestingly, the PS3 is able to perform these calculations many times faster than the typical home computer.The new software download features enhanced downloading. There will be an option to use a full onscreen keyboard so that you can enter text more easily. The built-in browser on the PS3 will now be enabled to let you zoom in on the section of the web page you are interested in viewing.This multifaceted little tool just got even more convertible with the latest update. You will need to connect your PS3 to a personal computer to get this latest update. It is not only gamers that will benefit from the latest upgrade.
Under the New Covenant, Jesus is, of course, our HIGH priest with His followers (you and me included) serving as priests.
No pecking order.
No hierarchy.
No titles.
Just responsibilities motivated by love.
In the Old Testament, we see Israel as the only nation ever in the history of mankind living according to a theocracy with God Himself as the Ruler of His Divine Government. Muslims would, of course, argue that point. Wrong god actually.
But Israel wanted an earthly king like all the nations had. They preferred someone they could elect and unelect. But that does not describe a king, does it? No, because kings are BORN, not elected. The prophets Gideon (Judg. 8:22-23) and Samuel (1 Sam. 8:1-8) told the Israelites that God was their king. That wasn't good enough. So, God allowed them to have their earthly counterfeit, warning them that their king would take their sons to do his fighting and their daughters to do his bidding and their belongings as taxes. Unphased, they persisted and Saul was eventually anointed the first king over Israel with the words "Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over his inheritance?" (1 Sam. 10:1). Obviously, the rule of God would always be sovereign over the rule of the king. Earthly kings who followed the reign of God, were blessed. When they forsook Him and acknowledged the sovereignty of other gods, or took the reigns themselves, even declaring themselves to be god, they were driven out of their promised land (2 Kings 17:13-18). In the case of King Saul, just as surely as he was chosen by God to be King, the Lord rejected Saul when he failed as King. I Samuel 13 records how Saul disobeyed a direct order from the Lord and how the prophet Samuel immediately told the king that his lineage would not continue as Kings of Israel and that the Lord had already chosen another to take his place as King. Though Saul continued as a sort of "lame duck" king for a while before David became king, God's blessing was no longer on him and Saul and his house ended in tragedy.
Today, when we forsake the New Testament concept of "Jesus is Lord," ("Lord" coming from "kyrios" meaning "owner") what we are actually doing is choosing another god (note lower case "g"). Whether it's power, money, prestige, fame, addictions, careers, even religion...many are the gods who are vying for rulership over our lives, essentially, holding us in bondage as their slaves. While we're convinced that WE are in control, the truth is that we are mere puppets in their icy grip. As Bob Dylan sang, "We're gonna serve somebody."
Although Israel was God's special kingdom of priests, God ruled over ALL nations and they were ALL accountable to Him for their sins (Amos 1-2; Ezek. 25-32). In other words, He is God whether one acknowledges Him or not. WARNING: Every counterfeit kingdom WILL fall and fall hard. You may recall that God, who freed the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, also delivered the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7). God not only gave Canaan to the Jews but also gave the Moabites and Ammonites their own lands (Deut. 2:16-19). God sent the Jewish prophet Jonah to save the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The theme of Daniel is that "the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men" (Dan. 5:21). "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19).
So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Mes
A major part of the life insurance purchase process is knowing what to purchase. Before you get on line and begin submitting information to a host of Connecticut licensed insurance companies, make sure you know which type of insurance you need and can afford.Underwriting factors such as your health, age and lifestyle habits serve to increase or decrease premiums, but there are fundamental rules that apply to life insurance. Here are a few of the basics:1. Term: Term is the most basic and least expensive form of life insurance policy. They are in effect for a set period of time. The face value of the policy does not change and it remains in effect until the insured dies or the policy expires (whichever occurs first). If the policy expires, there are no return premiums due the insured.If you have a term insurance policy, most companies offer the option to upgrade and convert the policy to a permanent life policy.2. Permanent Policies: There are several variations on permanent policies, but the most common types are listed below:• Whole Life: These policies accrue cash value over time and usually pay dividends to the policyholder.• Universal: These policies are very flexible. They allow the policyholder to have a bit more control over the premium and the face value of the policy. It comes in handy if for a particular time in your life, your finances are a bit tight. You can reduce your premium payments until you get back on your feet. This is subject, of course, to the insurance company’s underwriting terms.• Variable: These policies can prove to be risky. The death benefit and the value of the policy are based on the performance of outside investment fund. The cash value of the policy is not guaranteed, but the company will guarantee the death benefit will not fall below a pre-determined minimum.Once you’ve determined the type of insurance that will work best in your situation, then you should begin approaching companies.
Today, when we forsake the New Testament concept of "Jesus is Lord," ("Lord" coming from "kyrios" meaning "owner") what we are actually doing is choosing another god (note lower case "g"). Whether it's power, money, prestige, fame, addictions, careers, even religion...many are the gods who are vying for rulership over our lives, essentially, holding us in bondage as their slaves. While we're convinced that WE are in control, the truth is that we are mere puppets in their icy grip. As Bob Dylan sang, "We're gonna serve somebody."
Although Israel was God's special kingdom of priests, God ruled over ALL nations and they were ALL accountable to Him for their sins (Amos 1-2; Ezek. 25-32). In other words, He is God whether one acknowledges Him or not. WARNING: Every counterfeit kingdom WILL fall and fall hard. You may recall that God, who freed the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, also delivered the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7). God not only gave Canaan to the Jews but also gave the Moabites and Ammonites their own lands (Deut. 2:16-19). God sent the Jewish prophet Jonah to save the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The theme of Daniel is that "the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men" (Dan. 5:21). "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19).
So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Mes
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So, Israel was elected by God to become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:5-6), chosen to represent God to the entire world (Deut. 7:6-8) as "a light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). Unfortunately, Israel abandoned her priestly role and followed after the gods of other nations, forsaking the Kingdom of God.
The expectation that God's rule would be experienced more fully by the entire world in the person of the Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that one would come and proclaimed "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7). Ezekiel raised the expectation that Israel and Judah would be reunited and that God's "servant David" would be king over them (37:24; 34:23, see also 30-31). The chapters of Daniel that deal with the setting up of a great Kingdom compare the kingdoms of the earth to the coming spiritual Kingdom of God (2, 7, 8). God's Kingdom, which will "never be destroyed" (2:44), will crush all earthly kingdoms (7:13-14, 17-18). The Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom, ruling it as the Anointed One, or Christ, was given "dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him" (7:14).
These passages give a sampling of the Old Testament's prophetic Kingdom concept. The Jews of Jesus' day wondered aloud if He could be the foretold Messiah who would bring in the expected kingdom (John 7:40-43). The difference was, they were expecting an earthly King to establish an earthly kingdom.
Matthew comments that Jesus "went throughout Galilee,...preaching the good news of the Kingdom" (4:23). This proclamation was backed up by the deeds that defeated the powers of Satan: demons were cast out by the finger of God and the sick - most of them anyway, according to their faith - were healed (Matt. 4:23-24). By Mark's account, those who heard Jesus' Kingdom message were told to "repent, and believe in the Gospel" (1:15).
That's it?
All He required of them was to believe in the Gospel He proclaimed? The word "Gospel" means "Good News." What good news? The Good News that the Kingdom of God was now in operation among them; the Kingdom of God was at hand (Matt 3;32;4:17;10:17; Mark 1:15), in other words. It was within reach; touchable. It was Jesus! It was now time for each person individually to respond to the mighty acts of God as displayed by Jesus Himself.
With many having expectations set upon the establishment of a new earthly kingdom, in excited anticipation, the people came to see Jesus in droves. When they heard His message and experienced His miracles, many believed and He was acclaimed as being the long-awaited Messiah. Word spread fast, as anyone living in a small town knows. We cannot imagine the ruckus Jesus must have caused!
THE KING DWELLS WHERE?
1 Peter 2:4-10 reads as follows:
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, " Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient," The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"
and
" A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense."
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
The Lord wants His priests and kings to start believing in their calling. How can we when so few ever hear this message taught?
2 Chronicles 6;18 begs the question, "But will God really dwell on earth with men?"
Will God dwell among us? It appears that He has already begun the process: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23). Yes, God is with us.
God is a family man, so to speak. He desires intimacy with His kids. Now, because of the resurrection of Jesus, Romans 8:37-39 says, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God …" That's exactly how He planned it.
Paul tells the Ephesian church, "I pray, that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being." (Eph. 3:16). Where is the Hoy Spirit? Apparently, Paul says He's within us. He adds, "… that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God," (Eph. 3:19). Yes, Jesus Christ has taken up residence within us.
More proof? 1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that, "...your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit WHO IS IN YOU, whom you have from God, and you are not your own..."
He dwells not merely among us but WITHIN us: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom 8:11)
We have residing WITHIN us, all that we need to advance God's kingdom here on earth as His priests and kings.
Where the King dwells so is His Kingdom. Luke 17:20-21 declares, "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
What's this Kingdom like anyway? Frankly, it's like no Kingdom on earth. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The first shall be last. The weak are strong. We are instructed to pray for those who abuse us, love our enemies, give to receive, befriend sinners, the greatest will be the servants.
More? We have to become like little children if we ever hope to enter into it. We have to roll-back our grown-up habits and programming - even our theology. It helps to visualize an upside down pyramid, not a Corporate Pyramid with the bosses at the top. With the upside-down pyramid, Jesus is at the very bottom playing a foundational, supporting role to everybody else as servant of all, setting an example for every king and priest who will follow.ALL THE KING'S MEN
So...are we kings?
Revelation 1:5-6 says we are: "...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince over the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Logic says that, if we have been given authority to declare the decrees of the King, we are, essentially, as good as being King. After all, "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28). Also, 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us: "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus..."
We are in Him and He is in us.
In other words, God made us kings; it was His idea.
To help us understand this concept, I offer the following story which I overheard from a missionary in Africa years ago, He was pulled low to the ground by his African guide, forced to bow to the courier who was running past them carrying the royal baton, the symbol that this runner was an ambassador of the King. We, too, are ambassadors of a kingdom. In most cases, we just don't know it yet.
Paul said it best, I think, giving us a wonderful example of HOW to share with others what we ha
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