FIRST LOVE RECOVERY MINISTRIES

GLORYLAND
Numbers 14:21 (King James Version)
“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.”
Isaiah 11:9 (King James Version)
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Habakkuk 2:14 (King James Version)
“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
In a time that the earth seems set for self-destruction through global warming,international terrorism or the nuclear race,the prophetic destiny of the earth as stated in the three verses above seems impossible. But all things are possible with God(Mark 10:27),and to he or she who believes(Mark 9:23).
This is the only divine solution to the deepening and darkening emptiness in our world today.
Anyone can have a real part in the fulfillment of such a great destiny,by humbly entering into the everlasting covenant with God which is stated below:-

Jeremiah 31:33-34 (King James Version)
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Entry is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ who shed his blood on Calvary to reconcile us back to God. This was necesary because sin had alienated man from God. Everyone is now commanded by God to repent from sin(Acts 17 :30) and believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour(Acts16 :31). By reason of this covenant,man’s relationship and fellowship with God is fully restored. With this restoration,grace is fully available to intimately know God,and then to faithfully express love for God in simple obedience to him. As one grows in grace(2 Peter 3 : 18),one seeks to say and do all things to the glory of God(1 Cor. 10 :31) just like one’s Lord and Master as stated below:-
John 7:18 (King James Version)
“He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”
A brief look at the fans of any pop idol will reveal that they always and only seek the glory of their ‘icon’. This was vividly demonstrated before,during,and after the just concluded ‘the Michael Jackson case’ in the United States(June 2005). Every follower of Christ as a lover of God not only seeks God’s glory but also carries and manifests God’s glory(2 Cor. 3 : 18). God’s glory is manifested through every christian by means of the gifts of the Spirit(1 Cor.12:6-10) and the fruit of the Spirit(Gal. 5 : 22-23).

This revelation is not the property of any single individual,ministry,denomination,network,or movement but belongs to the universal body of Christ in these last days.

Everyone has the choice to seize this golden opportunity today(2 Cor. 6 : 2). No matter how foolish,weak or dishonourable anyone may be,there is no excuse! God takes the worst of mankind from the ‘junkyard’ and transforms them to become a visible part of ‘gloryland’ as stated below:-

1 Corinthians 1:25-31 (King James Version)
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:”
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”
“And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:”
“That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”
“That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

About the Author

British-born Nigeran Christian writer living and working in London,UK with website:www.firstloveministries.org.uk

Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of Hinduism, is absurd as it is
full of great many flaws. Some of them are stated and described
below.

1. The baseless / unreasonable conception of self- Ref to Ch 13
Text 33: There is considered to be Soul which feels something.
However, there does not need to be a separate entity that feels.
Feeling of pain, for example, is itself sufficient for its
existence. When I think I am feeling pain, this thinking itself
is actually realised in the form of some feeling.

2. The absurd conception of rebirth- Ref to Ch 15 Text 8 & Text
9: A man, for example, may turn into a pig in the next
birth/life because of his pig-like activities. However, a man
and a pig are two very separate entities. Whatever that a pig
enjoys or suffers can in no sense be connected to a man. In
other words, it is absurd to think that a man suffers in the
next birth because he has become a pig. There is absolutely no
man in a pig to think that how bad that I became a pig in this
life. The criticism of the conception of self discussed in point
1 strengthens this argument.

3. The conception of Brahman and Duality- If the world of
appearance or duality is caused by Brahman, which is supposed to
be a singular entity, there is an absurdity. If at point x
duality arose from Brahman then before x there has to be duality
as a singular entity cannot create multiplicity. There have to
be at least two conceptually and physically distinct entities to
produce something else.

4. Why God created duality if it is inferior, pointless, and
moreover sinful ?

5. Satanic God ? There is evil in the world. (Ref to Ch 4 Text
7) If God did not cause it He is not almighty and if He caused
it why ? Is it a game played by Him for His own entertainment?
Then God is Satanic.

6. Ref to Ch 15 Text 8 & 9; Also Ref to the pictures in the book
Bhagavad Gita as it is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
A woman acting like a tree and a man acting like a tiger in this
life get the lives of a tree and a tiger respectively in their
next lives. Now, the world is getting more and more hedonistic
and materialistic which implies that there should be more and
more trees and tigers in the world which rather contradicts the
facts.

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind.” “This is the first and great commandment.” “And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Question, how can you keep the greatest two commandments of God
listed in the scriptures above if you’re always thinking about
yourself?

The answer is you can’t!

According to these verses you should be thinking about how to
please and serve God all of the time and this includes splitting
the time you think about pleasing yourself with thinking about
and pleasing other people, which is also the second greatest
commandment.

Some “Christians” have fallen for the idea that when the Bible
says that the second greatest commandment is, “Love your
neighbor as yourself.”, it means that before you can keep this
commandment, you must learn to love yourself.

This is not so, the real intent of the Scripture, then, is that,
since you already love yourself, your love for your neighbor
should be at least equal to this.

Imagine if you spent less time thinking about what you will eat,
how you will pay bills, what you will put on, and things of this
nature.

You would then have more time to think about serving God and
helping others in conjunction with the tasks you already do for
yourself everyday.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your
life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?

The Bible also teaches that one should keep a humble opinion of
himself. In Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, “Do not think of yourself
more highly than you ought.” and in Philippians 2:3, “…in
lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.”

God obviously doesn’t like proud boasters and people who seek to
build themselves up at the expense of others.

Therefore when you do good things for other people do not do it
out of pressure or for you own personal gain but without
thinking about yourself point out the good qualities of that
person instead of comparing their qualities to yours.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than
themselves.

Jesus said “deny yourself” in which I take to mean deny yourself
of the pleasures of this world that are sin in order to live
Holy.

It could also mean to refuse to believe in or accept your own
ability to live a good life without Jesus and to give everything
to God to take care of, which would be the appropriate way to
live.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.

In conclusion if you want to be on the side of God by not being
selfish its important to keep your mind off of your problems
(Ph. 4:8-9). Equally consider the needs of others with your own
needs (Mt.22:39) Take no thought for your life. (Mt. 6:25)
Esteem others better than yourself. (Ph. 2:3) And to deny
yourself by not giving in to the pleasures of sin. (Mt.16:24).

Support and Encouragement for Adopted Children
Author Interview with Stacie Cahill, Who Am I?
by Lisa M. Hendey

With her new book Who Am I? (Xlibris, February 2005, paperback, 40 pages), adoptive mother and therapist Stacie Cahill offers a wonderful resource for adoptive families.

Through the eyes and voice of one little girl, this book looks at the questions of identity that frequently arise for children who have joined families through adoption. A mother of three, Cahill wrote Who Am I? as a means of celebrating the varied ways families come together to form a bond. Illustrator Shawn Voelker has contributed greatly to the project through the loveable artwork that accompanies the story.

When asked about the plot of her book, Cahill shared, “Who Am I?, addresses identity issues for the young adoptee. Many adoptees want to know why they were adopted and what that means. Each of the letters in adoption explain to the child why it is so special that they are adopted. The book emphasizes God’s role in building family. The book normalizes adoption, and gives parents, teachers, or caregivers an opportunity to discuss adoption and to open the communication concerning adoption and the search for identity.”

Stacie Cahill shared the following with me about her family, writing and the adoption process.

Q: Please tell our readers a bit about yourself and your family.

A: I am a 33 year old chemical dependency and family therapist. I have a master’s degree in social work. I am a mother of three. After a troubled childbirth with my son in 1995, my husband and I chose to build our family through adoption. After much prayer, God led us to two wonderful baby girls. We adopted two healthy infants through domestic agency adoption 1998 and again in 2004. My husband and I have been so blessed with all three of our children. My oldest two children have similar interests, and are enrolled in many of the same extracurricular activities. They are both taking tennis and karate currently. My youngest is a very energetic 15 month old who loves water. She is practically swimming already. She loves are dog and says his name constantly. All three of our children are close and understand that God has created our family in two different ways. He has blessed us with Jacob through biological birth, and with Chelsea and Brooklynn through adoption. I decided to write Who Am I? so that the kids would understand that one way of building family is not superior to the other. In other words, the children fully understand that being the biological child is not more important than being adopted into the family. The book celebrates two special ways in which families are formed.

Q: What is your faith background, and how has your faith journey impacted upon the person you are today?

A: I am a strong Christian, as is my husband. My oldest two children became Christians in November of 2004. My father is an ordained deacon, and was given the honor of baptizing my children. My children are enrolled in a Christian school, which as truly been a blessing for our family. My family and I allow the Lord to lead our lives. We are active in church, and our children often participate in plays, which they truly enjoy. Who Am I? would never have been written or published with out the Lord calling me to write the book.

Q: What was your motivation for writing this book?

A: My daughter started asking me why she had to be adopted and her brother was not adopted. She wanted to know if it was okay to be adopted. She basically was searching for answers .Through publishing this book, I was able to provide answers to her questions, which have facilitated Chelsea’s search for identity.

Q: What goal or message do you hope to share in this book?

A: I want all adopted children to understand that they are special, and to have an avenue to ask caregivers questions about their adoption process. I want the children to celebrate God’s love through adoption, and to recognize that there is more than one way in which God builds family.

Q: What are some common concerns of adopted children?

A: Identity issues - In order for the adopted child to grow and develop in a healthy manner, he/she must understand adoption. Today parents are more comfortable talking about adoption with young ones, which is great. Who Am I? addresses the child’s common questions about identity.

Q: What are some of the resources you’ve found helpful in dealing with the adoption process?

A: I have received information from adoption.com forums/books etc. There are wonderful books available through adoptinshop.com, which helps one to move through the adoption process. Our agency had a wonderful social worker that was always available to answer questions that my husband and I had regarding the process.

Q: What words of wisdom would you offer to families looking into adoption?

A: Pray first and let God lead. It is good to seek counsel from a Christian adoption agency. Many adoptive parents have fears of adopting another person’s child. They wonder if they will love the child as they would a child of their own. As a mother of both adopted and biological children, I can honestly say that there is absolutely no difference in the bond and love you share with any of your children. God just gives us our children, that he has always intended for us, in different ways. I am blessed indeed.

Q: What is the most important message an adoptive parent can give to his or her child?

A: Let the child know that he/she is not different because he/she is adopted. They are special, and just as important as biological children. Adoptive parents should stress that God builds families in different but equally special ways.

Q: Do you have any future projects in the works?

A: I just completed a book regarding the biological child’s feelings in the family blessed by adoption. It is entitled MY PARENTS LOVE ME TOO! I was inspired to write this book after my biological son asked me if he was as special as his adopted sisters. My son illustrated the book from his very own perspective. He is so grateful to have a book in print that he has illustrated. I am currently having the sequel to Who Am I? illustrated. It should be available for sale by Thanksgiving 2005.

For more information on Who Am I? visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1413461581/catholicmomcom

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more information.

About the Author

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