Inspiration from a Blind: Want to Be a Doctor?

Happy September from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!

Have you ever wanted to be a doctor or a nurse? Wanted to wipe away a tear and make the pain go away with a kiss? Well, now you can, without even going to medical school! How? By being a spiritual doctor and taking up the Great Commission of the Doctor in Chief, Jesus Christ.

Jesus' specific order to us is: "Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20, WEB)

First, let us study the experience our head Doctor had with his patients, so we can learn from the example he has set for us.

Throughout Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, he surrounded himself with the spiritually sickly, going to their houses and dining with them. His relationship with the sick brought words of distaste from the self-righteous, who thought they were in top shape when, in fact, they were spiritually dead. In reply to their scoff, Jesus said, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17)

Jesus was commissioned by God to preach repentance so those who were spiritually ill could receive the gift of salvation through Christ. Those who had not repented of their unhealthy ways were then revived through his teaching and care.

Through his talk and walk, Jesus set an example to all his apprenticed doctors: that we, as Christians, should go where the sick are, in order to heal them. Instead of avoiding the sickly, we must embrace them and teach them what Jesus taught us.

However, many Christians have not taken up Jesus' Great Commission. We have avoided the sick rather than going to them. We have hated the ill instead of lovingly rebuking them and bringing them back to God.

Jesus relationship with the ill teaches us another important principle: he personally cared for the sick by setting good examples for his patients to follow, while not catching their illnesses himself. Therefore, our responsibility as Christians is to heal the sick using God's treatments, not to catch their disease. If you help a thief, you don't help him to steal, nor become a thief yourself. Instead, you would help him stop stealing.

If we see a friend falling into distress, taking a route opposite of God's path, we must speedily go after him to bring him back onto the right road. Why speedily? Because we all know that when a fever gets too high, when you experience trouble breathing, medical emergency must be sought; otherwise, it might be too late.

So speedily, we must help our friend. We do this by identifying their wrong action, rebuking them for their decision, and correcting them using God's Word.

No one enjoys taking medicine. But when the bitter tastes in your mouth subsides and is soon replaced with soothing effects in your body, you will forget about the past pain and rejoice in your new health. Your patients may struggle with you; they may turn their mouth from the spoonful of medicine in your hand. But do not let their initial refusal discourage you. Instead, encourage them in accepting God's medicine, and remind them of the positive outcome. Ask them, "Do you want to remain sick or be healthy?"

Most will tell you, "I want to be healthy!" Then have them accept your spoonful of medicine. Soon, both of you will share the joy of a renewed health.

However, if your patient refuses to listen to your counsel, no matter how many times you tried, move on to your next patient. Jesus told us to do so. Moving on allows us to care for a friend who will benefit from our care. We have little time to waste, for Jesus will soon come, to reward the doctors who treated his patients--for we are just stewards of his patients--and to take up the patients under his care to time indefinite.

But moving on does not mean abandoning those who refused our care. We should stand by and be on call at all times. If they call out to us, we should go straight to their side, and help them with what they need. A doctor shouldn't refuse to treat a patient just because they had refused treatment before. We should be available to make house calls 24/7, not just working from nine to five on business days.

How do we care for the sick? To properly care for the ill, we first need to read God's manual on good health, and that is the Bible, the book God wrote to help us maintain good health. And in order to care for others, we must care for our own selves first. Unhealthy doctors won't have the strength to properly care for their patients, don't you agree?

The Bible is filled with medicinal wisdom, and provides cures for all types of diseases. The below are just some of its instructions to staying fit, as well as warnings of poisons to avoid.

The two magical ingredients to any cure are:

1) Love Yahweh God Almighty

2) Love others as you love yourself

Our head Doctor Jesus Christ said this about these two ingredients: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

Therefore, all remedies are based on these two ingredients, which will fix any and all known diseases, including "adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies," and the like (Galatians 5:19-21)

Yahweh God, who is the Boss and Supervisor of our head Doctor, leaves us some words to live by, so it is definitely wise to heed His words. Here is what He told us: "I am Yahweh your God... You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourselves an idol...you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them... You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." (Exodus 20:2-5, 7)

Our Heavenly Father, who is the Parent of all parents, instructs us to: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12)

"You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)

"You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14)

"You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15)

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife...nor anything that is your neighbor's." (Exodus 20:17)

Absolutely, we will be very spiritually healthy when we obey the Boss!

Here are a few words from our fellow doctors, who had been faithful unto their deaths, to help us stay fit:

From apostle Paul: "Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let's do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:7-10)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

From apostle Peter: "...in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-11)

Warnings of things that will make us unhealthy and that will ultimately lead us to death:

From apostle Paul: "Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Flee sexual immorality! Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18)

From Yahweh Himself: "The cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

The second death is eternal destruction. Those doctors who do not watch over their patients, but instead let them die, will be met with their own deaths for eternity.

To all the faithful doctors who treat their patients with tender love and care, this is what Yahweh promises: "I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6-7)

All faithful doctors will inherit the Kingdom of God, where love, peace, and happiness will reign for all eternity.

The tabernacle of God will be with men, and He "will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)

You've always wanted to be a doctor, haven't you? Now, this is your chance to show your love, care, and concern to others! And this is the best doctor position you'll ever be in, for the fruit of your love will last forever, not merely until retirement!

Remember Jesus' specific order to us: "Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

So Go! We have instructions from the Bible to guide us all the way, and our head Doctor will always lead us.
Start caring now...start with your family, friends, and your next-door neighbor! Remember, if anyone wanders from the truth, and you lead that person back, know that "he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

~*~Q&A with Dr. Shirley~*~

Question: Isn't God cruel for condemning anyone who doesn't accept Jesus Christ alone for eternal life?

Answer: If we think that God is cruel for not saving those who reject Jesus Christ, then we have not yet grasped the seriousness of human sin, nor the absolute grace of God. Let's imagine this scene:

A boat is sinking in the middle of a stormy ocean, and everyone on board is drowning. Then another boat comes to the scene to rescue them. Anyone who gets on the rescue boat will be saved; anyone who refuses to get on the boat will be lost.

Every person on Earth is drowning because every person is a sinner (spiritually ill and dying). The penalty of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). But God, in His pure grace, offers everyone a way out of their doom. Anyone who accepts Jesus Christ will be saved; those who reject Jesus will be lost. Jesus is the rescue boat that will save anyone from drowning only if they accept him. This is the only way out of the stormy sea. So everyone's fate depends on their decision: to accept the boat or refuse it.

God sends out the rescue boat. He offers the only way out. This is pure, undeserved grace. Would it be right to blame God when people reject His rescue boat? Surely, a drowning person in an actual sea who refuses to get on a lifeboat cannot blame anyone for not providing a way out! It's either the lifeboat or death.

The problem is that many of us do not know we're drowning. Some who do know we're drowning are seeking to be saved in lifeboats with holes (in false gods and falsehoods). Jesus is the only sturdy and trustworthy lifeboat that can save absolutely anyone.

But the major problem is that many of us feel that God actually owes us, that it's up to Him to patch up our sinking boat, and we don't have to respond to Him in obedience and reverence, as though God's here to serve us, rather than the other way around. But the truths are that 1) no one deserves salvation, and some are saved only because of God's undeserved grace; and 2) that God does not owe us anything.

Yahweh is the Creator of all and the Life-Giver of all. If He wills, He can destroy the entire universe in a split second, and absolutely no one has the right to protest a single word! He gave us life as He willed, and He can take our lives away anytime if He chooses. How could we, the created, dare question Him and criticize Him? Yahweh does NOT owe us anything. Conversely, we owe Him everything! So if we reject the only trustworthy lifeboat (Jesus) God offers, then it's our problem, not God's.

Is a God who offered up His only beloved Son to save undeserved sinners cruel? Would you give up your beloved children to save murderers, rapists, and those of your worst enemies?

~*~A Biblical Wisdom Nugget~*~

"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Teaching his disciples how to pray to God, God's beloved Son, Jesus Christ, began the model prayer with, "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." (Matthew 6:9, ASV)

When we pray "Hallowed be thy name," we are seeking sanctification and glory for God's name.

Putting this at the start of his model prayer, Jesus indicated that our first priority in life should be glorifying God's name.

But in order to glorify God's name, we first need to know what it is. The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) tells us God's personal name nearly seven thousand times. His holy name is Yahweh, from YHWH, which means "He Chooses to Become" or "He Who Causes to Be." What a perfect name for this Awesome Creator! Truly, no other could rightfully own this name.

Now that we know God's name, we must keep it strictly holy and sacred. In Exodus 20:7, Yahweh tells us: "You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

We take Yahweh's name in vain when we use His name or "God" in meaningless ways, such as saying, "God bless you" when people sneeze, exclaiming "Oh, my God!" as an interjection, and cursing, "God d*** it." We also take His name in vain when 1) we do something bad and say God told us to do it, 2) blame Him for our problems, 3) do anything sinful in His name, 4) joke about Him, His name, His nature, and His plans and purposes; and 5) when we do not honor Him for who He is.

Therefore, God's name means more than simply a label. His name signifies His nature, His essence, His complete and absolute glory.

Hence, when we sanctify God's name, we are sanctifying more than a name--we are sanctifying Yahweh Himself.

But how do we glorify God? Is saying, "Oh, God, let your name be sanctified" all we need to do? No, that is not enough.

Before we can discover the ways we should glorify Yahweh, let us define "glorify" first. "Glorify" means to praise, honor, exalt, extol, and to show respect. To glorify God is to show our highest devotion to Him, to hold Him in the highest place in our hearts. It is worshipping our very Life-Giver. In essence, glorifying Yahweh is loving Yahweh; it all boils down to true love.

As you can imagine, we have countless ways to glorify Yahweh. Paul, one of the greatest apostles of Jesus Christ, said, "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Well, how does yours truly personally glorify Yahweh? When I'm able to recognize all of the blessings Yahweh has graciously bestowed upon me, I glorify Him. When I put all my dreams, hope, and faith in Him, I glorify Him. When I learn about Him, I glorify Him. When I spread His Word, I glorify Him. Simply put, all my works are to glorify God, just as all of Jesus Christ's works are to glorify God. But I don't do all this on my own--Yahweh helps me with everything.

How about you? How do you personally glorify Yahweh?

May the grace and peace from Yahweh God and Jesus Christ be with you.!

Content Copyright by Dr. Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

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Best regards,

Dr. Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 27 Book Awards

Founder of http://www.shirleycheng.com

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope in Yahweh God haul you high!"

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Inspiration from a Blind: How Should We View Gay Marriage?

August greetings from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!

On June 24, New York became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. Gays and non-gays alike erupted into cheers. After the initial celebration died down, some questions about this important topic affecting millions of Americans still remain, and they are: How should we view gay marriage? If it's about two people who love each other, then there's nothing wrong with it, right? And since God is the Creator of the universe who doesn't make any mistakes and since homosexual relationships have been in existence since ancient times, then it must mean that God approves homosexuality and gay marriage, doesn't it?

To answer these questions, we must turn to the ultimate authority of humanity: Yahweh God Almighty. Let's know His principles regarding His judicial system, and then apply them to our topic.

Principles:

1) Yahweh God Almighty alone has the authority, knowledge, and capability to set standards for our lives

Who has the authority, knowledge, and capability to determine the proper use or handle of a product, the maker of the product or the user? If you agree that God is the Creator of all, then do you not also agree that He alone has the right, knowledge, and capability to lay down laws to govern our lives? Who else would be more knowledgeable and capable to decide what is best for us? Since God is the Originator of all things, all things are below Him. The Creator is higher than the creation, never equal or under it. So doesn't God have the capability and authority, and even the responsibility, to set the standard principles for our lives?

2) Yahweh grants us free will, the right for us to make our own moral decisions

When God created humanity, He granted us with the gift of free will. "Free will" means we have the freedom to make moral decisions. We are not like robots who do not have the ability to choose either right or wrong. As free moral agents, we have the freedom to choose to lie or not, to steal or not, to fornicate or not, etc. However, how we exercise our freedom will be judged by God. Thus, each of us is responsible for our actions, by which God will judge us.

3) Yahweh has set laws for us to voluntarily obey

By what basis will God judge each person? By the laws and principles He has set for us. Just as He has set the laws of nature (i.e., law of gravity), He has likewise set moral laws for us. If there's no law, there wouldn't be anything to obey. If there's no law or principles for us to choose, free will to make moral decisions would be obsolete. But now, when there's law, each of us will be judged according to that law.

4) Yahweh's permission is not the same as His approval

When God grants us free will, that means that He permits our actions, good or bad. In His law, He tells us not to steal or to lie, and He permits us to choose whether to obey or disobey it. Thus, when we disobey His commandments, it doesn't mean that He approves what we have chosen. People since the beginning of humanity have disobeyed God's laws. We steal, cheat, accept bribes, murder, commit adultery and fornication, and so on. Does this mean that God approves these actions? No, it simply means that God has kept His Word: He permits us to exercise our free will.

5) Obedience to Yahweh's laws leads to His approval, not salvation

While our obedience to God's laws is His will for us and is commanded, it alone doesn't grant us eternal life or salvation. No amount of good works we do by our own efforts will earn us salvation.

6) Yahweh offers everyone the gift of salvation only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ

God hates all sins, and every person is a sinner with no exception, so all deserve God's eternal wrath and condemnation. We all are hopelessly doomed. But wait, this is where God's pure grace kicks in: He has made provision for everyone's forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. Once a person comes to trust in Jesus alone as their Lord and Savior for their salvation, believing that he is the Son of God who came to Earth, died for our sins, was buried, resurrected on the third day, and ascended back to heaven, God will forgive that person of all their sins, impute Jesus' righteousness on them, and give them the Holy Spirit that helps them live a whole new life that's pleasing to God. Then in the future, all True Christians will be resurrected whereupon they will live forever with God and Jesus. On the other hand, those who willfully reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior will also be resurrected, but they will be judged and then sentenced to eternal death, with no chance of a resurrection ever again. Without Jesus, every person is lost, helpless, hopeless, and destined to eternal death.

For more information, read:

What's salvation and why trust in Jesus of all people? Read my article:

http://blog.shirleycheng.com/2009/10/15/what-is-salvation-why-did-jesus-christ-have-to-die-to-save-us-from-what-are-we-saved.aspx

Want eternal life? Read my article:

http://blog.shirleycheng.com/2011/01/01/inspiration-from-a-blind-want-to-receive-the-best-new-years-present-ever.aspx

Application:

How do God's judicial principles apply to homosexuality and gay marriage? This is how:

1) Since Yahweh is the Creator of men and women and the Originator of marriage, He alone can set the laws and principles to govern sexuality and the marriage arrangement. No one else, neither a king or an emperor, has such right. God determined and purposed marriage to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. He gifted us with the pleasures of sex only for a married couple. Anything else outside these laws is a sin, not condoned by God, whether we like it or not.

Besides setting laws for marriage, God has also set marriage as a significant symbol:

The marriage union is the greatest symbol of the relationship between Yahweh and His chosen people, and the relationship between Lord Jesus Christ and all Christians (the "assembly" or "church"). God describes marriage as a most sacred union, when the husband and wife become "one flesh," meaning union on every level: spiritual, emotional, physical (Genesis 2:24). This passage best describes it:

"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly; because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. 'For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.' This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:22-33, WEB)

If we alter the aspects of God-ordained marriage in any way, the marriage's symbolic meaning would be lost. Our American flag uses certain colors and elements to symbolize specific truths and concepts. If we add to, subtract from, or alter the elements, the original intended meaning would be lost or nullified; in essence, it would no longer be an American flag. Likewise, when we go against God's law concerning marriage and sex, we're not only disobeying God but distorting or nullifying the greatest symbol of the love between God and His people or between Christ and his body, the church. This is one reason why we must take sexual sins and marriage unfaithfulness most seriously.

2) God permits us to either obey His commandments regarding marriage and sex or to disobey them. He doesn't control our hearts. He desires obedience that stems from love. Thus, we can choose to live a heterosexual lifestyle (in obedience to God) or homosexual lifestyle (in disobedience to God), to commit adultery (in disobedience) or remain faithful to our spouses (in obedience), to have pre-marital sex (in disobedience) or remain as virgins until marriage (in obedience), etc.

3) Even if our government approves gay marriage, our manmade law doesn't override God's law on marriage, by which will be the standard for God's judgment. What is legal in our manmade laws (i.e., fornication) is not always legal in God's laws. Thus, when our laws conflict with God's laws, we should choose God's. When people tell us to disobey God, "we must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)

4) Just as with any other sinful lifestyle, a homosexual lifestyle may be the grace of God, but it's not because He approves it, but because He permits it and allows us enough time for us to repent and be saved: "The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

If we want to defend gay marriage or a homosexual lifestyle, or any other sins we practice, we have the freedom to do so (this freedom doesn't nullify the consequences for our rebellion against God). But we must not defend it by saying that God supports or condones it. We must not say that God supports something when He does not. That is blasphemous. We must not equate God's permission with His approval.

It's true that homosexuality has been in existence since ancient times, for thousands of years. But so have blindness, deafness, and a slew of other disabilities, not to mention the practice of all known sins. Does this mean that all these are what God truly wants for humanity? To use the longterm presence of something as evidence for God's ultimate approval and desire is flawed according to God's own Word.

So while our premise ("God doesn't make any mistakes") is correct, our conclusion ("God approves homosexuality") is blasphemy. Yahweh Himself said, "You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) We must be very careful with what we say about God. Obviously, God isn't just anyone--He is our Creator, Life-Giver, Sustainer, and Judge, so He deserves our greatest honor, respect, devotion, and love. We can approach Him only in reverence, humility, and worship; this is the very least we can do in gratitude in light of what He has done for us.

5) While we have the free will to continue living a homosexual lifestyle, understand that God will judge us according to His laws. Only God is our Judge, so it's to Him we will give an account. Know that neither the unrepentant "sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

But there's something that must be stressed here: even if we repent and live a seemingly perfect, virtuous life in accordance with God's laws, it would be meaningless if we don't come to trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. It's only Jesus + repentance that will bring us salvation. Apart from Jesus, we're all lost, regardless of our sexuality.

My friends, carefully consider your lifestyle in light of God's commandments, not just in the area of your sexuality but every facet of your life. Consider how you should respond to God and to Jesus. You have the choice to conform or not to conform to God's will, and you'll be held responsible for the choice you make. No one can decide for you. Your eternal future is up to you. I urge you to come to God and Jesus for your salvation if you haven't already: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:16-18, 36)

The Bottom Line

The bottom line to all this is the answer to the most important question: do you love God? Love for God is the bottom line. If we don't love God, nothing else would matter, regardless of whether we believe in Him. It's only when we love God with our whole heart, spirit, and might will it be a joy for us to obey His commandments to the best of our ability. Without love, the best we could do is obey Him grudgingly. Love for God is to love Him for who He is, to love His Son, to love His commandments, and to love one another. We can't say that we love God if we don't love fellow creation. Thus, our love for God is expressed through and proven genuine by our love for others.

When we commit any sin, from gossiping to hating others for any reason, it shows that we love ourselves more than we love God. We all know the golden rule, but Jesus took it a step further: we are to love others, not only as we love ourselves, but more than we love ourselves. Since we are to love others more than we love ourselves, then how much more ought we to love God and Jesus more than we love ourselves, the God who has given us our very lives and Jesus who died for us to give us the chance of an everlasting life! To return their love is the only proper response.

Indeed, loving God and Jesus is self-sacrificial love. But what we sacrifice would fall embarrassingly short of Jesus' sacrifice for us. If you think about it, what little sacrifice we make is really no sacrifice at all, for when we give up temporal things, we would gain eternal treasures, as Jesus said: "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds." (Matthew 16:24-27) But don't love God and Jesus for their rewards; love them for who they are and what they have done for you.

Well, my dear friends, I pray that God will give you a heart to love Him and His Son ever increasingly and unwaveringly, and that you will come to trust in Jesus alone as your Lord and Savior for your salvation. Decide wisely and carefully, for it'll be the most important decision you'll ever make, as it determines your eternal destiny. Do not delay, for upon your passing or when Jesus returns (whichever comes first), the door of opportunity for you to decide and repent will close. Then Judgment Day will come, when each unbeliever will face God and, defeated, they'll finally acknowledge God as Creator and Jesus as Lord. Amen.

~*~Q&A with Dr. Shirley~*~

Question: In the Old Testament, God required "an eye for an eye," but in the New Testament, Jesus said, "Whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also." Is that a contradiction?

Answer: No, "an eye for an eye" and "turn the other cheek" do not contradict. Allow me to explain and clarify this common misconception of the Bible.

The principle of "an eye for an eye" is how God's perfect justice system works. This means that in a court of law, the criminal should be punished in proportion to the crime they committed. A person who committed a big crime should receive a tougher punishment appropriate for their crime, while a person who committed a less significant crime should receive a lesser punishment. For example, if I steal something from you, I should not be punished with a death sentence. Thus, "an eye for an eye" promotes fair judgment and punishment, and prevents unfair judgment and punishment. "An eye for an eye" should be followed/practiced in the court, not in personal, everyday matters.

However, after God gave this law, people began abusing this law by using this in their personal, non-criminal matters. For example, if I slapped you, you would slap me back. If I pulled your hair, you would pull mine. This promoted personal revenge. This is the issue that Jesus dealt with. This is why he told us to "turn the other cheek," meaning that we should not take revenge. Slapping someone on the cheek, especially the right cheek, was a form of great insult in ancient Israel. So when Jesus said, "Whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also," he meant, "If someone greatly insults you, don't insult them back at all. Even let them continue to insult you without protesting." This follows God's principle: do not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good.

"An eye for an eye" should be used in only dealing with criminal matters in the court, while "turning the other cheek" should be used in everyday matters. Jesus is the most perfect example of "turning the other cheek." When he was insulted, hit, and spat at, he kept quiet. He never took revenge.

As you can see, there's no contradiction concerning "an eye for an eye" and "turning the other cheek," because each principle is used for different purposes in different situations.

~*~A Biblical Wisdom Nugget~*~

"Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. He made the rib, which Yahweh God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:21-22)

After creating the first man, Yahweh said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (Genesis 2:18) Thus, God created the first woman and brought her to the man. Upon seeing her, the man proclaimed, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of Man." (Genesis 2:23) He said this since Yahweh made the woman from his rib.

Why did Yahweh make the woman from the man's rib? After all, He could have used any material or simply made her from nothing. I believe that God used the man's rib to create the woman to achieve the greatest intimacy. It is like a mother giving birth to her own child; many people agree that a mother feels more intimate with her child if she has given birth to him as opposed to adopting him. So when the woman came from the man's own body, they have that intimacy to begin with.

In the intimate union we call marriage, "a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) Here, two bodies become "one flesh," signifying spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical oneness or unity. This unity is to last till death shall part the couple, for what "God has joined together, don't let man tear apart." (Matthew 19:6) For this reason, divorce should be the option only in cases of fornication (sexual immorality, such as adultery). Note what Jesus said, "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery." (Matthew 19:9)

Hence, the purpose of marriage between a man and a woman is companionship and intimacy on every level. Two people who fully grasp this purpose of marriage will avoid entering into marriage for the wrong reasons, and will avoid mistreating their marriage partners once they do enter into the sacred union.

If you're a husband, are you treating your wife as your own body? She is indeed the flesh of your flesh, the bone of your bones, a part of you that is to be loved and cherished for life. Likewise, you wives out there, respect and love your second halves in return, for remember, you are one flesh with your husbands for life.

May the grace and peace from Yahweh God and Jesus Christ be with you.!

Content Copyright by Dr. Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

You are permitted to only give out or link to this website or post; all other distribution and copying is prohibited without the prior written permission of Dr. Shirley Cheng. Contact Shirley at www.shirleycheng.com

Did you get this from a friend's forward and would like to subscribe? Then send a blank e-mail to subscribe@shirleycheng.com from the e-mail address you'd like to sign up under.

Read previous issues of Inspiration from a Blind at blog.shirleycheng.com

Best regards,

Dr. Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 27 Book Awards

Ultra-Ability Ministry

Proclaimer of Yahweh God's Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ

Author/Contributor/Editor of 35 books by age 27, Poet, Motivational Speaker, Self-Empowerment Expert, Advocate

Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club

http://www.shirleycheng.com

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope in Yahweh God haul you high!"

Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: subscribe@shirleycheng.com


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Inspiration from a Blind: Trusting the Trustworthy to Triumph over Tragedy

Happy July from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!

"Help! Please don't leave me here." Joseph's muffled cries rang out from in the pit. He couldn't believe that his elder brothers could actually cast him into this hole. They wouldn't leave him here, would they? They just couldn't. "Help!"

"C'mon, don't mind him," said one brother. "Let's eat; I'm starved." It had been a long, hot day, grazing their flock, so it was a relief when they finally sat down to have some bread. While they ate, talked, and laughed, with their 17-year-old brother's cries in the background, the ever-increasing sound of a caravan interrupted their meal. They looked up, and saw The traveling caravan with camels bearing spices, balm, and myrrh. The caravan belonged to traveling merchants.

One brother by the name of Judah said, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." (Genesis 37:26-27, WEB) The rest of the brothers thought it was a good idea, so for twenty pieces of silver, they sold their little brother to the merchants.

By and by, the merchants arrived at their destination, Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh. The captain put Joseph in charge of all his household and business, and because God was with Joseph, all that Joseph did was successful, and consequently the captain prospered greatly.

As days passed, followed by weeks and months, Joseph matured into a very handsome young man, catching the eye of Potiphar's wife. Day after day, she asked him to sleep with her, but he refused every time, saying, "Behold, my master doesn't know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:8-9)

One day as they were alone in the house, the woman grabbed on to Joseph, demanding him to sleep with her, but he ran away, leaving his garment in her hands. When Potiphar returned, his wife accused Joseph of attempting to rape her. Furious, Potiphar threw Joseph into the dungeon, where he spent for years.

One night, Pharaoh of Egypt had two disturbing dreams, and once he was told that Joseph had accurately interpreted people's dreams before, he brought Joseph out of the dungeon and asked him to interpret the dreams for him. God made the dreams' interpretation known to Joseph, who told Pharaoh that the dreams meant that there would be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of severe famine in that entire region. He also suggested that Pharaoh store up some crops during the seven years of plenty, so there would be some food during the famine. In response, Pharaoh made Joseph the governor of Egypt, second in rank to the Pharaoh himself.

Once the famine rolled in, people throughout the land went to Egypt to buy grain, for only Egypt had stored crops. Among the buyers were Joseph's brothers who sold him twenty years ago. When they came before Joseph, they didn't recognize him. When he revealed himself to them, they were startled and frightened. But Joseph told them, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now don't be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it wasn't you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt." (Gen 45:4-8)

How was Joseph able to endure the injustice, the terror, the heartbreak, and the separation from his family all these decades? How was he able to forgive his brothers for committing such wrong against him? Above all, how was it that he never questioned or doubted God during his suffering? Because he simply trusted in Yahweh God Almighty. It was his simple faith in God that God had everything under control. He understood that God had a purpose for him, even though at first, he didn't grasp what that was exactly. Through his suffering and pain, God was working for everyone's good.

Now, what can we learn from the experiences of Joseph? How can we survive our own suffering and troubles like him? His story tells us that trust in God is the key. Only when we trust God will we be able to endure our hardships. And its only when we trust God will we be able to love Him unconditionally in spite all that we go through and see others going through.

How can we, like Joseph, love God unconditionally despite the suffering, the darkness, the hardship that surround us? By trusting God. Think about it: Can we love someone if we don't trust them? So love stems from trust. Therefore, to love God unconditionally is trusting Him unconditionally regardless of what we may face.

Unconditional trust is the ability to trust God despite all the difficulties, hardships, suffering, and evil of life. Unconditional trust is trusting God even when our circumstances seem to contradict all that is good and just. Unconditional trust is having trust in God despite seemingly hopeless situations.

Unconditional trust in God does not require the answers to our "why?" questions. It does not require for us to presently understand why God permits suffering and evil, why God allows people to experience difficulties, or why God does not end evil altogether right away. Unconditional trust is the simple faith in God. The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

But the question now is: Why should we trust God? What good reasons do we have for trusting God under any and all circumstances?

To trust God, we must understand and keep in mind the unchangeable qualities of Yahweh God Almighty. Let's review some of His divine qualities:

1) Yahweh is sovereign: God is in absolute control. There's absolutely nothing in the universe that He cannot and does not control. Even seemingly bad circumstances are under His control. Everything happens on Earth only because He permits it. It is impossible for anything to happen without His control, permission, or will. Not even the fall of a sparrow is not without His will (Matthew 10:29).

2) Yahweh is omniscient: God is all-knowing. He knows everything that has ever happened, that is happening, and that will happen. Even before you think about doing something, He will know about it. Nothing can be hidden from Him, good or bad. He knows even the count of hair on your head (Matthew 10:30). While we are focused on the "now," God sees the whole big picture and the eternal future, so nothing is a surprise or an "accident" to Him.

3) Yahweh is omnipotent: God is all-powerful. He can do anything and everything. There's nothing that He cannot do...except to die.

4) Yahweh is love: God is not simply an all-loving God; God is the very representation of love itself. However, we must redefine love. Our society associates love with a warm, fuzzy feeling that is self-seeking. On the other hand, real, godly love is self-sacrificial love, and a love that loves what is good only. God does not love "unconditionally"--He doesn't love evil. He loves only good and hates what is evil. Thus, from this quality of love, comes His other qualities: justice, righteousness, and judgment.

5) Yahweh is light: Light represents all that is pure, good, holy, righteous, truthful, and faithful. We may consider some people to be "good" and "righteous," but no one can measure up to God's light. Jesus said that only God is purely good, in whom there's no darkness at all (Matthew 19:17; 1 John 1:5).

6) Yahweh is immutable: God does not change. His essence and qualities will never change. If He is all-knowing and all-loving today, He will remain all-knowing and all-loving forever. This also means that when He unconditionally promises something, He will always fulfill His promise. God cannot and does not lie.

When we put all these qualities together, we have absolutely no excuse not to trust Yahweh God at all times at all costs; it would be unreasonable not to trust Him. Only God can be trusted unconditionally, because only He is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, all-loving, and unchanging. However, trusting Jesus, the Son of God, is equal to trusting God Himself, since Jesus is the exact spiritual image of God (Colossians 1:15). This is trusting the Trustworthy. This is how countless number of believers throughout the history of humanity have been willing to die for their faith in God, suffering all sorts of torture in the hands of ruthless persecutors (Hebrews 11:35-40). These people trusted in God and His promises, plans, and purposes, knowing fully this truth:

"All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) No matter what happens in life, good or bad, small or big, absolutely everything will work out for good for those who love God. And how do we love God? By trusting Him and doing His will. So this means that everything will work out for good for those who trust in God and who do His will. Our circumstances may seem as if God doesn't care for us, but nothing can be further from the truth. God not only cares, but He has everything under control, and He has already planned everything out so that all things will conclude for our own good, and for His own glory. Right now, it is impossible for our imperfect and finite minds to comprehend how the evil events of the world could possibly work out good for us, but as long as we trust in God unwaveringly, we don't have to comprehend right now. Someday, we will all see the conclusion of His masterpiece, and once we do, we will understand, and glorify God for working everything out so perfectly and beautifully!

In conclusion, how can we survive our storms in life? By simply trusting in God. How can we love God unconditionally despite all the suffering we see around us? Again, by simply trusting Him. Trusting God does not require us to ignore or pretend that suffering doesn't exist. Trusting God is trusting Him in spite of suffering. In fact, when we trust Him in midst of suffering, that proves that we truly do trust Him. Think about it: if we had a perfect, prosperous, and problem-free life, trusting God would be a piece of cake taken for granted. It would not be too hard for us to trust a lifeboat when we're on dry land. But when we're out in storm-tossed seas, we would look on that lifeboat in a whole new way. Likewise, when we trust God as we suffer, that means we are serious about depending on Him and Him alone. And God is more trustworthy than a lifeboat; a lifeboat may save us temporary at best, but our God will save us eternally.

Our trust is most evident, genuine, and deep when we suffer. This trust in God will make us victors, not victims, when our suffering seems to overwhelm us, even to the point of death. Indeed, trusting God doesn't mean that we won't encounter troubles in life. It doesn't even mean that we will physically survive our storms. What it does mean is that even though we may not physically survive, we will survive as victors when we are resurrected unto eternal life on God's appointed time in the future, and thus, our victory will last forever, as opposed to our temporal suffering.

We must know that the troubles we experience now, however painful they may be, are temporary and are passing. What lies ahead, in eternity future, is what we need to set our eyes and hearts on, because God has it all planned out. God's Word says, "Our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we don't look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

The Bible also says, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us." (Romans 8:18) So focus on and trust in God's eternal promises, because our current suffering is insignificant when compared to our future guaranteed glory, so long as we remain faithful to God and Jesus!

My friend, if you want to win the eternal crown of glory, come to a saving faith in Yahweh and Jesus Christ if you haven't already. Open up your heart to the One who has given you the breath of life, and the One who has offered you eternal life. Don't die along with your troubles in life; embrace the glory that's waiting for you once your troubles pass. Today is your day of salvation, for tomorrow may be too late. Once you pass away or when Jesus returns (whichever comes first), it would be too late for you to change your mind and repent--the door to eternal life would close, and Jesus would say to you, "Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you." (Matthew 25:10-13).

Whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. Repent and call on Him, now.

~*~Q&A with Dr. Shirley~*~

Question: Once a person becomes a Christian by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and eternal life, would he or she experience less suffering in the world?

Answer: Being a Christian will bring more suffering of one kind, and less suffering of another kind into our lives. What it will not bring is no suffering.

The kind of suffering that a Christian will not experience (or experience less of) is the suffering that is the result of living a lifestyle of sin. For example, if we obey the Bible's commandment to love others as we love ourselves, we will not commit crimes that would send us to jail, such as stealing, kidnap, rape, and murder. If we heed God's Word to stay away from adultery, fornication, and other sexual sins, we would avoid unwanted pregnancies, STDs, a soiled reputation, and hurt feelings.

Ultimately and most importantly, true Christians will avoid the ultimate punishment and suffering: an eternal guilty verdict from God on Judgment Day. Those who refuse to accept Jesus as their only Savior will be sentenced to eternal death, never to be resurrected again.

The kind of suffering that a Christian will experience is the suffering for Jesus' name and for living according to God's will.

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his lord.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they don't know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn't done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn't have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'" (John 15:18-25)

During his earthly ministry, Jesus was heavily persecuted because he openly exposed and rebuked the hypocrisy and evil deeds of the religiously self-righteous. It was for this reason that he was falsely accused and convicted during an illegal trial held in the wee hours of the morning, and then was wrongly executed hours later (little did his murderers know that Jesus' death was actually a God-purposed sacrifice that would open the door to eternal life for those who believed in him).

If we whole-heartedly follow Jesus our Lord by teaching the righteousness he taught and correcting people's sins, it's no surprise if we would be persecuted the same way. In fact, if we have never experienced persecution as a Christian, then we must wonder: are we really living up to our title as a Christian? When our culture conflicts with God's principles, do we live by our cultural standards or God's? When our spouses, parents, friends, and co-workers tell us to do something that is against God's commandments, whom do we obey? If our allegiance is to principles and laws that conflict with God's, then we will certainly be loved and viewed as successful by the world's standards, all the while not realizing that we are actually people most miserable in the sight of God.

If we want to be true Christians--people who are Christians by their deeds, not merely their words--we are guaranteed to suffer for righteousness' sake, because when we, as the light of the world, expose the works done in darkness, those who work in the dark will hate us, "for everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God." (John 3:20-21)

To sum it up: True Christians will experience innocent suffering for Jesus' name. This is to be expected. If Christians don't experience persecution, then there's something wrong. Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)

So, if you're a Christian, "don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you. But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men's matters. But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don't obey the Good News of God? 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?' Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator." (1 Peter 4:12-19)

~*~Dr. Shirley's Corner~*~

Two of my books are now available from Apple's iTunes! So if you have iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with iBooks, or iTunes on your computer, you can now read my books, "Embrace Ultra-Ability!" and "Dance with Your Heart," which can be downloaded from:

Embrace Ultra-Ability!:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781257303021

Synopsis: Life is musical, yet your heart has to know how to pick up the beat to dance to its lovely tunes. Embrace Ultra-Ability! will gently guide you through the dance steps so you can waltz to the music of life. Filled with the blind author's precocious wisdom and insight, this book empowers you to accept all the jewels Jehovah God Almighty abundantly supplies us, and supports you on your journey to using the gifts wisely. Once you have welcomed all His treasures--from love to hope--be ready to dance with your heart to life's wondrous melodies!

"If there is ever to be a poster person for people with ultra-abilities, it would have to be twenty-four-year-old Shirley Cheng. ...(a) power-packed guide...full of sage advice, helpful exercises, common sense analyses...tough love prescriptions..." -M. Wayne Cunningham, ForeWord Magazine Clarion Reviews

Dance with Your Heart:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781257225989

Synopsis: The tales and poems held between the pages of Dance with Your Heart are filled with inspirations, lessons, and magic. Most of the stories take no more than a few minutes to read, and yet they allow the reader to discover and visit worlds never before visited. Inch alongside a tiny snail as she goes through a journey of self-discovery in The Gift of Uniqueness, and learn that cooperation is the key to working successfully, yielding desirable fruits in the story, The Raging Sun and Rain. The poems range from thought-provoking to inspirational; their language is simple yet lyrical, and they are written with sincerity, clarity, and that rarest commodity: wisdom.

Of course, paperback versions of my books are available autographed at my site:
http://www.shirleycheng.com

I've founded Ultra-Ability Ministry and launched the site www.ultra-ability.com. Want to experience ultra-ability today? Then start a Bible study, for only knowing Yahweh and Jesus will you be ultra-abled. Be my Bible buddy and reply to this newsletter! I'd be more than happy to study the Bible with you via e-mail, without any cost to you. Our study will be in your own pace, in your style, at the comfort of your home. I'll answer Bible questions you may have, or help you better understand specific passages. You name it, and we'll do it! Just see me as your friend/guide/answer lady. I look forward to our journey together. Thank you.

~*~A Biblical Wisdom Nugget~*~

"Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

One day, during his earthly ministry, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to cross a lake. As they sailed, a violent storm suddenly raged, tossing the boat around like a toy and quickly filling it with water. Frantic, the disciples went over to Jesus, who was peacefully asleep in the stern, and cried, "Master, master, we are dying!" (Luke 8:24) Upon waking, Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, commanding, "Peace, be still!" (Mark 4:39) Immediately, the wind and the sea calmed.

Jesus turned to his disciples, saying, "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40) His disciples had been with him for many months, witnessing him performing numerous miracles, from giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, to the raising of the dead. Thus, their lack of faith in the midst of the storm was unfounded. Yet, we mustn't chide them alone for their little faith. When we're faced with life's storms, how many of us cry out, "We're dying!" ourselves? Our disbelief in God or in His powers and our lack of faith in Him is not because we have no evidences of God or His powers; we disbelieve in spite of an abundance of evidences.

While the ultimate reasons for our suffering lie in Yahweh's hands, one way that suffering works for our good is to test, strengthen, and refine our faith. Our faith (or lack of it) in God is revealed only when we're under stress. Only when the lights go out would we go fetch a flashlight and put batteries inside. Likewise, when there's no storm to agitate us, we would not know how much or how little of faith we have. If our circumstances don't require us to live in faith, we wouldn't even know that we need faith in the first place.

When you're being tossed around in storms, how do you react? Do you throw up your hands in fear and despair, or do you confidently look onward and upward to God to give you the strength to conquer the storms in victory? How much faith does the storms of life stir up in you? Let's pray that God our Creator and Jesus our Lord will endow us with peace that can calm the most violent of storms, just as Jesus had on that fateful day out in the middle of the lake 2000 years ago!

May the grace and peace from Yahweh God and Jesus Christ be with you.!

Content Copyright by Dr. Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

You are permitted to only give out or link to this website or post; all other distribution and copying is prohibited without the prior written permission of Dr. Shirley Cheng. Contact Shirley at www.shirleycheng.com

Did you get this from a friend's forward and would like to subscribe? Then send a blank e-mail to subscribe@shirleycheng.com from the e-mail address you'd like to sign up under.

Read previous issues of Inspiration from a Blind at blog.shirleycheng.com

Best regards,

Dr. Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 27 Book Awards

Ultra-Ability Ministry

Proclaimer of Yahweh God's Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ

Author/Contributor/Editor of 35 books by age 27, Poet, Motivational Speaker, Self-Empowerment Expert, Advocate

Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club

http://www.shirleycheng.com

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope in Yahweh God haul you high!"

Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: subscribe@shirleycheng.com


Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition:
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Inspiration from a Blind: Want to Be Wealthy?

A jolly June greeting from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!

What is true wealth? Is it gold that glitters under the sun? Or is it wealth that no one and nothing, not even death, can take away from you?

Let's consider material wealth for a moment. We can have absolutely everything we want in life: huge mansions, fancy cars, ever-expanding wardrobes, and a sailboat or two to boot--but should our lives be measured by monetary values? Is the worth of our lives so calculable that we can consider ourselves wealthy simply by adding up our material possessions? Even if we feel wealthy by owning great possessions, what good would such wealth do us when natural calamities take them away from us? And when we die, could we take our wealth to our graves? Thus, our lives shouldn't "consist of the abundance of the things [we possess].” (Luke 12:15, WEB)

What is True wealth then? Jesus our Messiah and future King once told a parable that answered this question:

The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. He reasoned within himself, saying, "What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?" He said, "This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. I will tell my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'" But God said to him, "You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?" So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

(Luke 12:16-21)

So true wealth is being rich toward Yahweh God Almighty, the very Creator who has given us the precious gift of life. Being rich toward God is establishing and maintaining a sacred and intimate relationship with Him and His Son. Such a relationship will last forever, for when we love God and His Son Jesus Christ, we will live with them in an everlasting paradisiacal world of sheer love, joy, peace, prosperity, and perfect health after our future resurrection in God's appointed time. A sacred relationship with our Creator will never grow old; it'll be "a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys." (Luke 12:33) Indeed, such a treasure is not able to be measured--certainly not by the dollar sign as the measuring stick.

But how do we achieve this eternal wealth? Where do we even start to reap such gold?

Well, let's say someone who is interested in being your friend approaches you. How should you respond in order to accept the friendship invitation? The answer lies in the question, the key word: accept. Acceptance is the key.

1) Accept God's invitation to have a relationship with you. Yahweh said, "Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3)

Your Creator has graciously extended His open arms to you. He has initiated a potential relationship with you. He offers His riches to you freely. The only catch is for you to accept it! Once you accept His invitation, you will be fulfilled and satisfied immeasurably in an everlasting covenantal relationship, just as the sacred covenant He made with David, king of ancient Israel, promising him that his dynasty would be eternal. True to God's words, David's throne will last forever, for his descendent, Jesus our future King, will reign over us to time indefinite. You'd be a future resident of that Kingdom if you accept God's invitation today!

But exactly, how do you accept God's fellowship invitation? You do so by accepting and honoring His Son, Jesus as your Lord and Savior, for "whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him." (1 John 5:1) Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6) To know the Son is to know the Father, for Jesus is the image of God, having the same spiritual qualities as God such as enduring love, grace, righteousness, and justice (John 14:7; Colossians 1:15). It's only when you know Jesus will you have an understanding of the invisible God whom no one has ever seen or could see (John 1:18), and it's only through your trust and knowledge of Jesus can you become the child and rightful heir of God and co-heir with Jesus (John 1:12; Galatians 4:3-5). Therefore, without Jesus, you would not be a part of God's family or His Kingdom. So accept Jesus into your heart by repenting of your sins and trusting him for your eternal salvation. Once you do, you'll have both God and His Son, and for the first time, you will have the privilege of calling God your Father, for only those who believe in the Son will be adopted as the children of God! (Galatians 4:5)

2) Accept God's instruction manual for your life. Yahweh wrote a manual that introduces Himself to you, telling you of His likes and dislikes, His wishes, and deepest yearnings--and among His deepest yearnings are you--to have a sacred relationship with you! In His manual we call the Bible, you can understand how to maintain an everlasting friendship with your Heavenly Father.

The Bible is like God's Facebook or Myspace profile. It's where you get a glimpse into Yahweh's majestic personality, His awe-inspiring creativity, His almighty power, and His enduring lovingkindness. But unlike all the personal profiles we browse on the web, Yahweh's profile isn't just about Him--it's about what He desires for you, what His plans and purposes are for you. It's like a special letter a good friend writes to you, desiring your best in life.

3) Accept a godly lifestyle. Since the Bible is a life's manual on living a purposeful and godly life, don't just read it--apply its teachings and principles to your daily living to start reaping its full benefits today. God's Word promises: "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh's law. Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart. [They] will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever [they do] shall prosper." (Psalm 119: 1-2; Psalm 1:3)

Jesus compared the person who merely listens to God's instructions without putting them into practice to a foolish builder: "Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:26-27) But the one who does what God instructs is akin to a wise builder: "Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the rock." (Matthew 7:24-25) And Jesus is our Rock, for he is God's Word incarnate (John 1:14).

4) Accept God's help to help you maintain a deep fellowship with Him. Achieving true wealth--richness toward God--will be your lifelong goal, a goal that cannot be accomplished overnight. It can be achieved only through team work: your Heavenly Father empowering you with the strength and courage to be faithful to His commandments, and you cooperating with Him by trusting Him for your every need and want and by seeking His Kingdom and righteousness first. And when you seek His will first, all other things will be added unto you, and with Him will your heart be, for "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34)

To sum it all up: Acceptance is love: love for your Father, love for your Savior, and love for God's commandments. If we love God and His Son, we would love their commandments. If we don't love their commandments, that proves we don't love God. The two go together; we can't love one without loving the other. Jesus said, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. He who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words. The word which you hear isn't mine, but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:23-24)

When you have love for both the Father and the Son, you will be in complete harmony and spiritual union with them, as Jesus said, "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him." (John 14:20, 21) Now that's true richness!

Once you achieve your mission of being an immeasurably wealthy person, all glory, praise, and honor will go to your Heavenly Father and Savior for motivating you, empowering you, and cheering you on!

~*~Q&A with Dr. Shirley~*~

This month's question is from Tucker Lieberman, editor of Moral Relativism Magazine - www.moralrelativism.com

Question: Christians consider the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to be part of their sacred scriptures.  However, in the New Testament, Jesus seems to rebel against some of the traditional Jewish laws laid out in the Hebrew Bible.  For example, Jesus seems to disregard dietary laws. How do you think a Christian should decide which laws of the Hebrew Bible should still be followed and which are unnecessary for Christians?

Answer: First, we must understand that the laws and statutes of the Mosaic Covenant given to the nation of Israel were for Israel only, not for Christians or any other people group or nation (unless other ethnic groups lived among the Israelites). Since the human creation, Yahweh God has established several covenants with people during various time periods, and the Mosaic Covenant was one such covenant. When we, Christians, speak of the "old covenant" in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures), we are specifically referring to the Mosaic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was a sacred agreement between God and Israel only. Its code of laws was to govern them for a certain period of time, not forever (Jeremiah 31:31-34). All the laws God gave to the Israelites were used as a way to show that people cannot obtain righteousness or receive eternal life on their own--they needed a Savior to save them from their sins and provide eternal life. All the daily religious rituals in the Mosaic Covenant pointed to the Son of God, Jesus Christ; they were simply a foreshadow of what was to come.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus said, "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17, WEB.) He fulfilled the Law (Mosaic Covenant) in two ways:

a) Obeying every single commandment without failing and without committing any sin. He correctly understood the principles behind the Law, not just the precepts themselves, and perfectly obeyed it. The only "laws" that Jesus "rebelled" against were the false interpretations of the Law and manmade traditions set by the scribes and Pharisees (i.e., Mark 7:13; Matthew 5:21-48). For example, he understood that the Sabbath law was established for the benefit of humanity, not to be a burden to them (Mark 2:25-27). He also understood that eating certain food doesn't make you morally unclean (Mat. 15:10-11; Mark 7:14-23). Contrary to what many believe, Jesus never rebelled against God's dietary regulation; what he refuted was people's understanding of the dietary law: they followed God's laws superficially and externally while their hearts were far from God, just as Yahweh Himself said, "This people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me." (Isaiah 29:13)

b) Being the final sacrifice that was needed for all humankind. All previous animal sacrifices required in the Mosaic Covenant pointed to Jesus' final sacrifice as a prototype. Sacrifices in the Mosaic Covenant required unblemished animals, those without any physical defects, to wash away the sins of people. This demonstrated that only the shed blood of a perfect and innocent substitution could wash away people's sins. Why was animal sacrifice necessary? Because the penalty for sin is death, so instead of people dying for every sin committed, an animal died in that person's place. Yet, animal sacrifices could merely forgive a person's sin temporarily; when a sin was committed again, another sacrifice was needed, so animals had to be sacrificed day after day. But this all changed when Jesus came. Only a perfect human being could permanently wash away people's sins, sins from the past, present, and future, so that's why Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for all eternity. No human being is ever perfect, so that's why Jesus became a person so he could die for us and wash our sins away. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God who died once and for all for the sins of everyone, nullifying the daily animal sacrifices. (Animal sacrifices seem offensive to us today, because we don't comprehend the seriousness of sins and how our sins offend God. Sins separate us from God permanently; with sins, we can never have fellowship with God nor approach Him. But when Jesus died for us in our place, that enables us to have permanent fellowship with God. For more information about Jesus' sacrifice and why it was necessary, please read my article:
Salvation through Jesus Christ Alon)

After Jesus' death and sacrifice, the Mosaic Covenant was terminated and a new covenant was established between God and people of all nations, including Israel (Hebrews 8:13, 9:15, 12:24). Jesus' own fulfillment of the Mosaic Covenant terminated its governance. Think of it this way: when we write out a contract and establish specific terms for all binding parties to fulfill within a specific time frame, and when each party has fulfilled its duties on time, that fulfillment in turn automatically terminates the contract.

In the New Covenant, God established a new code of laws to govern all people, and these laws are found in the New Testament of the Bible. This code of laws include the underlying principles of the laws in the Mosaic Covenant; therefore, the "old" laws are not dead and gone--God's high standards stand forever.

All the laws set in the New Testament govern Christians. Christians are, and never have been, under the Mosaic Covenant. Israel is no longer under the Mosaic Covenant, either, since it was terminated (Galatians 3:23-28). Both groups of people--Israel and the gentiles (all other people other than Israel) are now under the New Covenant.

However, the Old Testament portion of the Bible (the Hebrew Scriptures that contain the Mosaic Covenant) is not obsolete for Christians. For example, by reading and studying the Mosaic Covenant, Christians will be able to understand why Jesus' death and sacrifice was necessary in order to give us eternal life. Moreover, there are other covenants in the Old Testament that still apply to everyone on Earth: the Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3:15-19) and the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:3-16). For example, the Noahic Covenant was established by God after the great flood in Noah's day. This covenant governs all of Noah's descendents, which includes every person alive today. In this unconditional covenant, 1) we are permitted to eat all meat as long as we do not eat the blood, 2) the death penalty for murder is established, and 3) God promises not to destroy the Earth with a global flood again.

Thus, in order to know and understand which laws and which covenants govern Christians today, we must study the entire Bible, both the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (Greek Scriptures). We need to understand which covenants are still binding, and with whom they are binding. We cannot accept the New Testament and ignore the Old Testament.

~*~Dr. Shirley's Corner~*~

My life's story is featured in Entro, the magazine of Mom's Choice Awards, of which my books, "Do You Love Jehovah?" and "Waking Spirit" are its Gold and Silver winners, respectively. Read the article at http://issuu.com/entromagazine/docs/entro_winter_2010_2011
In the "Search this publication" box, enter in my name to go directly to my feature. (Note: The magazine may not be compatible with screen readers, as it's the case with me.)

Do you want personal, one-on-one guidance or help in better understanding the Bible and what I've written in this newsletter? Then be my Bible buddy and e-mail me! I'd be more than happy to study the Bible with you via e-mail, without any cost to you. Our study will be in your own pace, in your style, at the comfort of your home. I'll answer Bible questions you may have, or help you better understand specific passages. You name it, and we'll do it! Just see me as your friend/guide/answer lady. I look forward to our journey together. Thank you.

~*~A Biblical Wisdom Nugget~*~

"We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us." (II Corinthians 4:7, NCV)

Through the hardships I have endured, God has taught me that I am powerless without Him; He is the power in me, and friends, God is the power in you, too, if only you'd seek His help to help you overcome your pain and troubles in your life.

You see, with each challenge in my life, God has taught me that I can trust Him. He has helped me through problems of all kinds and of every size. He has also taught me that small challenges in life are to strengthen our spirits and faith in Him, and to prepare us for larger battles ahead.

Remember the young shepherd boy, David, who defeated the giant Goliath? How was he able to conquer a fierce warrior thrice his size when he had never even had any experience in warfare? Well, before he went on the solo battle, David said, "When a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him. Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:34-35, 37) Yes, it was God who helped David conquer the giant!

Likewise, God will strengthened your faith as He had David, using little guys so you can be prepared to face the giants in the future! Just have faith in God to deliver you, or to give you the strength to endure your troubles if He chooses not to physically deliver you. Ensure that your faith remains strong by reading and studying the Bible, applying its teachings to your everyday living, and developing and maintaining an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father. And when you succeed, all praise, glory, and honor will go to your Father in heaven, for it's His power in you, not your own, that has enabled you to prosper!

May the grace and peace from Yahweh God and Jesus Christ be with you.!

Content Copyright by Dr. Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved

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Best regards,

Dr. Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 27 Book Awards

Ultra-Ability Ministry

Proclaimer of Yahweh God's Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ

Author/Contributor/Editor of 35 books by age 27, Poet, Motivational Speaker, Self-Empowerment Expert, Advocate

Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club

http://www.shirleycheng.com

"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope in Yahweh God haul you high!"

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Inspiration from a Blind: Want Your Prayers Answered?

A warm May greeting from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com!

When you pray, do you feel that God is ignoring your prayer? After all, prayer is communication with Yahweh God Almighty; it is a two-way conversation. So when it seems as though your prayers are not being answered, there are good reasons for it.

There are hindrances to prayers--things and behaviors that will prevent an answered prayer. Here, let us briefly go over some of these hindrances, so we can learn to eliminate them in our lives in order for our prayers to be answered next time.

Disbelief

"But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8, WEB)

When we pray to Yahweh, we need to have the right heart attitude of belief. Yahweh is Almighty, and His very name means "He who chooses to become," meaning that He has the ability and power to be and do anything He wants. When we ask for something yet doubt whether He can grant the request, we are treating Him as though He lacks the power to do what we ask for.

Not praying according to God's will

Jesus, God's Son, taught us to pray: "Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." (Matthew 6:10)

We need to pray for Yahweh's Kingdom to come and desire for His will to be fulfilled on Earth, as it is in His heavenly home. His Kingdom encompasses His entire will for us.

When we pray without taking God's will into account, we are praying with the wrong motives: "You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures." (James 4:3)

We must seek God's Kingdom first; make it our number one priority. His Kingdom is the answer to all of our needs, and it's the solution to all of our problems. When His Kingdom comes, we will have everything. Jesus promised: "But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things [material necessities] will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Our relationship with our Heavenly Father is like any relationship between earthly parents and their child. Not everything a child asks for will be granted by his parents. The parents answer requests based on their will and promises. This is done in everyone's best interest. Likewise, Yahweh grants our wishes only according to His will and His promises for us. Rest assured, His will for us is purely good.

Before we can ask according to God's will, we obviously need to know what His will is, don't we? So where can we find out? Why, in the Bible, of course! Pick up a copy of the Bible, read and study it. Take note of God's will and promises, and then pray according to them. (And if you need help in studying and understanding the Bible, just reply to this newsletter and I'd be more than glad to be your Bible study buddy!)

Not remaining in Jesus and his words

We know that we need to seek the will of God, and part of that will is for us to remain in Him and His Son. "Remaining" in God and Jesus is living in them by doing their will, following their teachings and words. When we ask for something and don't do what Yahweh desires, it shows that we are asking for selfish reasons, without taking God's will into consideration.

Jesus promised us: "If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)

Not praying in Jesus' name

Jesus told us to pray in his name: "Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13)

"Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full." (John 16:23, 24)

Praying hypocritically

Jesus denounced those who pray just to show off: "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward." (Matthew 6:5) Hypocrites will receive the reward they long for--praise from man--but they will not receive the reward of true value: that comes from God.

In order for our prayers to be answered by Yahweh, we must pray in humility, truthfully and sincerely from our hearts, and according to the truths of God as presented in the Bible. We should pray in secrecy: "But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:6)

While praying, we should be earnest, without using meaningless repetition, such as memorized prayers, chants or mantras: "In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-8)

Not forgiving others

Is it right to ask God to forgive our sins when we don't forgive others ourselves?

Jesus told us to pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)

So before we pray, we should achieve a peaceful mind and hold no grudges in our hearts. When we forgive the wrong that has been done to us, we will be able to ask God's forgiveness for our own wrongdoing, for "if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14)

Selfishness and lack of compassion

"Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard." (Proverbs 21:13)

Mistreatment of your marriage partner

"You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered." (1 Peter 3:7)

Pride

"There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men." (Job 35:12)

Sin of any kind

As you can see, any sin keeps you from receiving an answer to your prayer from Yahweh.

"Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it can't save; neither his ear heavy, that it can't hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Yahweh said: "When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:15-17)

"He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." (Proverbs 28:9)

"The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight." (Proverbs 15:8)

Therefore, before God answers our prayers, we must eliminate any and all sins from our lives. How can we avoid and treat sins? We do it through the born-again experience. To learn more, go to http://tinyurl.com/ykj8vlu

Demonic hindrances

While sins are a major blockade to prayers, the righteous--those who whole-heartedly devote their lives to seeking God's will--can experience delayed answers to their prayers due to Satanic hindrances. For example, the great prophet Daniel did not receive God's answer for his prayer until twenty-one days later because of demonic hindrances:

"Daniel, you man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright; for am I now sent to you... Don't be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard: and I have come for your words’ sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:11-13) The one speaking to Daniel here was an angel. Since only spiritual beings could hinder an angel, we know that the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" was an evil angel which we call a "demon."

The apostle Paul reminded us: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

Yes, our main enemies are the demonic forces--evil spirits who do the will of their leader, Satan the devil. Satan and his followers do anything they can to go against Yahweh. From Daniel's experience, we can see that Satan has organized his evil force in the form of "principalities," where a demon rules over one specific region of Earth, like the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" mentioned in the book of Daniel. This is the "principalities" Paul spoke of.

Therefore, we must be strong, hold steadfast to our faith, and constantly rely on God to help us ward off the evil spirits. We must be persistent in our prayers. Jesus urged us to persistently pray to God. (Luke 18:1-8)

Jesus promised: "Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

So keep on asking, seeking, and knocking according to the will of Yahweh, and He will answer you in His due time!

One final word...

Many times, Yahweh answers our prayers not exactly in the way we expect. Sometimes, we may not even realize He has answered us. Other times, He will not answer us when our wishes conflict with His will. But Yahweh will always do what is best for us. So even though we don't get everything we want, we will always, always get the best.

And the best of the best is a sacred, intimate relationship with Yahweh. Pray that you will develop such a relationship with Him. Seek His face, and you shall find Him!

Yahweh said: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

~*~Q&A with Dr. Shirley~*~

Question: Can you explain the components of a human being: body, spirit, and soul?

Answer: Absolutely. In the Bible, "soul" means three things, depending on the context:

1) "Soul" means "living creature" or "self," so any living animal or human is a soul. When the living creature dies, that means the soul dies. Hence, a man is a soul himself.

2) "Soul" also means "life" in the Bible. To say that a soul is leaving a person means that life is leaving that person.

3) "Soul" is also the entire life you live. So I can say that I love my soul even though it has brought me many challenges.

Therefore, a soul is not an entity with a mind of its own that could go on living when a person dies. There is no soul without a body. The notion of immortal souls is a concept in ancient Greek beliefs that has been absorbed by mainstream Christianity. Thus, always check the Bible directly to know the facts.

The spirit of a human being is the "breath of life" or the "life force" that comes from our very Creator Yahweh Himself. It is the force that brings life to a lifeless body. Without the spirit, the body would be dead, just as without batteries, a battery-powered tool would be dead. And it is in the spirit where all of a human's spiritual or non-physical elements are, such as the human willpower.

The body is perhaps the most understood component of a human being, and it's been studied extensively by scientists. One only needs to pick up a science book on the human body to learn every fascinating facet of our marvelous bodies, so I trust I won't need to spend any time on this subject.

In conclusion, the spirit (breath of life) is what you receive into your body in order to become a living soul (creature) and have a soul (life) and spirit (everything that is not physical) as described in the Bible: "Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7),

When we die, our bodies return to the ground from which they were made, our souls cease to exist temporarily, and our spirits (life forces) return to God under His control, and He shall raise everyone up on His appointed time in the future. When those of us who are cleansed by Jesus' blood are resurrected, we will receive immortality. Simply put, we become immortal after we are resurrected, not immediately after death; and for those who are still alive at Jesus' second coming, they will instantly receive immortality then, as the Bible says: "...the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'” (I Corinthians 15:52-54) We will be raised up owning a different kind of body--a spiritual one, not this physical body we have now, and our spiritual body will never die--we shall live forever if we remain faithful to our God Yahweh and Messiah Jesus.

~*~A Biblical Wisdom Nugget~*~

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
(Matthew 5:3-10)

These words of Jesus Christ called the Beatitudes are among his most well-known and loved. No wonder, for if we practice the qualities that Christ preached about, it will greatly affect our relationships with one another in a positive way. For example, when we live in humility, we will be able to accept people from all walks of life into our hearts, thus giving us the ability and opportunity to spread the Gospel to as many people groups as we possibly can. Otherwise, if we act superior than others, we will shun those we feel are unworthy to be saved. In addition, if we are humble, we will be able to accept and use constructive criticism and learn from it, and will be able to learn from our mistakes so we will not repeat them in the future.

When we serve one another with justice, we will be able to prevent false accusations and conflicts, for anytime false charges do arise, we will take care of them before they could affect the wrongly accused; thus, this ensures harmony among God's people. When we experience less injustice, we will be able to fully concentrate on ministering to others. When people from outside the church see the fair treatment among the church members, they will be drawn to the loving environment.

When we show mercy to our brothers and sisters who did wrong, we will be able to build them back up again. If we do not forgive people of their wrongdoing when they have repented, we would be forbidding them to move on with their lives for God. Only when we show mercy can we effectively show the selfless love Christ has for us.

When our thoughts are pure, we will be motivated to do what is good only. Jesus said, "For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:43-45) Therefore, we do whatever we have first thought of in our hearts and minds. So if we want to do good for one another and for expanding God's Kingdom, we first need to have pure thoughts and good intentions for God's Kingdom in our hearts.

The verse that sums up the Beatitudes is Matthew 5:16, where Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." In all that we think, do, and say, we must remember we are doing it for the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).

When we seek peace and righteousness in ourselves, we are in turn seeking peace and righteousness for God's people. And if we want to see good qualities in others, we must first set good examples ourselves as the salt and light of the world, so people can model after us. Therefore "be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

May the grace and peace from Yahweh God and Jesus Christ be with you.!

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Best regards,

Dr. Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 27 Book Awards

Proclaimer of Yahweh God's Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ

Author/Contributor/Editor of 35 books by age 27, Poet, Motivational Speaker, Self-Empowerment Expert, Advocate

Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club


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