12 Foundation Stones

 

WHAT? WHY? HOW?

(Editor) Faith is so important in life as a Christian, it’s the different between success and failure. If we have faith, we open ourselves to all of God’s power, but if we don’t, we are stuck, left to fend without the power that he has to give. The following quotes are taken from a GN about the Offensive, which is the Family’s new witnessing push. I’ve adapted the text to fit general life, as the concept of faith is the same in any situation. When it talks about the ‘new weapons’ or ‘weapons’ it means the things like prayer, praise, prophecy, calling on the keys of the kingdom, etc. These are the things that pull down God’s power to change situations in our lives, but we need faith before even using them. So this class is all about that, faith. What it is, why we need it, and how to avail ourselves of it.

WHAT?

The starting point, before you pick up any other weapon, is faith. The Lord said, "The Word, My promises‚ will give you faith, and that's the starting point when fighting and defeating the Enemy." Faith is the password, the foundation of power, anointing, and victory. "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith" ( 1John 5:4 ). "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" ( Heb.11:1 ). It's the "title deed," as explained by Dad ( ML #T ). It comes from the Word, and it grows; but it can shrink if you neglect your spiritual life. The Lord said faith is our "biggest and baddest" weapon!

WHY?

Faith is really the starting point. We have to have faith in order for everything that the Lord has promised to come to pass. We need faith to obey His Word, faith to step out and try new and different things‚ faith that the Lord can use us in new ways‚ faith that we overcome obstacles.

Faith is vital. It's the first step. It's what will enable us to walk through open doors, take advantage of golden opportunities‚ and follow God wherever He leads. It's what will help us to say yes to Jesus at every turn--yes to taking risks, yes to doing what God has for us in life.

God thinks big--and to get big results, we need big faith! Faith is what will drive us, help us to do the impossible, and to put action behind our beliefs and visions, to persevere when things are tough, and catapult us over obstacles. Faith is also what will help us to wield the spiritual weapons‚ which are vital in our lives. As the Lord said, "All the weapons work together; they're all powerful and all needed, but faith is the secret to using any of them to their full potential" (ML #3658:30, GN 1220).

Sometimes faith seems a little bit mysterious‚ but it's actually not complicated. You don't have to try so hard to dissect it or understand it. We live by faith and walk by faith and it's our "title deed," but faith is also manifested by action and obedience. It's a "doing" word, because faith without works is dead (James 2:26). You don't have to feel like you have faith‚ or think that you have great faith. Just start doing the things that faith gives you the power to do, and you'll realize that you truly do possess this valuable treasure--and the more you use it and feed it, the stronger it will get.

(Dad: ) You've seen those space shuttles launch in movies or documentaries, and the boosters that fire up so much power that it propels the shuttle into space. Your faith is like those boosters, and both individually and cumulatively you have immense power. But that power has to be put into action; it has to be ignited. The fuel and energy contained in those boosters is useless unless it's powered up.

Unlike those boosters on a space shuttle that are rapidly used and then fall off as the rocket and shuttle make their way further into space, your faith will remain strong and powerful as the energy that will drive you forward. Faith is what will stir you to put God's Word into action, to believe that all things are possible, and to make them happen.

(Jesus) Have you ever seen those sports interviews in which they're interviewing an athlete after a victory or a game that they won and they ask them what gave them the edge? What gave them the upper hand so that they were able to defeat their adversary? They often say confidence that they believed in themselves, they believed in their team‚ and they believed that they could win.

Faith is having confidence in Me. Faith is knowing that you can trust Me completely--not just to be there with you, but for a victorious outcome. Faith knows that no matter what comes your way, or what you face, I will bring you through it; I will get the victory for you regardless of the circumstances.

20. (Jesus) Faith isn't something you just "have" naturally. You gain it through putting Me to the test and experiencing My power. Faith is built up one layer at a time‚ ever increasing your size and strength, till you become a quarterstaff in My hand to beat down the most aggressive foe. Faith grows, it's built over time‚ and the more your faith is tested, the more faith you'll have.

21. Expect Me to strengthen your faith by putting you in faith-inducing situations. They are generally pretty trying at the time, but always result in greater faith if you put Me to the test and watch Me do the miracle. With time, you will be strong enough to stand firm in the fiercest of gales.

HOW

* Be willing to take steps, especially if they stretch your faith.

* Let your mind stretch. Your faith is almost always limited by your mind and what you are willing to accept as possible. Push the barriers back.

* Don't let past failures, or fear of future failures, hold you back.

* The basic principle of all faith-and-action rules is doing! Get started. Once you know the Lord's plan, get to it.

* Be willing to do the hard work that comes with putting your faith into action. Faith is the underlying belief that a plan is workable and achievable. But any great venture requires slogging it out at times, elbow grease, and perseverance to see it through, and sometimes even to simply get it off the ground.

* Invest time in proving your faith once you know something is God's will. Don't fizzle out at the first sign of trouble. Don't give up too soon. Faith takes the challenges, both expected and unexpected, as they come, and tackles them matter-of-factly. It doesn't just will them away; it devises a plan for the solution and then puts it into effect.

* Be positive but also be realistic. Putting faith into action does not mean you're unrealistic. It means that while you're projecting into the future and aiming toward the heavenly vision, you are also translating what that means into practical, everyday steps that you can take with God's help.

* Faith requires a will to work. Faith doesn't lazily wait for a bolt of lightning from the sky before acting. The "bolt" may be on its way, but faith won't be idle during that time; faith will be hard at work, both trusting the Lord and also actively doing what it can.

* Don't feel bad about having to change plans a little along the way. Faith is not afraid to adapt plans, because it's confident that God is in control. Change is a fellow laborer alongside faith.

* Don't be stuck in a rut as to where your faith can take you. Expect that it can take you great distances, and then get busy proving that.

* Expect some setbacks, but don't let them hold you back. Learn to work around, over‚ under, or even through them if need be. Setbacks often bring to light elements that were not fully accounted for in your plan, and as a result they can help your plan to be more successful in the long run. Faith will give you the right outlook on setbacks and help you take advantage of them as stepping stones to success. (Jesus) Faith is at its finest when it's been through the wringer and still comes out with a grin. That's how durable your faith should be.

* Celebrate the victories along the way, even the little ones. Even celebrate the unexpected problems you had to resolve that then resulted in victory. Be sure to credit faith in your victories‚ so that you see how the Lord took your faith, stretched it, purified it, shaped it, and then through it gave you results.

* Ask for prayer from others if you feel your faith is under attack by the Enemy. Fight back at the first sign of the Enemy's attacks.

* When things don't turn out as you expect them to, ask the Lord why. Part of strengthening your faith is taking things back to the Lord for His insight and reasoning, and not just assuming that things were a failure or that they just didn't work, or thinking that you didn't hear clearly from the Lord. If you just assume that you got things wrong, then that can weaken your faith. However‚ hearing from Him about such situations can tremendously strengthen your faith.

* Be faithful to read the Word. Also, read the Word on topics that are pertinent and appropriate to your current life experiences. The Word always helps to strengthen your faith and increase your vision. Then the Enemy won't be able to use your lack of faithfulness as a "cigar" that curtails and limits your faith by taking away your confidence that you're in line to receive God's blessing and answers to prayer because you're obeying.

* Listen to faith-building stories and testimonies from others. Seek them out.

* Be around people with faith. Don't hang around people who lack faith. (That's one of the best ways to either feed or kill your faith.)

* Hear from the Lord personally regarding your life. This will give you more faith for what you need to do, and will also help you to accept and use your anointing more fully.

* Keep a log of answered prayers and fulfilled prophecies. It's a great faith booster and also an excellent praise time aid.

WHEN EVERYTHING AROUD YOU PULLS YOU DOWN, THE WORD, AND THE FAITH IT GVES YOU, WILL PULL YOU BACK UP

Without continuous strength from the Lord, you don't have any power or spiritual energy. You're empty and don't have anything to battle with. When you have to hear and be immersed in all kinds of vicious lies from the Devil, then you can't help but be affected by it, it influences you.

You shouldn't feel condemned about it, because that's just the way it is. Like Dad has always said, words are real things. Words are powerful; regardless of whether they're the Enemy's words or the Lord's Words, they have power. It's not just the Lord's Words that have power, the Enemy's words have power too, and they influence people and sway people. So you shouldn't feel condemned if hearing the Enemy's lies and negative input makes you feel discouraged or depressed, or maybe even temporarily doubting or questioning.

You can't help it if it makes you feel that way, but you can go on the attack and do something about it. You don't have to let the Devil just walk all over you without your putting up a fight! The only solution is to make sure you get some positive input of the Lord's Words! The only counter-action, the only antidote for that is God's Word and His promises. But if you don't get that, then you're going to be weakened.

The Lord's not kidding when He keeps telling us over and over that His Words are Spirit and they are Life, that they're quick (alive) and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, that they're the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, that their entrance is what gives us understanding, as well as all the other things the Lord says about His Word! He's not just saying those things to supply you with beautiful literature, nor to give you some theoretical principles that sound nice. He means for you to do something about it. He wants you to apply it and make it work for you. He wants you to get it into your heart and every fiber of your being and let it empower you to rise above the negative words of the Devil that would drag you down.

With His Word as your weapon, you have to actively resist and fight and overcome all of that negative input that you are subjected to. The only way to win is to have sufficient input from the Lord! That's just one of God's principles; that's the way the Lord has set things up; that's the way it works. There's nothing we can do to change it, the Lord has set it up so that the negative input can only be countered by positive input from His Word. So no matter how strong we may think we are, if we get a lot of negative input, but don't get the Lord's antidote for it, then we're going to be weakened. That's just the way it is, that's the way the process works.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT ALWAYS BEING PERFECT, JUST BE FAITHFUL THIS ONE MOMENT

I think one of the best verses I could give you for the coming year, & for that matter the rest of your life & ministry is: "he that is faithful unto the end, I will give a crown of life!" (Rev.2:10) now, that is not talking about salvation. The lord is talking about your faithfulness in service, if you're faithful from now unto death, from now till the day you die.

Just stay faithful & keep on being faithful every day. You can only live one day at a time; you can only be faithful one day at a time. So don't worry about when you weren't faithful yesterday or whether you're going to be faithful tomorrow, but do your best to be faithful today. Forget the past & tomorrow will take care of itself, or the lord will take care of it. Just be faithful today, every day, one day at a time, & you'll be faithful unto death & you'll inherit an eternal crown of life!--and I believe that's going to be some kind of an actual halo or shining crown, that you're going to shine like the stars for being faithful! Praise the Lord?

If you think about trying to be faithful the rest of your life, that just scares you, that worries you. That's just too big, you'll never make it. But what about today?--weren't you pretty faithful today? Give the lord a little credit & thank the lord for what a miracle it is! Look how long he's kept you already! You worried about all those days & all the events to come, & you had many worries, nearly all of which never even happened. Here you are! You're still here, you're still faithful!

So quit trying so hard! Quit worrying about it! Quit trying to work it up or even pray it down! The church used to say, "don't work it up, pray it down!" well, I can't even depend on praying it down. I just have to depend on the lord keeping me faithful, that's all, & trust him that my faith won't fail, because my faith comes from him. Faith is a gift of god, so praise the lord!

Now doesn't that help you relax a little bit? Just remember, only the lord can keep you faithful! You have to give him a little cooperation, you have to listen, you have to read, you have to obey, but that's the easy part. It's his job to keep you faithful! So don't worry about it. Just be faithful.

You don't even have to have faith for a whole day. You don't even have to have faith for the next hour! You don't even have to have faith for this hour!--not even for this minute, because a minute is a period of time. Just have faith for this moment, this split second, right now, one moment at a time! That's all you have to have faith for! That's all!

So you don't have to worry about waking up in the morning thinking, "have I got faith for today?" not even that! Just have faith for each little thing you do all day long. They always ask me, "how come you never know what you're going to do?" well, how am I going to know what I’m going to do? I don't know what the lord's going to do until he shows me or tells me or he does it!

"Be thou faithful unto death," he says, "& I will give you a crown of life!" you're going to get a special crown; you're going to have a crown that you can be proud of! That's what's going to show what you have done for the lord. And the lord wants the world to see it! He wants all creation to see the badge of your faithfulness, a crown of life!

(To Be Faithful Unto Death! ML 1717)

THE PROMISES GOD GIVES IN HIS WORD WILL HELP US HAVE FAITH, BECAUSE WE CAN STAND ON THOSE PROMISES AND HOLD GOD TO THEM

My promises to you are like gold bars, backing up the Bank of Heaven. They are solid, genuine, and will always fetch the price that you're asking for. They never devalue, they never tarnish, they never disintegrate. They're eternally valuable and always in demand. No matter how many times you draw on their value and worth, they remain intact, gleaming and beckoning to anyone who catches a glimpse of them. The more you use them and draw on their power, the more sought after they become. The more demand you place on them, the stronger they become.

I've given you your own share of gold bars in the Bank of Heaven. Your faith activates My promises to you. There is so much more that My promises can do for you; they can work so much more powerfully on your behalf than you've experimented with until now.

Don't let My good gold sit! Draw on it! Use it as collateral against absolutely anything that you need or want, and watch your seed of faith grow into a towering mountain that will make the world stand back in awe!

Sometimes having and manifesting faith costs you a whole lot. I know and see when something costs you so very much, and I bless accordingly. When you give Me a gift of faith, or you place something dear to you on the altar by faith, I take note of that.

When something is especially difficult for you, or when your heart breaks or aches over something you're giving up, you can be assured that I will not only compensate your giving or loss, but that I will reward you over and above the amount you gave, in a variety of heavenly currencies. Not just "cash," per se, but in other qualities, skills, gifts, and special allowances.

Once you arrive in Heaven, you will truly feel that you have never made a sacrifice, because you will receive so much more than you ever gave up. It will be My greatest pleasure to bring that beautiful, never-ending smile to your face on the day you arrive here to be with Me, and I give you your rewards.

Picture a sturdy hammock that's suspended between two tall, graceful trees. Picture yourself lying down in that hammock. The trees are strong, and the hammock has been fastened securely. There's no danger of it falling down or not being able to carry your weight. So you can lie there and rest, free from worry of falling, free from concern about how you have to keep the hammock up. You look up at the beautiful sky and you listen to the song of the birds. The sun's rays warm you, and you feel a gentle breeze. Faith, like the hammock, has the power to hold you up. Faith is a real and alive spiritual power and entity. When your faith is strong and exercised, then you can let go and lie back in the arms of faith, trusting that it will hold you up, trusting that it will keep you. So keep the faith, My loves, and let faith keep you.

Faith enough.--Two important words for you to remember. Sometimes all you'll have, or all you'll feel you have, is faith enough, because that's all you need.--Faith enough to take the next step. Faith enough to love the next person. Faith enough to receive the next message from Me. Faith enough to persevere in prayer yet again. Faith enough to do the humble thing one more time. Faith enough to know that I'll help you to get up again. Faith enough to hold on for just another minute. Faith enough to trust Me through another test. Faith enough to put My words into action today.

You don't need to have faith for everything all at once. You just need faith enough to do what I'm asking of you now, and faith enough to trust that when I give you the next instruction, you'll have faith enough to do that too.

SECTION 1: Bible Study on God's Word

The Bible was given to man by God

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that are the written record of messages God gave to about 40 people whom He chose as His spokesmen. Although the Bible was recorded by men, it was written by God.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:21 - For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

We can know the author

There's a story about a girl who was assigned some book to read in college. She started, and because she found it kind of dry and uninteresting, she threw it in the top of her closet and thought she'd read it later. Later on a man came to the college and lectured. She found out during the course of his lecture that he was the author of the book! She so fell in love with him on his visit to the college that after hearing his lectures, she immediately went home and dug the book out of the top of her closet and buried herself in the book to read it! - Why? How come the book was all of a sudden so interesting, whereas she thought it was dry and uninteresting before? - She knew the author!

What's the most important reason why we know the Bible is true? We know the Author. Before somebody introduced you to the Author, you probably didn't care much about the Bible and didn't know whether it was true or not, never read it and maybe didn't even believe it. But now since we've told you that it's Jesus and you've been introduced to Jesus and received Jesus in your hearts, all of a sudden you're interested in the Bible for the first time maybe in your life, because now you know the Author and you want to hear what He has to say!

Archaeological finds confirm the veracity of the Bible

Biblical archaeology is the scientific study, by excavation, examination, and publication, of the evidences of cultures and civilizations from the Biblical period. Archaeological discoveries paint in the background of the Bible, helping to explain many of its events. Although it is not possible to verify every incident in the Bible, the discoveries of archaeology since the mid-1800s have demonstrated the reliability and plausibility of the Bible narrative. Here are some examples:

The discovery of the ancient city of Ebla's archive in northern Syria in the 1970s has shown the Biblical writings concerning the Patriarchs to be viable. (Patriarchs is a name generally applied to the progenitors of families or "heads of the fathers" mentioned in Scripture, including such personages as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc.) Documents written on clay tablets from around 2300 B.C. demonstrate that specific people and places in the Patriarchal accounts are genuine.

The name "Canaan" was in use in Ebla, a name critics once said was not used at that time and was used incorrectly in the early chapters of the Bible.

The word "tehom" ("the deep") in Genesis 1:2 was said to be a late word demonstrating the late writing of the Creation story. "Tehom" was part of the vocabulary at Ebla, in use some 800 years before Moses. Ancient customs reflected in the stories of the Patriarchs have also been found in clay tablets from Nuzi and Mari.

The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and records were discovered at Bogazkoy, Turkey.

Many thought the Biblical references to Solomon's wealth were greatly exaggerated. Recovered records from the past show that wealth in antiquity was concentrated with the king, and Solomon's prosperity was entirely feasible.

It was once claimed there was no Assyrian king named Sargon as recorded in Isaiah 20:1, because this name was not known in any other record. Then, Sargon's palace was discovered in Khorsabad, Iraq. The very event mentioned in Isaiah 20, his capture of Ashdod, was recorded on the palace walls. What is more, fragments of a stela (ancient stone slab or pillar) memorializing the victory were found at Ashdod itself. (In Daniel 5:2, Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as the father of Belshazzar, however the word translated in this verse as "father" is more accurately translated as grandfather or ancestor. Belshazzar was the son of Nabodinus, and grandson or descendant of Nebuchadnezzar.)

(Based on the research of Bryant Wood, of Associates for Biblical Research.)

God's Word is true and never fails

Psalm 119:89 - Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in Heaven.

Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

Matthew 24:35 - Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away.

The Bible works!

A skeptic, talking about the Bible, said that it was quite impossible these days to believe in any book whose author was unknown. James, who believes in Jesus, asked him if the compiler of the multiplication table was known.

"No," he answered.

"Then, of course, you do not believe it?" asked James.

The skeptic replied, "Oh, yes, I believe in it because it works."

"So does the Bible!" responded James.

Testimony: "Through the Rivers!"

(Introduction: This is the translation of a letter that was sent to us by a Russian pastor who lives in a town on the Amur River in Russia, beyond the Ural Mountains.)

The Lord did a miracle for me shortly after I met you! One morning recently, I opened my Bible to Isaiah 43:1-2, which says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

In the central hospital later that day, we were to hold services for the sick people. I prayed and asked the Lord what I should talk about, and He showed me to preach on those verses.

Then the next evening, I needed to go to a ship on the Amur River, as the engines needed to be tested. (I work as an inspecting engineer, besides being a pastor.) We agreed that at 9 p.m., I would come to this ship by another boat. The ship that needed to be checked is 45 meters long, with four meters of the hull below the surface of the water.

Before leaving, I finished all the work I had to do at home, I prayed, dressed warmly and left.

I arrived at the pier and took a boat to look for the ship on the river. It was now about 10 p.m. and very dark. Later I was in the captain's quarters of the small boat, and when I looked out the door I immediately saw the large ship I was looking for heading straight at us on an unavoidable collision course! The only thought I had time to think was, "Thy will be done, Lord!"

We collided, and I was immediately thrown out of the boat. The Lord surely guided me, as deep down in the water I swam close to the side of my boat, and I could hear the great propellers of the large ship pass near me.

When I rose to the surface, I called out to the Lord. I didn't have any strength, and I couldn't breathe well, but I knew He was helping me! I looked around. It was very dark and there was no one around. I was right in the middle of the Amur River. (Note: The Amur is one of the great rivers of the world, forming the border between Russia and China for 1,600 km.)

I thought, What next, Lord?

I got an answer: Call for help. I couldn't get enough air and didn't have much of my voice left, but I started to yell as loud as I could for help, still wondering, Who can hear me? To find a man on the water in the dark is like looking for a needle in a haystack ... but if the Lord said to do it, then my job was just to obey.

I later found out that after the ship struck our boat, it veered to the right and got stuck on a sand bar. My cries were heard and I was brought to the ship! Everybody looked at me with wide eyes, as they did not expect to see any survivors. I had no wounds, not even a cold. One man said, "You're alive! I would have died from a heart attack if I was in your place."

I answered, "Right! I would have died myself if it hadn't been for the Lord leading me and not allowing the ‘river to overflow me'." Praise God for His miracles!

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word

* Jesus is the "Word made flesh."

John 1:1,14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

God has always spoken to people in many ways: through the beauty and wonder of His Creation, through His prophets and messengers, and through His written Word. But the clearest revelation of Himself - of His character, of His Love - is found in His Son, Jesus, Whom the Bible calls "the Word." Words are the means by which we express ourselves, by which we reveal our thoughts, our feelings, our character. - And Jesus is the means by which God expresses Himself to us. God's most outstanding means of communication with us, the way that He chose to communicate His Love to the World, was by His Own Son, Jesus.

The Bible was written for our benefit

John 19:35 - And he [John] who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.

1 Corinthians 10:11 - Now all these things happened to them [Bible characters] as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

John 4:13-14 - Jesus answered and said to [the Samaritan woman], "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

The Water of Life

Water is the most valuable commodity on earth, outside of life itself, which is why God symbolizes life with water, calling it the Water of Life, along with the Word of Life, the Water of the Word! - Water being such an essential element of man's life, existence and survival, and without which all life dies!

It's important to keep the Word

Obeying and keeping the Word proves we know and love Jesus. As a result, we receive benefits!

John 8:31-32 - Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Luke 11:28 - More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!

John 15:7 - If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 14:15 - If you love Me, keep My commandments.

The Bible is like a map to guide you through life. To say you don't have time for it is like a driver going on a long journey, saying, "I'm in such a hurry to get there I don't have time to look at the map."

Augustine's conversion

In 384 A.D. a young man from North Africa went to Milan, Italy, to take a position as teacher of rhetoric. While there, he became very absorbed by and troubled about the meaning of life.

One day in the back yard of his home, while on the verge of almost complete despair, he heard the voice of a child next door chanting, "Take and read, take and read."

Immediately he took the Scriptures and read that Jesus Christ was the way of complete forgiveness of sins. Through reading the Word of God, this man's life was changed and he became St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, one of the great Christian theologians of all time.

The thief

In a meeting, converts were giving personal testimonies. One man arose, holding a New Testament in his hand. "My story," said he, "is unlike other men. I was a pickpocket, and one day I saw a man with a definite bulge in his hip pocket. A fat purse, thought I, and soon it was in my pocket. But when I arrived home, behold, it was this book. In disgust I threw it aside, but afterward, out of curiosity, I opened it and began to read. Before many days had passed I discovered Christ as my Savior and Lord."

Listening to this testimony, one of the volunteers from the Bible Society became interested. After the meeting, he asked to see the New Testament. It was the one he had carried with him for years, the one he had considered lost. Is not this evidence of the power of the Word to change and to transform man's life? What has the Word done for you?

What the Bible Meant to Them!
Outstanding Personalities from History Comment on the Bible

   Sir Isaac Newton, English scientist who formulated the laws of gravitation and motion, 1642-1727: Newton's achievements in science are very well known, but it is not so well known that he spent more time studying the Bible than studying the stars.
   There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history. All my discoveries have been made in answer to prayer. I can take my telescope and look millions of miles into space; but I can go away to my room and in prayer get nearer to God and Heaven than I can when assisted by all the telescopes of Earth.

   Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832:
    Let mental culture go on advancing, let the natural sciences progress in ever greater extent and depth, and the human mind widen itself as much as it desires!--Beyond the elevation and moral culture of Christianity, as it shines forth in the Gospels, it will not go.
   I consider the Gospels to be thoroughly genuine; for in them there is the effective reflection of a sublimity which emanated from the Person of Christ: And this is as Divine as ever the Divine appeared on Earth.

    Mother Theresa, 1910-1997, Albanian founder of the Missionaries of Charity, respected worldwide for her sacrificial work amongst the poor:
     You will be surprised to know that in the poorest neighborhoods in many of the cities where we live and work, when we get close to the people who live in shacks, the first thing they ask for is not bread or clothes, even though often they are dying of hunger and are naked. They ask us to teach them the Word of God. People are hungry for God. They long to hear his Word.

    Gabriela Mistral, 1889-1957, Chilean poetess, winner of Nobel Prize in 1945:
    For me, the Bible is The Book. I cannot see how anybody can live without it.

   Robert Boyle, Irish physicist and chemist, called "the father of chemistry," 1627-1691: Boyle read the Bible every morning throughout his life, and "did his utmost to defend and uphold the great doctrines of the Scripture."

   Immanuel Kant, German philosopher, 1724-1804:
    The existence of the Bible as a book for the people is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.

    M. K. Gandhi (“Mahatma”), 1869-1948, Indian nationalist leader who taught nonviolence and helped establish his country's freedom. According to his grandson Arun Gandhi of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence:
    He spent hours studying the Bible and the life of Christ. He particularly liked the philosophy Christ expounded in his Sermon on the Mount. He had many Christian friends. When they asked him why he didn't become a Christian since he admired the Sermon on the Mount so much, he answered, `When you can convince me that Christians live by it, I will be the first to become a Christian.

    Sir William Herschel, German-born astronomer, discoverer of the planet Uranus, 1738-1822:
    All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truth contained in the Sacred Scriptures.

    Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France for 10 years, conquered large parts of Europe, 1769-1821:
    The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it. ... Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded empires, but upon what do these creations of our genius depend?--Upon force! Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions would die for Him.

    William Gladstone, Prime Minister of England, 1809-1898:
    All that I think, all that I hope, all that I write, all that I live for, is based upon the divinity of Jesus Christ, the central joy of my poor, wayward life. I have known 95 of the world's greatest men in my time, and of these, 87 were followers of the Bible.

    Sir Ambrose Fleming, English inventor 1849-1948. He was a leader in the development of electric lighting, the telephone, and wireless telegraphy in England and inventor of the first electron tube.
    There is abundant evidence that the Bible, though written by men, is not the product of the human mind. By countless multitudes it has always been revered as a communication to us from the Creator of the universe.

    Francisco Giner de los Ríos, 1839-1915, Spanish educator and philosopher:
    The Bible is the sacred collection preserved under the name of Book of books, which contains the doctrinal, moral and religious system relatively most profound, popular and intelligible that has come into existence in the history of mankind. (Translated from Spanish.)

    Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky, Russian author, one of the greatest of all novelists, 1821-1881. In The House of the Dead (1861-1862) Dostoyevsky described the terrible conditions in which he was imprisoned in Siberia. He also recorded the change in his spiritual and psychological outlook. His reading, limited to the Bible, led to the rejection of the Western-inspired atheistic socialism of his youth. Christ's teachings became for him the supreme affirmation of the ethical ideal.

    George Washington Carver, African-American agricultural chemist (1864-1943). Born a slave, he struggled to get an education, in the end graduating from university with an M.SC. He later developed  methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovered hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanut. The Bible, he said, was as important to his work as was his laboratory.
    He would arise at 4 a.m. to be "alone with the things I love the most-my plants and God. At no other time have I so sharp an understanding of what God means to do with me as in these hours of dawn. Where other folk are asleep, I hear God best and learn His plan."

Abide in Me

“Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15:4).

In the beautiful 15th chapter of John, Jesus says, "I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:5-6). If ever you, as a branch, don't abide in the Vine, Christ—if you don't abide in His love and His Word—then you will become unfruitful and withered, and you will be pruned from the tree as a dead branch.

Without the flow of God's Spirit there is no life. You must be firmly attached to the Vine where you're receiving the spiritual sap and life and nourishment that you need directly from the Lord Himself. A lot of how you grow is up to you and how much nourishment you receive, so don't cut yourself off from the Vine.

Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But if you are dwelling in the Vine, as one of the branches, then you can produce beautiful leaves and beautiful fruit so that He and the Father may be glorified and have much fruit (John 15:8).

Benefits of the Word

* The Word gives us faith, truth, wisdom and strength!

Psalm 119:7 - I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.

Romans 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Acts 20:32b - The Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance.

* Meditating on the Word brings blessings and success:

Joshua 1:8 - This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:130 - The entrance of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

* The Word cleanses us, heals us, makes us happy, gives us peace!

John 15:3 - "You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you."

Psalm 107:20 - He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 119:165 - Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Jeremiah 15:16a - Your Words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

It will light you home

Years ago, a minister went far into a backwoods settlement to hold a meeting, and it was necessary that he return late in the very dark night. A woodsman provided him with a torch of pitch-pine wood.

The minister, never having seen anything of the kind, said, "It will soon burn out."

"It will light you home," answered the woodsman.

"The wind may blow it out," said the preacher.

"It will light you home," was again the answer.

"But what if it should rain?"

"It will light you home," was the answer a third time.

And, contrary to the minister's fears, the torch did last him all the way home.

The Word of God is a torch given into the hands of each of us. What if it rains? What if the wind blows? What if all is dark around you? If you will hold the torch high, "it will light you home."

All of these benefits will come when we read and absorb the Word

1 Peter 2:2 - As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.

Matthew 4:4 - It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Colossians 3:16 - Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

2 Timothy 2:15 - Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

As someone wrote: "We get no deeper into Christ than we allow Him to get into us."

We need to read the Word to receive the benefits

A certain wayward young man ran away from home and was not heard of for years. After he heard that his father had just died, he returned home and was kindly received by his mother. The day came for the reading of the will; the family members were all gathered together, and the lawyer began to read the document. To the surprise of all present, the will told in detail of the wayward career of the runaway son. The boy in anger arose, stomped out of the room, left the house, and was not heard from for three years. When eventually he was found, he was informed that the will, after telling of his waywardness, had gone on to bequeath him a large inheritance.

How much sorrow he would have saved himself and others, if he had only heard the reading through! Thus, many people only half read the Bible, and turn from it dissatisfied. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death," yes. But it says more. It says, "but the gift of God is eternal life" (Romans 6:23).

 

New Beginnings

“I began to see that the things I owned, owned me.”
By Michael, from Canada

As the son of a successful corporate lawyer, growing up was pleasant for me. In my early teens my parents sent me to an elite private boarding school. Due to my great interest in art, I was then sent to a high school specializing in art and academic studies. My artwork and academic achievements there won me a scholarship at the Ontario College of Art, Canada's most prestigious art college.

When I entered college, I was placed in the third year of the four-year art course—only the second student in the history of the college to receive this placement. At the end of my fourth year, I was given another scholarship and a grant to travel. After returning from extensive travels in Europe, I was hired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where I worked for four years as a graphic designer. I also did freelance illustrations for a top agency in New York and for major newspapers, magazines, book publishers, TV, and animation companies.

I had climbed the ladder of success in my field, but it wasn't enough; my heart was not satisfied. I began to understand that "one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15). I began to see that the things I owned, owned me. I wanted to find the true meaning of life.

Then one cold winter night on the downtown streets of Toronto, Canada, I met a total stranger who, in less than an hour, explained passages to me from the Bible that changed my life in the most profound way. That night I asked Jesus into my heart and found the greatest of all riches—Jesus and the Word of God.

"I traded bitterness and confusion for peace and love."
By Shirley, from India

Am I doing the right thing? Is this what's going to make me truly happy? What if…? I was on my way to an interview for a job overseas, and my mind was plagued with uncertainty about my future. I was still reeling from a broken relationship, and my family and friends agreed that a change would do me good; my colleagues at work called me an escapist.

I had been raised to believe in God, but had become upset, bitter, and resentful toward Him after my father died in spite of the deals I tried to make with Him. Now when I faced this life-changing decision, I didn't know who else to call on. I decided to give God one more chance to prove Himself. Walking to that appointment, I prayed, "God, if You're real, help me with this decision."

As my mind returned to that crowded Mumbai sidewalk, I saw him—a stranger with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. He stopped me and asked for directions. Something about him struck me as unusual. How did he manage to stay so cool, unperturbed, and untouched by the near-chaos around us? We talked, and the conversation turned to choices and decision-making, God and the Bible. He showed me from the Bible how I too could have the peace that he had found by inviting the Prince of Peace, Jesus, into my heart. I prayed with that stranger right there on the sidewalk, and immediately felt a wonderful inner peace—and I forgot all about that interview!

That was the beginning of a deeper and more personal relationship with my Creator, Friend, and Companion. As I got to know Him better, I didn't want to keep it to myself. Now I live to help others experience the love, joy, happiness, and hope that Jesus has given me.

(continued in part 2)

These are both in the ‘Activated  Magazine’ issue 2
I’d really suggest you download it, it’s a real nice PDF
Click to Download

 

Navigating Life

The One Sure Guide to Successful Living

If you were going on a long voyage, you would bring along a navigational chart, wouldn't you? Well, you are on a long voyage—life—and the One who knows the way has instructed some of His men to draw a detailed chart to help you make it safely to your final destination. To say you don't have time to read God's chart, the Bible, is like a sailor heading out to sea and saying, "Well, I'm in such a hurry to get where I'm going that I don't have time to look at the nautical chart!" But if you'll take the Bible and simply read it, believe it, and follow it, you will be on the right course and wind up at the right place.

The most amazing book
The Bible is the most marvelous book in the whole world. It not only tells us where we're going, but also how we got here, why we're here, how to survive and be happy while here, and how to have love, happiness, joy, and peace forever.
Yet so many people today ignore the Bible completely. Even many of those who have been through years of higher education and have read hundreds and hundreds of books of all kinds have never read the most fascinating book of all, the Bible.
In the Bible you can find almost anything: drama, romance, poetry, prophecy, history, mystery, and much more. But most important, the Bible contains the very Spirit and life of God Himself (John 4:24; 6:63). It's the means by which God activates us with His life, light, and power.

It works!
A skeptic and a Christian were discussing whether the Bible was truly a divinely inspired book. The skeptic was convinced that since no one had ever seen God and there was no scientific proof of His existence, how could anyone believe the Bible was truly inspired by Him?
"Is the compiler of the multiplication table known?" the Christian asked.
"No."
"Then of course you do not believe in it."
"Oh, yes, I believe in it because it works," replied the skeptic.
"So does the Bible."
The fact that the Bible has the power to effect positive change in each of our lives, no matter what our situation or need, is the greatest proof that the Bible is the supernatural Word of God Himself. As you read the Bible you will find that it is an absolutely inexhaustible source of wisdom and knowledge, out of which you will constantly find treasures new and old (Matthew 13:52).
And the most wonderful thing about the Bible is that through its words we can get to know its author, for the Bible is God's great love letter to us. Its life-giving words make it the greatest book in the world, with the only author in the world who can guarantee life and love and happiness and Heaven forever through simply reading it and believing in its main character, the One who loved us so much that He gave His own life to save us—Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
If you sincerely pray, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your Word" (Psalm 119:18), you won't be disappointed.

Soul food
Jesus said, "The Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). They give us spiritual life and nourishment and strength and health, which is why a good, wholesome, balanced diet of God's Word is essential . Just like you have to eat in order to have physical strength, you have to feed on the Word to have spiritual strength.
The Bible tells us that like newborn babies desire to be fed, we should desire the pure milk of the Word, so we may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). Like a baby needs milk to be healthy and grow or even survive, you must be fed spiritually in order to stay healthy and grow spiritually. And just like a baby has an instinctive and irrepressible desire to be fed, so we should hunger for the pure milk of God's Word.
The prophet Jeremiah said, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12).
There's nothing more important to your spiritual life than the Word!

Word time
In Luke, chapter 10, we read the story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to visit, Mary "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word," but Martha was too busy trying to be a good hostess. She tried so hard to get everything done just right for Jesus that she didn't have time to listen to Him. So Jesus gently scolded her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). What is the "good part" that Mary chose?—The Word. She sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His words.
"But," you say, "I've got so much work and so many other things to do. How am I ever going to find time to read the Word every day?" Well, if you put the Word first, the Lord will always help you find the time to take care of those other things. When you see the difference it makes in your life, you'll wonder how you ever got by without it!

 

 

How to Get the Most from Life

From Jesus with Love

It's sad how so many people are content to just let life pass them by. Sure, they may be busy keeping up or trying to get ahead, and they may fill every spare moment with activities that they hope will be relaxing and enjoyable, but where is all that busy activity taking them? When do they really live?

The secret to getting the most out of life is in living close to Me and living in My Word. By that I don't mean that you should hide away and give yourself solely to quiet reflection and study; I mean that you should try to include Me in your daily activities and apply My Word to whatever you're doing. If you can learn to do that, your life will take on new meaning and depth. You will not only be much happier and feel more fulfilled, but you will brighten the lives of those around you as you reflect My love and the light of My Word in all you do.

It starts by making a habit of taking a few quiet minutes at the start of every day for prayer and reading My Word. Then take what I have taught you in the "classroom" and apply it throughout the day. If you don't know how, just shoot up a quick prayer and I will show you. On the job, running errands, or relaxing with family and friends, I can make you a greater blessing to others and bless you in the process. Life will become richer and more meaningful as I help you make more time for the most interesting and rewarding thing I have going-people. You'll even get much more out of such everyday things as reading the newspaper or watching a movie or TV if you ask Me for My mind on each matter. I think you'll be surprised to find how much I know and how much I have to offer!

Introduction

Today we want to give you a little glimpse into the Activated 12 Foundation Stones course. We'll go over what the course contains, as well as show you how you can benefit from these classes.

Going through this course is similar to launching out on a journey of discovery! When embarking on such a journey, the goal is to reach a destination and to explore fascinating and exotic places and discover things of wondrous value. Similarly, the goal here is to explore and discover the wonders of God and His Word that will make you spiritually rich beyond anything of value in this world.

When embarking on a journey, you don't go in a straight line from the starting point to your destination; you have to travel various roads that twist and turn. Yet you know you are pointed in the right direction and the end result will be worth the effort it took to get there. - And if at times you lose sight of the goal, the compass in your hand points you in the proper direction.

Likewise, in taking this course, you have in your hand the compass of the Word of God that is always pointing "true North" to lead you to your destination!

Four qualities for your journey of exploration

Here are the four most important qualities for anyone who is going to launch out on a journey of exploration. Likewise, these same qualities are ones that you as an individual can make use of in embarking on this course.

1. Vision - Vision to see what others can't see. You say, "Hey, there's a destination over there and I want to get there, even though others don't want to or aren't willing to make the journey. I want to get there and see what I find!" That same kind of vision will help you to work through this material and integrate it and make it a part of your life. And not only live it in your own life, but also pass it on to others and really change the world. That's a big vision!

2. Faith - Faith to believe what others don't believe. In today's world, having faith in God's Word is not such a common thing. So just by being here in this class, by partaking of these things, you're participating in something that is unique and different. Just like someone who starts on a journey of discovery - it's not your everyday person who sets off to uncharted lands.

3. Initiative - Initiative to be willing to start the journey, to put your faith into action! As the proverb says: "A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step!" It is often easy for people to talk about things, but actually getting out and doing them is a different story.

4. Courage - To see it through to the end. This is where failure most often occurs in a journey of discovery - for "well begun is only half done!" But with a bit of "stick-to-itiveness" you can make that commitment to tackle those pathways and know that with God's help you will succeed if you keep at it and don't give up.

You can do it!

Perhaps the idea of launching out onto a journey of discovery, or taking this course, seems a bit overwhelming or too much for you - but for all of us our "secret to success" lies in claiming the verse:

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

You may feel incapable, but God is capable in you!

When embarking on a journey, travelers often have guides who are more experienced. They've been down that road before and are somewhat familiar with the paths and where to place your feet to avoid the pitfalls. - And that is what we are here for, to help guide you along the way.

If you want to teach others, then this course will give you the information to be able to!

2 Timothy 2:2 - And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Foundation Stones

This course is not about making you or your life perfect! It is about making your life happier and fuller. It is about finding answers to your questions, and it is about how to help those in your sphere of influence also experience these positive changes.

The classes in this course are like foundation stones. Each foundation stone describes an area of faith or practical knowledge that you can build the house of your life upon. Each foundation stone deals with you primarily, for if you can change yourself, then you can bring changes to others. Yet this is not just about your own faith and yourself. Remember always that these foundation stones are to help you build a life that reaches out to others.

Are you ready to take a peek at these 12 Foundation Stones? You don't have to understand or remember everything we talk about today, as you'll learn about each one as we proceed through the course. If anything seems a bit mysterious now, don't worry about it! Things will become clearer as we progress through the classes.

INTRODUCING EACH OF THE 12 FOUNDATION STONES

1. Becoming a Person of Faith (Classes 1a and 1b - "The Word of God")

If you want to become a person of faith, someone who has a solid relationship with God, then you'll need to know what to read in the Bible, how to get the most from the time you have for reading, and how to develop good study habits. You need to have regular spiritual feeding, just like you regularly eat physical food. We will be devoting several classes to this important subject.

If you don't already have a Bible, please obtain one, as it is the main "textbook" for our course and we'll be helping you get to know it better.

* One way we know the Bible is true is that it works!

The Word of God has the power to change lives, and we'd like to tell you a few testimonies of this.

Testimony: When all seemed lost, a new beginning

From John, Chile

When we met Joanna a couple of months ago, she was in a state of severe depression. Over the last few years she had lost everything: her marriage, her home, her second house, her business, and her health. She prayed with us to receive the Lord, and began reading the Bible and praying daily. She also phoned us every day - sometimes several times a day - to ask us for prayer, mostly against depression. She had nothing else to hold on to.

Before long, we began to witness one wonderful answer to prayer after another. Joanna needed to find a new apartment, as the one she was living in was dark and dismal. She also needed a job. She was attractive and had a university degree in chemistry and a diploma as an English interpreter, but because she was 40, nobody would hire her.

The Lord first helped her find a new apartment for less rent - one that is much nicer and receives sun all day long. Her new landlord turned out to be a minister in the national government, and through him she found a good job in the government. Joanna's 20-year-old son was at first quite sarcastic about her Bible reading and praying, but after seeing how the Lord was working in his mother's life, he started praying also. Now the two are closer than ever.

It has been thrilling to see the life of this dear friend turn around!

Testimony: The Power of the Word!

The true story of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty has often been retold. One part that deserves retelling was the transformation wrought by one book. Nine mutineers with six Tahitian men and twelve women put ashore on Pitcairn Island in 1790. One sailor soon began distilling alcohol, and the little colony was plunged into debauchery and vice.

Ten years later, only one white man survived, surrounded by native women and their children. In an old chest from the Bounty, this sailor one day found a Bible. He began to read it and then to teach it to the others. The result was that his own life and ultimately the lives of all those in the colony were changed. Discovered in 1808 by the USS Topas, Pitcairn had become a prosperous community with no jail, no whisky, no crime, and no laziness.

2. The Wonderful Gift of the Holy Spirit! (Classes 2a and 2b - "The Holy Spirit")

Do you want the same power that transformed a motley band of fishermen, tax collectors, and others in the far away dusty land of Palestine into fiery men and women of faith who changed the world? Do you want to know how that same power can work in your life too? God's got a lot in store for you! In our classes on the Holy Spirit, we'll learn more about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and how to experience the gifts and blessings that are promised!

3. Effective Prayer (Classes 3a and 3b - "Prayer")

In the two-part classes on prayer, we'll be exploring how to communicate with Jesus, how to pray effectively, and how to receive answers to prayer. The key to remember is that prayer works! When we pray, things will happen and things will be different. God will answer prayer. He says,

Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

* Examples of answered prayer

There are so many examples of how God answers prayer, in ways little and big, but all are important. Let's look at a few.

Testimony: Three miracles

From Esteban, Venezuela

We witnessed three more miracles in the course of our prayer and counseling ministry at a local hospital.

The first involved a four-year-old boy with leukemia, whom the doctors had given no chance of recovery. The child's mother was very saddened by the news, and asked us to come regularly to the room where he was isolated, to pray for him. The boy's parents and a few other relatives who were visiting him all prayed with Maria Clara to receive Jesus. Maria Clara also gave them copies of the New Testament and some Family publications, and they hung some of the posters around the boy's bed.

After a number of visits and repeated prayer, the boy began to improve ever so slightly. Then he began to eat and sleep better; then he stopped throwing up. He has now been released from the hospital!

The second case was that of an infant girl, whom the doctors had also given up on. One day when her parents weren't watching, she had crawled out of their house and into the road, and was run over by a car. Among her many injuries were serious fractures of one leg and hip, and large open wounds. When Maria Clara saw and prayed for the little girl the first time, she had just undergone an operation to enable her to eliminate through a tube. The lower part of her body was covered in wounds. After more prayer and visits, a second operation was performed to remove a bone that was beginning to decay. More prayer. Three days later, the pus began to diminish. A third operation closed large wounds, which had been open up until then. Now the little girl is beginning to show signs of genuine recovery, and is smiling again. The doctors call her the miracle girl, as they really hadn't expected her to survive.

The third miracle was the change that occurred in this little girl's 19-year-old mother. In the course of Maria Clara's visits, the mother confided that she thought that her daughter's accident might have been due to her own sins. Since learning that her husband had been unfaithful, she had been attending witchcraft sessions and entertaining thoughts of killing her husband and herself. After receiving Jesus with Maria Clara, this young woman had a miraculous and visible change. So this little family experienced a double transformation - the baby's physical one, and the mother's spiritual one. Thank the Lord for His infinite love and power!

Testimony: The Prayer-Empowered Bus!

From Susan, SEA

One day we had a particularly busy trip planned, so we specifically prayed for good bus connections and good bus rides so that we could make our appointments on time.

When we made our last bus connection, the bus we got on was quite slow and old and the air conditioning kept breaking down. Finally we got off the bus at our destination, and just happened to look back over our shoulders. To our amazement, the bus had completely broken down - right after we got off! It broke down right in front of the dental clinic we were going to! Everyone else had to change buses, but we were right on time for our appointment! It was like an angel had held it together in answer to our prayers!

* God answers prayer!

You'd be surprised how much God depends on your prayers - how concerned you are and how interested you are. He wants you to show concern and pray about things, and be specific about them. If you really believe, every prayer is heard and answered. But if you don't pray it is not done! A lot depends on you!

Jeremiah 29:13 - And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

In our classes on this subject we'll be looking at how to get closer to God through our prayers, how to please Him by thanking Him and having an attitude of praise, and how to receive answers to prayer. Something that most of us need once in awhile is healing, and we will also look at how to receive healing in answer to prayer.

4. Hearing from God (Classes 4a and 4b - "Hearing from Heaven")

Prayer is not just a one-way conversation, a monologue of us talking to Him, but the Lord delights in talking with us.

When we hear from the Lord in this way, we receive messages through what is called the gift of prophecy. This is a special gift that was promised to abound in the Last Days:

Acts 2:17-18 - And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. (18) And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.

God has always spoken to His children. He didn't stop speaking after the Bible was compiled. In the almost twenty centuries since the books of the New Testament were put together, He has continued to speak to His children, to His followers, to those who had the faith to listen. He has inspired His people with instructions, with doctrinal revelations, with poetry, with music, with literature. He has spoken personally to multitudes and He is still speaking today. In fact, He is speaking even more today, because we need to hear from Him. We need His guidance to keep us safely in a world that keeps turning further away from God.

If you're having a particularly difficult problem, wouldn't you like God to talk to you and offer specific answers? If you're faced with an important decision, wouldn't you like to get the Lord's advice?

Testimony: How God can use a small deed to be His special touch of love

By Eva Mae Ramsey

In the mid-1960s, my husband's sister Muriel became very ill. My husband, our six-year-old daughter, Linda, and I traveled to Tulsa to be present while Muriel underwent surgery for a diseased kidney. As we neared Tulsa, a thought flashed into my mind out of nowhere. One red rose, a voice said. Take one red rose to Muriel. My husband agreed to stop at a florist's shop. However, it was late and everything was closed.

The next morning my husband went to the hospital to wait during the operation. I stayed with Linda and my husband's elderly mother at her home. All I could think of was that red rose. I felt compelled to search out that rose. So Linda and I walked uptown, and I bought one red rose.

When my husband returned, he said that Muriel had come through the surgery, and it was now touch-and-go as to whether she'd recover. He also told me he'd ordered a big bouquet of gladiolas for Muriel's room.

"That's lovely, honey," I said, "but she's got to have this red rose, too." When we went to the hospital later, Muriel was still groggy and wasn't able to talk to us, but I put the rose, by itself, in a vase where she could see it. Because of work commitments we had to return home without ever talking to Muriel, but we did learn that she would recover.

Soon we got a letter. "Before I went to the hospital," Muriel wrote, "I prayed that if I was supposed to live, God would send me a sign I specifically asked for, something that meant God was with me and would give me the heart to go on. When I opened my eyes after the operation, there it was, the very thing I'd prayed for - a red rose."

The combination

By Franz

Two years ago a friend had given us a suitcase. We had forgotten the lock combination and therefore never used the lock. But while storing it, someone had accidentally locked the suitcase and the combination was shut. What to do? We tried and tried all kinds of numbers and started to make a plan how we would have to go through all the combinations, when someone piped up, "why don't you pray?" So I asked the Lord to give me the number in prophecy. Lo and behold He did! I got a picture of the lady who gave us the suitcase saying the number, and when I tried it, it worked!

5. Getting Along with Others (Classes 5a and 5b - "The Golden Rule")

There is a lot in the Bible about human relationships and about having love for others. The whole purpose for living is to love God and others. That's the most important thing! You may have a lot of gifts and talents, but if you don't have love it's not worth much! And this is not talking about love for your work or for material possessions. It's talking about love for the Lord and others. If you love God you'll love others too, because loving others is one way you show love for the Lord. Jesus said to His disciples:

John 15:12 - "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

What is love? Love is not hurting, love is going out of your way to make others happy, and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Matthew 7:12 - Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

If you show a real love for people, you won't have a hard time winning friends. Love begets love! What is the greatest commandment? - To love God! What is the next greatest? - To love thy neighbor as thyself!

Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus said to him, "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and great commandment.(39) And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Probably most of us realize this already and we know we should be loving and kind to others. The difficulty, though, often comes in putting it into action! How do we get along with people who irritate or hurt us; how do we reach out and help others? Loving others is oftentimes easier said than done, so in our classes on this subject we'll be looking at some practical ways of getting along with people and living according to the loving principles Jesus mentions in these verses.

6, Bible Knowledge (Classes 6a and 6b - "Bible Knowledge")

* Getting to know the Word

We've already talked about how our life of faith is based upon God's Word. Our hopes for the future, our expectation that God will answer prayer, are all based on His promises in the Bible. The Bible tells us who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. It even tells us how we should get there! Throughout these classes we often read portions of the Bible, but it is important for you to also take time to read the Bible yourself. So we'll be looking at how the Bible was put together and where to find what you need. We'll also be looking at some of the prophecies in the Bible that have already been fulfilled, which are amazing faith-builders!

For instance, did you know that there are dozens of predictions about Jesus in the Old Testament made hundreds of years before His birth, that He specifically and precisely fulfilled in His lifetime, including His being born in Bethlehem, His ministry in Galilee, His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the exact year of His crucifixion, the manner of His execution, His resurrection, and many more!

7. The Endtime (Classes 7a and 7b - "Bible Prophecy")

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return to set up His reign on Earth. No more cruel wars, oppression, and the rule of the greedy and powerful, but a rule of love where God's plans will be fulfilled. According to some Bible scholars, there are 1,845 references to Jesus' Second Coming in the Old Testament and 318 references in the New Testament. We refer to the period before His return as the Endtime - which does not mean the End of Time, but the end of the present era, after which Jesus will return to set up His kingdom on Earth.

Along with many other Christians today, we believe that we are now living in the Endtime because of the way the signs of the times, events and conditions that were predicted as precursors to the Endtime are being fulfilled. In our classes on this subject, we will look at some of the main signs as they are described in the Bible, and then we'll look at how these are being fulfilled in our present day. We will try to give you enough information so that you will be able to discern the signs of the times yourself, as you observe what is happening around you.

8. Saved Forever - Spending eternity with the loving Creator (Classes 8a and 8b - "The Greatest Love")

"How do you know you're saved?" "Is your salvation permanent?" "If you do something really bad, will you lose your salvation?"

In our classes on salvation we are going to look at the answers to these questions by carefully examining what the Bible says. Jesus loves you very much and will never let you down. You didn't earn your salvation in the first place, so you can never lose it by what you do or do not do. We are saved by grace - a free gift of God's love - and not by our works. The reason we can be so sure of this is because it is clearly explained in the Bible.

We'll also be exploring how to have to a closer relationship with the Lord so that you can confidently rely on Him, trust in Him, and rest peacefully in His loving arms. He never fails and will always be there for you!

9. Our Destination: Heaven! (Classes 9a and 9b - "Heaven")

We have an amazing future in store for us! Heaven is a great place to be and a great place to look forward to! The difficulties of life will seem like they lasted only a moment, in comparison to the wonderful life we will have in Heaven:

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

When you think about our glorious future in Heaven, it helps you bear some of the things you have to go through now. It pays to think about Heaven and talk about Heaven and try to visualize Heaven. That's what we'll be doing in several classes, to help you visualize what you have to look forward to!

10. Sharing Our Faith (Classes 10a and 10b - "Witnessing")

When you get to know the Lord and experience His love, His care, His joy, then it is only natural you will want to share this with others.

As a comparison, we could say it's like possessing a cure for cancer. If we had a cure for cancer and didn't tell anyone, we would be terribly selfish! Well, we have a cure for more serious and far-reaching diseases than cancer! We have the cure for unhappiness, for loneliness, for rejection, for depression, for fear, for eternal death - illnesses that afflict billions of people, a far greater number than cancer has ever touched, or will ever touch. And if we didn't share this cure with people, we would be failing God, failing others, and failing ourselves.

The job that God has given to each of His children is to give His Word and His love to others, to preach the Gospel, to "witness." Jesus told His disciples:

Mark 16:15 - Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.

One of the most exciting things about having Jesus in your heart is sharing the good news of salvation with other people. You will be giving them something that will last forever!

We have a responsibility to tell others about salvation, but sometimes we are hindered by not knowing how to do it. Maybe we don't know how to answer people's questions, maybe we find ourselves drawn into arguments, or maybe we simply have a hard time getting started because we're shy. In our classes on this topic we'll be sharing practical advice on these and other issues. We'll find out how to lead someone to the point of praying to receive Jesus as his or her Savior, how to answer typical questions, and generally how to be an effective witness.

* The results will be changed lives!

And on that subject, we have a few examples.

Testimony: Pass It On!

From Peter, Steven and Joseph, Russia

As we journeyed by high-speed hydrofoil down the Amur River to the far eastern city of Komsomolsk, near China, we looked forward to visiting a number of people with whom we had been corresponding. Some we would be meeting for the first time; others we had met on a previous visit. Luba and Andrew, two friends who had traveled ahead of us two days earlier to set up meetings with our friends in Komsomolsk, met us at the boat. With them was an older lady whose beaming smile we recognized immediately. It was Grandma Zoya, who we had met on our last trip to the city. She had been writing us often ever since.

About two years ago, Zoya received a piece of literature with the salvation message from one of us and prayed to ask Jesus into her heart. Since then she has experienced a lot of sorrow and pain (her husband and several other relatives died), but she has found great comfort in our letters and the literature we sent her. Mail from us, she said, was her only relief in her dark hour.

Zoya had latched onto Luba and Andrew the moment they met and went everywhere with them. They had taken stacks of literature to Komsomolsk, and Grandma Zoya joined right in with their distribution. During our visit, she passed out more than any of us!

"Every time I give out a piece of literature, especially to a young person," she told us, "I remember how much Jesus did for me, and I know He can do the same for them. Distributing literature seems such a little thing to do for Him in return, but lives will be changed. I love to pass it on!"

Testimony: Words That Change People

From Pearl, Hungary

We occasionally make trips to a nearby city to visit people we've met and won to the Lord on previous visits. Each time we do, we try to see Irene.

Irene had serious marital problems, largely due to her husband's heavy drinking. He was also a hard-line Communist, and didn't share her faith in God. Their relationship was one continual argument, but she didn't want to leave him as she felt sorry for him and worried that no one else would love him or take care of him if she left.

On a recent visit we gave Irene a copy of Treasures, a Family-produced book of faith-building Bible studies and articles on a wide range of subjects.

The next time we saw her, she exclaimed, "You wouldn't believe what happened! My husband found your book and read it from beginning to end. He couldn't put it down until he'd read the whole thing. He even highlighted parts and made notes in the margins, he liked it so much. Then I gave him all the letters I've received from you over the years that we've been corresponding, as well as the other literature you've given me. He was amazed! After all this time he finally wants to meet you. He's a changed man. We've never been so happy together!"

Thank God for the truth of His Word that has the power to change people and situations!

11. Got Problems? God's Got Solutions! (Classes 11a and 11b - "Overcoming Problems")

We all pass through difficult moments - times of loneliness, sickness, disappointment, accidents, loss, failure, marital difficulties, financial hardship, discouragement, etc., etc.

A lot of people seem to think that as soon as they receive Jesus they'll be completely happy, all their problems will be solved and they'll never have any more, and things will go smoothly. But receiving the Lord into your life doesn't mean that you'll never have any more troubles. Troubles, difficulties, challenges, and problems are common to all. What makes the difference is that Jesus will help you through your problems and hard times.

In our series of classes on this subject we are not going to offer you any easy answers. There will be no wave of a magical wand that will solve all of your present difficulties and prevent any other problems ever coming upon you again! What we will pass on to you are "Three Steps to Victory." We'll be looking at how you should respond to the problems that come your way, whatever type of problems they are, and how you can find the solutions. - Because God does have a solution to every problem!

12. God's Ways (Classes 12a and 12b - "Going God's Way")

As we journey down the road of life we are faced with a multitude of choices, both small and big: what to eat for breakfast; which newspaper to read, if any; what clothes to wear; what television programs to watch; what type of job or career to pursue; how much time to spend with family; where to do grocery shopping; what to buy; when to visit friends; whether to accept the invitation to that party or not; what books to read; what to do this weekend; whether to witness to this neighbor or not? - And on it goes, choices and more choices.

As believers we should be seeking to follow in the steps of Jesus. Perhaps you wonder how to apply His teachings to your everyday life, and that's what we'll be discussing.

In these two classes, we'll be looking at how to find God's will; and how to tailor our lives and make our choices according to His Word and what He knows is best. That way we'll be happier, we'll be pleasing Him, helping others, and finding greater personal fulfillment. And for those who want to do more for the Lord, we'll be giving you ideas of how to go further.

13. Conclusion of the Course (Class 13 - "Completing the Course")

For those who complete the course, a diploma is available.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COURSE?

We hope, pray, and expect that the 12 Foundation Stones course will give you a solid basis upon which to build your life. Wherever life leads you in the future and whatever happens, you'll know Jesus as a close personal friend and you'll have His promises to stand upon and His Word to light your way!

 

(FROM THE EDITOR) Here’s a little story from someone on how they saw the 12 Foundations Stones help their friends. I would write a story of how the course has changed the life of people I teach, but I figured this was good enough for now, it kinda of what I would say of my friends and sheep.

The 12 Foundation Stones classes bring life-changing fruit
By Joanna Rose Mountain, Argentina

  What's going on with our friends? They're hearing from God by themselves. They're witnessing and verses are coming to mind. They ask God to show them things and He does. And what's made this change in their lives? The Word, but more specifically, studying the Word together in the 12 Foundation Stones classes.
    Comments like, "I've read Acts before, but studying it together like this brings it alive." After the Holy Spirit class, "While reading the Word I've felt sensations of pleasure and peace like never before." After the class on memorizing, “I was witnessing to someone the other day and verses came to my mind that I remembered completely but didn't realize I had memorized and I was able to use them to help this man I was talking to."
    You’d think these people were exceptionally sheepy and spiritual. Each one of them we had seriously thought of "dropping" because they just weren't growing. We didn't know where to take them and they were having problems, doubts and differences. We tried pumping them up with songs, words of inspiration, a few things to read now and then, but we seemed to be making only nominal progress. It wasn't until we obeyed and opened our 12 FS material and started studying them ourselves. Then sitting down with our friends, face to face, Bibles open and ready, that they began to see clearly, grow strong, precept on precept, and now they understand us and our work and purpose better.
    Meet Marcos. He's a typical handsome Argentine university student. He loves climbing mountains in his spare time and visiting our Home full of missionaries. Since he speaks English fluently, at first his main interest in visiting us was to practice his English. All the while he was interested in our beliefs, and coming from an Adventist background, he could relate to us in many ways. Yet he had been turned off by religion, disappointed in life and depressed about the future, he thought we were just another religion but with some whacky beliefs (He had gotten to the meat right away.). Three years of ups and downs, highs and lows, coming close and fading out, until we offered for him to study the Bible with us. Now studying, was something he was good at and appreciated. But little did he (or we) realize how this kind of studying would change his life.
    He began praying in a new way. Now he was trying to hear from God and well, you may find this hard to believe, this big, tall, husky mountain-climber began to get messages from the Lord. The Lord spoke to him of things like which chapters to study for his upcoming test, to warnings of a coming persecution. Instead of being aloof and independent, he wants to be a "part" of us. This was something we had prayed and hoped for, for three years. Maybe it was all in the Lord's time, if so, it's a proof of holding on and praying for your sheep until they make their own decisions, but truly I think the thorough feeding of the 12 FS classes have been a catalyst in his spiritual life.
    Now meet, Eduardo and Claudia, a middle class, middle-aged couple, good-looking, educated, struggling financially and struggling in many ways. They had tried everything from the Catholics to the Pentecostals and were burnt out on Big Time Religion but wanted a personal Savior. After two years of visiting the Home, a little inspiration and prayer on Sunday afternoon fellowship, Eduardo had been delivered from smoking and some progress had been made. But it was like for about 6 months, they had reached a ceiling and weren't going anywhere, had less time for us and the fire was dying out.
    A light bulb went on and we finally got out the 12 FS classes. Our teens sing and help with skits. Eduardo and Claudia love it. They want it and they are growing in the Lord, in their relationship and in unity with us. It's a key to their spiritual growth. Even though we were tempted to think "they already know this stuff," as they were fairly versed in the Bible, still there's something about teaching these classes, studying together, that builds a relationship and deepens the power of the Word.
    Now I certainly would have to say that using the keys for our sheep and desperately invoking the keys has been a big help. We're sold on these classes! It's something we're doing as a Home, both generations helping and giving their input. It's fun, it's professional, it's complete and it works!