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Monthly Archives April 2016

What is the Holy Spirit?…Who is He? Among all the Confusion: Part 1

I want to start this blog by stating- I am not claiming I have all the answers, I am not claiming that God has given me a revelation or a prophesy, but I have been consistently searching for truth; in prayer, research and fellowship. In the last 8 years I have dived in this topic, but more specifically, in the last 2 months God has been presenting me with this topic everywhere I go. In the last month I have somehow found myself in the middle of these conversation about the Holy Spirit. I have heard several different perspectives. I began to listen to God and pray about this topic, and interestingly enough, yesterday I met a young pastor at the local coffee shop, and somehow we jumped into this topic. As we sat there discussing our walk with God, he mentions that he had prepared a sermon on the topic…

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Not All Roads Lead to Heaven- Satan’s Deception: Part 2

I wanted to expand on my last topic a bit. I didn't have time to dive deeper, and wanted to discuss the reasoning behind my observation. As I discussed last time, there are 4 main ways of thinking (There are more than that, but most of them fall into one of these 4 categories). The first ideology that our society has adopted is Universalism. This idea believes that everyone, regardless of his or her belief, will be accepted by God for eternity. This view affirms that all people will ultimately be saved whether it be Muslims, Christians, atheists, or Buddhists… The second Ideology is Pluralism, which restricts salvation to only religious backgrounds- regardless of what this religion may be. This idea states- all religions are equally valid, unlike universalism, Pluralism believes that you actually have to pursue a religion to be saved, and all religions have saved people. The third…

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Not All Roads Lead to Heaven- Satan’s Deception

This idea has been circulating my brain for as long as I can remember. Why are there so many different faiths..? Why are there so many different religions? Are there saved people in all religions...will people go to heaven from all types of denominations? Whether it is; Baptists, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Catholic, Mormon, etc....? Well, to fully answer this question we must first discuss the problem that's at hand. I remember a long time ago I was talking to someone, and I asked..? Do you think as a Mormon you will inherit the same kingdom as I will, are we going to go to the same heaven? He answered; "I honestly believe that all religions have saved people...I think in every culture you will run into people that have a good understanding of who God is and they will inherit Gods kingdom.." Is this statement true, could there be many different…

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Do Trials in Life Make or Break you?

I'm not going to pretend that I'm okay. In fact, this week has been one of my toughest in years. I have dealt with every sort of temptation and trial imaginable. I think everyone can comprehend what I am talking about, you will have those days or weeks were nothing is going your way, where it seems the entire world is against you. Do you think that Satan actually wants you to be happy..? Of course not, his goal is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). So why does temptation happen in life, why does God allow trials. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)  We read in James that we will encounter trials, and those that withstand the temptation will reap…

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True Transformation- Change for God, not for People

I have been meaning to address this issue for weeks now. I have noticed that many people in this world are so oblivious to even the fundamentals of the bible (the basics). Many of my friends around me have grown up in a Christian home. Their parents have tried their best to make sure that they know who Jesus is and that they attend church regularly. However, among all these people I have noticed how very little they know about the depths of scripture. Granted, if you were to ask them a political question, or a question about the latest gossip they would be talking for days. But Jesus is far from their hearts and they have little to no interest in following him. In the last year or so God has been working inside and out in my life. He has been working overtime to help me shape up…

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Mistakes don’t define your future- Being Godly, Not Self-Righteous

I think many people have to deal with at least a few bad decisions that they have made in their life. Many of these decisions might of not been intentional, but situational. Meaning, at the time it made sense, or they were in a different state of mind (not exactly Christian). So do bad decisions define us as people...? Well, of course not, many mistakes that we made as teenagers we wouldn't make in a million years now that we are grown up. Or lets say as a child you are unaware a bee stings, you will be intrigued by its beauty and simply the lack of knowledge will prevent you from not being stung. How many of you can say that you have never made a mistake...? How many of you can claim to be a saint simply because you haven't murdered, stolen, deceived, cheated, lied, committed adultery, etc... Are…

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The Gospel of Hate- Not all Roads Lead to Heaven

As I was driving down the road, I couldn't help but notice there were three individuals standing with signs on the corner of Maple rd- downtown Bellingham. I was compelled to pull over and talk to them. As I parked the car and made my way across the street I noticed they were all glaring at me. I could sense this immediate tension build, the closer I approached them. As I walked up, I introduced myself and started to ask them about what they were doing. Instantly they began to talk about Jesus and what his mission on this earth was. I noticed one of the individuals sweater read; "Ask me why you are going to Hell." So I asked. I was told instantly that my answers could not be answered and I should ask the other two. I was confused and asked them one question; "who was hell created…

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Are we to listen to our parents in everything?

I think many of you at one point have struggled with this question. Are we to listen to our parents?.... Well, this question is controversial. This is due to the nature of the question... For Instance, if our parents tell you what to do, do you to listen to them? This may depend on many factors and variables. Some parents struggle with letting go of their kids. This attachment is normal, however, this can be attachment to an unhealthy level. I have many friends that are controlled by their parents. They receive phone calls around the clock and spend countless hours talking to their parents. When does this behavior become extreme? Well I think this is a case by case comparative, because not all parents are so engaging or intrusive in their children's life. I think having your parents genuinely interested in what you are up to, is standard protocol. But…

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Word-4-Thought | Written by: Vitaliy Kravchenko
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