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Deborah Armin

Deborah Armin is a British speaker and author based in the UK. She is a graduate of the London School of Theology and her first book, published by Authentic Media, is entitled On My Way Home, One Woman’s Journey in Search of the Unknown God. Deborah grew up in South Africa and Kuwait, before returning to England as a teenager when her parents separated. While working in America she became suicidal, had an encounter with God and promised Him she would help others in the same situations she had faced. On My Way Home is her life story. Deborah is also a staff writer for GODTV.com.

Articles

Astrology – Why No Christian Should Participate In It

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

Some Christians think astrology is harmless.  After all, “What’s the big deal it’s only the stars, didn’t God make the stars?” They read their daily horoscopes in the papers and think nothing of. But what does our Heavenly Father think when we idolize and worship the stars?

Yes God made the stars but He made them so we would know the seasons. Having studied it myself, I know firsthand its a doorway to the enemy. It will bind you up and before you know it you will be consulting your astrologer for every little thing. That is not freedom. The Lord doesn’t want us to consult anyone or anything before Him. We are to focus our faith and trust in Him.

What does the Bible say about astrology?

What does the Bible say about those who consult with astrologers and use astrology as guidance for their lives?

“All the counsel you have received has only worn you out. Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the flame… Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you.” (Isaiah 47:13-15 NIV. )

What is astrology?

Astrology is a divination art which teaches that the relative positioning in the sky of the sun, moon, and planets has an influence upon individuals and upon the course of human affairs. Divination is the act of foretelling future events, or of revealing secret knowledge, by means of signs and omens or other supernatural practices.

The practice of pagan divination is prohibited by God. It clearly states in the Bible,  “Do not practice divination or sorcery.” (Leviticus 19:26 NIV)

Divination was common among the pagan peoples of the Bible lands. When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan, God warned them not to practice astrology,  “Do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there… The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so… Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.”  (Deuteronomy 18:9, 12 & 14)

Divination is actually regarded as a grave sin. “Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:23)

So how can we know what lies ahead?

The Holy Spirit is your ‘go to’ when it comes to wanting to have answers. Jesus said “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)

So when it comes to seeking answers stick with the Holy Spirit, the ‘Spirit of Truth’. You never know what spirits are operating through astrologers!

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Lifestyle

Discover How To Be Healthy And Free with Beni Johnson of Bethel Redding

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

Have you struggled with an eating disorder? Maybe you’ve just tried multiple diets with some success, only to gain all the weight back? Have you ever wondered how some people stay healthy? Do you struggle with knowing where to begin?

It’s important to try to stay healthy and even the Bible tells us that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19).

So taking care of what God gave us is actually a scriptural mandate. After all, we only get one body. I know from my own experience if I’m doing the healthy things to help myself stay fit I feel better.

Making healthy choices

Fad diets may come and go but some principles remain the same:-

  1. Drink fresh clean water
  2. Eat a healthy balanced diet with protein, vegetables/fruits, and carbohydrates
  3. Get enough sleep
  4. Do some form of exercise
  5. Get fresh air
  6. Spend time outdoors in the sun if possible to boost your melatonin and Vit D levels
Healthy And Free Long Trailer Ad Free

Join Beni Johnson as she takes you through an eight part series on how to be ‘Healthy & Free’. Beni had a medical wake up call and shares how it affected her future choices.

When you go into the average church and say “raise your hand if you’d like to be physically healed” 98% of the hands go up. Something is wrong! God told Beni Johnson how to fix it. Are you interested?

Beni shares from her own experiences and encourages us that when choosing a healthy lifestyle, there is always grace to get back up and keep moving forward. Join Beni and her trainer Stacey as they demonstrate workouts to help you reach your body goals with easy and effective exercise moves! From the motivation to the gear, here’s everything you need to know to become healthy and free!

In Healthy and Free, Beni Johnson personally teaches you how to:

  • Find your why: Learn the motivating secret to pursuing a healthy lifestyle as your new normal.
  • Unlock the connection: Discover the many ways your spirit, soul and body are interconnected and how health in one area directly effects another.
  • Start simple: Receive practical and easy-to-implement steps to begin walking in health right now.
    … and much more!

In this course, Beni discusses the correlation between our spiritual health and our physical health. She covers food choices, psychological choices and exercise tips. Participating in the series is Rhianna Teixeira who shares about her battle with bulimia.

Beni and Bill Johnson are the Senior Pastors of Bethel Church. Together they serve a growing number of churches that have partnered for revival. This apostolic network has crossed denominational lines in building relationships that enable church leaders to walk in both purity and power.

Beni has a call to intercession that is an integral part of the Bethel Church mission. She is in charge of the Bethel’s Prayer House, ministry teams and the intercessors. The Lord has given her a heart for broken people of all ages. Her insight into strategies for prayer and her involvement in prayer networks have helped to bring the much-needed breakthrough in Bethel’s ministry.

Beni’s heart is to help people begin to carry joy in intercession. She believes that being an intercessor is capturing the heartbeat of Heaven and declaring or praying that into your world. It is true agreement with Heaven.

Register for Healthy And Free

The e-course costs $58.80 but during April GODTV•com readers can get a 80% discount. Simply enter the following code. APRILBLOG

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testify
Articles

Testify! It’s Time To Share YOUR Story / Write A Book

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

One thing I’ve learnt in my years of seeking God is that we all have a story to tell. Every believer has a unique account of what God has done for them and He calls each and every one of us to testify to His goodness. This could be in Church, at work, on social media or perhaps God has even called you to write a magazine article or a book?

In Mark 5:19 Jesus says “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”  God has shown me great mercy in my life and in my case he led me to write a book despite many obstacles in my way. Watch and read why I wrote On My Way Home – One Woman’s Search For The Unknown God.

Have you ever had a desire to write your own book? Perhaps you don’t know where to start? Maybe like me, you feel the Lord is prompting you to write something but you’re struggling to begin? In my case, I knew soon after getting born again in October 2000 that I was called to write a book about my journey to faith. Or as some call it my testimony.

Why I wrote my book 'On My Way Home: One Woman's Journey In Search of The Unknown God'

How to write a book, where do I start?

Some of the questions I get asked are, how do I start? Well, at the beginning!  I will use myself as an example because it is the easiest way I can illustrate the process.

Soon after getting born again I knew I was going to write about my search for the truth. I prayed and asked the Lord to help me when the time was right. He impressed upon me that He wanted me to come back to England telling me “I have a work for you to do”. Now you have to understand, I was never coming back to England. After all, I lived in Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida, where some of the world’s most beautiful beaches are! What was there for me back in rainy grey England?  (Aside from visiting my family which I tried to do at least once a year.)

Steps of obedience in writing your first book

So come back to England I did, landing in March 2002. It was a huge step of faith, I gave everything up in the USA to follow the Lord’s call back here. But from the time I got born again in 2000 and the actual move back to England in 2002 I didn’t get any more information or insight into what I would be doing once back here.

However, once I was back in the UK, I got the title for the book. That was the next step and this is how the Lord leads. If you find you’ve got a title for the book you want to write make sure you’ve done the other steps too! Has He asked you to do something and you haven’t done it yet?

My next step prompted by the Holy Spirit was to write a rough draft of my testimony. I shared this with various people including ministers and nothing happened. If that happens to you don’t be disheartened, the Lord has His timing.

One of the other promptings I had was to go to Bible College which I really didn’t want to do. I was adamant the Lord could use me without having a BA in Theology. So I sailed off on a cruise ship to work for eight months, I ran away from the calling. I was like Jonah. Only to have my contract cut short and I was spat back out onto the shores of Britain. Long story short, you’ll have to read the book, I obeyed and went to the London School of Theology to get my degree!

It wasn’t until 2011, whilst serving as a Metropolitan Police Officer that the Holy Spirit impressed on me that the time was NOW, write it NOW! For me, this feels like a heavy cloak sometimes, or an urgency that won’t leave me alone until I’ve done it.  So during the London riots, while I was working 12-hour days and worked 15 days straight I wrote a 176,000-word manuscript.

Obey the steps and pray it through!

Prayer is key to writing your book

One of the things you must always do is pray your way through writing. For me the goal was clear, I wanted to give the Lord the glory for saving my life. So praying for divine inspiration to put it together was a must. I also prayed for ‘divine appointments and supernatural encounters’ to connect me with the right people to help me get it published.

Be open to how this may happen. I was out on foot patrol and as always prayed for ‘divine appointments and supernatural encounters’ and came across a lady on the door at one of the local churches. We struck up a conversation, I always went to churches and introduced myself as the local bobby.

Very quickly we ended up talking about writing, only the Holy Spirit could have orchestrated that. And she told me she was hoping to be published and somehow she ended up introducing me to her publisher. A series of events ensued and the publisher wanted to publish my book. Prayer works!

Be ready to make sacrifices for your book

Depending on your circumstances and the subject of your book you may find you have to make sacrifices. Not only in time and effort but it can also cost you more. In my case, I was forced to choose between staying in the police or resigning so I could accept the publishing deal. As a serving officer, you have to have the permission of the chiefs when you do something outside of the police that could be considered an outside interest.

So I had to have my superiors read the entire manuscript in the hopes that they would allow me to publish. They would not allow me. One of the things the Inspector said to me was ” Deborah I can see why you’ve written this book, but I serve a different god and you will NOT publish this book whilst remaining a serving police officer. Either wait till you retire or resign and accept the publishing deal”.

As he said that to me I simultaneously heard the Lord say, “Choose this day whom you will serve, you cannot serve God and money”. I had become dependent on the money and status of being a police officer. I knew I had to sacrifice that role and be obedient to the Lord. I went home, prayed, heard the date the Lord had for me to resign, resigned on that day and a year later to the DAY my book was published and hit the shelves!

It’s all about Him and His timing.

For more practical advice on writing your book read: So You Want To Write a Book? Learn How With This E-Course 

I encourage you to enroll in the e-course presented by Os Hillman that will teach you the practical steps to write, publish, and market your own book!

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Articles

So You Want To Write a Book? Learn How With This E-Course

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

Have you always had a dream to be a published author but never got there. Perhaps, you’ve struggled to put pen paper? Or wonder where to start? Or maybe you’re just not sure how to get published?

GOD TV offers many e-courses for those who wish to grow in diverse areas of life. The course we’re featuring today is So You Want To Write a Book with Os Hillman, who is a prolific writer and author. In this empowering course, Os shares his widespread knowledge and experience and it’s the ideal catalyst to get you moving in the right direction.

For a lot of people becoming a published author is definitely something on their bucket list. It can be a daunting task but don’t let that stop you from starting. As an author myself, I know what it took to get my book On My Way Home on the shelves. That is a testimony in itself.

Perhaps the Lord has been prompting you but you’ve lacked the time or energy. If your publishing venture is of Him, He will help you. Start by praying about it. Then set some time aside and be led by the Holy Spirit to put pen to paper. For me, the actual act of getting my pen on paper is a therapeutic process. For some, you may prefer to go straight to your computer and start typing. Whatever angle you come from you will benefit from the practical insights offered by Os Hillman.

The Course Overview

Through So You Want To Write a Book you will learn to:

  • Write successfully and keep going on the journey;
  • How to decide whether to publish with a retail publisher or self-publish;
  • Which online resources to use – from cover design to ISBN numbers to editing sources;
  • Effective marketing strategies that will sell your book; and
  • Best social media practices.

Your Instructor: Os Hillman

Os Hillman

Os Hillman is the president of Marketplace Leaders and Aslan Group Publishing. He is also involved in several entrepreneurial ventures related to publishing and Internet marketing. He is an author of 18 books, speaker, consultant and recognized authority in the role that faith and ethics play in the marketplace.

Os also has an online portal, TGIFbookstore.com serving the faith and work movement. He began sending out a daily email newsletter entitled Today God Is First (TGIF) in 1998. Today TGIF has more than 150,000 subscribers worldwide and is read by many more in 104 countries.

Previously, Os owned and operated an advertising agency from 1984-2001. During this time he served blue-chip clients such as American Express, Thomas Nelson Publishers as well as some non-profit organizations. His company won prestigious awards from the Direct Marketing Industry and Os has spoken at Harvard University and was a visiting professor at Regent University.

He has been featured on CNBC, in the LA Times, NY Times and in the Christian media. Os has been a regular contributor to Charisma, Christian Post and GOD TV. Most recently he has been a guest on [email protected] with Rich Marshall. He is also an editorial contributor to Crosswalk.com; iDisciple and GODTV.com.

Os attended the University of South Carolina and Calvary Chapel Bible School. He is married to Pamela and has one married daughter, Charis. He and his wife live in Cumming, Georgia a suburb of Atlanta.

Register for So You Want To Write a Book

The course costs $46.80 and will teach you the steps to write, publish, and market your own book!

Also read: Testify! It’s Time To Share YOUR Story / Write A Book

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Articles

Grow In The Gifts of The Spirit with This GOD TV E-Course ‘The Seer’s Path’

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

Would you like to be able to see into the things of God? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to gain insight for the future with the help of the Holy Spirit?

GOD TV offers many courses for those who wish to grow in diverse areas of life. The course that we are featuring today is with Ana W. Werner, entitled The Seer’s Path.

For those of you who not be familiar, the idea of “seeing” can mean many things. Not to be confused with a psychic, the “seer”, as many have coined, is guided by the Holy Spirit into seeing things that God wants to reveal. A seer is a person who “sees.” In the Bible, a seer is another name for a prophet (see: 1 Samuel 9:9).

But more specifically, a seer is a prophet who sees visions—pictures or scenes seen in the mind’s eye, in dreams, or even with one’s natural eye. God has spoken to His people through prophets in many different ways, and one of those ways is through visions. Along with the ability to see visions, a seer is also given insight into what God is saying about these visions.

God is communicating

There are a few different Hebrew words translated “seer.” Roeh (1 Samuel 9:11) and chozeh (2 Samuel 24:11) are the two most common. Second Chronicles 9:29 may differ between prophet and seer: “Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?”

The distinction is probably that Nathan was God’s spokesman in the world (whether or not he had visions), while Iddo was specifically associated with “visions.” Another prophet, Jeremiah, also operated as a seer (see Jeremiah 1:11–13). Notice that God doesn’t ask Jeremiah what he “feels” or “thinks,” but rather what he “sees.” After Jeremiah sees the vision, God gives him insight into what the vision meant (Jeremiah 1:14–18).

The term “seer” isn’t used in the New Testament, but there were still prophets who had visions. Paul had a vision of Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2), as did Stephen (Acts 7:55–56) and John (Revelation 1:12–16).

Seers in the Bible had a unique gift in the way that God communicated through them. Their faithfulness in writing down what they saw helped to complete the Word of God as we have it today.

If you’d like to see more of the things of God participate in the Seers Path Teaching Series today with instructor Ana Werner.

About Ana

Ana and her husband Sam, are the Associate Directors of the Heartland Healing Rooms in Lees Summit, Missouri, and also founders of Acacia Ministries International. She travels and equips people internationally on seeing in the Spirit, moving in the prophetic, and healing ministry. Her transparency as she shares on the realities and experiences she has in Heaven, bring the presence of the Holy Spirit, the love of the Father and the power of God into the room when she speaks. Ana is passionate about leading people into encountering Jesus’ heart.

 

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Articles

Prayers Go Up For Duke Of Edinburgh After Car Accident

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

Today’s report of Prince Phillip’s car accident was uncanny timing. I often pray for the royal family and in my prayer time this morning I felt led to pray specifically for the Duke of Edinburgh. I was praying for his health and safety and thanking God for his continued support of our Queen. Then later today I heard he had been in a car accident. Once again the Holy Spirit led me in my morning prayers. The Prince’s car rolled and it could have been much worse.

According to media reports two women were taken to hospital after Prince Philip (97) collided with their car while driving near the Sandringham Estate. The Duke and his security detail escaped unharmed but he was said to be very shaken.

Our prayers go out firstly for the two women involved that they would have a full and quick recovery.  We also lift up the Queen and the Duke at this time, as many others are doing. These include Bishops in the Church of England as well as ministry leaders and high profile Christian commentators like Mal Fletcher.

Everybody needs prayer support, including those such as the Royal family who represent our nation. If things go well for them it has a knock on effect for the rest of us.

We are blessed with a Queen who openly shares her faith in the Lord Jesus and that is remarkable in today’s world. Her faith has stood the test of time and believe me, we are blessed because of it. The Lord chose to raise her up as our monarch.

Prince Philip is known for his life of service to the United Kingdom and many people have benefited from his Duke of Edinburgh Award, the world’s leading youth achievement initiative, that “has helped countless young people on their sometimes difficult path to adulthood.”

Pray for our leaders

It’s scriptural to pray for our leaders to ensure they are covered.

I Timothy 2:1-2 says “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Praying for our leaders and our nation is a wise thing to do, our Heavenly Father is always looking for righteous people to pray.

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30 )

Prayer is a vital tool in the battlefield of the spiritual realm. The Lord has equipped us and the prayers of a righteous person get heard! We ourselves are not righteous but we have been made righteous by what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

As believers, it’s our duty to cover the Queen and the royal family in prayer. Even if you aren’t a fan, it is Biblical to do so.

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Video

Chrissy Metz Shows What It Means To Break Through For Jesus In Hollywood

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

For some of us sharing our faith can be a bit daunting. But what if you’re a Christian in Hollywood? A lot of up and coming actors would be too afraid to share their faith in Jesus for fear of being branded weird and uncool. But more and more are speaking out about their faith.

One such actress is Chrissy Metz, star of the show ‘This is Us’ who recently shared about her faith. Having faced hardships in her personal life, she has found great comfort and solace in Jesus. She recognizes that God is always there for her no matter what and is willing to share that with the world.

A mother’s breakthrough faith

Chrissy has been cast in an upcoming new film ‘Breakthrough’, directed by Stephen Curry due out at Easter. The movie is based on the true story of Joyce and John Smith. All about a mother’s faith and the prayers which brought her son back to life against all odds.

Chrissy talks about how she first reacted to the script: “When I was given the gift of even reading the script, I was so moved by it, because we’re all looking for something greater than ourselves, and we’re all trying to figure it out, and do the best we can in the process,” she said.

She goes on to say that she has had her fair share of tough times and it’s her faith in God that has helped her get through.

BREAKTHROUGH Official Trailer (2019) Drama Movie HD

Help others receive breakthrough

We are all called to share our faith in the Lord:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

And we are encouraged by Pauls words to Timothy:

“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God.” (2 Timothy 1:6)

Chrissy Metz has clearly shown she is not ashamed of the Gospel. Being a Christian in Hollywood may bring persecution but whether you’re a believer in the media or a stay at home parent, be encouraged to share your faith. Someone somewhere needs to hear the life-saving Gospel message.

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Faith

What Would Your Obituary Say?

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

They say that death and taxes come to us all, but are you ready to die? And what would people say about you after you were gone in your obituary?

Death is a certainty for everyone, but the how and when is unknown, well for most of us. What if you received a terminal report from the doctor? There’s no way to prepare for something like that.  But thinking about where you’re going after you die? That you can consider.

Family and friends will gather around at the funeral to hear what others thought about you. But have you ever considered doing your own obituary?

Writing your own obituary

Sonia Todd of Moscow, Idaho did just that. Having had a terminal diagnosis she decided to write her own obituary, peppered with reality and humor her account of her life was down to earth and refreshing

Sonia Todd
Oct, 14, 2012

My name is Sonia Todd and I died of cancer at the age of 38. I decided to write my own obituary because they are usually written in a couple of different ways that I just don’t care for. Either, family or friends gather together and list every minor accomplishment from cradle to grave in a timeline format, or they try and create one poetic last stanza about someone’s life that is so glowing one would think the deceased had been the living embodiment of a deity…

Faced with her own impending death she bravely wrote an honest piece about who she really was. Knowing she had a relationship with the Lord Jesus gave her and her family peace. She knew where she was going and they also knew they would all meet again.

More than an obituary, do you know where you’re going when you die?

“Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.” ( John 14:6 )

What that scripture means is that we have to accept that Jesus is the Son of God, He came to reconcile you to God the Father through His crucifixion. In other words, Jesus was the perfect final sacrifice so that our sins are forgiven and we can enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Sin separates us from our Heavenly Father who is Holy. Once you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior you go to Heaven when you die. Heaven is where our Heavenly Father dwells and being in His presence is heavenly.

Sonia was able to give thanks for her salvation in Jesus and although not stated it would have given her some measure of peace to know where she was going after she passed. Writing your own obituary is one choice, accepting Jesus is another, don’t leave it anyone else’s hands!

The decision is yours, salvation is free.

 

 

 

 

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Video

Super Star Michael Phelps Shares His Struggle With Depression

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

The pressures in life can weigh heavy. There is so much expectation on people to achieve their best goal NOW. Time seems to have sped up, in the drive-thru world we live in.  Achievements can always be better and the “You can have it all” hangs in the corners of our minds.

But what if you can’t have it all? Or what if you have it all and it’s still not enough? Depression is no respecter of persons; its dark claws clawing at your mind. And suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, even our superstars.

One such superstar, all-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps, has opened up about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. It’s hard to imagine someone like him – someone who in peak health and appears to have it all – could feel that way. But some of the world’s most successful and famous people have suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. Why? Because no amount of money, adoration or worldly success can fill the hole inside your heart. We were created by a relational God who wants us to have a relationship with Him and to gain our sense of self-worth from Him.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Lots of factors go into why we do what we do in life. It goes without saying that our upbringing has an effect on how things turn out. For Michael, his parent’s divorce had a huge impact on his sense of self-worth. No amount of success healed that wound, and it drove him to excessive drinking. Finding solace in alcohol, he was driven to self-sabotage.

There are many ways people mask their pain. Alcohol is just one of them. But drugs, sex, spending etc are all distractions; anything to stop you feeling the pain or emptiness.

Talk to someone

One of the most important things you can do if you’re feeling low is to talk to someone. Do you feel hopeless? At the bottom of a dark hole unable to socialize, hiding away or doing the opposite, putting on a front and being the life of the party to mask the pain? Talk to someone. Don’t feel ashamed no matter who you are.

Thankfully for Michael, a friend Ray Lewis gave him a copy of Rick Warren’s ‘Purpose Driven Life’. Ray a former Baltimore Ravens linebacker recognised Michael’s need for God, he shared his own past struggles helping Michael to find hope in the midst of his.

If you need help, reach out:

In the UK call Samaritans samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us

In the US call suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

In Asia iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/Asia/

In Africa iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/Africa/

If you’d like to speak to an online counselor about anything:

Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online today. Affordable, private online counseling. Anytime, anywhere. Click HERE or the image below.

Faithful Counseling

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Articles

“Church. Do I Really Have To Go? It’s Boring…”

by Deborah Armin
written by Deborah Armin

This is a question that crosses the mind of many a Christian at some point… you may have had a tough experience with a particular local church and have your foot halfway out the door… but take time to watch this episode of Questioning Christianity.  It looks at the issue in an insightful way and you may be surprised by the answers!

Author/ speaker, Krish Kandiah is the host of this episode and the panel includes Andy Flannagan, Tiffany Buhler, Luke Taylor and Stephen Sutton. Each is involved in some form of ministry and has something dynamic to share.

Krish starts things off by quoting some alarming statistics from a recent survey on church attendance. Decreasing numbers of congregants does seem to be a worrying trend and he asks how this can be turned around. “Can we do church in a different way?” he asks.

Tiffany thinks so. As event director for David’s Tent she has helped introduce a whole other style of ‘Church’ to the next generation showing that church doesn’t have to be traditional!

Baptist minister, Stephen Sutton shares how you immediately have brothers and sisters when you become a Christian and how he finds it strange that a believer wouldn’t want to interact with them. He reminds us that taking time to find our place within God’s family and give of ourselves for the greater good of the Church isn’t boring but an exciting adventure of discovery. And the church, after all, is made up of people, it’s not just a building.

Singer/Songwriter, Andy Flanagan points out that we’ve become such a consumerist society that we often approach our faith with the mindset of a consumer and ask “What can I get out of this, instead of what can I give to this?” That’s so true. Sadly it’s a reflection of society as a whole. Unfortunately, it’s often the case that everything is about ‘me’ and whats in it for me? But that’s not what the Gospel is about and the panel grapples with this in an honest way.

Can I just do Church online?

This is another question believers often ask today, as the digital age gives us new opportunities. While watching Christian TV and church online can be highly beneficial we can’t ignore the importance of social interaction as we come together as believers.

“Being part of the Body of Christ means being a part of a community of believers, growing together, finding out what our giftings are,  learning from one another, sharing the journey together and worshipping together,” says Andy,  “Christianity isn’t a solo mission!”

Luke Taylor of New Life Church uses a sporting analogy to agree. “Church is like the game of cricket. When you are playing it’s great but it’s not a great spectator sport,” he says. “You have to be involved. You can’t hug someone online” he says and he’s right!

Initially, when anyone becomes a new believer it’s vital that you’re around other believers. Learning online isn’t’ the same as relating to other believers and discovering where you fit and how you can use your gifting is to best serve God’s family.

 Church isn’t boring, but an exciting adventure of discovery. So if you find yourself bored at church, start looking for somewhere to serve!

As we mature and learn what gifts we have, often acknowledged by others in the Church, we can then be asking how to serve? Again you can’t do this at home alone, Christianity is a community, a gathering together of like-minded souls worshipping the one true God and seeking to bring His Kingdom here on earth.

So, if you find yourself bored at church, start looking for somewhere to serve. Serving shifts your focus off your needs and onto the needs of the wider community. Those of us who have served in a variety of ways can testify you won’t have time to be bored. You will have time to reflect on how fulfilled your life has become!

Do I have to go to church? When can I leave? Questioning Christianity

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