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Daniel 6:23b So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

In this episode, we address specific issues that may be “lions” in your life. First, we address sin, then doubt, and finally discouragement. It is our prayer that you shut the lions’ mouths the same way Daniel did–by faith. Most of all, we want you to know the free pardon of sin that is available through Jesus Christ. Write us or e-mail us today if you have any questions.

For a direct download, click here: Episode 5.

Daniel 6:23b So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

Well, this one is a little bit longer than usual-9 minutes or about a 5.7 MB download-but I just couldn’t help it. We briefly look at the life of Daniel concentrating on his experiences in the lion’s den. I hope that you will be encouraged by his life. It was because of his faith in God, that God protected him. That’s great, because I can trust God. It was not Daniel’s works or reputation or anything else. It was trusting the Lord to do what he couldn’t. This is true in the Christian’s life, as well as salvation. Our prayer is that you trust Christ today for everything. Let us know if we have been an encouragement or if there is anything we can pray for in your life. Click on the “Contact Us” to the left and send us a e-mail.

For a direct download, click here: Episode 4.

Katie and I have arrived back in the homeland. While we both loved our honeymoon in historic Savannah, GA, we were both ready to get back home. Now real life has begun. Yesterday, we spent much of the day trying to get Kathryn Narehood to be Kathryn Grasty and a resident of North Carolina. None of these are particularly easy feats. The kicker was our encounter at Bank of America. We have a number of checks made out to Mr. and Mrs. John Grasty. To deposit these, we need to add Katie on to my checking account. We had the following documents to prove Katie’s identity and our marriage: PA driver’s license, Social Security card, certified birth certificate, and the marriage license.

Not enough! at least according to Bank of America. What really frustrated me was reading this. Bank of America has made it possible for people with no credit history and no Social Security number to get a credit card. It was at this moment that I decided to change banks. BB&T needed only Katie’s PA driver’s license, our marriage license, and her Social Security number. Now that makes sense.

While thinking about all of this, I was reminded of our relationship with God.

Psalm 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…

Because I am born again through faith in Christ, I am one of God’s children. (John 1:12) I am one of His sheep. He knows who I am. Matthew 10:30 tells me that He knows even the number of hairs of my head. And that is without requiring a certified birth certificate.

Knowing that God knows me brings nothing but peace and confidence to my life. We couldn’t do enough to prove to Bank of America who Katie was, but God always knows who we are, what we are, and what we need–even before we ask.

The questions for you today though are these: Do you know Christ? Are you one of God’s children?

There is only one way to be reconciled to God. There is only one way to become one of His children. It is through faith–accepting what the Lord Jesus Christ has done on our behalf of the cross. He died for our sins and was resurrected to give us righteousness. (Romans 4:25) Trust Him today.

Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Well, I am back. Getting married takes a little time, but it is well worth it when the Lord is in it. In this our third episode, I briefly address my testimony. I am so thankful that God intervenes in our lives. Specifically, I am grateful that He has made a way for us–lowly sinners–to be reconciled to Him. Our prayer is that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. If not, trust Him alone today. If you have any comments or questions, we are only an e-mail away.

For a direct download, click here: Episode 3.

I will be able to add more articles and updates very soon. I have not this week as much, because I am getting married today. Consequently, I have been very busy, but very soon we will have another NeedFaith.org podcast and more articles. Thanks for the patience.

II Peter 1:19a We have also a more sure word of prophecy…

Much of the discussion today concerning faith and spirituality is shrouded in generality. We speak of faith being beneficial, yet modern society very rarely distinguishes in whom or what the faith is placed. Faith, which is only trust or dependence, is worthless unless there is an object–something in which to believe.

As Christians, our faith is in God. We know that by trusting what Christ did for us, we are saved. The question arises, however, as to how we know that we should trust God. How do we know to trust Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins? The answer is simple–the Bible. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:14) The Bible then is our standard. (Continued)

Esther 4:14 …and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Yesterday, WorldNetDaily carried an article detailing the decision of the Sacramento library system to allow adults to turn off filters that prevent people from viewing pornography. It does not matter if children are present or if offends those that may be working on the next computer over.

This is in stark contrast to the failed attempts of a middle school in New York to prevent Christian students from passing out literature that explains why many Christians oppose abortion. (Continued)

Romans 1:17 …as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

In this second NeedFaith.org podcast, we deal with another aspect of faith. First, we dealt with faith in Christ being the sole requirement of salvation. Now in this episode, we see that the Bible teaches that Christians can only live the “victorious Christian life” through faith–not works or determination.

For a direct download, click here: Episode 2.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Monday, January 22, The O’Reilly Factor covered a story about a number of Methodist ministers objecting to placing Pres. George W. Bush’s Presidential Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX. Rev. Fred Kandeler appeared on Fox New’s program to speak on how Pres. Bush has carried out his administration inconsistently with Methodist views on the death penalty, environmental protection, and the war in Iraq. Poverty was another big issue with this retired pastor. He speaks of economic systems in place in America that trap people in impoverished conditions.

As general rule, I would say let the social activist say what he will. There is, however, a problem when a preacher of any evangelical group appears publicly and has nothing to say of the Gospel. Rev. Kandeler was given a national stage. Rather than turning the conversation at some point to Jesus Christ dying for the world’s sins, he decided to attack Pres. Bush on social issues.

In reality, most of us Christians do this everyday. We rarely turn conversations to the Gospel–or even the goodness of the Lord. We will talk about everything under the sun or maybe just about our favorite topics, but how often will we present the Good News that lost people can be forgiven? My anger Monday night quickly subsided when I realized that I have done the very same thing to waiters, cashiers, friends, and strangers that I have not given the Gospel. May the Lord help us to reach the world.

References:

Here is a link to the petition website: protectsmu.org.
And anther link to a article co-authored by Rev. Kandeler attacking a conservative element of the UMC.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Welcome. This is the first episode of the NeedFaith.org PodCast. We will begin at the beginning: The Gospel. Our faith is founded on the Gospel. So here it is. E-mail me any questions.

For a direct download, click here: Episode 1.