Smile! God Loves You!

There is a greater sin than not obeying Jesus; it is the sin of not believing that he loves you.

When you believe another person has your best interests at heart, you can accept great difficulties on behalf of that person. People will actually pay doctors to literally rip their insides out, because they trust their good intentions.

When Jesus asks you to do something difficult, he's testing your faith in his love and goodness.

Very few are willing to live by faith in obedience to Jesus. After all, he asks us to give up our career, family, possessions, and reputation.

But he does so because he has something better to give you. We tried it and it's true.

Like the merchant man who sold all he had to get the most perfect pearl in the world, we are no longer concerned about what we paid for it, because we now know what a bargain we have received.

It has been argued that God "in his mercy" does not expect us to take the teachings of Jesus literally. The assumption, of course, is that the teachings of Christ contradict Gods mercy.

But we have discovered that the teachings of Jesus are expressions of his mercy. In accepting Jesus, we have not just accepted a name and a ticket to heaven, but we have accepted his whole plan of salvation; and it starts right now.

While you cling to your mediocrity, your respectability, your image of balance and moderation, you will never experience this world of faith and love. Let go of your lukewarm religious counterfeits and begin to believe that God really does love you... infinitely... in every word that Jesus spoke.

You cannot say, "I believe you love me, and as an expression of that faith, I will reject your discipline." This is not faith. It's a slap in the face of a loving God. But if we will accept God's call, letting our lives be moulded according to his will, everything will work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)

The religious world is full of people trying to conduct their own operations. They refuse to put themselves totally in the hands of the Master Surgeon. They fear losing identity, friends, family, wealth, or status. And because of it, they are slowly losing their souls!

Dave McKay is co-founder of the Jesus Christian communitywebsite address: jesuschristians.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Rancho Cucamonga sued over atheist billboard - San Jose Mercury News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11112337cid=1276568051ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNHp95rE9kHEMvwGklqI1D9iodl8SgRancho Cucamonga sued over atheist billboard/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Jose Mercury News,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1AP LOS ANGELES—An atheist group is suing Rancho Cucamonga for the city#39;s alleged role in removal of the organization#39;s quot;Imagine No bReligion/bquot; billboard. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2008/11/imagine-no-free.htmlcid=1276568051ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNE0yFt5-LXc5nC5jqkWCRktv1I9bAImagine ... No Free Speech/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrLos Angeles Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.mcgilldaily.com/blog/1829/entry/6262cid=1276568051ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGcha0jUvUhkq1zJ--X6pCQpdcsjgFreedom from bReligion/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMcGill Daily/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276568051hl=ennobrall 27 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Terrorists Are Not People Of Religion Or God: Aamir - Oneindia

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://living.oneindia.in/insync/pulse/2008/aamir-khan-mumbai-terrorist-attack-011208.htmlcid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNEMb2VogwiETaZ-4fTVUpABIkSlkQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=8fVwP73uezoJimgurl=living.oneindia.in/img/2008/12/aamir.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Oneindia/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://living.oneindia.in/insync/pulse/2008/aamir-khan-mumbai-terrorist-attack-011208.htmlcid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNEMb2VogwiETaZ-4fTVUpABIkSlkQTerrorists Are Not People Of bReligion/b Or God: Aamir/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fOneindia,nbsp;Indianbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Describing terrorists as #39;people who have no breligion/b or God#39;, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has strongly criticised political parties for targeting efforts by b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Aamir_Terrorists_have_no_religion/articleshow/3772444.cmscid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNH98LlI4q2J0zlFkjPoCmmYeR6s3AAamir: Terrorists have no breligion/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTimes of India/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Redir.aspx%3FID%3Dc84fdda0-03e2-4406-a917-d2c6b4480854%26ParentID%3Dfebd306f-637d-4333-8a1e-80c8527b946a%26SectionName%3DHomePagecid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNElxRMIEMnr5Nih2lmnrzP6aKp_kgBollywood pays homage to national heroes/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrHindustan Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2008/aamir-terror-attacks-281108.htmlcid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNFNhe_egWXRgRQHYGFQfXJ-pLVImQAamir Khan reacts to terror attacks/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrOneindia/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Big_B_put_a_gun_under_his_pillow/articleshow/3771358.cmscid=1275851099ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNF0E8opzxvmsERnsAZMHS15_y1IhgnobrTimes of India/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275851099hl=ennobrall 43 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Nigeria: Jos Riots - Death Toll Hits 400 - AllAfrica.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html%3Fid%3D1017450cid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNF3_3Sp-YEdoNxGxHSfJRC_qr4U4gimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=g86f_11rMQ8Jimgurl=a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/topics/news/world/1017467.bin%3Fsize%3Dl width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Canada.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://allafrica.com/stories/200812011158.htmlcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGHP65oh9rrqEtlNqtlYD6RhNC13gNigeria: Jos Riots - Death Toll Hits 400/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAllAfrica.com,nbsp;Washingtonnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;Nigeria belongs to all of us regardless of our breligion/b or ethnicity and we are free to live wherever we want in Nigeria. We must call an end to this b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-1fd=Rurl=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/world/africa/01nigeria.html%3Fhpcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNHUDKsJCyx9UVbENnBewX-9MNcwJgDeadly Nigeria Clashes Subside/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNew York Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-2fd=Rurl=http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL1608927.htmlcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNF-52565EeMLWfqb8d9y403BoiHTAANALYSIS-Nigerian unrest shows risk from ethnic weapon/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters South Africa/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-3fd=Rurl=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Dec01/0,4670,AFNigeriaClashes,00.htmlcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGwn1X3GAAN43CBgX1Xcv0_5vKRtwDeadly Nigerian riots tied to rifts over election/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrFOXNews/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-4fd=Rurl=http://newsblaze.com/story/20081130140511krzy.nb/topstory.htmlcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNFXVpa3dXq4Ul9Fm6-3tgI6WFskrAnobrNewsBlaze/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-5fd=Rurl=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3839705,00.htmlcid=1275398032ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNG3SNt9sCfkTO0_ELYX7JC_Gt9WfgnobrDeutsche Welle/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275398032hl=ennobrall 1,439 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The Religion of Global Warming - Hawaii Reporter

A growing bond between pets and religion - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-750-Pet-Examiner~y2008m11d30-A-growing-bond-between-pets-and-religioncid=0ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGxRPsvecVEJYjIs-EBTW5_OUox_Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=5sfdZo7aak8Jimgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img561terry_webster_photo.jpg width=80 height=67 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Examiner.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-750-Pet-Examiner~y2008m11d30-A-growing-bond-between-pets-and-religioncid=0ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGxRPsvecVEJYjIs-EBTW5_OUox_AA growing bond between pets and breligion/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Humane Society of the United States, for example, has a portion of its Web site devoted to animals and breligion/b. One year ago, the Animals amp; bReligion/b b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Letter: Science and religion favors the unborn - Eagle Tribune

We should not go soft on terror, it has no religion: Muslim cleric - Hindu

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200812011703.htmcid=1276507436ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGa9LHd9M_lXV49IfRlZlygBym2zQWe should not go soft on terror, it has no breligion/b: Muslim cleric/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHindu,nbsp;Indianbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Lucknow (IANS): Going soft on terror will not make Muslims happy as the perpetrators of such acts do not segregate their targets by breligion/b, the cleric who b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Conquering_darkness_of_terror_with_light/articleshow/3777295.cmscid=1276507436ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNHby7IHGjYv79WJIA7w8B_4iywKiwConquering darkness of terror with light/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTimes of India/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276507436hl=ennobrall 12 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Mapping the Conflict - Press Sun-Bulletin

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20081201/GETPUBLISHED/812010349cid=1276440661ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGvwtE7D0qLk9-osDOC7LJPTH3UkgMapping the Conflict/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPress Sun-Bulletin,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The following is neither condemnation nor praise of the breligion/b and culture known as Islam. It is not a value judgment of Islam the breligion/b or of the b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnN01448882.htmlcid=1276440661ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNFS3_UHEE_NORp_XiKxPaS0MX5hCQHistorian explores Christianity#39;s lost age, lands/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters South Africa/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/%3Fq%3DMzYzMmYwOWQ0ZmNhYjhmMTRlMzAxY2U0NGU0ZGE5ODk%3Dcid=1276440661ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNH0ytt3Z0VnHrdhqCLIAB3sMFBcRAIslam and Terrorism [Michael Rubin]/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNational Review Online Blogs/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276440661hl=ennobrall 6 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Bad Religion sells one shoe for Keep a Breast foundation - Punknews.org

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.punknews.org/article/31449cid=0ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGAaZO9T0Blaz2XoKTMyG-SFO_1Sgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=MrwTy6TnaQQJimgurl=www.punknews.org/images/frontpage/badreligion-weirdshoe-goodcause.jpg width=80 height=52 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Punknews.org/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.punknews.org/article/31449cid=0ei=aT00SfniE4LAwgHkwsgjusg=AFQjCNGAaZO9T0Blaz2XoKTMyG-SFO_1SgBad bReligion/b sells one shoe for Keep a Breast foundation/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPunknews.orgnbsp;-/font nobr54 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It might be a little odd, but legendary punk band, Bad bReligion/b is selling a single shoe. Of course, the shoe is an exclusive, hand-painted Vans slip on, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Yankee Notebook: Don#39;t mess with hats or religion in Texas - Rutland Herald

Religion - Google News

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