God Matters

What Does The Bible Say Regarding The Role Of Women?

Wanda Ball — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:24:08 +0000

We have fought our way through time to fight in wars, to vote, to earn the same wages and to live without a man taking care of us. We fought to have control over our bodies through pregnancy and to become leaders in our churches. We have also asked for equal rights, to be recognized in same sex marriages and for our environmental contributions in society. Some of us are also strong Christian women who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Many of these roles are great, but what does the bible say regarding the role of a women in today’s society?

Be blessed!
Wanda Ball
Author/Publisher
Ball Publications Christian Books

What Does The Bible Say About Love?

Wanda Ball — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:29:53 +0000

What does the bible say about love?

We celebrate Valentine’s Day each year on February 14th. This is a day that we appreciate the one we love. We give them cards and gifts and go out of our way to show how much we love them. Love is a very powerful emotion. And can be a great motivator in our lives. But the bible teaches us that love is not an emotion that can come or go, but a decision that we make. In other words, we choose to be in love…. read on

With blessings,
Wanda Ball
Publisher/Author
Ball Publications Christian Books

Raising the White Flag!

Wanda Ball — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:28:29 +0000

raising the white flag

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Christians call it the “Believer’s Prayer,” but it’s so much more than that. It’s not so much a prayer as it is a spiritual white flag. It is an act of surrender, a willful giving of ourselves to another. It is you and me finally admitting that we’ve run out of reasons not to believe in Jesus, and that we’ve given up trying to make it to heaven on our own. We’ve tried to live life on our terms, and we know it doesn’t work. So we come before God and ask him to show us how. We want more than a better way to die; we want a better way to live. We’ve seen the promises of Jesus, and we want them for our own. So we kneel before the throne of God, raise our white flag, and surrender.

If you haven’t done that, I encourage you to do so today. If you have, then pray the words anyway, as a statement of continued faith. There is no magic in the words. Words mean little to God, but the condition of our heart means everything. The following prayer is simply a guide to follow. Make the thoughts your own, and say it only if you really mean it. As you do, know with all your heart and soul that God can hear you. And that he will honor his promises.

Dear Father, I turn from my sins. Please forgive me for all the wrong things I’ve done. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that he came to earth in the form of a man. I believe that he died on a cross and was raised after three days. I believe that his death paid the price for my sins. And I know that Jesus is the only path to eternal life. I trust in the promises and claims of Jesus, and I put my life in your hands. I submit myself to the lordship of Jesus from this day forward and to the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Holy Spirit will come into my life and dominate every part of my being, and that he will deliver me from those things in my life that are displeasing to you.Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to die on the cross for me. I know that my sins are forgiven because of Jesus. I commit myself to your Spirit and give myself over to your will for me. Thank you for loving me. Show me what you want me to do next. I love you, God!

If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time and don’t feel any different, don’t worry. God has promised to save those who put their trust in Jesus, and God always honors his promises. You can believe with all your heart that God heard your words and that he has saved you. You can believe that the Holy Spirit led you to this moment of decision and that he is now living within you. Your relationship with God is sealed!

Recommended Reading: Romans 10:5-11

Reflection
If this is your first confession of faith, how does it feel to finally put your trust in God? Why not spend some time in praise and worship to him?

Submitted by: New Beginnings Christian Fellowship

Wanda Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books
Related Info: Do You Know God?

5 Things We Should Pray For In 2010!

Wanda Ball — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:22:58 +0000

5 things we should pray for in 2010!

As 2009 has come to an end, we celebrate another year that God has given us. Some of us struggled a great deal in 2009. We lost jobs, homes, cars, savings and 401k accounts. Because of these losses, we have become sad, depressed and faithless. Even as Christians, we may have stopped praying to God because we think he has betrayed us. But God has never left us or betrayed us, because he loves us unconditionally. God also asks us to pray without ceasing, which means we should be in constant communication with Him – in good times and bad. We may not understand why these things are happening, but now that 2010 is here, what should we be praying for in the coming year?
HERE ARE 5 PRAYERS TO CONSIDER…

With blessings,
Wanda L. Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books

What Does The Bible Say About Giving Gifts At Christmas?

Wanda Ball — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:01:19 +0000

We wake up at 3:00am to be the first one lined up at the retail stores on “Black Friday” to fight with others to get the best deals. It’s ok to want to save money on our gifts, but God never intended for these things to happen. When the wise men gave Jesus gifts, it was because he was our Lord and Savior coming into the world to save us. Not because they wanted to impress others. SO JUST WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GIVING GIFTS AT CHRISTMAS?

Be blessed,
Wanda Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books

Appreciation: The Greatest Gift We Can Give

Wanda Ball — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:05:53 +0000

Appreciate Friends

Instead of spending money you don’t have on presents you can’t afford, why not give the best gift you can to the people you love? Show them what they really mean to you! This article written by: Mike Robbins says, Instead of giving stuff for the holidays, what if we gave the people in our life the best gift of all: Our Appreciation?

Be blessed,
Wanda Ball
Author/Publisher
Ball Publications Christian Books

Appreciate Life!

Wanda Ball — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:58:09 +0000

Appreciate Life!

I received this video and instantly thought about God and his blessings for us. Even though we may not get the things we ask or pray for, God knows what’s best and gives us the things we need!
Check out this movie from AppreciateLife.com and be blessed!
http://iaskedgodmovie.com/

AND TELL US WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR THIS YEAR?

With blessings,
Wanda Ball
Ball Publications Christian Books

Does Friday the 13th Scare You?

Wanda Ball — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:02:41 +0000

According to Wikipedia, Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of good or bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year. Any month’s 13th day will fall on a Friday if the month starts on a Sunday. In 2009 this applies to the months of February, March, and November. The next year to have three Friday the 13th dates will be 2012. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. “It’s been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day”.

I’ve never been a superstitious person in regards to Fri the 13th. We’ve all watched the Friday The 13th movies and had nightmares thinking Jason was about to come out of the dark woods somewhere to kill us also. I’ve had my moments when weird things happened on this day, or maybe they were just coincidences in my mind. Satan wants another day to try and steal our joy and we as Christian people and ALL people for that matter, can’t allow this to happen. My belief in God does not allow me to believe in this day which causes unnecessary grief in our lives. It’s another day to me… a good day, A Day That The Lord Has Made!

Everyone has their own take on this day and superstition in general, what do you think? DOES FRIDAY THE 13TH SCARE YOU? We want to know…

Have a blessed day!
Wanda Ball
www.ball-publications.com

Should You Allow Your Teen To See the “Twilight” Vampire Movies?

Wanda Ball — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:19:25 +0000

America’s teens are fascinated with Edward Cullen as the leading guy on the “Twilight” vampire movie craze. He is a seductively attractive, charismatic figure who has a great deal of appeal to teen girls. The author skillfully portrays a beautiful, romantic, perfect—although flawed—character, the kind of guy most teen girls are drawn to. As Christian parents, even though we know these movies are supposed to be fictional characters and fantasized, is it something we should really allow our teens to see?
Satan is the master of evil and often times presents harmful, fictional characters into our lives. These images on screen may impact our teen girls negatively, by allowing them to believe in a guy similiar to Ed Cullen’s character (maybe not a vampire), but someone unattainable. And instead of them pursuing a fictional character, they should be looking for someone in their lives more Christ-like instead. Additionally, these movies can introduce a form of occultism in their lives, which may be another way for Satan to devour our teens. This is why God, in His wisdom, forbids occultic practices, describing them as an “abomination” and “detestable” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12).

We are reminded in Philippians 4:8 to fill our minds with “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.” While there are elements of nobility in the Twilight books, there are also elements of darkness and the occult, in which we are to avoid like the plague. Parents whose teen or preteen daughter/son is interested in the series would do well to read it for themselves, discuss it with them, and perhaps point out the ways in which it contradicts God’s Word. Thank God my 14 yr old son is not interested in vampires, but I’m interested in knowing if you SHOULD ALLOW YOUR TEEN TO SEE THE “TWILIGHT” VAMPIRE MOVIES OR READ THE BOOKS?

Related Articles: What Does The Bible Say About Ghosts?
How To Put God Back Into Halloween!
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

If You Died Today – Where would you go… Heaven or Hell?

Wanda Ball — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:16:58 +0000

Where will you go?
Starting today, my NEW Blog “GOD MATTERS” will go in a different direction. In the past my blog has been about bible devotions and thoughts taken from bible scriptures. These scriptures gave you food for thought and possible meditation on God’s word. Nothing was wrong with this approach, but now God has me moving in a different direction and my goal is to do His will and not my own…. So now my goal is to get ALL PEOPLE to think and do something about their Life. Faith. and Family, (which is the foundation of my book publication company).

For the past month my pastor, Rev. Jim Ellis, has been preaching from the book of Romans. His goal has been to preach salvation and eternal life to all, in order to make sure that if we died today, where would we go?

So I’m asking YOU this question: IF YOU DIED TODAY – WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD YOU GO… HEAVEN OR HELL?

My answer: I’m proud to say I’m Heaven bound! Since I gave my life to Jesus and confessed my sins, he saved my soul. And through his Grace and Mercy alone, I am saved.

And after giving us your answer, please read the book of Romans to find out the truth…

Wanda Ball
Do you know if your saved?