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	Life Application Study Bible NKJV List Price: $79.99 Sale Price: $47.87 Used From: $25.00
	This best-selling study Bible is now available in the New King James Version. It contains thousands of Life Application Notes to help readers apply the truths of God's Word to everyday life. Includes book introductions, in-text maps and charts, personality profiles, and more...

He is a Rewarder of Those Who Diligently Seek Him

Copyright (c) 2007 Jon Straumfjord

In the vast majority of religions that exist, people must live in perpetual fear of their gods. They either are continually forced to follow an incredibly rigid lifestyle, perhaps praying five or even more times per day while kneeling on a small carpet, and facing a particular direction. Others are forced to follow elaborate rituals of generating prayer flags, or sand art, etc. Some use prayer beads, or recite ancient prayers from old books, or elaborate dances or other physical activities, which may include self-mutilation. Others invoke special magic arts to entice their deities to act on their behalf, for good or evil, according to their desires.

Other religions force their members to continually appease their deities. They frequently place offerings before statues housed in household shrines, in temples, or in other shrines. Some continually create paper objects to be burned in an effort to send precious items to their ancestors or other deities.

There are many ways that people attempt to either appease or coerce their deities. They don't really expect any potential good things, they just don't want their deities to torment them. The best that they can hope for in this life is to be left alone. If they do everything right throughout their entire lives, and if their deities are positively disposed toward them, they may attain heaven, or some other reward for faithful service. In the case of reincarnation, they earn the right to live again in a higher social class, or ultimately attain "nirvana," the supreme state of nothingness.

The God of the Bible, however, actually promises rewards in this life, in addition to the ultimate goal of heaven. A long list of these benefits is given in the book of Deuteronomy (28:1-14), which includes such things as children, financial prosperity, protection of all one's assets, success in all one's endeavors, victory over all one's enemies, and establishment as a respected individual. These are a few of the benefits that one is encouraged to expect in this lifetime.

There are more spiritual benefits listed in Matthew 5:3-12, and Luke 6:20-23 (the beatitudes), and scattered elsewhere throughout the New Testament. As Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b, NKJV) As the Lord has said: "the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him," (2 Chronicles 16:9, NKJV) and "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, ... and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land...." (Malachi 3:11-12, NKJV) Truly, it is the Lord's intent to pronounce blessing on all who are willing and able to receive it.

These blessings are real, and tangible, as well as spiritual blessings in this lifetime. The blessings of the God of the Bible are meant to be enjoyed by real people in this life! Yes there are "pleasures forevermore" (Psalms 16:11c, NKJV) in heaven, but there are real blessings to be had and enjoyed now!

Are you forever working for an unsure future that has been promised by a purported deity that may or may not be trustworthy, or are you expecting real benefits in this life? Is the spiritual life your are living today producing blessings for you now, or must you wait for unsubstantiated rewards after you die? If you cannot receive at least a portion of your reward now, how can you have any assurance that the promises offered will ever be delivered? Can you really trust a deity who is rarely, if ever, seen rewarding anyone in this life? You decide.

About the Author

Jon Straumfjord is the author of numerous articles about the Seven Spirits of God and the God of the Bible. He is also the creator of the website http://www.7-spirits.com , and is the author of the book "The Seven Spirits of God."

	The Holy Bible - Complete King James Version - Old & New Testament- DVD List Price: $29.95 Sale Price: $17.89 Used From: $10.98
	COMPLETE BIBLE (KING JAMES VERSION) - DVD Movie

	Franklin BIB-475 Electronic parallel KJV and NIV Bible with Holman Bible Dictionary List Price: $129.99 Sale Price: $73.71
	Find your favorite passages instantly anytime, anywhere. King James Version/New International Version Holy Bible w/Holman Bible Dictionary The BIB-475 combines two bibles (King James Version and New International Version) and the Holman Bible Dictionary...

	ESV Compact Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Diamond Design) List Price: $24.99 Sale Price: $16.49 Used From: $32.31
	The ESV Compact Bible combines classic portability and improved readability. This Bible will be a favorite of anyone who likes to take God's Word wherever they go: from daily commuters to faithful students, world travelers to busy moms...

	Franklin Pocket King James Version Electronic Holy Bible List Price: $69.95
	10-22-2007 - Brand New Item. Description - FRANKLIN KJV450 Electronic King James Version Bible

	The Orthodox Study Bible: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today's World List Price: $49.99 Sale Price: $24.97 Used From: $26.95
	The FIRST EVER Orthodox Study Bible presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible. Orthodox Christianity is the face of ancient Christianity to the modern world and embr

	King James Study Bible List Price: $39.99 Sale Price: $19.78 Used From: $19.64
	The most comprehensive King James Version study Bible published in 50 years, The King James Study Bible has 2,000-plus pages packed with thousands of notes and commentaries from respected conserva

	The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible List Price: $34.99 Sale Price: $15.04 Used From: $7.39
	The most accurate and complete Strong's ever published, the only Strong's compiled and verified by computer technology, the only truly exhaustive concordance to the KJV, and includes the most up-to-da

The Small Miracle $19.95 A beautiful, touching story based on the book by Paul Gallico about a young Italian boy in Assisi who travels to Rome to ask the Pope's permission to let him take his dying donkey to the tomb of St. Francis to pray for a miraculous cure. Shot on site in Assisi and Rome. "Impressive performances and stunning scenery." - New York Post ' This is a Region 1 DVD (playable ONLY in Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories)

Small is Still Beautiful $18 A third of a century ago, E. F. Schumacher rang out a timely warning against the idolatry of giantism with his book Small Is Beautiful . Few books before or since have spoken so profoundly to urgent economic and social considerations. Schumacher saw that we needed to relearn the beauty of smallness, of human-scale technology and environments. It was no coincidence that his book was subtitled Economics as if People Mattered . Joseph Pearce revisits Schumacher's arguments and examines the multifarious ways in which Schumacher's ideas themselves still matter. Faced though we are with fearful new technological possibilities and the continued centralization of power in large governmental and economic structures, there is still the possibility of pursuing a saner and more sustainable vision for humanity.

The Small War of Sergeant Donkey $10.95 Illustrated by Wesley Dennis Donkeys by the hundreds! Twelve-year-old Chico Filippo, whose own donkeys were confiscated years before by the German army, can't stay away from the newly set up American Remount Depot. Here, in the last months of World War II in Italy, thousands of supply mules and donkeys are processed and sent onto the fierce mountain fighting in the Apennines. One of the handlers introduces Chico to a small courageous animal the boy names Sergeant Donkey. Drawn into friendship and then into unexpected danger, Chico must demonstrate his own simple courage. More than an animal or war story, this short book has a depth of truth about people of different ages and nationalities who still share a common love of the land and of human dignity. Ages 9 and up

A Still Small Voice $12.95 Father Groeschel, the highly respected author, psychologist, spiritual director and leader of renewal in the religious life, has written a brief but comprehensive practical guide for all those interested in private revelations, the reports of visions and other extraordinary religious phenomena that are so widespread in these times. Because of the intense interest in extraordinary religious experience that ranges from Medjugorje to the New Age, Groeschel's book is an urgently needed resource that gives practical norms to everyone on how to evaluate these claims. Drawing on spiritual classics and Church documents not readily available, he summarizes the Church's perennial wisdom on this topic. He also offers an alternative to unusual and extraordinary ways of knowing the things of God, which is a normal everyday opportunity open to all called "religious experience"--the action of grace operating in the context of a human life that can become a powerful source of virtue and holiness. Father Groeschel skillfully directs the reader to the humbler and safer path which discerns God's presence in prayer, Scripture, the sacraments and love of neighbor. The great example of this path to holiness is St. Thorase of Lisieux who, though having very few extraordinary experiences, was filled with a profound awareness of God's presence and said, "To ecstasy, I prefer the monotony of sacrifice." "A brilliant investigation into a complex and fascinating subject in which the boundaries of mysticism, psychology and spiritual direction intersect. Probably no one is better prepared to provide such sound guidance on this sensitive topic than Fr. Groeschel." " Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Religious Studies St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas "Combining insights from mystical theology and modern psychology, Father Groeschel offers much sound advice for sorting through competing claims of divine revelations. His book is a sophisticated discussion of religious experience and the problems of translating this into public discourses in the context of Roman Catholic theology." " Sandra Zimdars-Swartz, Professor of Religious Studies University of Kansas "Fr. Groeschel, who is equally competent in theology and psychology, has provided helpful directions in dealing with one of the most serious pastoral problems facing the Church today. A valuable resource for discerning the credibility of these phenomena of miraculous visions and happenings." " Bishop John Sheets, S.J., Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend '

Let's Go to Mass $4.95 This is part of a new series of books that combines a rattle with a small board book to appeal to God's littlest ones. The playful illustrations will delight little eyes as they see the parts of the Mass come to life in bright and vivid colors. '

	Franklin BIB-475 Electronic parallel KJV and NIV Bible with Holman Bible Dictionary List Price: $129.99 Sale Price: $73.71
	Find your favorite passages instantly anytime, anywhere. King James Version/New International Version Holy Bible w/Holman Bible Dictionary The BIB-475 combines two bibles (King James Version and New International Version) and the Holman Bible Dictionary...

	ESV Compact Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Diamond Design) List Price: $24.99 Sale Price: $16.49 Used From: $32.31
	The ESV Compact Bible combines classic portability and improved readability. This Bible will be a favorite of anyone who likes to take God's Word wherever they go: from daily commuters to faithful students, world travelers to busy moms...