Homeowners who think they can not refinance their homes to mortgage due to a low FICO score or bad credit, think again. There are many homeowners, received today in the mortgage implosion caught up. This happened after foreclosure rates climbed and the more lenient loan programs have been eliminated as a result of the increasing foreclosures. These homeowners can in their home mortgage loans with low skills and low FICO scores and have the programnow they can not get out of them. Some borrowers get into variable rate mortgages, where interest rates further. As the real estate mortgage crisis continues to get credit guidelines continue to firm, increasing the number of homeowners, do not get refinanced at.

In the face of the lending underwriting guidelines are more stringent, the real estate market seem to be cooperating. As the number of foreclosures and Bank Owned Properties increases, realReal estate equity declines due to declining real estate market. Since the shrinking equity in real estate, increase the credit denials. The reason is, of course, lower capital increases the risk to the lender.

Many homeowners have said "NO!" for a mortgage refinancing have given up on trying. You may have given up too soon. The future can be brighter, which apply to some. At the moment there is a program available to 95% loan to value with cash from those withlow FICO scores, and in some cases may go as low as a 530 FICO score. The interest rate for this low capital assistance program is about the same as best fits, rates for borrowers with a 20% interest or more.

The loan program is far milder than standard agency approved credit programs that are Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. This will help many homeowners might contribute out of the jam they are funded in sales they get into a lower and allow them to even out some cash. The firstStep consists of an experienced mortgage specialist to contact you to help refinance mortgages to.

Buying a home with bad credit? Knowledge is the key to the success of the program. The Bad Credit Guide to homeownership can buy a house with bad credit Some people prefer the do it yourself credit repair method, we will take the burden and help to retrain your bad credit national self-approval …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXTWt546RQw&hl=en

Birmingham’s new 193m library in Centenary Square is granted planning permission by the city council…. From BBC News. Full story

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We have had quite a few requests to provide décor ideas to hide unsightly air conditioning units in gardens. Badec Bros Deco specializes in feature walls, such as gabion feature walls. These designer walls are ideal to hide air conditioning units, unsightly views, or ugly old walls, without having to remove the existing wall.

We manufacture our gabion walls from 30mm x 3mm angle iron, which is welded together to ensure a strong frame. Then we weld strong, steel mesh onto the frame to create the shape of the wall. Once the hollow wall structure has been manufactured, we install it on site and fill it with pebbles, slate stone or chunky quartzite gravel.

Alternatively, we can also construct mild steel feature walls and add intricate detail to the surface of the steel to decorate it. There are three finishes to choose from. We can powder coat the feature wall in any colour imaginable, or we can apply mild steel finish or a rusted finish. Our powder coating is SABS approved.

Badec Bros Deco can also manufacture mild steel screens. These screens can be used to create privacy or to hang Cubedec hanging pots or hanging sculptures onto. We can customize our mild steel screens to any size and shape and with a wide range of finishes, such as powder coating in any colour, mild steel finish or a rust effect or even wooden cladding.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec feature wall, steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, Cubedec laser-cut logo, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, Cubedec bench, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, pergola, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

The Soul Train Awards are back!!!

While many are still talking about how much better the American Music Awards were, I was checking out footage from the Soul Train Awards…
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The following are the nominees and BOLD are the winners I think will get it.

BEST NEW ARTIST

• DRAKE (I think he’ll get it)
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Keri Hilson
• Ryan Leslie (I’d like to see him get it)
• Solange

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST FEMALE

• BEYONCE (As usual, they’ll give it to her)
• Chrisette Michelle (I think she deserves it)
• Jennifer Hudson
• Ledisi
• Whitney Houston

BEST MALE R&B/SOUL MALE

• Charlie Wilson
• MAXWELL (I think he’ll get it AND deserves it!!!)
• Musiq Soulchild
• Raphael Saadiq
• Robin Thicke

SONG OF THE YEAR

• “God in Me” – MARY MARY (It was big and a close second!)
• “Pretty Wings” – Maxwell (I’d like to see this late entry win)
• “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)” – BEYONCE (She’ll win but not by much!)
• “Spotlight” – Jennifer Hudson
• “Turnin Me On” – Keri Hilson/ ft Lil Wayne

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Beyonce – I am… Sasha Fierce (Platinum) Sony Music
• Jamie Foxx – Intuition (Platinum) J Records
• Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak (Platinum) Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
• MAXWELL – Blacksummer’s Night (Gold) Sony Music
(My choice to win although Kanye’s album minus his personal drama was superb if you are just talking about music!)
• Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman

RECORD OF THE YEAR (SONGWRITER AWARD)

• Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)”
• Drake – “Best I ever had”
• Jamie Foxx Ft/T-Pain – “Blame it”
• Keri Hilson – “Knock You Down”
• MAXWELL – “Pretty Wings” (Hands DOWN if you are talking about the QUALITY of writing)

BEST REGGAE ARTIST AWARD
• Movado (He had a fairly good year but may not stand out compared to Sean)
• SEAN PAUL (because the people who choose them always go to the guy most popular they’ll probably choose him)
• Serani
• Taurus Riley
• Ziggy Marley

CENTRIC AWARD – SOUL APPROVED/UNDERGROUND

• Corneille
• Eric Roberson
• LAURA IZABOR (I think she’ll win as the most visible, held up and I have not stopped playing this album. Great work musically though I wouldn’t say “underground.” Atlantic just didn’t promoter her)
• Maysa
• The Knux

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE MALE, FEMALE OR GROUP

• BeBe and CeCe Winans – “Close To You”
• Fred Hammond f/John P Kee – “They That Wait”
• Marvin Sapp – “Praise Him in Advance”
• MARY MARY – “God In Me” (As the biggest crossover they’ll win hands down…and I happen to think it’s a great song anyway with a greater message)
• Smokie Norful – “Justified”

BEST COLLABORATION

• Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock you Down”
• Keyshia Cole featuring Monica – “Trust”
• MARIO featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett – “Break up” (I choose this song although it may be too street for some tastes…but the combination of flows made for an engaging journey into downtempo Rhythm & Beats aka R&B)
• Mary Mary featuring Kierra (KiKi) Sheard – “God In Me”
• Trey Songz featuring Drake – “Successful” (People like this dude Drake right now and Trey finally got some hits out this year beyond New York and ATL…This was a good second place mention)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Michael Jackson

Since there weren’t any choices, it goes to Michael. It goes to him not because he was the best this year but because he died this year, let’s keep it real. This music industry is so politically inclined they couldn’t just say we are giving MJ the accolades we haven’t given out of guilt…maybe if more of us were supportive and loving toward one of the greatest to ever do it then maybe the people closer to him would have done more to protect and take care of him.

Looking forward to seeing who actually wins! Maybe the industry can take notes from the AMAs by giving awards based on sales and not politics since sales mean PEOPLE chose the winners! *Pardon me Grammys* but the voters are not necessarily in tune with the music…I’ll get on their case in another blog coming soon!

*Freedom*
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Beru-san *o* vol.10 “My parents don’t understand my dream.” Thank you to every one who sent letters to Dr. HAKUEI. Unfortunately he could not answer all of you, the Doctor is always busy! Please read this month’s featured letter, and the advice Dr. HAKUEI has given! -musicJAPAN plus “You should listen to my wise words!!!” -Dr. HAKUEI ————————————————————— Nickname: bel~ Birthday: December 16th (like you!) Country: Brazil City: São Paulo Age: 19 Gender …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTysNZYnyzQ&hl=en

Badec Bros Deco has manufactured a wide range of impressive Cubedec pots over the past 2 years. We recently combined our stylish Cubedec A pots with mild steel Cubedec pedestals, to decorate the garden of a client.

Our Cubedec A pots and Cubedec pedestals are manufactured from 1,6mm mild steel sheets, which we fold and weld. All our pots are manufactured with a round inner steel bar to support plastic planters, which come standard with all our pots, unless otherwise specified.

You can choose between three finishes for your Cubedec pot: rusted, mild steel finish, or powder coating in any colour you can dream of. Our powder coating is SABS approved. Once the chosen finish has been applied, we seal the pot to protect it from rusting. We can customize these stylish planters to any size and shape and finish them off in a wide range of materials. We can also manufacture these pots and pedestals from grade 304 stainless steel. Other decorative options include mosaic cladding, wooden cladding and even laser-cut signage or designs in the steel.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec A pot and pedestal combination, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

As you know by now, Badec Bros Deco also specializes in steel dustbins. These designer dustbins are ideal to add stunning focal points to your home or for use in a trendy shopping centre or mall. We really love a creative challenge and excel at designing and creating customized exterior or interior décor pieces for your home, office or garden, such as innovative mild steel pots, trendy garden benches, artistic trellises, arches and pergolas, as well as, imaginative sculptures. Our creative team can dream up and manufacture any type of décor that your heart desires and customize it to your specifications – size, shape and colour. We use a wide variety of mediums to create our master pieces, including mild steel, stainless steel, wood, sandstone, plexiglas, mosaic tiling and the like. We manufacture our steel dustbins from mild steel and can add intricate detail to the surface to beautify it. There are three finishes to choose from. We can powder coat your contemporary steel dustbin in any colour imaginable, or we can apply a mild steel finish or a rusted finish. It is possible to manufacture your unique steel dustbin according to the exact dimensions you require.

Our powder coating is SABS approved.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, Cubedec laser-cut logo, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, Cubedec bench, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, pergola, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com 

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

The creative team at Badec Bros Deco was recently commissioned to manufacture a stainless steel, cascading water feature for a client. Firstly, we created seven Cubedec B pots – troughs – in varying dimensions from grade 304 stainless steel.

The stainless steel sheets were folded and welded together along a single seam line, to create a flawless overall appearance. Once all of the troughs were manufactured, we installed the water feature on site, with the lowest trough being filled with black pebbles.

We can also manufacture this stunning water feature from mild steel and finish it in one of three finishes, namely: a mild steel finish, rusted finish and powder coating finish. There are literally hundreds of different colours to choose from for your powder coating finish and this finish is SABS approved. Our Cubedec water features can be customized to any size and shape. As our CEO, Edrich Badenhorst likes to say; “The sky is not the limit.”

Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and we will be sure to bring them to fruition. We love a creative challenge!

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec water feature, 3 dimensional garden sculpture, 3 dimensional signage, slim mirror pot, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

Two schools in Stoke-on-Trent are to be rebuilt and an extension added to a third as part of a government financed building project…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: health. The blog is also related to: scholarship.

Badec Bros Deco can also design and create fashionable sculptures for your exterior living space from a wide range of materials with a varied choice of finishes.

There are three main types of finishes to choose from for your steel Cubedec sculpture: mild steel finish, rusted finish and powder coating finish. There are literally hundreds of different colours to choose from for your powder coating finish and this finish is SABS approved.

One of the beautiful garden sculptures that the innovative team at Badec Bros Deco has created is a 3 dimensional spherical sculpture, which rests on a plinth. Our sculptures can be customized to any size and shape. As our CEO, Edrich Badenhorst likes to say; “The sky is not the limit.” Please feel free to contact us with your ideas and we will be sure to bring them to fruition. We love a creative challenge!

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec 3 dimensional garden sculpture, 3 dimensional signage, slim mirror pot, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

Another innovative steel décor product, manufactured by the creative experts of Badec Bros Deco is trendy, 3 dimensional steel signage.  We can manufacture your very own eye-catching logo or signage from mild steel and finish it in a mild-steel finish, a rusted effect or with a powder coating finish in various bright colours.  We can manufacture your distinctive logo or address in any font, size and shape.  

Our powder coating is SABS approved.  Once the chosen finish has been applied, we seal the product to protect it from rusting.

We can customize these stylish 3 dimensional street addresses or logos to any size and shape and in a wide variety of materials.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec 3 dimensional signage, slim mirror pot, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture,  Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit.  These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra!

We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

When you go onto google and type in ‘animal testing’ you come up with some shocking sites; many of which focus on the increasingly erratic behaviour of the cosmetic industry. For some time many ethical consumers relied on the god sent products from Body Shop, however, as a result of the ‘Body shop Scandal’, all faith in being able to wear makeup guilt free, was seemingly over. But now there is hope. Urban Decay are not only a ‘cruelty-free company’ but also ‘love vegans and want to make [their] shopping experience easier!’. I don’t think they needed to say much more.

*Its all just stuff. Until you ethically consume.

Badec Bros Deco has manufactured a wide range of impressive Cubedec pots over the past 2 years. One of the latest designs in our innovative collection of products is a Cubedec A slim pot with mirror mosaic detail.

Our Cubedec A slim pots are manufactured from 1,6mm mild steel sheets, which we fold and weld. All our pots are manufactured with a round inner steel bar to support plastic planters, which come standard with all our pots, unless otherwise specified. You can choose between three finishes for your Cubedec pot: rusted, mild steel finish, or powder coating in any colour you can dream of. Our powder coating is SABS approved. Once the chosen finish has been applied, we seal the pot to protect it from rusting.

We can customize these stylish planters to any size and shape and finish them off in a wide range of materials.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec A slim mirror pot, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

The book of James was most likely written by James, the Lord’s half-brother (Mark 6:3), circa 60 A.D. James was converted after Christ’s resurrection and ascension, then became a leading apostle at the church in Jerusalem (he was a presiding leader in Acts 15, the ministerial council to discuss Gentile converts, whether they needed to be circumcised or not). It is true that the original Apostle James (the one that saw Jesus transfigured on the mount – Matt 17:1-2) was killed in Acts 12:2, but it was most likely James, the Lord’s half-brother, who, as an apostle (he is listed with Peter and John in Galatians 2:9 as one of the pillars of the New Testament Church), wrote the epistle of James.

It was this James who speaks in the first chapter of his self-named epistle concerning the trials and temptations that we face, and our need to exhibit patience and perseverance during these times which inevitably come upon us.

Trials are those things which put a person to the test – like testing certain metals for strength and purity. They can be those things which are thrust upon us from the outside, like being attacked by a person or even surrounded by a multitude of grievous people. They can be varied and complex issues or problems like physical ailments or moral or ethical dilemmas. Regardless of the nature of the trial – we know them when we’re in them.

Temptations are those things which internally offer themselves as alluring and attractive, albeit sinful, distractions – the fleshly draws of the carnal mind – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life as we read in 1 John 2:16. Those things which pull at us from within, seeking to draw our hearts and minds away from God, His laws, and His ways – in essence, they are the remnant of the old man.

Are you experiencing the testing that comes through trial or temptation? Are you reigning in your life as a conqueror – achieving victory with each passing day? Are you rejoicing in your trial, as strange as that concept seems to be to our human minds?

James said in verse 2 of chapter 1 that we should “count it all joy” when these trials and tests happen in our lives. That if we endure, we will be blessed. It is this endurance and rejoicing attitude that will make us the overcomers that God is looking for to rule with Him forever in His Kingdom.

Let’s examine the topic of trials and temptations and how we, through patience, perseverance, and endurance, can overcome and receive the crown of life, which is the gift of eternal life, and become MORE than conquerors through Christ living in us. Let’s discuss how we can achieve transcendent happiness.

James chapter 1 and verse 12 states that the man who endures temptation will be blessed.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12

It is those who love God that will be blessed and will receive the crown of life. Jesus said to His disciples before His crucifixion and death, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21). By the keeping of God’s commandments we show God that we love Him.

This word blessed, according to the Expositors Bible Commentary, is the Greek word “makarios” and is described as “transcendent happiness of life beyond care, labor and death”. Strong’s defines it as “supremely blest, supremely happier”. This incredible level of happiness, surpassing even the prospect of impending death, is only available AFTER our faith has been “approved”. The temptation to doubt and to waffle in our belief and conviction that Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, is leading us in our lives, and is working out a purpose and plan, is ever present in trials. We read in James 5:10-11: “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure…”

We can and should rejoice when we are surrounded with trials and tests as this is the only way that our faith can be tried, as metal is tried in a fire, and we can be approved – ready to receive the crown of life. at the resurrection, and ready also to receive this transcendent happiness in this life, even now. The crown being described here is like the garland that is given to athletes after they win a race – triumphantly sprinting across the finish line. In contrast, the garland that we will receive when we enter into eternal life will be an everlasting crown, not like the leafy garlands sought after by those victorious athletes would have worn. Our crown will not wither and fade away.

This crown, however, can be taken from us. Providing exhortation to the Church of the Philadelphians, the Apostle John conveys the words of Jesus.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name” – Revelation 3:11-12

It is the overcomers that will receive this crown and reign with the Father and Christ in the New Jerusalem when it comes down out of heaven from God (ibid.) after the millennial reign of Christ on earth and the White Throne Judgment which follows. We will be victorious – IF we endure, patiently, with perseverance to the end. If we conquer Satan, sin, and self. If we are truly conquered by God.

Paul wrote in Romans, “As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:36-37). We are more than conquerors through the living, resurrected Christ! It was Christ who loved us, and still does love us, giving His life’s blood dying on the stake so that we might have eternal life through the power of the Holy Spirit and the fact that Christ will live His obedient life in us through the indwelling of that spirit (Galatians 2:20). That is real encouragement – the knowledge that through Christ living in us we are MORE than conquerors, and truly we are. When we enter into eternal life we will have overcome and been victorious over death itself, and we will not be bound by the laws of physics any longer. No more decline and decay. No more limitations to our physical mobility – we will even be able to quantum leap through time and space!

We will not be bound by human insecurities and fears. No more stress and worry. No more sorrow or tears. No more struggle against Satan-inspired human nature. Even though we endure trials and temptations in our lives now, and they may go on, seemingly without end, when we have persevered, when we have endured patiently, when our faith has been tested and approved as genuine, we will be blessed beyond comprehension, and we will be victorious conquerors. Jesus, in speaking with His disciples before His crucifixion, stated in John 16:33 that, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.

The Apostle Paul said it so well when he penned the words, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13). This is the key to properly enduring and persevering. This is the key to holding on and patiently waiting on God’s deliverance from all our afflictions – the trials and temptations that seem ever present and sometimes never ending – but God always provides a way of escape. That we can bank on!

He will never forsake us by leaving us in a trial beyond our capacity to endure. He wishes that none perish, but that all will have everlasting life. The key is ensuring that Christ is living and working in us through our trials. Through surrender by way of fervent prayer, diligent Bible study, meditation on what we are studying, and thoughtful dedicated fasting we can know that Christ will come to our aid. Christ will live in us. Christ will live His life in us, and just as He learned obedience through the things which He suffered and became an overcomer, He will do the same in our lives!

So let us continue on to victory! Let us not get bitter through trials and tests, but rather, let us grow better through all we suffer! All the while keeping our minds fixed on the crown that we will receive, if we remain steadfast to the end. If we focus on obeying God and truly overcoming human nature and the temptations that so easily ensnare us.

Hebrews 12:1-2 summarize well all that we have been discussing. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”.

Just as Jesus, after He had suffered awhile, has now achieved transcendent happiness forevermore, we too can experience a foretaste of this happiness when we endure patiently, persevering and enduring to the end, having our faith approved by having Christ living in us. Let’s seek those things that lead to transcendent happiness!

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