Standing Firm - Hang On, It's Not Over Yet

Title: Hang On, It’s Not Over Yet
Author: Joseph Arhavbarien
ISBN 9781907294419
Review Date: January 12th, 2011
Reviewed by: CBM Christian Book Reviews
9.1 on a scale of 10.0 stars

Author Joseph Arhavbarien in his book, “Hang On, It’s Not Over Yet” writes in a concise and organized manner to show that in the face of great adversity one can move forward in life to realize their dreams and find victory.

The author sets a firm foundation upon which one can build, revealing a step by step path of finding success in life and how to overcome overwhelming circumstances, while exhorting the reader to have a definitive goal and not to give up, even in the face of great difficulties. The author continues to encourage all that a positive, believing attitude is of utmost importance while waiting for the unseen to be seen. The author reveals that all is not lost and that one must ‘hang on’ to their dreams while trusting and relying upon God Almighty to help bring them to pass.

The author teaches that trust and belief upon what God has spoken to you and upon what the Word of God says is also a key factor. This book continues to encourage the importance of searching out the scriptures and coming to the knowledge and wisdom of what God has to say about your life and your destiny, while teaching that all have a predestined destiny. This book will stretch your faith, stir your faith, strengthen your faith and help you to see your dreams come true.

Using his experiences, despite overwhelming circumstances, from his own life coupled with some notable historical figures, the author lays foundational principles that with faith in Christ through trust and perseverance, one can continue on to the road to victory. Despite situations, circumstances, age, gender, creed, culture or environment, this book will stir your faith that, “All things are possible with God and for those who believe”.

Not only a good read, this book is very uplifting and encouraging whereby it counsels one on the path of how to achieve great things in life and not only gain success in the temporal world we live in, but also keeping in mind the spiritual laws that also govern our world. As air is invisible to the naked eye, so to are the spiritual laws that God has set forth in this universe. The author encourages you to seek wisdom from God and therefore adhere to these spiritual laws.

“Hang On, It’s Not Over Yet” is a work of encouragement, not merely as words written, but from the application of life experiences of those finding victory in the face of great adversity and overwhelming obstacles.

This book will not only edify and encourage you to live your life to the fullest, but to also never give up on your dreams until you see them through to fruition.

Hang On, It’s Not Over Yet by Author Joseph Arhavbarien

A Must Read Book
Reviewed by: CBM Christian Book Reviews

9.1 on a scale of 10.0 stars

We Need More Than The Words Of The Preacher. We Need The Power Of The Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20
If God is to be glorified through the preaching of His Word, there needs to be more than the ‘words’ of the preacher. There needs to be ‘the power of the Holy Spirit’(1:5). Good preaching is not a matter of ‘plausible words of wisdom’. We must look for ‘a demonstration of the Spirit’s power’(1 Corinthians 2:4). When the Spirit is at work, there is effective communication, leading to a life-changing encounter with God. ‘When you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers’(13). Don’t let God’s Word ‘go in one ear and out the other’. The ‘message’ will do you no good if you don’t hear it ‘with faith’- ‘Today, when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts’(Hebrews 4:2; 3:15).

1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:12
We need both ‘love’ and ‘holiness’(3:12-13). Our love is to be holy. Our holiness is to be loving. Getting the right balance between love and holiness is like walking a tightrope. You can easily lose your balance and fall off. We can be too soft - all love and no holiness. We can be too hard - all holiness and no love. Love doesn’t mean ‘anything goes’- ‘I don’t care how you live’. That’s not love. That’s indifference, a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude. Holiness doesn’t mean looking down your nose at other people - ‘You’ve sinned and I will never let you forget it’. Don’t be like ‘the Pharisees’. They wanted to ‘stone the woman caught in adultery’. We must not ‘stone’ people with our ‘hot tongue and cold shoulder’! Be like Jesus. Show love- ‘I don’t condemn you’- and holiness- ‘Do not sin again’(John 8:3-11).

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:28
Do you feel like giving up? God is not about to give up on you: ‘He who calls you is utterly faithful and He will finish what He set out to do’(23). He has a great future for us: ‘God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ’(9). We look forward to the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ: ‘The Lord Himself will descend from heaven’(4:16). We look forward to heavenly and eternal glory: ‘We shall always be with the Lord’(4:17). This is the kind of encouragement we need. We are to remind one another of these things: ‘Comfort one another with these words’(4:18). We are ‘to encourage one another’ to go on with the Lord. Let’s ‘build one another up’, encouraging each other to build on ‘the Rock’ which is ‘Christ’(11; 1 Corinthians 10:3; Matthew 7:24-27).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Great Is Your Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:1-24 
There are times when it seems nothing is going right for us: ‘I am the man who has seen affliction...’(1-3). In such times, we must remember this: ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end’. When we find ourselves in circumstances of great distress, we must learn to look beyond the things that are happening to us. We must learn to look to the Lord and say, ‘Great is Your faithfulness’. It will not be easy to see God at work in our lives when everything seems to be going wrong. We must be patient as we wait for the blessing of the Lord to return to our lives. We must put all our hope in the Lord, trusting in His precious promise: ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord’(22-26). 

Lamentations 3:25-42 
In our ‘grief’, we must not forget the ‘compassion’ of God (32). He understands us. He cares for us. How do we know that God loves us? ‘Christ died for us’(Romans 5:8). This is the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us. How can we doubt God’s love for us when we think of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, dying on the Cross for us as our Saviour? When we think of God’s love for us, we must remember that He calls us to love Him. We are not to take God’s love for granted - ‘God loves me. I can do what I like’. We are to appreciate God’s love - ‘God loves me. I will love Him’. God loves us. Christ died for us. How can we say, ‘I’ll do what I like’? How can we refuse to be changed by His love? ‘Let us examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Let us open our hearts to God’(40-41). 

Lamentations 3:43-66- ‘You came near when I called You... O Lord... You redeemed my life’(57-58). We wonder, ‘Will God answer my prayer for salvation?’. Yes! At the Cross of Christ, we learn that God loves us and answers our prayer. ‘You did not wait for me to draw near to You, but You clothed yourself in frail humanity. You did not wait for me to cry out to You, but You let me hear Your voice calling me. And I’m forever grateful to You, I’m forever grateful for the Cross; I’m forever grateful to You that You came to seek and save the lost’. ‘Thank You for the Cross, the price You paid for us, how You gave Yourself so completely, precious Lord, precious Lord. Now our sins are gone, all forgiven, covered by Your blood, all forgotten, thank You Lord, thank You Lord’(Songs of Fellowship, 631; Mission Praise, 632). 
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Blessings in Christ 
Christ in all the Scriptures 
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com