Kategoria: BOOKS/KIRJAT

“..Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you..” (Ephesians 1:17-18)

When one hears these words from a 7-year-old girl living in a Russian orphanage who doesn’t have other relatives nor human future: “My father died a week ago”, one can only pray to God: “Open the eyes of the heart of this girl to see the hope that is in you, my dear Jesus. There isn’t any other hope.” This kind of situation came to me when I was visiting Russia. I lost my relationship to my own father at the same age as that little girl. I assimilated with her pain. Tears from inside of me started to come to the surface, as well as my own pain.
How could I tell her about the loving God so that she would understand it and have hope for her life?

We told the girl about the loving Father, God, who sent His own Son to save the world. We told about the amazing love of God that cannot be seen with physical eyes, but with the eyes of the heart. We told her about God’s Holy Spirit that blows life into human’s heart. It’s like a wind that cannot be seen with physical eyes, but you can feel it. Even if you search where the wind is coming from, you can’t see it, but you see the impact and the movement of the wind and you can understand its existence.

Things are very real even though sometimes we only see them with our heart’s eyes, we told them. Suddenly, when we were singing about Jesus’ love, this little girl’s eyes lit up. She jumped up, took a Russian orphanage worker by hand, and started to dance with joy. The girl’s eyes were opened, she saw hope. It was almost unbelievable! In the middle of these happenings that were taking place in her life, she was dancing with joy in the orphanage, unbelievable!

Close to presence of death, inside of grey walls, this little girl was the only one who saw hope, the glory of God. As I was watching this small dancing girl whose eyes were sparkling from happiness, my own heart broke and I started to cry. I thought: “What did that little girl see more than the others who couldn’t see?” The answer rose to my heart, shaking me awake when I heard the Holy Spirit whispering to me: “THE GIRL SAW THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL!” Wow! The girl saw the light of the gospel!

You know what rose to my heart as a message to you and to me? You and me, we can truly see the same light that is the gospel message, that is the good news God gave to us to proclaim to every corner of the world!

My friend, also today the Holy Spirit is illuminating darkness of your mind, so you could see how big of an inheritance is waiting for us. You can see the brightness of the Gospel! You can see the hope and the future, it’s possible! Gospel will illuminate your darkness. Jesus came to the world so that you could be full of hope. Satan wants to steal your hope and bring you despair. The thief has come to steal and kill. But in the Spirit of wisdom and revelation we see through the enemy’s lies, as that small girl in that Russian orphanage did.

Remember, you have a future! It’s a promise from God. You have a hope and that is also a promise from God. Believe it, God wants to brighten your darkness. When you see in the Spirit what your part is, what your inheritance is, you will be filled with joy and you can start to dance and sing out of happiness, like the little orphan girl in the orphanage in Russia.

Arto Boa’s devotional book, Keys

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purposes.“ (Romans 8:28 ESV)

It’s amazing to think that God, with His heavenly wisdom, can build beautiful things from different ingredients of life. Our life consists of disappointments, joys, sorrows, laughters and many other things. I have sometimes compared this point from the letter to Romans with a master chef’s soup ingredients: For a good soup one needs, for an example, something like: salt, onions, pepper, potatoes and carrots. None of these ingredients tastes much by itself, or then they just taste very bad, like pepper. However, when the ingredients are in the hands of a master chef, he knows how to mix every ingredient in the right proportion so the “soup” will become good and tasty.

In the same way our heavenly Father knows how much “flavors” we need to our own life’s “soup” so the outcome would be good. When God called us, He already had thoughts and a plan for us. He also takes us determinedly forward in this plan of His. So regardless of whether your life consists of good or bad, all the ingredients will work together for your benefit. Do you believe this?

God’s love has been announced to us in His Son! It’s so simple: Jesus Christ is a proof that God loves you! The Bible says: “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). When we understand the greatness of God’s love and that He loved us even when we were sinners, we start to realize how He pushes the forces of darkness away from our road so that the ingredients’ of our lives don’t perish because of the sin but we can live out the God’s plan in our lives.

Jesus was once having a meal by a Pharisee called Simon. When they were having the meal, a sinful woman came there and she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. After that she poured expensive Nardus oil to Jesus’ feet. This woman faced two realities or “ingredients” of life; her own sinfulness and God’s love.

The feeling of her own wickedness alone would have not accomplished the change in her life. But Jesus’ goodness and love “broke” her heart, same way as the broken Nardus oil bottle poured out the expensive oil and lovely scent to the room. The same thing happened in this woman’s heart. The expensive scent of her life broke out because of the power of God’s love. She was free from her heart’s prison. The sinful woman got an experience of this “spiritual truth”: “All things work together for good of those that love God and are called according to His purposes.”

The past things of the sinful woman were not a burden or a dark memory anymore. The greatness of forgiveness and liberation turned the past to serve life in that moment. Unbelievable! All the aching, painful “flavors” of life and disappointments transferred into master’s hand and from these ingredients of life He started to prepare something amazing, beautiful and new.

Surrender to God today, surrender to Him. You need to get broken by God’s love. At Jesus’ cross there is forgiveness for your sins. You will meet your Savior there and the “pieces” of your life’s puzzle start wonderfully connect to their right places and you can experience one of the greatest miracles.

The miracle is this: God is powerful to harness even the bad experiences of your life for His use by the great power of His love. Today, you can believe for yourself that everything works for the good of those who love God.

-Arto Boa’s devotional book Keys-

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)

Only the truth can make us free. Even if man invented million ways to come to God, not one of them could make him free. A man’s firm decision all throughout the history has been to come to God through works. The works are our way to show God that I am good enough through some of my own deeds.

However, the truth of God’s Word says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The deeds talk about pride. Indeed, pride is the real poison of man’s heart. Pride can hide behind knowledge as it did in the hands of Satan in the paradise. It can hide even in humbleness. Search your heart therefore: Has the freedom that you feel in your heart been obtained through hard work and knowledge? Has it been obtained through chastise of yourself, or is your freedom based on your blessings, on your work or on your hobbies? Beware of all this. Only the freedom that blood of Jesus brings to a sinful heart is real freedom.

Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ so that it would be sure and enduring. Would your faith endure if it depended on your own strong will and work? The gospel’s core truth is that salvation is God’s gift to man.

Freedom sounds great. But what is genuine freedom? Is it that, that we are free to do what we want, when we want? It might be difficult to understand the content of the word freedom. The problem is that our fallen nature still seeks the freedom to do what it pleases. The Word of God warns us, however, that this kind of freedom of the flesh is the road of death. Sin could also be described in this way: Sin is wanting something that one can never achieve. Satan wanted to be God, but it was absurd to go against his Creator. Sin takes us to lust that will never be satisfied. If a man is addicted to alcohol, he has a thirst that will never be quenched. This thirst is not freedom of man, it’s slavery of sin. The Bible also says that sin is insanity. In sin, there are no sense or logic, even less freedom.

The freedom can be found from a completely different road, the road of the cross. The Bible describes it as dying for oneself. The real freedom is found in Christ. In Him there is life and the life that springs from Jesus Christ satisfies our thirst for freedom. Freedom is to rise against the sin. Because I am cleansed by the truth, by the blood of Christ, I don’t want to give myself anymore to be bound by the enemy, nor to be bound by the religious laws of tradition but I want to give myself to Christ. Then I am really free and I can do what my heart really thirsts for. Freedom in Christ is truth and life. It’s the only true freedom.

Arto Boa’s devotional book, The Keys

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Avaimet -hartauskirja, Arto Boa
(Myös Italiaksi ja englanniksi)
”Hartauskirja hengellisen muutokseen ja läpimurtoon vievään elämään”

Pelosta vapaaksi -kirja, Arto Boa
”Koko elämäsi tulee muuttumaan, kun pelko ei vaikuta päätöksiisi”

tilaukset:
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(Laita sähköpostiin: nimi + osoitetiedot, mihin kirja lähetetään. Kirja tulee postissa lasku mukana)

Tänään postissa saapui suoraan kirjapainosta uutuuskirja: Pelosta vapaaksi🙌☺️🙏

”Olen joutunut taistelemaan paljon elämässäni pelon kanssa. Minulle on ollut pitkä matka löytää sisäinen vapaus. Jumalan Sanassa on todella paljon asiaa pelosta ja olen kirjoittanut tästä aiheesta siksi, että voisit päästä helpommin kuin minä asian ytimeen ja Jumalan avulla elää todeksi elämäsi. ” -Arto Boa

”KOKO ELÄMÄSI TULEE MUUTTUMAAN, KUN PELKO EI VAIKUTA PÄÄTÖKSIIN”

Elämme vaikeaa aikaa, ja monet vaarat ympäröivät meitä. Maailmassa on paljon pelkoa, joka kahlitsee ihmisiä. Sinä voit kuitenkin vapautua, kun käsittelet tilanteesi ja lähdet tutkimaan, mitä Jumalan Sana kertoo pelosta. Jumala haluaa auttaa meitä voittamaan pelkomme ja elämään rohkeasti elämää, jonka Hän on meille antanut ja valmistanut. Tämä kirja auttaa sinua sillä tiellä ja tarjoaa välineitä, joilla voit murtautua vapauteen peloistasi. Elä, ennen kuin kuolet!

Arto Boa on tehnyt työtä lähetyspastorina ihmisten parissa, jotka ovat olleet pimeyteen ja pelkoihin kahlehdittuja. Kirjassaan hän kuvailee, miten pelko on ollut esteenä hänenkin elämässään ja miten vaikeudet ovat lopulta kääntyneet voitoiksi, kun hän on omien kokemustensa rohkaisemana saanut tukea ja auttaa ihmisiä heidän ahdistuksissaan.

Kirjaa voit ostaa 10€ hintaan ja näin tekemällä tukea evankeliumin -julistustyötä (+5€ lähetyskulut postin kautta) kirja on 164 sivuinen.

Tiedustelut / tilaukset:
info@g1international.fi

Uutuuskirja: Pelosta vapaaksi 🔐
”KOKO ELÄMÄSI TULEE MUUTTUMAAN, KUN PELKO EI VAIKUTA PÄÄTÖKSIIN”

Elämme vaikeaa aikaa, ja monet vaarat ympäröivät meitä. Maailmassa on paljon pelkoa, joka kahlitsee ihmisiä. Sinä voit kuitenkin vapautua, kun käsittelet tilanteesi ja lähdet tutkimaan, mitä Jumalan Sana kertoo pelosta. Jumala haluaa auttaa meitä voittamaan pelkomme ja elämään rohkeasti elämää, jonka Hän on meille antanut ja valmistanut. Tämä kirja auttaa sinua sillä tiellä ja tarjoaa välineitä, joilla voit murtautua vapauteen peloistasi. Elä, ennen kuin kuolet!

Arto Boa on tehnyt työtä lähetyspastorina ihmisten parissa, jotka ovat olleet pimeyteen ja pelkoihin kahlehdittuja. Kirjassaan hän kuvailee, miten pelko on ollut esteenä hänenkin elämässään ja miten vaikeudet ovat lopulta kääntyneet voitoiksi, kun hän on omien kokemustensa rohkaisemana saanut tukea ja auttaa ihmisiä heidän ahdistuksissaan.

Kirjaa voit ostaa 10€ hintaan (+ noin. 5€ lähetyskulut postin kautta, kirja on 164 sivuinen)

Tiedustelut / tilaukset:
info@g1international.fi

NEW BOOK SOON OUT!

Someone has described our lives as a marathon run, rather than a sprint. The long journey brings us a wide range of tests and trials. Everyday challenges and surprising temptations and disappointments can trap us in the place from which it’s difficult to move forward. We might find ourselves in a dungeon and realize that the door slams shut and is locked. We know that the Lord Jesus has meant freedom, joy and peace for us but we don’t seem to find a way to break our chains.

The “Keys”, the devotional book, as the name implies, brings keys to these locked doors that block joy and freedom in our daily lives. Arto Boa has chosen an encouraging theme from the Bible for each and every week of the year.

Special thanks to Mimmi Pekurinen for the English translation -work of the book.

If you want the book or more information, contact us:
info@g1international.fi

Thank you so much Mama Africa, 🙌😊Mimmi Pekurinen for a big translation-work you have done with the English translation of the devotional book (Avaimet) Keys. 🤩👏Excellent work! Cannot wait to see the printed book!☺️👍👍 Devotional book Keys is gonna be out in this summer. Thank you so much Mimmi Pekurinen🙌🙏

Power of God´s Spirit

“…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim 1:7 ESV)

It´s healthy to fear certain things. For example, it would be terrible if a child lacked fear towards poisonous snakes and because of that they wouldn`t be careful with snakes.

We understand that there is sound and unsound fear. If somebody attacks you with a knife, there is a good reason to be afraid, it´s called sound fear. But if you fear everything connected to your life and fear takes the dominion over your life, then you live as a slave to fear.

We should be brave in certain things. God has given us a spirit of boldness and in this spirit we can overcome our fears.

I took my small daughter to swim in a lake one summer day. The girl shouted at me from the shore: “Daddy, you should come to swim also!” I said: “ I don’t have courage to come because the water is so cold.” My little girl answered: “Just come to swim daddy, Jesus has given you a brave heart, you shall dare.” I asked her who said that I have a brave heart. The girl answered: “You said it yourself, you told me that when a person takes Jesus into their life and into their heart, Jesus gives them a brave new heart. And my daughter continued: “Daddy, you have taken Jesus into your life. Then Jesus has given you a brave heart, so just come to swim, daddy!” I couldn´t do anything but go to swim, so accurate were the words of the little child about bravery.

It’s true that God´s love in our hearts casts out all fear.

Fear is dominion power of kingdom of Satan. In this world everything works based on the balance of fear.

From two arguing nations, neither one is launching a nuclear missile because they fear that the other party would launch one back. It´s funny to think that the balance of fear rules the world.

On the other hand, the balance of love rules in God´s kingdom. God loves us so much that we also start to love others and when we do, the world becomes a better place.

God has prepared a way for us. His son, Jesus Christ, died and rose again that we could have a clean appearance in front of Him.

Death was a proof that Jesus was a human – resurrection was a proof that He was God! When we experience forgiveness, liberation and the purification of conscience through the work of Jesus and through His blood, God can fulfill us with His power, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is safe to be around a person whose faith reflects power, love and self-control. Also in the church these three things should be visible. Power, love and sobriety.

God´s power is that we proclaim His gospel because the Bible says that in the gospel there is power (Romans 1:16). Gospel is the good news which testifies: “It is finished” (John 19:30). The price has been paid and we can get connected with God through the work of Christ on the cross.

He takes care of us and has given us His Spirit as a guarantee. The Holy Spirit in you is a seal and assurance that God has called you to be his child. He wants to encourage you to live connected with Him, and assures you that even death can´t separate you from His love.

You have been made alive in His Spirit and no power has dominion over you, so take courage. Even if you are sick or depressed today, God´s power and love will take you forward.

God has set us free from slavery. He has given us the spirit of childhood, and we can confidently continue to walk with Him. So be brave in the Spirit, God is with you.

Arto Boa’s devotional book The Keys

Arto Boa’s devotional book The Keys,
Faith is Real

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old
received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so
that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Heb 11:1-3)

The children were asked at school to explain: What faith is?
One answer was something like this: “Faith is to convinces oneself on something that isn´t true. It´s something like believing in father Christmas.” But is faith like this? Is faith trying to convince oneself something to be true? No, Faith is God´s reality´s testimony in our heart and in our mind. Faith doesn´t base on a lie, it’s not jumping on empty space, in the word´s actual meaning. Faith basis in the Word of God! Our faith´s ground and base is the Word of God. By His Word God created everything.

In the letter to Hebrews it says, that God´s Word is living and powerful. It feels amazing to think about the enormous power of God´s word, by which all was created in the beginning. The letter to Romans says about faith: “faith comes from hearing, but hearing through the Word of Christ.” Faith is to straighten oneself according to God´s Word. It´s not straightening oneself into false things, but straightening oneself according to the truth. So the faith given by God is believing in FACTS, not convincing oneself.

From where do we get today this faith, that faith that is believing in facts? The answer is already given earlier, we can get real faith from the Word of God! Read it! Listen to it! and this Word shall generated real, God given faith in you. In this God given real faith strong trust is not born in you from circumstances that you are living, but to Jesus Christ. Real faith is always matter of leaning towards Christ, because Jesus Christ is the truth. Faith is given us as a gift, but why? Because the salvation couldn´t otherwise be enduring. For example, if salvation would come through your own deeds, would you get saved? If the salvation would be out of man and man´s deeds, who would be saved? Nobody. But because salvation comes through faith, it´s a gift from God and will be enduring. Without deeds, without merit we get as a gift a strong faith to our Lord Jesus Christ and we can enter to our Heavenly Father´s presence.

You have been given the Holy Spirit, which guides you to lean to that, which isn´t yet visible today. How big God we have, God who is trinity, loving God has given you a firm trust to Him. Faith is, that you see to the reality – disbelief is denying the reality. You may have a fight today with such an external things, which tempts to leave the faith. But don´t do that. External things are just temporary reflection of the reality. Don’t doubt God, He is always speaking the truth to you! If you need to doubt something: Doubt the lies of the devil, he is the father of unbelief! Faith is a paradox. You can be free – but still in the prison. Hungry – but inside nourished. From the lives of Bible heroes in faith, we can learn an important lesson. They didn´t give up their faith for anything. Not tiredness, failures, wrong advices, accidents or criticisms. Instead they gave up everything else because of their faith. They lived an interesting life, which God had planned especially for them.

Today, don´t you give up your faith for any reason. Do instead a firm decision: I´m ready to give up anything else because of my faith and I want to live the life, which God has planned for me. Straighten up today towards the truth, all is not yet visible – but already reality. Keep your sight in Jesus, He died at the cross for you, that is the reality. That was real! He suffered the death at the cross for you! He died substitutionary death that you wouldn´t need to die for your sins. That is real! Be therefore ready to receive even the sufferings. Jesus Christ has already prepared the exit for everything, through faith to you. No matter in what situation or circumstance you are. So reach out with joyful heart and put your trusting faith towards living God. Straighten your sight toward Christ and your faith ignites burning again.

The Power of God’s Word

“And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. “ (Mat 14:28-32)

You have maybe heard a story about one pastor who wanted to testify his faith to the others. He proclaimed, that he is going to walk on the water by faith. The pastor asked his friends to come also to the demonstration, and all gathered by the pool to see what is going to happen. When the pastor took his first step the spectators were holding their breath. But what happened? The man sank to the water immediately. Why?
The pastor assured, that he had according to his mind, enough faith to go on the waters. But the difference between this pastor and Peter’s walking on the water was big. The word of God. Peter walked primarily on God’s word. Jesus said, come. And on that Word Peter walked. The material, the water, was a secondary element. The most important element was the Word of God. When Peter then focused his sight from Jesus to the circumstances, he saw the storm and the wind, and he started to panic in his mind, oh may, I walk on the waters. When he saw the storm, Peter forgot, that he wasn’t actually walking on the waters, but on God’s word. Peter forgot, that he had got the Word of God: COME! Whether he was in fire or in water, he would be safe, because he had Word of God to that situation.

When God calls you, be brave to go forward, whatever circumstances you are facing around you. You don’t need to pump your “own faith” in you, like it would be a matter of race achievement of a man. When the Word of the Lord meets you, it’s not a matter of what you think, but it’s a matter of the word of God. When you have the Word, Go then bravely forward. Remember, Bible is the Word of God, and it endures walking through the storms of life till home. Take today his Word into your heart, it could be for example from the letter to Romans: “So there is no condemnation for those, who are in Christ Jesus.” If you think of this promise, so if you are today in Christ, so there is God’s word for you, there is no condemnation for you, but Christ’s word carries you till the end to heaven. You have surely heard this lovely word, come, and started walking on it. Remember, that you walk on the promises of the Word, were the circumstances what so ever at the moment. When dark clouds arise on your life, and the storm is getting closer, remember to keep your sight in Christ. Then the word gets into your heart and you dare to walk through the storm.

If you are today sinking into your disbelief, Shout help like Peter, when he was afraid of the circumstances and started to sink. Shout: Lord, help me! And Jesus helps you and raises you from your disbelief. This Bible story about walking on the water, is not a teaching, that we should have a super faith, so that we could walk on the water. The teaching is that our Lord is big, He is over the circumstances. He walks with you through storms, He has the power to silence the fierce winds, and He arises up those which are from disbelief sinking. We don’t need to be afraid, because Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He has given us the Word which endures. So look today at His wonderfulness and grace to the fallen ones. Look at His patience, and you also start to feel,
how the surface under you gets harder. You have heard Christ’s word: COME! So start walking, His word endures forever.