Christ saves us from ourselves. He prospers our lives. He shields our loved one’s. He provides us hope and an eternal future. Romans 11:36 reinforces these statements. “ For of Him and through Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen “. Who or what could possibly separate us from His love and protection? Romans 8:35 asks us; “ who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Only believers are assured of His eternal promises and protections. If you don’t believe in Jesus your on your own, and so could be your family, finances, and future.

Romans 8:38-39 explains why putting Christ first is critical, essential, and the most important thing in our lives. “ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Put simply, make Christ first in your life. Have faith; He will work it out, He will carry your burden, He will forgive your sins, He will provide the most beautiful and fulfilling relationship you could ever have in this life and the next.

My prayer for you:

You will make Him your Lord and Savior and experience the Greatest Love

in the universe.

Amen

Most sincerely, Dimitri Skopos

#Christfirst , #AwarenessTheology , #SpiritualAwareness , #DivineIntervention ,#DivineInspiration .

This material may be protected by copyright.

The real truth was stated by Jesus Himself in John 14:6. Jesus said to him, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to The Father except through me”. Why just Jesus? Don’t all paths lead to heaven? The reality is, only Jesus Christ the son of God could pay our insurmountable sin debt. Acts 4:12 spells it out: Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. John 3:16 tells us, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Some of us believe we can work our way to heaven with good deeds or a noble character. No, it is by our faith in Jesus and by His grace we are saved. Ephesians 2:8,9 tells us , For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it Is the gift of God, not by works, lest anyone should boast.

So what is the bottom line? How do I guarantee my salvation?

• First we must acknowledge or admit we are a sinner. ( we have violated God’s laws and are separated from His purity) Romans 3:23 states: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
• Then we need to repent: Admit to the Lord we are going the wrong way and we are willing to submit or accept His loving control and guidance. ( change direction)
• Most importantly we must have faith and believe in Jesus Christ. Essentially Romans 10:9 is the key. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” , and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• Romans 10:13 reaffirms ; for,” Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved “.

Thank you Jesus!!

So be aware of the whole truth, the unchangeable promise of God. Eventually you will be overwhelmed with the Lords incredible, unfathomable love.

My prayer for you:

I pray you will find Jesus, allow the Holy Spirit to take over your life, and live forever with God’s chosen people.

Sincerely,

Dimitri Skopos

#Christfirst , #AwarenessTheology , #SpiritualAwareness ,#DivineIntervention ,#DivineInspiration

This material may be protected by copyright.

The real secret to all truth involves an unending relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ promised us that when we rely on Him, the Holy Spirit becomes our true guide. John 16:13 states, “ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Through Christ we become part of God’s family. We are blessed with a new level of discernment in critical situations. 1 John 14:6 states ; “ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

So I believe we have to depend on something. Even if we say we can’t depend on anyone but only ourselves there are still doubts about the future. Let’s be honest, do we know if tomorrow might include an earthquake, a food shortage, a pandemic, or a sudden job termination? There are plenty of things that are beyond our control. What we can control is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 3:5,6 tell us ; Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Putting your faith in God prepares us for the unseen future and is a guarantee of protection. Proverbs 3:23,24 reassures us; Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

So make Christ first in your life, depend on Him. He will not forsake you. It doesn’t mean you will get everything you want, or that you may not suffer through trials. It is however a promise from God to always love you and look out for your best interests.

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

Psalm 18:30 (NLT)

Sincerely,

Dimitri Skopos

#Christfirst ,#AwarenessTheology ,#SpiritualAwareness ,#DivineIntervention ,#DivineInspiration

I have asked myself these questions for years. I discovered that once you accept the fact that there are no coincidences, everything makes a lot more sense. Often using basic logic and math produces overwhelming self proof of spiritual intervention.

For example, I’m pretty sure this may have happened to you and was possibly overlooked as a coincidence. Can you remember a time when for no reason you started to think about someone close to you like a friend or a family member? Very shortly after, you receive a phone call or hear about this person. Could this be God guided or mere coincidence? What are the approximate odds? Let’s say for sake of argument that you are related to and have 400 friends, you know, past and present. How quickly after you thought about this person did they call out of the blue? Was it within an hour or maybe 30 minutes? To further explain where I’m going with this, let’s say a half hour. There are  48 1/2 hour periods in a day. So the very approximate odds of you thinking about this friend or loved one within a 1/2 hour out of 400 people close to you would be: 400 x 48 (1/2 hour periods) = 19,200, or 19,200 to one. Would you call 19,000 to one odds coincidence? If you could get 19,000 to one odds in your favor playing the lottery would you bet more often? This is just one of my many observations!

We can of course take this event to another level. Did the phone call lead to something greater? A connection, a revelation, or a unforeseen blessing? Sometimes we need to record such events to see how they will play out and affect us in the future.

I observed so many examples and scenarios of unbelievable ”luck” that I became compelled to write about it in Coincidence or Christ? From the book: “I believe this is not all coincidence but divine intervention and possible guidance. Sometimes all we have to do is keep our minds open, watch, listen, and observe miracles that occur all around us, constantly and every day.”

“all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”

Psalms 139:16. ( NIV )

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Dimitri Skopos

It was barely a month and a half after the Declaration of Independence ( July 4th, 1776). The British had just suffered a humiliating defeat in Boston and now targeted New York to swiftly end the revolution. The British started a military buildup on Staten Island. By August 12, 1776 four hundred British ships, 8,000 Hessian Soldiers, and a total of 32,000 troops were camped on Staten Island. (“Battle of Long Island”, Wikipedia, McCullough 2006, p. 152) The Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776, could have been the end of the revolution and the end of America. General Washington’s actions, however, and especially the will of God would preserve an army and a nation yet to be born!

At night, on August 26, 1776, 10,000 men of the British army marched through the Jamaica Pass to outflank the Americans. A separate British and Hessian force attacked at Guan Heights and deceived the Americans, leaving them in a total panic. General Stirling had ordered all of the American troops to fall back and cross Gowanus Creek. The Maryland 400 fought aggressively against the British, allowing the rest  of the army to fall back to Brooklyn Heights. (McCullough 2006,p.177)

The first of many critical miracles would occur at this point to preserve the American army. General Howe, for some unknown reason, halted the attack. Howe’s British officers protested, Howe, however chose to dig in and set up for a siege, figuring the Americans were cornered with their backs to the East River, almost a mile across to Manhattan Island. The majority of the Continental Army – 9,000 men- were encircled by 20,000 British and Hessians, and the fate of America hung in the balance.

Then another miracle:”on the afternoon of August 28th, it began to rain, and Washington had his cannons bombard the British well into the night. On August 29th, torrents of rain and wind kept British ships from coming up river to block the Americans possible exit. Washington sent a letter to General William Heath to send every flat bottomed boat and sloop without delay and at 11:00 pm the Continental Army began evacuation. “Wagon wheels were muffled and men were forbidden to talk.” Artillery, supplies, and troops were all evacuated across the river. The evacuation did not go as fast as Washington had anticipated, and daybreak soon came. ( McCullough 2006, p.p. 185, 186-190)

A third major miracle would occur, obviously from God. A very heavy fog settled in over the area, ” and the rest of the Continental Army was able to conceal their movements from the British. As the fog lifted, the British were left in amazement, as the Continental Army was gone.” (The fog that saved an army, 1776 History.com)

This incredible string of perfectly timed miracles preserved the American Army and the future existence of the United States. So what are the rough odds of everything occurring at the right time, in the right place, and in the right order as they did?

– Howe halted his advancement on the Americans at the right time. For sake of argument, we’ll say 50/50 chance or 1/2

– A very heavy rain and wind hit West Long Island at the exact right time in August. We don’t have daily climate information relating to New York weather in 1776. We do however have typical daily weather statistics for the same area from the National Weather Service at La Guardia Airport in 2015. The climatology report lists 13 days a year with over an inch of rain. 13/365 = 1/28 chance of extreme rainfall.

– The Americans were saved by a sudden dense fog. The same report for La Guardia shows dense fog averages 23 days a year with under a 1/4 mile visibility. 23/365 = 1/16 chance of dense fog.

– The fog occurred on an exact day and hour that was even more miraculous. Had it occurred at any other time, it would not have saved the Americans. 1/365 x 1/24 ( hours per day )

The very rough odds of the British halting their advance at such a critical time, the rain and wind stopping British advances, and a concealing fog allowing the Americans to escape unnoticed at one critical day and hour are as follows:  1/2 x 1/28 x 1/16 x 1/365 x 1/24 = 1/7,848,960 or  7,848,960 to one!

Of course this still doesn’t include the wind mitigating effects pushing back British ships from cutting off a water escape. Secondly, the logistics of moving 9,000 men at night, unheard, in small flat bottomed boats without a single loss of life or equipment.

The divinely providential preservation of the entire Continental Army, clearly saved by God, would extend and allow 5 more years of battle and the victory at Yorktown. Without God at this moment in time, there would be no United States as we know it and the entire world would look quite different!  Only God knows if you would have even been born!

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of Their lands.  Acts 17:26 (NIV)

Thank you.  Dimitri Skopos

Take for example the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When most 4 year old children are learning to talk, maybe read, and rarely write, he played the piano and violin. According to the Kochel Catalogue he created ten musical works by six years old and 24 by eight years old. An incredible 32 minuets and sonatas, including five symphonies by nine years old! Even more amazing, multiple sources show us that Mozart’s father was his only teacher during childhood. He went on to tour Europe while still a child playing before Kings.

How is all of this possible? When most young children are learning to read and write, Mozart is composing musical works of art. To illustrate the complexity, let’s use the example of a piano with a range of 7 octaves. There are approximately 6,048 to 10,080 variations of a single sound. A two minute composition with 320 different notes and 19 different potential tempos could have 61,286,400 possible options in it’s creation. We haven’t even considered the difficulties of additional instruments in a multiple piece orchestra. A young Mozart managed to compose and coordinate all these possibilities into beautiful music some of us still listen to today! By the end of his life at the age of 35, Mozart created 626 musical masterpieces.

So what is the point of all of this? Simply, God had to be involved in Mozart’s life furnishing this musical perfection. Logically, how else can we explain the musical genius of an undereducated, inexperienced child? Where does the life time of experience and learning come from at such a young age? It must be from an external force. An awe inspiring limitless source of ” heavenly proportions “. Let’s be honest, at the time of Mozart’s youth most of these musical sound combinations and seemingly perfect collections of notes were non-existent!

I believe the most logical and realistic of us are forced to assume that incredible talents and gifts must come from God. Flawless creativity and masterful creations don’t appear out of thin air. We only need to look at some of the other child prodigies in the past and alive today to confirm our beliefs. These miraculous young minds are being divinely inspired by the Lord. For what reason? Only God knows.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.     Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Thank you.  Dimitri Skopos

Is this pure coincidence or blind luck? Could I possibly calculate the mathematical probability of this being an answer guided by God as Divine Providence? In a word, absolutely! There are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament. That’s a 31,102-to-1 chance I would turn to the specific scripture I needed to hear! The answers are so exact and enlightening that I can’t deny they came from God. Has this happened to you? Christians with the Holy Spirit in their lives are regularly guided this way. We must not forget the timing. If for example, the answer occurs within an hour the odds change again. There are 24 hours in a day. In our example, that’s ( 24x 31,102) or a 746,448 -to-1 chance I would receive the perfect response within an hour! This has happened to me many times.

The odds sometimes are astronomical! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is answering my prayers. We do have to remind ourselves that the timing is all His and not ours. Sometimes the answers are faster and sometimes they can be much slower. I do believe that when you truly submit to the Lord’s will, Divine Providence and the answers to prayer will come directly from Him, and you will know it!

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.  Proverbs 16:1 (NIV)

Thank you for allowing me to share my observations.

Dimitri Skopos

It was 1754 during the French and Indian War that Washington was exposed to death and was saved by God. Then major Washington fighting for the British, led 400 Virginia regulars and attempted to take over French controlled Fort Duquesne. Out numbered, Washington and his troops fell back and quickly built Fort Necessity. The French with over 1200 men surrounded the Virginians and relentlessly rained down musketballs for over nine hours. Eventually, Washington and his men surrendered under honorable terms with minimal casualties.

British general Edward Braddock requested Washington with the support of 2,000 troops attempt to take the fort again. ” Washington’s mother feared for her son’s life and tried to persuade him to stay home. Washington replied, The God ( Jesus Christ) to whom you commended me madam, when I set out upon a more perilous errand, defended me from harm, and I trust He will do so now. Do not you?”(therealamericanhis-story.com)Shortly after moving towards the fort in a second attempt, the slow moving 2,000 man British force was easily ambushed. The resulting battle of Monongahela would leave general Braddock wounded, and require Washington to become the new commanding officer. ” Washington was targeted by the Indians and the French and was fired upon repeatedly. After having two horses shot from under him, Washington chose to command the army from the ground. It soon became obvious that the English could not win the battle, and Washington led the remaining men in retreat.” After the battle, Washington wrote a letter to his brother Jack, in which he explained,” By the all-powerful dispensation of providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, and escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.”  ( French and Indian War. Drexel University)George Washington would have a long 25 year military career after this experience and birth a new nation. “What a target he was! Tall and proud, a fearless leader, he many times was in front of battles riding a white horse for all to aim at.” Washington felt the Lord’s protection, Divine Providence, and knew it was no coincidence he had been spared. He truly recognized divine intervention in his own life and in the creation of America. The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life. Psalm 121:7 ( NIV)

Sincerely,

Dimitri Skopos