Does your faith need strengthening? Are you confused and wondering if Jesus Christ is really "The Way, the Truth, and the Life?" "Fight for Your Faith" is a blog filled with interesting and thought provoking articles to help you find the answers you are seeking. Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." In Jeremiah we read, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart." These articles and videos will help you in your search for the Truth.

Monday, February 16, 2015

E conhecereis a verdade

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/e-conhecereis-verdade/
Uma compilação

E conhecereis a verdade, e a verdade vos libertará. — João 8:32[1]

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Para o cristão, a Bíblia é a expressão máxima da verdade afirmada por Jesus: “Eu sou o caminho, a verdade, e a vida…”[2] Obviamente, tanto filósofos quanto céticos, na sua maioria, desdenham essa afirmação. Para o cristão, porém, esse Jesus que caminhou sobre as águas, afirmou Sua divindade, ressuscitou e Se declarou a verdade e a fonte da verdade é o esteio da esperança, segurança e direcionamento na vida. Se Jesus estiver errado, devemos ignorá-lO. Mas se estiver certo, então Ele é a verdade e devemos dar atenção ao que Ele diz. As testemunhas oculares registraram suas experiências. Estavam lá com Ele e O viram realizar muitos milagres, curar doentes, ordenar à tempestade que se acalmasse, e até Se levantar dos mortos. — Matt Slick


O que é a verdade?

Há quase 2 mil anos, um governante romano decidiu fazer uma pergunta profunda a um condenado à morte.

— O que é a verdade? — ele indagou.

A maioria das pessoas se faz essa mesma pergunta em algum momento da vida, principalmente nos momentos críticos de luta interior, na tentativa de entender o significado da vida. Afinal de contas, conhecer o sentido da vida é uma necessidade básica do ser humano, e sem uma verdade suprema, esse sentido não existe. Parece instintivo a verdade suprema estar relacionada, de alguma forma, à existência de Deus. Na verdade, é interessante notar que as pessoas que negam a existência de Deus são também as que afirmam não haver verdade absoluta, e afirmarem que tudo é relativo. Mas algo no nosso íntimo diz o contrário, diz que Deus existe e possui a chave para a verdade...

Há quase 2 mil anos, Pôncio Pilatos, governador romano, olhou Jesus nos olhos e perguntou:

— O que é a verdade?

Pilatos referia-se à verdade espiritual. Naquele momento ele falava com o Deus encarnado, Aquele pelo qual os mundos foram criados.

“E conhecereis a verdade, e a verdade vos libertará” — foi o que ensinou Jesus. Só que naquele dia, a verdade não ia libertar Pilatos, porque o seu questionamento não era sincero. E ali, no palácio do governador, enquanto o curso da humanidade segurava o fôlego à espera da resposta, ali, na presença da Verdade, Pilatos indagou, quiçá com petulância ou tristeza: “O que é a verdade?”.

Ele nunca descobriu, pois o coração que não se dispõe a se entregar à verdade, jamais a conhecerá.

Jesus não apenas proclamava ser o Messias, Ele também demonstrava o poder de Deus — o Seu poder — por meio de muitos “sinais e prodígios”. Revelou Sua autoridade sobre a criação ao transformar a água em vinho e ordenar o fim de uma tempestade — que parou de vez! Revelou Sua compaixão pelo povo ao curar as multidões, restaurar a vista de cegos, curar surdos e mudos, e sarar os enfermos. Realizou ressurreições. Por fim, Ele próprio foi crucificado e enterrado, e então ressuscitou e apareceu para mais de 500 pessoas. Jesus, em todas as fases da Sua vida, da concepção à ressurreição, cumpriu profecias escritas centenas de anos antes, comprovando ser o Messias — para os que conheciam e acreditavam nas Escrituras. — Autor anônimo[3]

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Aquele que é a Palavra tornou-se carne e viveu entre nós. Vimos a Sua glória, glória como do Unigênito vindo do Pai, cheio de graça e de verdade. — João 1:14[4]


Verdade para você, não para mim…

O filósofo cristão J. P. Moreland, escreveu sobre um encontro elucidativo com um estudante na Universidade de Vermont. Moreland falava em um prédio de dormitórios, quando um aluno relativista que ali residia lhe disse:

— A sua verdade é a sua verdade, e a minha verdade é a minha verdade. Se algo funciona para você porque você acredita, ótimo. Mas ninguém deveria impingir seus pontos de vista nos outros, porque tudo é relativo.

Na saída, Moreland desligou o aparelho de som do aluno e caminhou em direção à porta. O rapaz imediatamente protestou:

— O que você está fazendo? …Ei, não pode fazer isso.”

Moreland replicou:

— Você não vai querer impingir em mim o conceito de que é errado furtar o seu aparelho de som, vai? — E então mostrou ao jovem que, quando é conveniente, as pessoas afirmam não se importar com moralidade sexual ou em colar nas provas. Mas imediatamente se tornam recorrem a absolutos quando alguém furta seus pertences ou viola seus direitos. Ou seja, seguem um relativismo moral seletivo.

É interessante notar que, algumas semanas depois desse incidente o estudante se tornou um seguidor de Cristo, porque conseguiu fazer a conexão entre Deus e a dignidade humana e seus direitos, e que Deus nos fez à Sua imagem e semelhança. Gosto de dizer às igrejas que esse seria um ótimo método de pregar o Evangelho, poderíamos denominá-lo, “Furtando Aparelhos de Som para Jesus”. — Paul Copan

*

Tenham cuidado para que ninguém os escravize a filosofias vãs e enganosas, que se fundamentam nas tradições humanas e nos princípios elementares deste mundo, e não em Cristo. — Colossenses 2:8[5]

*

“A sua verdade não é a minha verdade” é uma afirmação de autoderrota, uma declaração falsa. É possível comprovar isso de forma conclusiva agora mesmo. Dirija a 130 Km por hora na faixa onde o limite de velocidade é 80 Km. Quando for parado pela polícia por excesso de velocidade, diga simplesmente: “A sua verdade é a sua verdade, mas não é a minha”, e pise fundo! Já que você não acredita naquilo, ele não pode lhe dar uma multa, correto? — Frank Turek

*

Se o cristianismo for falso, não tem a mínima importância. Se for verdadeiro, sua importância é infinita. A única coisa que não pode ser é razoavelmente importante. — C. S. Lewis


A Bíblia assim me diz

Nossas convicções cristãs incluem que Deus existe, que o mundo foi criado por Ele, que o homem foi feito à Sua imagem e semelhança. Se estivermos certos, então a realidade se estrutura de uma maneira bastante específica sem saída para o cético. Esse é o resto da história. A menos que a pessoa seja portadora de alguma patologia, sua maneira de falar e comportamento sempre denunciarão suas profundas convicções sobre o mundo. Sem dúvida, emoções, preconceitos e obstinação podem fazê-la negar o óbvio, exceto quando está defendendo o seu campo ideológico. Mas quando ela baixa a guarda, entende que a estrutura básica do mundo é igual ao definido pela Bíblia, pelo menos genericamente. Simplificando, razão e racionalidade têm importância, mesmo para o modernista, ainda que ele afirme o contrário. — Greg Koukl

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Do ponto de vista cristão, Deus apenas não nos diz o que é justo; Ele é justo. Bondade e justiça são qualidades inerentes a Ele. Ainda que seja tentador pensar que Deus é onipotente, isso não vem ao caso, pois Ele não pode agir ou ordenar nada que fuja ao Seu caráter. Ele é lógico e moral por natureza. É impossível Ele criar um círculo quadrado ou solteiros casados, assim como é impossível Ele pecar. As verdades morais objetivas são simplesmente um reflexo da eternidade divina. Não são regras ou leis por Ele criadas (que poderiam ser alteradas aleatoriamente), mas são qualidades imutáveis e confiáveis da Sua natureza, refletidas no universo. Existem porque Deus existe (não porque Deus as criou ou reconheceu posteriormente). A Bíblia descreve Deus como onipotente, capaz de fazer qualquer coisa à qual Se propuser. As escolhas de Deus, porém, são sempre consistentes com Sua natureza moral e lógica. Ele nunca vai fazer nada contrário à Sua condição divina. — J. Warner Wallace

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O conhecimento tem uma função ímpar e insubstituível na vida do ser humano. Ao contrário de qualquer outra capacidade humana, ele confere autoridade para se agir, direcionar e ensinar. E a falta de conhecimento desqualifica a pessoa nesses aspectos… O conhecimento, portanto, constrói o alicerce para lidar com confiança e sucesso com a realidade, tornando-se, assim, uma das mais valiosas conquistas do ser humano. A Bíblia diz: “O Meu povo foi destruído pela falta de conhecimento”,[6] justamente por que, sem isso, ocorrerão encontros desastrosos, ou falta de encontros, com a realidade. E, o que é mais importante, serão ocorrências referentes a Deus, ao reino de Deus, e à possibilidade de uma vida pautada na visão de eternidade. — Dallas Willard


Existem absolutos

Em todo campo, da Ciência, Matemática, Artes, Música, História, Filosofia e religião, o homem tem tentado destruir a confiança e a fé no absoluto para abalar a fé das pessoas em alguma certeza, em algo verdadeiro. O slogan dessa tendência é: “Não é necessariamente assim”. Então, o que se lê na Bíblia não é necessariamente assim; a história não é necessariamente assim; a religião não é necessariamente assim, e a filosofia não é necessariamente assim”. Em cada campo a afirmação é que, “a criação não é necessariamente assim; música, arte, nada é necessariamente assim, porque não existe necessariamente nenhum afirmativo”. Em outras palavras, não existe verdade.

Pilatos perguntou a Jesus, “O que é a verdade?” Jesus respondeu-lhe: “Eu sou o caminho, a verdade e a vida”[7]. Mas, se nada é assim mesmo, então não existe verdadenem Cristo! Portanto, para provar que não há Deus, tentaram provar que não existe verdade, razão para as coisas, ordem, planos, leis, regras, etc.

Uma educação revolucionária hoje, seria uma que incluísse Deus no currículo. Isso simseria revolucionário no contexto do mundo contemporâneo! Voltar a Deus e à Criação, voltar à verdadeira fé na religião, incluir a Criação no estudo das ciências, voltar a um plano dentro da História, à beleza nas Artes, à harmonia na música, às regras de linguagem, ao senso de certo e errado no comportamento, à ordem no governo e incluir Deus — o criador de todas as coisas, o projetista e planejador maior – em tudo, para a vida voltar a ter sentido.

Voltemos a uma visão razoável de mundo, ao padrão para a existência obra do Criador. Ele faz os planos de acordo com regras e dá sentido ao universo e propósito aos planetas. Traz amor aos nossos corações, paz às nossas mentes, saúde aos nossos corpos, tranquilidade aos nossos espíritos, felicidade à nossa vida e alegria à nossa alma. E Ele nos ensina que “o temor do Senhor é o princípio da sabedoria”,[8] e que não basta ter conhecimento. O mais importante é saber usá-lo para a glória de Deus.

É preciso ver Deus em tudo para podermos perceber o sentido, a razão, o propósito, o plano e a meta de todas as coisas, paz e a ordem e o propósito para a vida que nos foram dados pelo Grande Arquiteto em Suas regras e leis, Seus conceitos de certo e errado, e Seus valores absolutos, sem os quais não pode haver paz, ordem nem verdadeira felicidade.

Graças a Deus pelos absolutos e pelas regras do Governante, pelas quais podemos estabelecer a diferença entre o certo e o errado e encontrar a felicidade pelo Seu amor e Suas leis amorosas e sensatas. Que Deus o ajude a conhecer Aquele em quem está a vida eterna[9] — e que é absoluto! — David Brandt Berg

Publicado no Âncora em fevereiro de 2015.


[1] ESV.

[2] João 14:6.

[3] From cbn.com.

[4] NLV.

[5] ESV.

[6] Oseias 4:6.

[7] João 14:6.

[8] Provérbios 9:10.

[9] John 17:3.

Powerful Praise

Words from Jesus
http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/powerful-praise/

Audio length: 11:30
Download Audio (10.5MB)
Taking up the weapon of praise

You don’t think you can praise Me for this tough situation? This is just a little too much to ask of you? You need to stop seeing the situation through your own limited vision. Put on My glasses of faith and let the praises loose. The tide will turn and the victory will clearly materialize through the haze of uncertainty.

Think it not strange that you are being tested beyond what you thought you could take, but rejoice, praise, and be jubilant! If you think it was spectacular when praise brought down the walls of Jericho, why not try your shouts of praise and songs of jubilation on the Enemy as you march forward into his territory! Watch his fear factories and lie-delivery services being put right out of business. Bankrupt him by giving no place to his thoughts. Instead, fill your mind, heart, and mouth with songs of deliverance and let your voice reach into the heavens with melodies of joy!

Why wait to see if things improve before you begin to thank Me? Turn on those praises at the first hint of the Enemy’s presence, and you’ll turn him around so fast that he won’t know what hit him. Get him before he gets you. Don’t give him even a fraction of your spiritual victory. Shout out your praises and joy and victory!

The Enemy has absolutely no power over you unless you give him that power. So take up your weapon of praise in difficult situations and rob him of any effect that he wants to have on you. He’ll have no way to get through to you as you lift the shield of praise and make it so strong through your heartfelt praises that any of his shots at you will simply ricochet back at him.
An attitude of praise

I dwell in the praises of My people, and therefore, as praise comes out of your lips, My Spirit gently settles down upon you, My vessels. When I settle somewhere, evil vanishes, for no evil can remain in My sight. Evil flees from My presence as quickly as it can, lest it be evaporated in a microsecond of exposure. Therefore, praise, especially in the darkness, in bad situations; for the road to victory is paved with praise.

Attitude is a determining factor in the fullness or sweetness of your existence and your testimony. Attitude is an arrow in the spirit world, and an attitude shot with praise and gratitude is directed straight toward the bull’s-eye of My presence. So when you decide to take on an attitude about anything, be sure to use the bow of gratitude so that this attitude can fly with the power of praise. Gratitude will help you hit the mark of My will and not fall short.

The pessimist and the optimist see the same thing, but in two very different ways. For the pessimist, it is bad and difficult; yet for the optimist, it has potential for good. Praising Me in difficult situations allows you to see things as an optimist, which will change your perspective and surroundings for the better.

Praise is one of the lubricants of heaven. If you’ve got the friction of problems, or the overheating of stress, or the dryness that causes your spiritual joints to squeak, or you feel as if you’re becoming unhinged, apply a liberal dose of praise. If you pour on the praise, you manifest your faith that I will do My part to take care of the problem.

My desire is to see each one of you connect with Me through the power and gusto of your praises. I am the center of your existence, and you connect with Me through your praiseful, thankful attitude. Praise is the road to Me.
Rejoice always

Rejoice in Me always. This is a moment-by-moment choice. It is possible to find joy in Me even during the most difficult times. Because I am always near, I am constantly available to help you. I can even carry you through times of extreme adversity.

Imagine a woman who has become engaged to a man she deeply loves and admires. Her heart overflows with pleasure whenever she thinks about her beloved. Problems fade into the background, unable to dampen her enthusiasm and excitement. Similarly, when you remember that I am your perfect Betrothed and that you are promised to Me forever, you can rejoice in Me even though you face many problems.

It is in the present moment that you find Me ever near you. My presence in the present is an endless source of joy: a continual feast! The soul-satisfaction you find in Me helps you relate well to other people. As you enjoy My abiding presence, you can bless others.1
Wings like an eagle

When you determine to manifest your trust in Me through your praise, I breathe into you the power of My Spirit that will renew your strength. You will mount up on wings like an eagle, the wings of My Spirit, of My life. You will run and not be weary; you will walk and not faint. Praise is energy in the spirit, and this energy is transfused into you when you praise. The blessings of My Spirit are a natural byproduct of praising Me.

I am the Spirit of life, and thankfulness and gratitude help chase away fear; they bring remorse to a dead end; they leap over the gorge of worry and they land in the field of peace and calm, where I dwell. They give you smooth sailing, powered by the breath of My Spirit.

Your spirit is a vehicle, and what it carries determines your direction as well as your destination. If you carry thankfulness and gratitude in your passenger seats, and if you power your vehicle with praise, you will eventually reach the heights of heaven, where I dwell. That’s the right direction, and the right destination, and more than enough power to get you there. So get on the road to success. Get the right passengers on board. Turn the key of praise, and power up! Be a winner. Keep thankfulness and a positive attitude in your vehicle and power up with praise, and no other thought will be able to roadblock you, lest it be smashed to smithereens!
Fragrant praises

Your praises to Me in the midst of hardship, battles, trials, and afflictions are like the fragrance of a rose petal when it’s crushed in order to make perfume. It’s a heavenly scent and fragrance that clings to you and draws Me to your side. So put on the perfume of praise if you feel as if you’re being crushed or bruised; that just makes you more beautiful and draws you ever closer to My presence.

Praising Me, even through your tears and heartaches, is like a farmer watering a dry and dusty field that’s been barren, and then watching the crops start to spring up. So praise, and watch new life grow from barren earth.

Originally published November 2008, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished February 2015. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Michael Dooley.

Growing in Love

By Maria Fontaine

Audio length: 8:47
Download Audio (8MB)

Very few people are intentionally mean, unkind, or unloving on purpose. Yet it’s so easy to let the priority of love get crowded out in a multitude of business. Or it’s easy to fall into measuring the behavior of others and subconsciously deciding who we think is worthy or deserving of our time and attention and who isn’t. Those are natural, human tendencies, but that does not change the fact that when we lack love, when we don’t manifest love, it can have terrible consequences. It can discourage people and it can damage our testimony.

You know, someone doesn’t have to be perfect in order to deserve our love. They don’t have to be a perfect co-worker. They don’t have to be faultless, or always cheerful and considerate, or a tireless worker, or have a personality that makes them easy to like or get along with. In fact, I’m sure none of us are all these things all the time, because no one is perfect. And yet, as representatives of Jesus, our job is to love. It’s what we do. Love is what our mission is all about. Love is our trademark—or it should be! “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another.”1

I think we might all need to periodically ask the Lord to take our self-righteousness down a few notches and refill us with His love and His perspective for our situations. In the midst of all our responsibilities and the pressures and stress of life, it’s easy to get negative about others at times, or a little judgmental. It’s human nature to size up others, and without realizing it, sometimes slip into a negative mindset.

Being negative about others can become a vicious cycle of judging and criticizing and measuring, rather than the strengthening cycle that the Lord intends of helping one another, loving each other through our bad days, forgiving each other our mistakes, safeguarding each other in our weak areas, and showcasing one another’s strengths. Love begets love. It inspires others to give their best. It brings down the Lord’s blessings. And it makes us happy. When there is a lack of love, it’s usually a cycle too. A lack of love creates more problems, which perpetuates even more lacks in our love.

Don’t put the doorknob too high for others. If you do, no one will be able to reach it. No one will measure up. None of us are good enough. Ask the Lord for an infilling of His unconditional love for all your interactions with others.

Jesus’ love is strong enough and pure enough to withstand our human faults and sins and mess-ups, which are many. Ask the Lord to give you some of that kind of love: Love that cares for others whether or not you naturally click with the person, whether or not you feel you have the time to spare, whether or not you feel the person is worthy or deserving of your time. Love that loves even if someone is disturbing your personal space or interrupting your plans. Love that appreciates people for who they are—someone who Jesus loves and has put in your path or in your life, and who He wants to love through you. Love that loves even if the person is late or selfish or rude or unkempt or disorganized or just plain in the wrong.

Stress is a real killer of love. At the time, nothing seems as important as what is stressing you. Stress certainly pushes love down on the priority list. Self-centeredness is another killer. When you’re focused on your own needs and what you want to do, you can’t even see the needs of others, much less be bothered to fill them. Lack of faith is another killer, thinking that giving to others of your time, affection, friendship or anything will cause you to lose in some way.

Resentments, hurts of the past that you don’t let go of, and hurts that are unforgiven can hinder your ability to love, and this can stretch over a long period of time, until you’re willing to leave the past behind and risk trying again. Laziness is another hindrance, when you just don’t care or you expect someone else to make the move or give the love that’s needed to others. Selfishness is another, feeling that you already do enough, you already give enough.

There are many excuses not to love, and each one seems justified if we’re only willing to love when it’s easy. But when we hear the heart cries of those who have been hurt by a lack of love, when we see the suffering that a lack of love causes, we realize that excuses don’t really matter. We get a little glimpse of how the Lord sees it.

As 1 Corinthians 13 teaches, all our hard work for the Lord and others is nothing without love. All our sacrifices are worthless without love. All our strenuous efforts are of no avail without love. Love has to be our driving motivation.

Love has to be what compels us. And love is what will keep things in balance. Love is what will guide us to stop what we’re doing and help someone else because they have a need. Love will give us the strength to press on when that is the greatest need. Love will help us see others through the Lord’s eyes.

We can be working hard, praying for fruit, doing our best to bring it in, but if we don’t have love—real love that lasts through imperfections, trials, bad days, problems, unpolished people, and all the rest—we’re not going to accomplish anything. “Without love, it profiteth nothing.”2

One of the contributing factors to a lack of love is simply getting too busy, too focused on fulfilling your responsibilities or reaching your goals, to the point that you don’t take time to nurture and cultivate love—love between you and others, love in your own heart, love for Jesus, and receiving His love for you.

Ask the Lord to teach you how to love. Learning to love is an art; it’s not a natural human quality. It’s supernatural. It’s heavenly. That means you have to put some time, thought, and prayer into it if you want it to be a reality in your life. You won’t get better at it automatically.

If you want to grow in love, you’re going to have to make time in your life. Look at your life and your goals, and factor in some time to love. Factor in time for friendships—not just with those you’re closest to or who you naturally get along with, but time to build friendships with those you work with or who are a part of your life in some way. Factor in time for unselfish, going-out-of-your-way type love, when you do something for someone just to make their life easier.

Factor in time with Jesus—praising Him, loving Him, remembering how wonderful and unconditional and forgiving His love is, and asking Him for more of it to be manifested in your life.

Factor in time to be healed and cleansed spiritually if you have gotten off track in this area. You may need to ask for forgiveness. You may need to ask for prayer. You may need to make some changes in your life.

May we always be known for our love. I think that’s something we all want said of us—that we are loving, that we make it easy for others to be good. Love is a vital ingredient of the mission. The mission is built on love—Jesus’ love, and His desire for everyone to feel and receive His love.

The Lord wants to bless you with the love and camaraderie that you need in order to be fulfilled and happy. He wants to use you as a vessel of His love to others. He wants to pour through you. He wants to stretch you and make you capable of loving more than you thought you were capable of. Nothing precious comes easy, and bonds of love, gifts of love, sacrifices of love are no different.

Whenever you feel lacking in love, remember that He has more to give you, and His love never runs out. Love is a miracle. Ask the Lord for a miracle, for more of His nature, and He won’t fail. He’ll fill your heart to overflowing. You can never outgive Him!

Originally published July 2009. Adapted and republished February 2015.
Read by Carol Andrews.

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/growing-love/

Young Brits reject religion, approve of atheist politicians

Trevor Grundy, Religion News Service, February 12, 2015

CANTERBURY, England (RNS) In marked contrast to the U.S., public figures who disavow belief in God tend to win approval from a growing number of British people.

A survey of 1,500 adults released Thursday (Feb. 12) by YouGov, a British market research firm, shows that as many as a third of all Britons do not believe in God or any kind of higher power.

The poll found that Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, and Ed Miliband, leader of the opposition Labor Party, were viewed positively because they state openly that they don’t believe in God.

That’s a stark contrast to the U.S., where the number of openly atheist politicians in Congress hovers around zero.

The survey shows that while atheists in England are ready to stand up and talk about their nonbelief in God, most Christians are reluctant to proclaim their faith.

And it shows a marked divide between young people—who increasingly embrace atheism—and older people, who identify with their religious upbringing.

Almost one in three under the age of 24 declare themselves to be atheists, compared with only one in 10 people over the age of 60.

Thirty-three percent of those surveyed said they did not believe in “any sort of God or spiritual power.”

The proportion of people who denied belief in God rose to 46 percent among 18- to 24-year-olds.

Young people also admire comedian and actor Stephen Fry for saying in public that if there is a God, then that God is “a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God” who allows so much suffering.

David Voas, professor of population studies at Essex University, said that while Fry had offended many religious people, he delighted atheists.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Smoking’s Toll on Health Is Even Worse Than Previously Thought, a Study Finds

By Denise Grady, NY Times, Feb. 11, 2015

However bad you thought smoking was, it’s even worse.

A new study adds at least five diseases and 60,000 deaths a year to the toll taken by tobacco in the United States. Before the study, smoking was already blamed for nearly half a million deaths a year in this country from 21 diseases, including 12 types of cancer.

The new findings are based on health data from nearly a million people who were followed for 10 years. In addition to the well-known hazards of lung cancer, artery disease, heart attacks, chronic lung disease and stroke, the researchers found that smoking was linked to significantly increased risks of infection, kidney disease, intestinal disease caused by inadequate blood flow, and heart and lung ailments not previously attributed to tobacco.

Even though people are already barraged with messages about the dangers of smoking, researchers say it is important to let the public know that there is yet more bad news.

“The smoking epidemic is still ongoing, and there is a need to evaluate how smoking is hurting us as a society, to support clinicians and policy making in public health,” said Brian D. Carter, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society and the first author of an article about the study, which appears in The New England Journal of Medicine. “It’s not a done story.”

In an editorial accompanying the article, Dr. Graham A. Colditz, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the new findings showed that officials in the United States had substantially underestimated the effect smoking has on public health. He said smokers, particularly those who depend on Medicaid, had not been receiving enough help to quit.

About 42 million Americans smoke—15 percent of women and 21 percent of men—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research has shown that their death rates are two to three times higher than those of people who have never smoked, and that on average, they die more than a decade before nonsmokers. Smokers are more than 20 times as likely as nonsmokers to die of lung cancer. Poor people and those with less formal education are the most likely to smoke.

The researchers found that, compared with people who had never smoked, smokers were about twice as likely to die from infections, kidney disease, respiratory ailments not previously linked to tobacco, and hypertensive heart disease, in which high blood pressure leads to heart failure. Smokers were also six times more likely to die from a rare illness caused by insufficient blood flow to the intestines.

Mr. Carter said he had confidence in the findings because, biologically, it made sense that those conditions were related to tobacco. Smoking can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of infection, he said. It is also known to cause diabetes, high blood pressure and artery disease, all of which can lead to kidney problems. Artery disease can also choke off the blood supply to the intestines. Lung damage from smoke, combined with increased vulnerability to infection, can lead to multiple respiratory illnesses.

Two other observations supported the findings, he said. One was that the more heavily a person smoked, the greater the added risks. The second was that among former smokers, the risks diminished over time.

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