Christ Jesus and Faith

Christmas - A Birthday Nightmare

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:54:15 +0000

You’re probably asking yourself, “how can Christmas be a birthday nightmare?” Well, suppose you are having a birthday party and you invited all of your family and friends. You are very excited and on the day of the party all of the people you invited showed up carrying many beautifully wrapped presents.

At some point you are waiting for everyone to sing the happy birthday song. But no one sings. In fact, everyone is ignoring you altogether. No one is even mentioning your name. You start to feel bad but you keep telling yourself that everyone will soon acknowledge you and wish you a happy birthday.

The guests that you invited start to handle all the beautiful gifts. You get excited and you think “this is it; now they are going to give me my gifts”! But to your amazement, they start exchanging gifts among themselves. Everyone is talking and laughing and opening their gifts. They are acting as though you don’t even exist. How would you feel if this happened to you. This would truly be a birthday nightmare.

Does this scenario sound familiar? This is exactly what goes on when most people celebrate Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ. No one knows for sure what day Jesus was born. December 25th is the day that was chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus our savior.

When Jesus was born, did the Magi exchange gifts amongst themselves or did they give gifts to the one who was born King of the Jews? They gave gold, frankincense and myrrh. These three gifts were prophetic because they spoke of the three offices of Jesus, King, Priest and Savior.

Gold is a precious metal that is fit for royalty, a king. Frankincense or incense as we know it, is a fragrant resin that was burned by the ancients and even some religions today. It was thought that the incense helps prayers get to heaven. This use of frankincense denotes the role of Jesus as our Great High Priest.

Myrrh is another fragrant resin which is most noted for it’s use as an embalming ingredient. This signifies that Jesus was born to die for the sins of the world.

Do you remember the part of the birthday nightmare where everyone ignored you and would not even mention your name. Well the same thing happens at Christmas. Jesus has been just about completely ignored. Instead, a fictitious character named Santa Clause has taken the place of Christ. Have you noticed many people choose to wish us “happy holidays” rather than to wish us a “Merry Christmas”. Why? Because Merry Christ has the word “Christ” in it and many people don’t want to have anything to do with Christ.

It is not the purpose of this post to say whether or not it’s wrong to celebrate Christmas this way. This article is written so that you might get an idea of how God might feel about the way we celebrate the birth of His Son, who was God’s gift to us. As far as exchanging gifts, maybe we should give gifts to others all throughout the year, for no particular reason other than to say we love them and not because we’re expecting a gift from them. For Christmas and throughout the year, let’s give gifts to Jesus.

You might ask “but how can we give gifts to Jesus?” Here are some ways we can give gifts to Him.

Give Jesus the first part of every day. Set aside a time in the morning to spend time with Him, praying and seeking His guidance for the day.
Give Him the first day of the week. Come and worship Him together with other believers.
Give back to Him the first dime of every dollar. Show Him that you trust Him with your finances by tithing to your local church.
Give God the first place in every decision. Ask Him to help you make those tough everyday decisions.

Remember, when it comes to Christmas and the way we live our lives, let’s ask ourselves, “How does God feel about that?”

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Intriguing Facts About the Amish

Christopher Stanley — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:23:18 +0000

Do you have a special interest in the practices of the Amish? Do you want to know more about their unique way of life? Then you will enjoy reading these little known facts! They are sure to help you develop your knowledge and satisfy your curiosity on the culture of the Amish people. Keep an open mind, and embrace their differences!

There are plenty of stereotypes out there concerning the Amish. For example, you may know that the Amish are exempt from paying government taxes. This is not entirely true, however, because the only tax Amish people are not required to pay is the social security tax. The Amish reject all forms of insurance, including social security. They never collect benefits.

Another well known fact is the Amish people’s rejection of many facets of popular society, of which partying, drinking and gambling are just some examples. What people don’t realize, though, is that young Amish adults experience a time called “rumspringa” or “running around.” During this phase, they experiment with normally unacceptable mainstream practices with other people their age. However, once their baptism occurs, “rumspringa” must stop.

Most people known the stereotypical Amish devotion to hard work, but most people do not realize Amish children only finish school through the eighth grade. High school is even less likely for them, and post secondary coursework is completely unheard of. Amish adults believe that extensive education has no place in their way of life, and that it only gets in the way of more important work.

One more little known fact about the Amish is the prevalence of genetic issues in their gene pool. This is because Amish people make up only a small percentage of the entire world’s total genetic information. Amish people are usually unwilling to use preventative medicine, but sometimes aid researchers in the study of particular diseases.

Before you journey to Pennsylvania Amish country, ensure you visit Christopher Stanley’s site Amish Cabins PA, where you can learn about the best Amish cabin rentals.

A few Strategies for the Interpretation of the Holy Bible

Jeff Commerford — Sat, 28 May 2011 09:48:45 +0000

When we read the Holy Bible, we need to do so with a couple of guidelines in mind, that will help us to understand and enjoy it, and also to interpret it fairly and honestly.

We need to try to examine the accuracy of translation. This can be difficult to try and do because the majority of us aren’t familiar with the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. We may analyze a large number of translations and scholarly commentaries and thereby arrive at the thoughts and opinions of men of learning. Our only other check is our own practical wisdom and the inspiration we can request and receive from God.

We ought to read each book in the Bible as an individual work, looking to learn what we’re able to about the author, language, circumstances, and people of the time. This we can do by using a good quality Bible commentary and by analyzing the finest historical works on the topic. Frequently the latter are not as prejudiced and more fair than books written and published by churches. The little book of Amos, for example, becomes much richer in meaning if we are aware that Amos lived in the Eighth Century B.C. in Judea and traveled north to the Kingdom of Israel at a time when Israel was experiencing a post-war prosperity and they were hypocritical, self-righteous, and shallow in their “religious living.”

We ought to remember the Spirit and emphasis of Jesus Christ. Christians, who look to Jesus Christ as the great teacher, revelator of the Father, the Son of God, and their Savior and Redeemer, are wise to make his teaching and life normative for their own interpretations of religion and scripture. He fulfilled and thus did away with a lot of things found in the Old Testament. However, other teachings he solidly affirmed and strengthened.

We need to have his concept of man and God in mind while we study all scripture. Whenever we come across ideas which appear to oppose his Spirit and teachings within the scriptures, we simply cannot accept them for ourselves and live by them. Either our interpretation is wrong, or there is an error of translation, or there’s a teaching adapted to individuals of unique needs, circumstances, or understanding, or there’s some other sort of human limitation in the picture. Great fundamentals of religion are located in the Bible, including the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel, although contained in the Bible, is greater than the Book. So to interpret all passages in the Bible we must use the Gospel as our foundation.

We need to keep in mind the poetic character and the rich imagery of the writers of the Bible. Jesus himself chose strong figures of speech to get across a great religious truth. He said, for example, “Ye are the salt of the earth, Ye are the light of the world, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets” The religious teaching implied in these words should be taken literally, but not always the figure of speech helping to make the teaching remembered.

We ought to study the scriptures with humility, prayerfully seeking inspiration from God as we read. If they were written by men of God under his inspiration, definitely a similar sort of mindset is required by the reader and by the student if he is to obtain what went into their writing. When we read poetry, we do so in a poetic mood, with thought as well as feeling, searching for the mood of the poem. Much scripture is also poetic and cannot be appreciated except with feeling, with aspiration, and with a desire to worship. The Bible is not a treatise in philosophy, nor a scientific textbook, nor a scholarly, thoroughgoing historical chronicle, nor even a text in theology. It is a profoundly religious and moral work, trying to teach Israel and all men the way to worship and serve God and the way to deal fairly and considerately with the rest of God’s children.

If you would like to find out more about the Bible and how God communicates to his children, or if you are interested in buying a bible of your own, take a look at some of Jeff’s other articles. He has written much more about the bible and how and what questions to ask if you are thinking about buying a bible

Resurrection Easter Sunday Dance Video

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:05:36 +0000

As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we came across this video that shows how one church is celebrating this Easter season. We hope you enjoy it. And let’s remember we should be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ every single day.

Bible Cover - An Important Thing That Will Help You Shield The Words Of God

Martin Paul — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:53:10 +0000

When I was in college, I heard my professor asking his students: “What is considered as the book of books?” Well, that question was actually a chicken for me because I grew up with bibles and God-fearing family back home. I would always hear my mom and my sister speak of the book of books which is actually the bible.

Our house had a collection of bibles and though many years have passed, those bibles still look good as new. My favorite was the NIV and still looks new. How? It’s because of the bible cover.

We may find book covers as something dispensable - when they get destroyed, you just throw them away and change it again. But have you ever thought of giving something good to your bible?

Well yes, the bible s actually considered as the book of books. It is the words of God that can be found in that book and if anyone finds them, he’ll be saved.

Since the bible contains the words of God, isn’t it great to think that the words of God are actually protected with a strong and sturdy bible cover?

Alright you have the Harry Potter Books, The Lord of the Rings and other best-selling books in your possession. Their prices are actually high compared to bibles and this is the reason why you decided to cover them with expensive covers.

Well, I won’t argue if you even buy the most expensive covers for your book collection but it’s pity of you if you do not consider getting your bible the best cover, too. This is the book where your salvation depends on and you ought to do that.

This is the reason why you need to protect this book with a cover that will likely protect it for a number of years. A bible cover that’s strong and sturdy is all you need to protect it from the harsh realities of life and the environment.

Article written by Martin Paul of Bible readers association, protect you precious bibles with Bible covers and bible tabs.

Earthquakes, Famine, Wars, Natural Disasters and Bible Prophecy

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:23:59 +0000

In light of the recent events that have happened all around the world, such as the Japan earthquake and their damaged nuclear reactors, the recent uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, many people are asking the questions, “what’s going on?” “Is the world coming to an end?”

In an attempt to address these concerns, we have search for a good clear explanation of these events in light of Bible prophecy. We found a video that we believe does a good job of telling how these events are lining up with scripture and how these scriptures gives us hope for the future during these troubled times. The video is by Hal Lindsey. We know you’ll find it very informative.

You Have A Marriage Invitation in Heaven

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:31:05 +0000

Your Marriage Invitation Is Waiting

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

You may not know it but you have a marriage invitation waiting for you in heaven. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:7-9 (KJV)

You may be asking yourself, “who is this bride and who is the groom?” Well the bride is the Church, those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus and have received His righteousness. We will have robes of clean white linen in heaven.

The groom is The Lamb of God. Yes, Jesus himself. One day, Jesus will be united with His bride and there will be a great marriage feast in heaven.

This marriage in heaven is patterned after ancient Jewish marriage customs. A man and a woman is approved to be married, usually by both families. Then both sides agree to the serious commitments of marriage. The groom then goes away to build a house for his bride. Often the groom builds an addition to his father’s house. When he is finished with the construction, the grooms father gives his son his blessings and gives him permission to go and bring his bride to the new living quarters.

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us and that He would come again and receive us unto Himself so that we will be with Him forever. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” John 14:1-3. What a glorious day that will be.

Do you want to participate? Do you want to receive your marriage invitation? If so, you must become part of the bride of Christ. You do this by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior. To see the steps that are involved, see our post entitled “God’s Simple Plan of Salvation“.

Japan Earthquake - Bible Prophecy Unfolding

admin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:29:32 +0000

Earthquake In Japan

The recent earthquake in Japan was the most powerful ever recorded in that country. It caused a lot of devastation and death to that region. Let us remember in our prayers the people who suffered loss and loved ones and also let us help out as much as we can.

Scripture tells us that earthquakes are one of the signs that judgment is coming to the earth. These scriptures tell us that earthquakes are like labor pains because they happen more and more frequently. The interval of time between the earthquakes are shorter and shorter. And as they happen more frequently, their intensity also increases. Finally, when the baby is due to be born, the labor pains are almost constant. Likewise, when judgment comes, earthquakes will be very close together.

Scripture also says that when Russia and a confederate of Muslim nations launch an all out attack on Israel, there will be an earthquake that is so powerful that the whole earth will feel it. It will be the worst earthquake that the world has ever experienced. God will then destroy these invaders in the mountains of Israel and by doing so, He will make Himself known to all the nations of the world.

But Cheer up! There is hope. You don’t have to experience the judgment of God. You can experience God’s pardon from all of your sins, past present and future. If you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can do so now. Take a look at God’s Simple Plan of Salvation.

Libya and the European Union - Bible Prophecy Unfolding

admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:41:48 +0000

This video shows how the crisis in Lybia is related to Bible prophecy.

You Will Live Forever

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Yes, believe it or not, everyone will live forever. God is eternal and He created humans to last forever with Him. If we only lived for 70 or 80 years, that would only be like a second to an eternal God. So He created us to live with Him forever.

The question is, “Where will you spend eternity?” The answer is, according to scripture, you’ll be present with the Lord if you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If not, you’ll be with the rich man in Luke chapter 16, which is truly a horrible place.

Can you imagine being in a place where there’s not only everlasting torment, but what’s even worse is being in a place out of God’s presence where there is absolutely no hope of God saving you.

You might be saying this is just a scare tactic. Yes! The purpose of this post is to scare you if you haven’t already received God’s free gift of salvation and Eternal Life. I want you to enjoy God’s peace and live in paradise with Him.

If you haven’t yet received God’s gift of Eternal Life, click here to see God’s Simple Plan of Salvation. Who knows, this may be your last chance. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow.