Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with ALL men! Not then "men" that are your friends or family, but especially the "men" that no one likes or no one knows.
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels with out knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2
Most people know either what it is to bully or be bullied. Little sarcastic comments that degrade people, pushing, laughing, excluding. Why do we treat God's children this way? Because of the way they look? How they dress? What they sound like? What their parents do? NONE of this matters. We are called to serve God by doing his will. Which INCLUDES showing kindness to our brothers.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16,18
Over and over again, the Bible tells us to love everyone as brothers in Christ. We are to serve them (not to be confused with worshiping idols) we should serve their needs. Take care of the humbled and poor. Take from your own wealth and share with the needy. Give all you have to help someone else.
Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:21
We get greedy with our affections. We choose who we will be nice to, who we like. Why do we do this when we are ALL God's children? He loves us all. He chose us all. We should want to please God, share his love with others so that they may choose him. If we never show his love to the "unloved" how will they ever know our God? They know the angry, jealous God. But what about the God that loved us so much he sent his son to die? He wants us to be saved. Reach out to your neighbors near and far, share the love of Jesus, he loved us first. Let us love him back. Love him by sharing the love.
One man gives freely, yet gains even more. Proverbs 11:24
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:21
We are the body of Christ, we are to use our hands, our feet, our mouths to do his will and what is pleasing to him. Give up your idols, whatever it may be, follow him. For we were sinners and now we are saved. He has washed us clean with the blood. Why do we get comfy? We get into our routines and do what is pleasing to us or the world. We loose ourselves. We loose our purpose. (this is for me) Why do we sit doing nothing when the rest of the world is hungry, cold, sick? We need to reach out these arms of Christ use our feet to travel to them, arms to hold them, words to comfort them. Let our actions reflect our faith. Let us be active not lazy in serving God's people; all the people of the world. turn from evil and do good. Psalm 37:27
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
So why do we believe?
So when there is dead time at work and the phones aren't ringing, I tend to spend some of my time on facebook, not not just facebook, but studying about different world religions. I printed out a Big Religion Chart off of religionfacts.com. I'm not sure how accurate it may all be but it seems right on for what I have learned in school. This is a collective overview, of a couple religions, from the religion chart and other sources.
Atheism
origins & history: Appears throughout history but especially after the Enlightenment (19 century)
"members": appx 1.1 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: There is no God or divine being. (beliefs are usually based on recent scientific findings)
life's purpose: No afterlife. Only humans can help themselves and each other solve the world's problems.
afterlife: None.
practices: None.
Texts: influenced by Marx, Freud, Feuerbach and Voltaire. (modern authors): Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan
*To me this seems like a sad "belief" system. If there is no God then there is no real purpose in life. If there is no afterlife then there is really any reason to be a good person, we wouldn't have morals or a conscience.
Christianity (including Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox):
origins and history: Founded by Jesus Christ in 30 AD, Israel.
"members": 2 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit
life's purpose: All have sinned and are separated from God. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, and for some sacraments and good works.
afterlife: eternal Heaven or Hell
practices: prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (communion), church on Sundays, numerous Holidays
texts: The Bible, Old and New Testaments
Judaism
origins and history: religion of the Hebrews, 1300 BC
"members": 14 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God, Yaweh
life's purpose: obey God's commandments, live ethically, their focus is on this life not the afterlife
afterlife: beliefs vary from no afterlife to a shadowy existence to the World to Come.
practices: circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah, synagogue services on Saturdays, no pork or other non-kosher foods. Holidays related to historical events
texts: Bible (Tanakh)-old testament, Talmud
*from other things I've read about Judaism, it's kind of sad. They think that Jesus was a prophet but do not believe he was the Messiah. They are still waiting for "a king". As Christians we are able to praise Jesus and through him we have eternal life in Heaven, Jews spend their lives waiting and waiting for the Messiah. They will be waiting an eternity. (God recognizes the Jews as his chosen people in the Bible)
Mormonism (Church of the Latter- Day Saints)
origins and history: Joseph Smith, 1830 New York, USA
"members": 12.2 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate beings.
life's purpose: humans existed as spirits before this life, salvation is returning to God. Salvation by faith in Christ, good works, ordinances and evangelism
afterlife: all return to spirit world. no Hell, only 3 stages of Heaven
practices: abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. Baptism for the dead, eternal marriage, temple garments under daily clothes, active evangelism.
texts: Christian Bible, Book of Mormon, doctrine of Covenants and Pearl of Great Price
*They believe they are the first "real" Church. They do not recognize any other church
Most "religions" are based on books. Some, like the Bible, can be traced back thousands of years to actual historical events. Some are based on books someone wrote. Scientology is based on science-fiction novels written by L. Ron Hubbard(1954). Science-fiction books! There is no evidence to support these "beliefs".
(sorry, just venting)
I accepted Jesus at a young age so I don't really remember all the details, but one thing remained the same throughout the years when people were getting saved or when I would "re-dedicate" my life to Christ: It was for selfish reasons. I didn't want to go to Hell. I didn't want the pain, I was scared. Who wants to spend eternity burning? Be tortured and punished for all the bad things you did or good things you didn't do? It's a fact: people do not want to face Hell. I think it's a major reason people "get saved". The more I read the Bible I understand more and I have come to realize that I was wanting to be saved for the wrong reason. Sure I don't want to go to Hell, I want to spend eternity in Heaven, but God is my heavenly father. He created us. He spoke to Noah and Moses, he saved his people. He sent Jesus Christ to die to save us from our sins, to save us from Hell. I thought about this when I was reading a print out on Judaism. They really don't have a belief in the afterlife. What if we had no idea or belief in the afterlife? What purpose would there be from getting "saved". What would we be saved from? Yes, Jesus died to save us from our sins, he died, so he must want us to be in Heaven. But why did he die? Because God the Father told him to, kinda, sorta, yea, but because he created us and loves us no matter what we do. We are forgiven, clean in his sight. HE LOVED US FIRST. It is our turn to LOVE HIM BACK. Love him. Trust that what he says he does. What he told us to do and not to do is for our best interest. We will never be perfect. We will never be able to follow all the rules. Just live for him. Treat him with the love he showed for us by sending Jesus to die for us. Live for him because he died for us.
Atheism
origins & history: Appears throughout history but especially after the Enlightenment (19 century)
"members": appx 1.1 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: There is no God or divine being. (beliefs are usually based on recent scientific findings)
life's purpose: No afterlife. Only humans can help themselves and each other solve the world's problems.
afterlife: None.
practices: None.
Texts: influenced by Marx, Freud, Feuerbach and Voltaire. (modern authors): Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan
*To me this seems like a sad "belief" system. If there is no God then there is no real purpose in life. If there is no afterlife then there is really any reason to be a good person, we wouldn't have morals or a conscience.
Christianity (including Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox):
origins and history: Founded by Jesus Christ in 30 AD, Israel.
"members": 2 billion
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit
life's purpose: All have sinned and are separated from God. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, and for some sacraments and good works.
afterlife: eternal Heaven or Hell
practices: prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (communion), church on Sundays, numerous Holidays
texts: The Bible, Old and New Testaments
Judaism
origins and history: religion of the Hebrews, 1300 BC
"members": 14 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: One God, Yaweh
life's purpose: obey God's commandments, live ethically, their focus is on this life not the afterlife
afterlife: beliefs vary from no afterlife to a shadowy existence to the World to Come.
practices: circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah, synagogue services on Saturdays, no pork or other non-kosher foods. Holidays related to historical events
texts: Bible (Tanakh)-old testament, Talmud
*from other things I've read about Judaism, it's kind of sad. They think that Jesus was a prophet but do not believe he was the Messiah. They are still waiting for "a king". As Christians we are able to praise Jesus and through him we have eternal life in Heaven, Jews spend their lives waiting and waiting for the Messiah. They will be waiting an eternity. (God recognizes the Jews as his chosen people in the Bible)
Mormonism (Church of the Latter- Day Saints)
origins and history: Joseph Smith, 1830 New York, USA
"members": 12.2 million
beliefs in God(s) and universe: God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate beings.
life's purpose: humans existed as spirits before this life, salvation is returning to God. Salvation by faith in Christ, good works, ordinances and evangelism
afterlife: all return to spirit world. no Hell, only 3 stages of Heaven
practices: abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. Baptism for the dead, eternal marriage, temple garments under daily clothes, active evangelism.
texts: Christian Bible, Book of Mormon, doctrine of Covenants and Pearl of Great Price
*They believe they are the first "real" Church. They do not recognize any other church
Most "religions" are based on books. Some, like the Bible, can be traced back thousands of years to actual historical events. Some are based on books someone wrote. Scientology is based on science-fiction novels written by L. Ron Hubbard(1954). Science-fiction books! There is no evidence to support these "beliefs".
(sorry, just venting)
I accepted Jesus at a young age so I don't really remember all the details, but one thing remained the same throughout the years when people were getting saved or when I would "re-dedicate" my life to Christ: It was for selfish reasons. I didn't want to go to Hell. I didn't want the pain, I was scared. Who wants to spend eternity burning? Be tortured and punished for all the bad things you did or good things you didn't do? It's a fact: people do not want to face Hell. I think it's a major reason people "get saved". The more I read the Bible I understand more and I have come to realize that I was wanting to be saved for the wrong reason. Sure I don't want to go to Hell, I want to spend eternity in Heaven, but God is my heavenly father. He created us. He spoke to Noah and Moses, he saved his people. He sent Jesus Christ to die to save us from our sins, to save us from Hell. I thought about this when I was reading a print out on Judaism. They really don't have a belief in the afterlife. What if we had no idea or belief in the afterlife? What purpose would there be from getting "saved". What would we be saved from? Yes, Jesus died to save us from our sins, he died, so he must want us to be in Heaven. But why did he die? Because God the Father told him to, kinda, sorta, yea, but because he created us and loves us no matter what we do. We are forgiven, clean in his sight. HE LOVED US FIRST. It is our turn to LOVE HIM BACK. Love him. Trust that what he says he does. What he told us to do and not to do is for our best interest. We will never be perfect. We will never be able to follow all the rules. Just live for him. Treat him with the love he showed for us by sending Jesus to die for us. Live for him because he died for us.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Let's talk about sex
Sex. Just saying it makes us blush. Sex. What is it for? What is it really meant for? God created sex, so don't think he doesn't want us to have it, but like all things there are some rules. God created sex for one man and one woman. Not just one man and one woman, but for one man married to one woman. For our society to continue we have to have sex. For it to continue and for it to prosper and get better instead of worse we need to know when to have sex. We are so pressured by our corrupt society we think we need to have sex to be accepted. It's not the truth. It is causing us to have sex younger and in return makes us have more babies younger. Our teenage bodies aren't ready to have little babies of our own.
Teen Pregnancy
I got pregnant my senior year of high school, I was 17. At that time my parents were in the middle of a divorce and I was living with my boyfriends grandmother. I was focused on graduating and getting out of this small town. I was worried about colleges and what I was going to be after school. Of course we had planned on getting married and having kids, but not while we were still kids. Bella has been the biggest blessing in my life. Kyle and I love her to death, she is our pride and joy. We both graduated high school and since then Kyle has got his associates degree. And back in March of this year, not even 5 days after my 20th birthday, we got married. We have had a happier ending to our teen-pregnancy story then most of the others. Yes, I said others. You see, I wasn't the only one to get pregnant my senior year, or any year. When I was a sophomore I had a close friend of mine get pregnant and drop out of school. She is not with her "baby's daddy" now is is married to another man with a another baby. (that's the thing about teenage pregnancies, it seems like after you've had a baby with one guy and it doesn't work out you move on to another guy, and you have another baby.) 3 Other girls, that I know, got pregnant in our senior year. They all 3 have TWO babies now. 1 of them is married to her original "baby's daddy" the others have new men in their lives. And whether or not they are married or happy it doesn't change everything they had to go through being a pregnant teen. It's hard! You think society would accept you since they force sex on you through TV and music. Not only do you have to go through with telling your parents, you have to go through almost 10 months of pain then a LIFE of living for someone else. As teens, we are very self-centered. I thought I was down to earth, but until you have another person to care for, you are pretty much selfish. You clean up after yourself, you bathe yourself, you feed yourself, you sleep. You do what YOU want to do. After having a baby there is no sleep. Babies are born backwards, they sleep all day and are up all night. They poop and pee more than animals. They get sick, throw up, and scream. Bella had colic for months! She would cry all night long and nothing soothed her. It was the most stressful year of my life. I loved her, but at times I would get so angry, "why doesn't she shut up? why does she always scream!" My health and relationship with Kyle deteriorated drastically. I gained more weight and we always fought. There is so much more I could tell you about how hard it is to pay for a baby. There's diapers and insurance, car seats, clothes, food, bottles, medicine, etc. The list goes on. And if you think your parents are going to have the time or want to help take care of your baby, your sadly mistaken. It's a burden on them too. Financially and emotionally.
Emotionally
Don't think that it's only your parents emotions that are effected from a baby, your emotions are effected from having sex young, period. Whether or not you acknowledge your emotions after sex is up to you. People have sex because they are "In Love". Well let me tell you how many guys have said they "love" me. Between 5-9. I have not slept with those guys, thankfully. Just one. I am shamed to say I had sex before I was married, but the good Lord blesses me, I have only had sex with the man I am married to. That doesn't happen very often anymore, if you don't wait until you're married to have sex. When you have sex, that person takes a part of you. A part of you meant for the person you were to one day marry. It's a piece of you that you cannot get back. You're ashamed, scared, paranoid. Ashamed because that's God telling you did something wrong. Scared your parents will find out and paranoid you'll get pregnant.
Well your hearing all this thinking okay, that's what you think. What does God say about sex? It's not something your parents came up with to keep you from having fun, God wants sex to be between a man and his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:2-3 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
Hebrews 13: 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage be kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
1 Corinthians 6: 13 The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. The Lord's will is good for your body-what the Lord wants will satisfy you, if you give it a chance.
I will be called a hypocrite for this but that's not the case. Sex was definitely my short fall with sin (not my only sin) I wish I would have waited to have sex until I was married. I didn't. I'm giving you my personal opinion and the opinion of God, I'm telling you from experience.
(don't worry more to come)
Teen Pregnancy
I got pregnant my senior year of high school, I was 17. At that time my parents were in the middle of a divorce and I was living with my boyfriends grandmother. I was focused on graduating and getting out of this small town. I was worried about colleges and what I was going to be after school. Of course we had planned on getting married and having kids, but not while we were still kids. Bella has been the biggest blessing in my life. Kyle and I love her to death, she is our pride and joy. We both graduated high school and since then Kyle has got his associates degree. And back in March of this year, not even 5 days after my 20th birthday, we got married. We have had a happier ending to our teen-pregnancy story then most of the others. Yes, I said others. You see, I wasn't the only one to get pregnant my senior year, or any year. When I was a sophomore I had a close friend of mine get pregnant and drop out of school. She is not with her "baby's daddy" now is is married to another man with a another baby. (that's the thing about teenage pregnancies, it seems like after you've had a baby with one guy and it doesn't work out you move on to another guy, and you have another baby.) 3 Other girls, that I know, got pregnant in our senior year. They all 3 have TWO babies now. 1 of them is married to her original "baby's daddy" the others have new men in their lives. And whether or not they are married or happy it doesn't change everything they had to go through being a pregnant teen. It's hard! You think society would accept you since they force sex on you through TV and music. Not only do you have to go through with telling your parents, you have to go through almost 10 months of pain then a LIFE of living for someone else. As teens, we are very self-centered. I thought I was down to earth, but until you have another person to care for, you are pretty much selfish. You clean up after yourself, you bathe yourself, you feed yourself, you sleep. You do what YOU want to do. After having a baby there is no sleep. Babies are born backwards, they sleep all day and are up all night. They poop and pee more than animals. They get sick, throw up, and scream. Bella had colic for months! She would cry all night long and nothing soothed her. It was the most stressful year of my life. I loved her, but at times I would get so angry, "why doesn't she shut up? why does she always scream!" My health and relationship with Kyle deteriorated drastically. I gained more weight and we always fought. There is so much more I could tell you about how hard it is to pay for a baby. There's diapers and insurance, car seats, clothes, food, bottles, medicine, etc. The list goes on. And if you think your parents are going to have the time or want to help take care of your baby, your sadly mistaken. It's a burden on them too. Financially and emotionally.
Emotionally
Don't think that it's only your parents emotions that are effected from a baby, your emotions are effected from having sex young, period. Whether or not you acknowledge your emotions after sex is up to you. People have sex because they are "In Love". Well let me tell you how many guys have said they "love" me. Between 5-9. I have not slept with those guys, thankfully. Just one. I am shamed to say I had sex before I was married, but the good Lord blesses me, I have only had sex with the man I am married to. That doesn't happen very often anymore, if you don't wait until you're married to have sex. When you have sex, that person takes a part of you. A part of you meant for the person you were to one day marry. It's a piece of you that you cannot get back. You're ashamed, scared, paranoid. Ashamed because that's God telling you did something wrong. Scared your parents will find out and paranoid you'll get pregnant.
Well your hearing all this thinking okay, that's what you think. What does God say about sex? It's not something your parents came up with to keep you from having fun, God wants sex to be between a man and his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:2-3 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
Hebrews 13: 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage be kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
1 Corinthians 6: 13 The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. The Lord's will is good for your body-what the Lord wants will satisfy you, if you give it a chance.
I will be called a hypocrite for this but that's not the case. Sex was definitely my short fall with sin (not my only sin) I wish I would have waited to have sex until I was married. I didn't. I'm giving you my personal opinion and the opinion of God, I'm telling you from experience.
(don't worry more to come)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Christmas Story
In the Gospels there are a couple different versions of the Christmas story, not different versions, more like told from different points of view. This is the version as seen in Luke; straight from my Bible, NIV.
The Birth Of Jesus Foretold
1:26) In the Sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30) But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who has said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37) For nothing is impossible with God."
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2) (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3) And everyone went to his own town to register. 4) So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10) But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. 11) Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
16) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Now imagine how hard it was for Joseph to understand that his fiance, a woman whom with "had never been laid with" was having a baby. In Matthew it explains a part of the story not mentioned in Luke. Joseph was going to divorce Mary but an angel came to him in a dream assuring Joseph to stay with Mary that she was a virgin and she was going to have the Son of God.
Also, in Matthew, it tells the story of king Herod. After Jesus was born he sent the Magi to find Jesus, he claimed he wanted to go and worship him, yet they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they went home another way.
After Jesus was born the angel of the Lord came back to Joseph and told him to go to Egypt, Herod was going to search the baby and kill him. After Herod died, the angel appeared again to Joseph in a dream telling him to go back to Israel. Hearing the Herod's son was still ruling in Judea, they went the Nazareth.
Matthew 2:23 So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
If this doesn't prove that God is on control of all situations I don't know what will. He was able to send prophets hundreds of years in advance to tell the coming of his son, and it was as the prophets said.
This is the meaning of Christmas. God sent his son to us. We are to celebrate the greatest gift: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He was born to the virgin Mary, and he died for to save us from an eternal hell. He provides us with the eternal life we do not deserve nor can we earn. Nothing we do will ever make us worthy. All he asks is that we ask for forgiveness from our sins. Trust in him and do his will. Not just to save your soul- but because he is our heavenly Father and he created us. He created the way to save us.
The Birth Of Jesus Foretold
1:26) In the Sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30) But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who has said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37) For nothing is impossible with God."
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2) (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3) And everyone went to his own town to register. 4) So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10) But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. 11) Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
16) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Now imagine how hard it was for Joseph to understand that his fiance, a woman whom with "had never been laid with" was having a baby. In Matthew it explains a part of the story not mentioned in Luke. Joseph was going to divorce Mary but an angel came to him in a dream assuring Joseph to stay with Mary that she was a virgin and she was going to have the Son of God.
Also, in Matthew, it tells the story of king Herod. After Jesus was born he sent the Magi to find Jesus, he claimed he wanted to go and worship him, yet they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they went home another way.
After Jesus was born the angel of the Lord came back to Joseph and told him to go to Egypt, Herod was going to search the baby and kill him. After Herod died, the angel appeared again to Joseph in a dream telling him to go back to Israel. Hearing the Herod's son was still ruling in Judea, they went the Nazareth.
Matthew 2:23 So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
If this doesn't prove that God is on control of all situations I don't know what will. He was able to send prophets hundreds of years in advance to tell the coming of his son, and it was as the prophets said.
This is the meaning of Christmas. God sent his son to us. We are to celebrate the greatest gift: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He was born to the virgin Mary, and he died for to save us from an eternal hell. He provides us with the eternal life we do not deserve nor can we earn. Nothing we do will ever make us worthy. All he asks is that we ask for forgiveness from our sins. Trust in him and do his will. Not just to save your soul- but because he is our heavenly Father and he created us. He created the way to save us.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Case for Christ part 2
IF THEN
Jesus is the son of God..... his teachings are more than just good ideas from a wise teacher;
they are God's own insights- on which I can confidently build my life
Jesus sets the standard for mortality... I can have an inchanging foundation for my choices and decisions,
rather than basing them on the values of what seems to get me ahead
in a particular situation
Jesus did rise from the dead.... he's still alove today and available for me to encounter on personal
basis
Jesus conquered death... he can open the door of eternal life for me, too
Jesus has divine power.... he has the supernatural ability to guide me and transform
me as I follow him
Jesus personally knows the pain
of loss and suffering... he can comfort and encourage me when things so wrong
Jesus loves me as he says... he has my best interests at heart. That means I have nothing to loose
and everything to gain by committing myself to him
Jesus is who he claims to be.... as my Creator he deserves my obedience and worship
Jesus is the son of God..... his teachings are more than just good ideas from a wise teacher;
they are God's own insights- on which I can confidently build my life
Jesus sets the standard for mortality... I can have an inchanging foundation for my choices and decisions,
rather than basing them on the values of what seems to get me ahead
in a particular situation
Jesus did rise from the dead.... he's still alove today and available for me to encounter on personal
basis
Jesus conquered death... he can open the door of eternal life for me, too
Jesus has divine power.... he has the supernatural ability to guide me and transform
me as I follow him
Jesus personally knows the pain
of loss and suffering... he can comfort and encourage me when things so wrong
Jesus loves me as he says... he has my best interests at heart. That means I have nothing to loose
and everything to gain by committing myself to him
Jesus is who he claims to be.... as my Creator he deserves my obedience and worship
The Case for Christ
SO I found this book in my closet, actually it's my sister-in-laws old closet and its her book, but anyways, I started reading it, it's called the Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (student edition). Strobel grew up going to church but not really believing or having the faith. He went through the motions until he graduated high school and he went on with his life, going to college and getting married. Anyways, a long story short, his wife became a Christian and he wanted to have some "evidence" that the Bible was truth. Strobel was a journalist so he found the "evidence" he needed to believe that the Bible held actual historical events and his faith was restored in Jesus Christ. I'm going to use this blog-post to cite some interesting points he brought up in his book. ( It's a great book and a short read, student edition is only 115 pages. I plan on getting the longer version soon.)
Did Jesus really think he was God?
"When I decided to test the claims of Christianity, right off the bat I figured that Christians made a tactical error. Other religions believe in all kinds of invisible gods-sort of like monster wave story- that's kind of hard to pin down one way or the other. But Christians were basing their religion on the alleged teachings and miracles of someone they claim is an actual historical person- Jesus Christ- who, they say, is God.
Who did Jesus say he was?
The gospel of John in the New Testament opens with a majestic claim that Jesus, here called "the Word," is God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3, 14, NIV
Some of the Jewish leaders gathered around Jesus and said, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus responded, "I did tell you, but you do not believe... I and the Father are one."
Attributes of God Claims about Jesus
omniscience In John 16:30 the apostle John affirms of Jesus, "Now we can
(all knowing) see that you know all things."
omnipresence Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "Surely I am with you always,
(everywhere present) to the very end of age."
omnipotence "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,"
(all powerful) Jesus said in Matthew 28:18
eternality John1:1 declares of Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the
(no beginning or end) Word was with God, and the Word was God."
immutability Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
(unchanging) and forever."
"You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy" John 20:29, NCV
Some people suggest that Jesus was a great moral teacher, but he wasn't God. The argument just won't work. Great moral teachers don't lie and say that they are God. But Jesus did claim that he was God.
Would somebody be willing to die for a claim he knew was a lie?
Was he willing to die because he believed he was telling the truth?
Other religions are based on people doing something to earn favor of God. Christianity is based on what Christ has already done on the cross. No body can do anything to earn God's favor, rather, Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life as a gift.
I had alot of beautiful ceremonies and traditions, but our God was a distant God who said, "Here are the rules- you live by them, you'll be ok. None of it made sense; none of it was satisfying.
Scholars have concluded that no archaeological evidence found to date flat-out contradicts the Bible. Archaeology can uncover evidence that confirms what the Bible says.
No one has uncovered any of the cities mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
No one has uncovered any artifacts related to the Book of Mormon.
No one has found any inscriptions confirming the Book of Mormon.
No one has identified any person, place, nation, or name mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
If you find yourself wondering whether archaeology can be used to substantiate the claims of just about any religious belief, you're not alone.
I wrote to the Smithsonian Institute and asked whether any evidence supported the claims of the Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. They told me in unequivocal terms that archaeologists see "no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book." (above is what one expert wrote on the topic.)
(dont worry, theres more of the book to come! -allie)
Did Jesus really think he was God?
"When I decided to test the claims of Christianity, right off the bat I figured that Christians made a tactical error. Other religions believe in all kinds of invisible gods-sort of like monster wave story- that's kind of hard to pin down one way or the other. But Christians were basing their religion on the alleged teachings and miracles of someone they claim is an actual historical person- Jesus Christ- who, they say, is God.
Who did Jesus say he was?
The gospel of John in the New Testament opens with a majestic claim that Jesus, here called "the Word," is God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3, 14, NIV
Some of the Jewish leaders gathered around Jesus and said, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus responded, "I did tell you, but you do not believe... I and the Father are one."
Attributes of God Claims about Jesus
omniscience In John 16:30 the apostle John affirms of Jesus, "Now we can
(all knowing) see that you know all things."
omnipresence Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "Surely I am with you always,
(everywhere present) to the very end of age."
omnipotence "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,"
(all powerful) Jesus said in Matthew 28:18
eternality John1:1 declares of Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the
(no beginning or end) Word was with God, and the Word was God."
immutability Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
(unchanging) and forever."
"You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy" John 20:29, NCV
Some people suggest that Jesus was a great moral teacher, but he wasn't God. The argument just won't work. Great moral teachers don't lie and say that they are God. But Jesus did claim that he was God.
Would somebody be willing to die for a claim he knew was a lie?
Was he willing to die because he believed he was telling the truth?
Other religions are based on people doing something to earn favor of God. Christianity is based on what Christ has already done on the cross. No body can do anything to earn God's favor, rather, Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life as a gift.
I had alot of beautiful ceremonies and traditions, but our God was a distant God who said, "Here are the rules- you live by them, you'll be ok. None of it made sense; none of it was satisfying.
Scholars have concluded that no archaeological evidence found to date flat-out contradicts the Bible. Archaeology can uncover evidence that confirms what the Bible says.
No one has uncovered any of the cities mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
No one has uncovered any artifacts related to the Book of Mormon.
No one has found any inscriptions confirming the Book of Mormon.
No one has identified any person, place, nation, or name mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
If you find yourself wondering whether archaeology can be used to substantiate the claims of just about any religious belief, you're not alone.
I wrote to the Smithsonian Institute and asked whether any evidence supported the claims of the Mormonism and the Book of Mormon. They told me in unequivocal terms that archaeologists see "no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book." (above is what one expert wrote on the topic.)
(dont worry, theres more of the book to come! -allie)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
CHRISTmas time!
The meaning of Christmas has been altered greatly throughout the years. What used to be and should be a celebration of Christ's birth is now all about Santa Claus and presents. And while it's great to have a time of year to share with others, to give generously the whole reason we are to be glad and happy to give gifts is because God has given us the greatest gift. Some might call it a "get out of jail free" card but it's so much more. God loved us so much that he created us. He gives us water, the sky, the earth and animals. We are sinful by nature but that does not give us an excuse to ignore him. He gave us Jesus Christ so that he would die for our sins. Not just die, but be crucified, for us. For every evil thought and action. For every bad word and gossip. For every sin. Jesus has already paid our price. Whether we choose to accept him is our choice. A gift of our choice. He chose us, but do we choose him? Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus' birth. He was born for us. He is the greatest gift we will ever receive. And he is the greatest gift we can pass on.
Matthew 1: 21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
(23) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"- which means, "God with us."
Luke 2: 11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger."
Matthew 1: 21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
(23) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"- which means, "God with us."
Luke 2: 11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger."
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