Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Is there value in Christian journaling?
Is there value in Christian journaling?: Is there value in Christian journaling? How can journaling be a helpful practice for Christians?
Monday, October 30, 2017
What is the origin of religion?
What is the origin of religion?: What is the origin of religion? How and when did religion start? How did religion originate?
What is the all-seeing eye?
What is the all-seeing eye?: What is the all-seeing eye? What does the all-seeing eye represent? Does the all-seeing eye have anything to do with the Bible or Christianity?
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Saturday, October 28, 2017
On October 8, 1956, in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Larsen's perfect game is the only perfect game in the history of the World Series; it is one of only 23 perfect games in MLB history. His perfect game remained the only no-hitter of any type ever pitched in postseason play until Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on October 6, 2010, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Larson had an 81-91 record in 14 years in the big leagues.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Catholic
Here is what it was like to be a believing Christian five hundred years ago. The church did teach that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, bore the punishment for our sins and died for the forgiveness of our sins. It taught that the redemption that Christ won had to be dispensed by the church.
What this meant in practice was that Christ’s death, applied through baptism, was thought to free us from original sin. Sins committed after baptism had to be dealt with in a different manner. The Roman Catholic Church still teaches that Christians can be damned if they commit mortal sins. But these can be forgiven if the sinner feels contrition, confesses them to a priest, performs an act of penance, and receives absolution. Thus, the sins are forgiven, in the sense that they no longer will incur eternal punishment. But they will still incur temporal punishment.
This happens in purgatory. After death, Christians must be punished for the sins they committed on earth. This is necessary before the Christian may enter heaven. Purgatory was a realm of fire. Sinners burn in purgatory, much as they would in hell, though these pains are only temporary. But suffering the fires of purgatory might last thousands of years.
This is what believing Christians have to endure, for sins for which they have repented and found forgiveness, that the church admits were atoned for by Christ, and that were confessed and absolved.
But God, by His grace, can reduce this time, the Roman Catholic Church says. This is why we must pray for the dead, that God would remit their penalty. Also, the church can reduce this time by means of the “treasury of merit.” The saints—defined as someone found to be already in heaven, their time shortened by God’s special grace and the holiness of their lives—have more merit than they need to enter heaven. So the church can transfer that extra merit to living Christians or to the dead already in purgatory. These are indulgences.
The church granted—and still grants—indulgences for various acts of devotion, such as venerating relics or going on a pilgrimage. And then, at the start of the Reformation, the pope was selling them.
Imagine the horror of believing that after death, for all of your piety, you would experience thousands of years of penitential fire. But imagine the relief if for a week’s wages you could buy a plenary or complete indulgence and go straight to heaven. And if you could raise another week’s wages, you could free your dead child.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Hindernce
I will only mention a few here. Money is the big problem. If not careful it can control our lives. We all have to live in this world, but we can't let the world control us. Money itself does not interfere with our walk with Christ. It is the love of money that does interfere with our walk ( Matthew 6:19-34). Trust God, He will take care of us. This does not mean for us to quit our jobs or not earn money, it simply means God is more important. Another big problem is the media. By media I mean Internet, TV, movies, video games, magazines and any other type media outlet there is. Media is dangerous because we can become consumed with it. The media is everywhere we turn. And to make matters worse it is littered with some terrible thing's. Nearly every commercial on TV and every advertisement on the internet try to convince us we need something and they can fill that need. They tell us how we should look, feel and act. Movies, TV and music can all be bad because they can tell us what is right and wrong. We should all be wise in what we play, watch, read and how much time we spend doing it. We should be willing to give up things that hinder our walk with God. Our Relationships with others and routines can also get our way as well as our work can. Work, relationships and routines are important but our relationship with God is much more important. Desiring a blessing from God, more than God himself can hinder our walk with God. Praying for specific things over and over, but forget about spending quality time with God. Seek first his kingdom ( Matthew 6:34). There are many more things that can hinder our walk. We ourselves can hinder and so can our pastor. Surprising but true. The followjng website will tell you more http://livingforjesus.com/10-things-that-can-distract-us-during-our-walk-with-god/ In conclusion we should give up all things that hinder our walk with God. Read and meditate on the Bible. Pray each day. Get to know God. Spend quality time with Him. In this way you will know what He desires and overcome the things that cause hindrances.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Monday, October 16, 2017
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Friday, October 13, 2017
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Lemur
In Roman mythology, "lemures" were evil spirits of the dead. Three days a year, the pagans would exorcise those spirits from their houses in a ritual they called Lemuria. In the 18th century, as Linnaeus was cataloging animal species, he gave a certain primate from Madagascar the name "lemur" because, like the malevolent spirits of lore, lemurs are nocturnal and have specter-like faces.
Is the Headquarters of the Deep State in Moscow?
Is the Headquarters of the Deep State in Moscow?: Is the Headquarters of the Deep State in Moscow?, Mueller, Fired by Trump, bipartisan hearing, Marxist mole in the White House, Obama, Hillary, his Russian backers are behind the anti-Trump campaign?
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Maxim
The world’s has many ignorant maxims:
1. “All good things must come to an end.” This isn’t true for the Christian; see Ephesians 2:4–7.
2. “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The chicken; see Genesis 1:20.
3. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” See Matthew 14:19.
4. “You can’t take it with you.” The Christian’s works “follow” him; see Revelation 14:13.
5. “There are only two things in life that are sure—death and taxes.” Plenty of people avoid taxes; none avoid death. See Hebrews 9:27.
6. “Crime doesn’t pay.” It does...up until Judgment Day; see Romans 2:6.
7. “As miserable as sin.” Sin gives pleasure; see Hebrews 11:25.
8. “That’s impossible!” With God, nothing is impossible; see Mark 10:27.
9. “No one will know!” God knows; see 1 John 3:20.
10. “It’s the perfect crime.” Judgment Day will prove that there is no such thing as a crime that escapes justice; see Hebrews 4:13.
11. “Seeing is believing.” Any magician knows that isn’t true. The eyes are easily fooled; see Proverbs 28:26.
12. “God helps those who help themselves.” God helps those who cannot help themselves; see Romans 5:6.
2. “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The chicken; see Genesis 1:20.
3. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” See Matthew 14:19.
4. “You can’t take it with you.” The Christian’s works “follow” him; see Revelation 14:13.
5. “There are only two things in life that are sure—death and taxes.” Plenty of people avoid taxes; none avoid death. See Hebrews 9:27.
6. “Crime doesn’t pay.” It does...up until Judgment Day; see Romans 2:6.
7. “As miserable as sin.” Sin gives pleasure; see Hebrews 11:25.
8. “That’s impossible!” With God, nothing is impossible; see Mark 10:27.
9. “No one will know!” God knows; see 1 John 3:20.
10. “It’s the perfect crime.” Judgment Day will prove that there is no such thing as a crime that escapes justice; see Hebrews 4:13.
11. “Seeing is believing.” Any magician knows that isn’t true. The eyes are easily fooled; see Proverbs 28:26.
12. “God helps those who help themselves.” God helps those who cannot help themselves; see Romans 5:6.
And one more,
13. "Follow your heart." The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." see Jeremiah 17:9.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Sunday, October 8, 2017
We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel (Lyrics - Whit Pictures Of History)
The lyrics of this song mention many people, places, and events that are significant in history. Most of these words bring a negative image to mind. Some examples are, “Richard Nixon…H-bomb…Children of Thalidomide.” Richard Nixon was one of our presidents and he was involved in the Watergate Scandal which led to his resignation. The H-bomb, or hydrogen bomb, is a device which is far more powerful than the atomic bomb which was dropped over Nagasaki and Hiroshima and injured many civilians. Thalidomide was a drug that pregnant women took to reduce the symptoms of morning sickness. Consequently, this drug had an adverse effect on their children. In the chorus, Joel mentions a fire that has constantly been burning. He says, “We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning…No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it.” The happenings mentioned above can be considered “fires” that have had a negative effect on the world. The whole world has dystopian occurrences and the people in it are just trying to find a way to live and find happiness in it.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Martin Luther King
In August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led over 250,000 people gathered in our nation’s capital on the March on Washington in support of civil rights. King often quoted the Bible in his speeches, and he did so in his famous, “I have a dream speech.” He quoted from Isaiah 40 verses 4 and 5: “I have a dream that one day every valley should be exalted . . ."
From his first sermon at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia to his assassination at age thirty-nine in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. stood for truth and justice and righteousness for all people! And in that same “I have a dream speech,” quoting from Amos 5:24: “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream!”
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
Examples of civil disobedience in the Bible
In Exodus 1, the Egyptian Pharaoh gave the clear command to two Hebrew midwives that they were to kill all male Jewish babies. An extreme patriot would have carried out the government’s order, yet the Bible says the midwives disobeyed Pharaoh and “feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17). The Bible goes on to say the midwives lied to Pharaoh about why they were letting the children live; yet even though they lied and disobeyed their government, “God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them” (Exodus 1:20–21).
In Joshua 2, Rahab directly disobeyed a command from the king of Jericho to produce the Israelite spies who had entered the city to gain intelligence for battle. Instead, she let them down via a rope so they could escape. Even though Rahab had received a clear order from the top government official, she resisted the command and was redeemed from the city’s destruction when Joshua and the Israeli army destroyed it.
The book of 1 Samuel records a command given by King Saul during a military campaign that no one could eat until Saul had won his battle with the Philistines. However, Saul’s son Jonathan, who had not heard the order, ate honey to refresh himself from the hard battle the army had waged. When Saul found out about it, he ordered his son to die. However, the people resisted Saul and his command and saved Jonathan from being put to death (1 Samuel 14:45).
Another example of civil disobedience in keeping with biblical submission is found in 1 Kings 18. That chapter briefly introduces a man named Obadiah who “feared the Lord greatly.” When the queen Jezebel was killing God’s prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them and hid them from her so they could live. Such an act was in clear defiance of the ruling authority’s wishes.
In 2 Kings, the only apparently approved revolt against a reigning government official is recorded. Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, began to destroy the royal offspring of the house of Judah. However, Joash the son of Ahaziah was taken by the king’s daughter and hidden from Athaliah so that the bloodline would be preserved. Six years later, Jehoiada gathered men around him, declared Joash to be king, and put Athaliah to death.
Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples. The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar’s command. The second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Darius’ decree to not pray to anyone other than the king. In both cases, God rescued His people from the death penalty that was imposed, signaling His approval of their actions.
In the New Testament, the book of Acts records the civil disobedience of Peter and John towards the authorities that were in power at the time. After Peter healed a man born lame, Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and put in jail. The religious authorities were determined to stop them from teaching about Jesus; however, Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20). Later, the rulers confronted the apostles again and reminded them of their command to not teach about Jesus, but Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
One last example of civil disobedience is found in the book of Revelation where the Antichrist commands all those who are alive during the end times to worship an image of himself. But the apostle John, who wrote Revelation, states that those who become Christians at the time will disobey the Antichrist and his government and refuse to worship the image (Revelation 13:15) just as Daniel’s companions violated Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship his idol.
Civil Disobedience—Conclusion
What conclusions can be drawn from the above biblical examples? The guidelines for a Christian’s civil disobedience can be summed as follows:
• Christians should resist a government that commands or compels evil and should work nonviolently within the laws of the land to change a government that permits evil.
• Civil disobedience is permitted when the government’s laws or commands are in direct violation of God’s laws and commands.
• If a Christian disobeys an evil government, unless he can flee from the government, he should accept that government’s punishment for his actions.
• Christians are certainly permitted to work to install new government leaders within the laws that have been established.
Lastly, Christians are commanded to pray for their leaders and for God to intervene in His time to change any ungodly path that they are pursuing: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
In Joshua 2, Rahab directly disobeyed a command from the king of Jericho to produce the Israelite spies who had entered the city to gain intelligence for battle. Instead, she let them down via a rope so they could escape. Even though Rahab had received a clear order from the top government official, she resisted the command and was redeemed from the city’s destruction when Joshua and the Israeli army destroyed it.
The book of 1 Samuel records a command given by King Saul during a military campaign that no one could eat until Saul had won his battle with the Philistines. However, Saul’s son Jonathan, who had not heard the order, ate honey to refresh himself from the hard battle the army had waged. When Saul found out about it, he ordered his son to die. However, the people resisted Saul and his command and saved Jonathan from being put to death (1 Samuel 14:45).
Another example of civil disobedience in keeping with biblical submission is found in 1 Kings 18. That chapter briefly introduces a man named Obadiah who “feared the Lord greatly.” When the queen Jezebel was killing God’s prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them and hid them from her so they could live. Such an act was in clear defiance of the ruling authority’s wishes.
In 2 Kings, the only apparently approved revolt against a reigning government official is recorded. Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, began to destroy the royal offspring of the house of Judah. However, Joash the son of Ahaziah was taken by the king’s daughter and hidden from Athaliah so that the bloodline would be preserved. Six years later, Jehoiada gathered men around him, declared Joash to be king, and put Athaliah to death.
Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples. The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar’s command. The second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Darius’ decree to not pray to anyone other than the king. In both cases, God rescued His people from the death penalty that was imposed, signaling His approval of their actions.
In the New Testament, the book of Acts records the civil disobedience of Peter and John towards the authorities that were in power at the time. After Peter healed a man born lame, Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and put in jail. The religious authorities were determined to stop them from teaching about Jesus; however, Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20). Later, the rulers confronted the apostles again and reminded them of their command to not teach about Jesus, but Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
One last example of civil disobedience is found in the book of Revelation where the Antichrist commands all those who are alive during the end times to worship an image of himself. But the apostle John, who wrote Revelation, states that those who become Christians at the time will disobey the Antichrist and his government and refuse to worship the image (Revelation 13:15) just as Daniel’s companions violated Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship his idol.
Civil Disobedience—Conclusion
What conclusions can be drawn from the above biblical examples? The guidelines for a Christian’s civil disobedience can be summed as follows:
• Christians should resist a government that commands or compels evil and should work nonviolently within the laws of the land to change a government that permits evil.
• Civil disobedience is permitted when the government’s laws or commands are in direct violation of God’s laws and commands.
• If a Christian disobeys an evil government, unless he can flee from the government, he should accept that government’s punishment for his actions.
• Christians are certainly permitted to work to install new government leaders within the laws that have been established.
Lastly, Christians are commanded to pray for their leaders and for God to intervene in His time to change any ungodly path that they are pursuing: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
How can being a Christian be difficult?
How can being a Christian be difficult?: How can being a Christian be difficult? Why is being a Christian hard sometimes? What are some challenges in being a Christian?
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Capitol
The dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC stands as a symbol of the American nation and the meeting place of the US Congress. The Capitol rotunda dome contains four mural-size paintings. One is a well-known painting depicting the signing of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, presented to Congress in 1776. The five writers standing are: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men . . . are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . .” The Founders were influenced by Enlightenment era ideas and the Bible’s teaching on equality. Adams and Jefferson particularly admired Jesus’s teachings on morality.
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