Since it's almost upon us, I think it would be a good idea to prepare for it! You may ask, "How?" And I would answer, "Good question."
How does one prepare for the worst scenario ever?
In most motivational talks, the speakers often tell you to "see yourself there". It may seem a little negative, but, in a sense, "seeing yourself in the tribulation" can help by psychologically preparing yourself to accept that it is going to happen and that it's God's will.
Ok, so if that doesn't help much, here's another idea:
Learn how to get things from God.
It's really good practice to learn how to trust God to supply your needs without your help.
In order to learn how to do that, you'll want to learn and better yet, memorize Bible verses to claim for your needs. For this, you can either purchase a concordance or go online to use an online thesaurus such as the one at: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Readers-Version-NIRV-Bible/
or http://biblethesaurus.org
When you look up a word, like "supply", the thesaurus will give you an entire list of scriptures you can look up that have that word in them.
Philippians 4:19 says "My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
When you pray, take that verse, hold it up to God and claim it! Hold God to His Word. Why wait until the situation is dire before you learn the power of God's Word?
So, I suggest that the best way to prepare for the Tribulation is to learn the Word. Learn how to use it as a practical tool. Learn some of the power that it commands. Let it rule over your life now. Follow it. It will lead you to greener pastures in the spirit.
I don't really think there's any way to prepare physically for what is coming on the earth in these next few months. Physically, you will just have to learn to survive. Spiritually, we can learn to THRIVE.
Keep using your spiritual muscles. Strengthen them by using them. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
Read the Psalms. Memorize as many powerful verses as you can. Psalm 91 has brought many believers through many tribulations and persecutions. Christians in the past have swallowed poison and not been killed, passed through the fire and not been burned, even been shot with a bullet and it didn't touch them. On and on and on, I could tell you testimonies of those who have survived terrible persecutions through miracles of God and His angels.
God's angels shall bear you up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall run and not be weary, you shall walk and not faint. We just need to learn to trust.
TRUST.
It's easier said than done. It doesn't happen when we're comfortable, only when we're forced into difficult situations. And that's what is about to come soon. The Great Tribulation.
Are you ready?
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
The Truth about the Trib!
Let's get down to it! Are we going through the "Great Tribulation" or will we be "raptured" before it happens?
Are you going to believe some sweet-looking, smooth-talking preacher? --Or, the Word of God?
Well, it's a little more work to dig into the Word of God and "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed", but, really I think it's the only way for you to discover the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth so help you God. Get to work, my dear brothers and sisters. Quit slacking. Quit letting the preachers and pastors lead you astray. If they jump off a cliff, will you follow? (Not to even mention Kool Aid. We won't get into that. However, it's a good illustration of what can happen when people don't study the Word on their own time and just let someone else preach whatever "revelation" they "receive" from the Word of God to preach to you.
Ask yourself, "What does this preacher want to gain by preaching to this huge crowd with itching ears?"
Let me be the first person to confess that I also have been oft times swayed by the strong opinions of others. I have clung to doctrines that seemed to come right out of the Bible but, now, looking back, I realize (finally) that the ones that were wrong used only one or two verses to prop up their belief. And, now, some with some of those false doctrines, I believe just exactly the opposite because of the preponderance of scripture, the knowledge and leading of the Holy Spirit and, most of all, my knowledge of the love of God.
You get to know God's voice. You learn to feel His love.
So, would a truly loving God allow His children to go through the greatest tribulation there has ever been?
Well, take a look at the God of the Bible. Did God allow Daniel to be thrown into a den of hungry lions? Did God allow Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be thrown into a fiery furnace? Did God allow Stephen to be stoned to death? Did God allow Peter to be crucified? Did God allow the persecution of the early church?
We could go on and on and on... And, of course, the answer is a resounding, "Yes! He did." God either kept them through it or delivered them out of it at the last moment. He gave them the grace and anointing to go through what they were destined to go through.
So, if you find yourself alive during the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist is forcing everyone to take the Mark of the Beast, you are being hunted by the authorities and ...what? Jesus hasn't come back to rapture you? Don't be shocked. It could happen to you. That doesn't mean you're not saved!
It means that the Bible says exactly what it means. For example, in Matthew 24. (I repeat myself.)
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken:
30 AND THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Ok, so if the Bible says "immediately after the tribulation", how do these pre-tribulation rapture theorists justify their beliefs?
We know that the rapture or the resurrection is going to happen when Jesus comes back, not before that. How do we know that? Verse 31! He's going to gather us from off the earth.
I Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
I invite you to refute these scriptures. Find others that will refute them if you will. But, don't just swallow what the pastors say who preach peace and safety. That's dangerous.
I heard one preacher refer to Luke 21. He was going along quite well, but when he got to verse 12, he took a drastic turn in a completely off-track direction. He said that Jesus was warning the Jews of His day what was going to happen to them and that these scriptures did not apply to us today.
Take a look at Luke 21 verse 12: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." It goes on to talk about persecution and then says, in verse 20: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Jesus is referring to the Great Tribulation here but Luke calls it the desolation.) In verse 22, Luke calls it the days of "vengeance". Same thing! Call it Tribulation, Desolation or Days of Vengeance, it's the same thing.
A few of my friends have a saying, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."
Have you ever heard that saying? Well, don't you think it would be better to expect to have to go through the Great Tribulation and prepare to survive it than to imagine in your La La Land Dream World that you're going to be raptured before it happens?
If all the Christians (true believers/followers of Christ) are going to be raptured before the Great Trib, who is going to refuse to receive the Mark of the Beast? Who will warn people to refuse it? Who is going to teach them how to survive by faith without the Mark of the Beast to buy or sell with?
Who is going to be calling down fire from the sky?
There's lots of miracles predicted for the end time. Oh, and by the way, the Bible says the Antichrist is going to be persecuting guess who! Well, who do you think he's going to persecute? He's call the Antichrist for a reason!
Ok, all I can tell you is, "Don't swallow all the lies of the peace preachers. Don't fall into that trap! Wake up!"
Are you going to believe some sweet-looking, smooth-talking preacher? --Or, the Word of God?
Well, it's a little more work to dig into the Word of God and "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed", but, really I think it's the only way for you to discover the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth so help you God. Get to work, my dear brothers and sisters. Quit slacking. Quit letting the preachers and pastors lead you astray. If they jump off a cliff, will you follow? (Not to even mention Kool Aid. We won't get into that. However, it's a good illustration of what can happen when people don't study the Word on their own time and just let someone else preach whatever "revelation" they "receive" from the Word of God to preach to you.
Ask yourself, "What does this preacher want to gain by preaching to this huge crowd with itching ears?"
Let me be the first person to confess that I also have been oft times swayed by the strong opinions of others. I have clung to doctrines that seemed to come right out of the Bible but, now, looking back, I realize (finally) that the ones that were wrong used only one or two verses to prop up their belief. And, now, some with some of those false doctrines, I believe just exactly the opposite because of the preponderance of scripture, the knowledge and leading of the Holy Spirit and, most of all, my knowledge of the love of God.
You get to know God's voice. You learn to feel His love.
So, would a truly loving God allow His children to go through the greatest tribulation there has ever been?
Well, take a look at the God of the Bible. Did God allow Daniel to be thrown into a den of hungry lions? Did God allow Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be thrown into a fiery furnace? Did God allow Stephen to be stoned to death? Did God allow Peter to be crucified? Did God allow the persecution of the early church?
We could go on and on and on... And, of course, the answer is a resounding, "Yes! He did." God either kept them through it or delivered them out of it at the last moment. He gave them the grace and anointing to go through what they were destined to go through.
So, if you find yourself alive during the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist is forcing everyone to take the Mark of the Beast, you are being hunted by the authorities and ...what? Jesus hasn't come back to rapture you? Don't be shocked. It could happen to you. That doesn't mean you're not saved!
It means that the Bible says exactly what it means. For example, in Matthew 24. (I repeat myself.)
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken:
30 AND THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Ok, so if the Bible says "immediately after the tribulation", how do these pre-tribulation rapture theorists justify their beliefs?
We know that the rapture or the resurrection is going to happen when Jesus comes back, not before that. How do we know that? Verse 31! He's going to gather us from off the earth.
I Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
I invite you to refute these scriptures. Find others that will refute them if you will. But, don't just swallow what the pastors say who preach peace and safety. That's dangerous.
I heard one preacher refer to Luke 21. He was going along quite well, but when he got to verse 12, he took a drastic turn in a completely off-track direction. He said that Jesus was warning the Jews of His day what was going to happen to them and that these scriptures did not apply to us today.
Take a look at Luke 21 verse 12: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." It goes on to talk about persecution and then says, in verse 20: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Jesus is referring to the Great Tribulation here but Luke calls it the desolation.) In verse 22, Luke calls it the days of "vengeance". Same thing! Call it Tribulation, Desolation or Days of Vengeance, it's the same thing.
A few of my friends have a saying, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."
Have you ever heard that saying? Well, don't you think it would be better to expect to have to go through the Great Tribulation and prepare to survive it than to imagine in your La La Land Dream World that you're going to be raptured before it happens?
If all the Christians (true believers/followers of Christ) are going to be raptured before the Great Trib, who is going to refuse to receive the Mark of the Beast? Who will warn people to refuse it? Who is going to teach them how to survive by faith without the Mark of the Beast to buy or sell with?
Who is going to be calling down fire from the sky?
There's lots of miracles predicted for the end time. Oh, and by the way, the Bible says the Antichrist is going to be persecuting guess who! Well, who do you think he's going to persecute? He's call the Antichrist for a reason!
Ok, all I can tell you is, "Don't swallow all the lies of the peace preachers. Don't fall into that trap! Wake up!"
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
To Be or Not to Be Saved
That is the question. Are we saved for eternity or can we lose our salvation by slipping up somehow?
Before I suggest an opinion, maybe we should look at what the Bible has to say. (The preponderance of scripture is what we should look at. In other words, if you can only find one or two verses that seem to indicate one thing, you should allow the preponderance of scripture to override that to some degree.)
Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast."
If we could work for our own salvation, why did Jesus need to die on the cross?
Romans 10:9 and 10 says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Salvation happens in the heart. It is by faith. It's not a mental experience. It's what you "know" in your heart between you and God.
John 1:12 and 13 says: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John refers here to being "born again", which is a spiritual rebirth. (I have personally experienced this rebirth, along with every other truly born again believer. Have you?) This is a work of God. We don't have any power over our own salvation except to accept it. Do we have the power to lose it?
Jesus said in John 3:3 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
This tells us the reason why God sent His Son. He sent Him because He loves us! AND so that we can believe in Him and not perish! That was the whole purpose of the crucifixion. We should try to get a deep, deep understanding of what the crucifixion really means to us as humans on this planet. Salvation is a gift of God strictly of love and mercy which is so invaluable that nobody could ever attempt to pay the price.
No ritual, no animal sacrifice, no gold or self-punishment can earn the salvation of our souls. There is only one sacrifice that paid that price and that was the death of God's pure Son, Jesus Who suffered torture and mocking hanging on a cross with His arms outstretched to the world.
Once you have received such a marvelous gift, do you think God would take it back? Do you think you can do something so wicked to change God's mind? If you do think that, you must also think that you were somehow "worthy" to receive salvation.
And, I honestly believe that that is the trouble with many so-called Christians today. They think that their own righteousness has some kind of effect on God. What a JOKE.
Our own righteousness stinks. In fact, it's worse than our sins. Our own righteousness is sin, of course, but it's a blind sin.
John 5:24 says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
In Romans 3:20, Paul said, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by FAITH of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
God doesn't much care who is a bigger sinner, who has the worst weakness or who is cleaner than the other guy. It really doesn't matter to God. Why not? Because we are all filthy. The only good thing about us is Jesus. It's the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from sin. Nothing of ourselves.
The only thing we're supposed to be learning is how to hear from God and obey Him. (He's not going to tell you to do something evil.) Other than that, anything we do right is only because of the Spirit of God living in us. It's a wonderful thing when God is pleased to dwell in human beings so weak and sinful as ourselves.
Romans 5:8 says: "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
We were sinners when Christ died for us and WE STILL ARE.
Don't allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that you are not a sinner. You are. We all are. We are all sinners and some of us are sinners who are saved by grace and faith.
Salvation is not something that starts in your mind or ends in your mind. It's not something your mind can even fully comprehend because God's love is greater than our comprehension.
Salvation starts with God. It's a spiritual thing that happens in our hearts and souls. It has nothing to do with our minds. Therefore, nobody can judge another person's salvation. Take care of your own salvation.
Some people misunderstand when Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." and they think that means we're supposed to somehow help God with our salvation. BAH! God doesn't need our help. Once we are saved, God has finished that part. We no longer have to worry about death or going to hell. We have eternal security.
But, some people have what I like to call "eternal insecurity". They worry that they will lose their salvation. My question to them is, "How?"
What is the one or two things that you could possibly do that would cause God to take away your salvation?
Most people immediately think, "MURDER!"
Murder is a crime in today's society. But, come to think of it, today's society makes exceptions, doesn't it? Guns are put into the hands of young men and women and they are taught how to kill, then sent off to another country to commit murder. (In my eyes, and this is my opinion; calling someone "the enemy" doesn't excuse you from being a murderer.)
I John 3:15 "... and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."
There's a verse that would suggest that if you commit murder, you don't have eternal life. And it may look to some people that there is a possibility that a Christian would lose his salvation if he committed murder.
Yet, I also believe there are truly born-again Christians who become soldiers. These days they may not even know who they kill or how many are killed by their modern weapons. Do they lose their salvation every time they kill? (I think it must be a terrible, excruciating experience if a truly born-again believer ends up in a position where he must obey the order to kill someone! I'm not for killing.)
Thank God for His mercy. Some day, we will all be completely mind-blown by the extent of God's mercy!
That's what this life is all about: discovering the extent of God's love and mercy! In fact, it's the whole duty of man to believe in God. And salvation is by our belief, by our faith. And our faith is also a gift of God. So, if you don't believe you are saved, you probably aren't.
If you have the love of God dwelling in your heart, don't hide it under a bushel. Don't quench God's Spirit. He's a much bigger God than any of us can comprehend. Spread the joy, people.
That leads me to another question, ha. "If people can lose their salvation by 'committing some unforgivable sin', does that mean that born-again Christians will have to continually evangelize the world over and over, re-winning souls to the Lord of all the souls who have lost their salvation? It would be like putting water into a cup with a hole in the bottom, wouldn't it?
Like Mr. Amazing Man said, "Sometimes I just wish they'd STAY saved!"
Well, I just don't think that God is that silly that He would get us saved and then take it back on account of how naughty we are. He already knows how naughty we are. AND He knows exactly what we are going to do every minute for the rest of our lives. I mean, come on, God knows the past, present and future, doesn't He? He also knows who is going to be saved and who is NOT.
I hope you're one of the ones who is! I am! And I'm not saying that I haven't backslidden or doubted God or even pushed God away sometimes and I may do it again. I'm just saying I was born again. I'm not getting unborn. I don't even think it's possible. Not matter how hard I try to be BAD. That's how merciful God is!
Before I suggest an opinion, maybe we should look at what the Bible has to say. (The preponderance of scripture is what we should look at. In other words, if you can only find one or two verses that seem to indicate one thing, you should allow the preponderance of scripture to override that to some degree.)
Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast."
If we could work for our own salvation, why did Jesus need to die on the cross?
Romans 10:9 and 10 says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Salvation happens in the heart. It is by faith. It's not a mental experience. It's what you "know" in your heart between you and God.
John 1:12 and 13 says: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John refers here to being "born again", which is a spiritual rebirth. (I have personally experienced this rebirth, along with every other truly born again believer. Have you?) This is a work of God. We don't have any power over our own salvation except to accept it. Do we have the power to lose it?
Jesus said in John 3:3 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
This tells us the reason why God sent His Son. He sent Him because He loves us! AND so that we can believe in Him and not perish! That was the whole purpose of the crucifixion. We should try to get a deep, deep understanding of what the crucifixion really means to us as humans on this planet. Salvation is a gift of God strictly of love and mercy which is so invaluable that nobody could ever attempt to pay the price.
No ritual, no animal sacrifice, no gold or self-punishment can earn the salvation of our souls. There is only one sacrifice that paid that price and that was the death of God's pure Son, Jesus Who suffered torture and mocking hanging on a cross with His arms outstretched to the world.
Once you have received such a marvelous gift, do you think God would take it back? Do you think you can do something so wicked to change God's mind? If you do think that, you must also think that you were somehow "worthy" to receive salvation.
And, I honestly believe that that is the trouble with many so-called Christians today. They think that their own righteousness has some kind of effect on God. What a JOKE.
Our own righteousness stinks. In fact, it's worse than our sins. Our own righteousness is sin, of course, but it's a blind sin.
John 5:24 says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
In Romans 3:20, Paul said, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by FAITH of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
God doesn't much care who is a bigger sinner, who has the worst weakness or who is cleaner than the other guy. It really doesn't matter to God. Why not? Because we are all filthy. The only good thing about us is Jesus. It's the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from sin. Nothing of ourselves.
The only thing we're supposed to be learning is how to hear from God and obey Him. (He's not going to tell you to do something evil.) Other than that, anything we do right is only because of the Spirit of God living in us. It's a wonderful thing when God is pleased to dwell in human beings so weak and sinful as ourselves.
Romans 5:8 says: "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
We were sinners when Christ died for us and WE STILL ARE.
Don't allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that you are not a sinner. You are. We all are. We are all sinners and some of us are sinners who are saved by grace and faith.
Salvation is not something that starts in your mind or ends in your mind. It's not something your mind can even fully comprehend because God's love is greater than our comprehension.
Salvation starts with God. It's a spiritual thing that happens in our hearts and souls. It has nothing to do with our minds. Therefore, nobody can judge another person's salvation. Take care of your own salvation.
Some people misunderstand when Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." and they think that means we're supposed to somehow help God with our salvation. BAH! God doesn't need our help. Once we are saved, God has finished that part. We no longer have to worry about death or going to hell. We have eternal security.
But, some people have what I like to call "eternal insecurity". They worry that they will lose their salvation. My question to them is, "How?"
What is the one or two things that you could possibly do that would cause God to take away your salvation?
Most people immediately think, "MURDER!"
Murder is a crime in today's society. But, come to think of it, today's society makes exceptions, doesn't it? Guns are put into the hands of young men and women and they are taught how to kill, then sent off to another country to commit murder. (In my eyes, and this is my opinion; calling someone "the enemy" doesn't excuse you from being a murderer.)
I John 3:15 "... and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."
There's a verse that would suggest that if you commit murder, you don't have eternal life. And it may look to some people that there is a possibility that a Christian would lose his salvation if he committed murder.
Yet, I also believe there are truly born-again Christians who become soldiers. These days they may not even know who they kill or how many are killed by their modern weapons. Do they lose their salvation every time they kill? (I think it must be a terrible, excruciating experience if a truly born-again believer ends up in a position where he must obey the order to kill someone! I'm not for killing.)
Thank God for His mercy. Some day, we will all be completely mind-blown by the extent of God's mercy!
That's what this life is all about: discovering the extent of God's love and mercy! In fact, it's the whole duty of man to believe in God. And salvation is by our belief, by our faith. And our faith is also a gift of God. So, if you don't believe you are saved, you probably aren't.
If you have the love of God dwelling in your heart, don't hide it under a bushel. Don't quench God's Spirit. He's a much bigger God than any of us can comprehend. Spread the joy, people.
That leads me to another question, ha. "If people can lose their salvation by 'committing some unforgivable sin', does that mean that born-again Christians will have to continually evangelize the world over and over, re-winning souls to the Lord of all the souls who have lost their salvation? It would be like putting water into a cup with a hole in the bottom, wouldn't it?
Like Mr. Amazing Man said, "Sometimes I just wish they'd STAY saved!"
Well, I just don't think that God is that silly that He would get us saved and then take it back on account of how naughty we are. He already knows how naughty we are. AND He knows exactly what we are going to do every minute for the rest of our lives. I mean, come on, God knows the past, present and future, doesn't He? He also knows who is going to be saved and who is NOT.
I hope you're one of the ones who is! I am! And I'm not saying that I haven't backslidden or doubted God or even pushed God away sometimes and I may do it again. I'm just saying I was born again. I'm not getting unborn. I don't even think it's possible. Not matter how hard I try to be BAD. That's how merciful God is!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
The Christmas Story continued...
No, this is NOT the story about Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus and all that... Get with the program, people! Christmas is the Birthday of our Lord. That is what the Christ in Christmas is.
Whether Christ was born on the 25th of December or not, really is not the issue. There are debates about whether we should celebrate Christmas and certainly, putting up a Christmas tree is a great debate. Especially if you figure that there are Buddhists and Hindus who decorate trees and worship the tree as a god. But, if a Christian puts up a Christmas tree, it is NOT to worship the tree. Right? I mean, every believer should realize that. Christians do NOT worship inanimate objects. (things made with men's hands)
And, that includes cars, computers, houses, clothing, etc. Ok, we're straight on that, now.
The story of Christmas is a story told to children but one that amazes adults. It's about a moving star, angels that appear to shepherds, and, of course the virgin birth.
Impossible! A virgin giving birth. Yes, in our natural state and in this life, a virgin birth is utterly impossible. That is why it is called a "miracle". It is supernatural.
The birth of Jesus Christ was supernatural. He was a Superman! I believe He was the ONLY real super man recorded in the history of the world. He had super powers. He was a Super Power. He IS a Super Power. He can do things beyond our wildest expectations and that's really not only the half of it!
Jesus was 50% human only. He had no earthly father!
Let's continue reading because, I'm not the one making this up. It's all in the book. This is what we celebrate on Christmas.
Matthew 2
13 And when they (the three wisemen) were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
DESTROY him? Why? He's a little baby and already, Jesus is a fugitive!
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed in Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.
16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Sounds like Herod had huge anger management issues. I guess he went down in history as the world's worst baby-killer.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Whether Christ was born on the 25th of December or not, really is not the issue. There are debates about whether we should celebrate Christmas and certainly, putting up a Christmas tree is a great debate. Especially if you figure that there are Buddhists and Hindus who decorate trees and worship the tree as a god. But, if a Christian puts up a Christmas tree, it is NOT to worship the tree. Right? I mean, every believer should realize that. Christians do NOT worship inanimate objects. (things made with men's hands)
And, that includes cars, computers, houses, clothing, etc. Ok, we're straight on that, now.
The story of Christmas is a story told to children but one that amazes adults. It's about a moving star, angels that appear to shepherds, and, of course the virgin birth.
Impossible! A virgin giving birth. Yes, in our natural state and in this life, a virgin birth is utterly impossible. That is why it is called a "miracle". It is supernatural.
The birth of Jesus Christ was supernatural. He was a Superman! I believe He was the ONLY real super man recorded in the history of the world. He had super powers. He was a Super Power. He IS a Super Power. He can do things beyond our wildest expectations and that's really not only the half of it!
Jesus was 50% human only. He had no earthly father!
Let's continue reading because, I'm not the one making this up. It's all in the book. This is what we celebrate on Christmas.
Matthew 2
13 And when they (the three wisemen) were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
DESTROY him? Why? He's a little baby and already, Jesus is a fugitive!
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed in Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.
16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Sounds like Herod had huge anger management issues. I guess he went down in history as the world's worst baby-killer.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Matthew 2
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Now, this just blows me away, really. These guys show up from far away and they want to go to do what? To worship WHO? A BABY! Can you imagine? I have a lot of questions about this. First of all: How do they know that this king is King of the Jews? How do they know that that's HIS star? And, if they are not Jews, why would they want to worship him? And why would they care about a king that is born to the Jewish nation? Too many questions...
I have a gut feeling that these three wise men were very wise indeed. They were led of God. They had the humility to fall down at the feet of a baby by faith that He was going to be a great King some day. And they put their faith into action by giving the best gifts they could offer.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
I can understand Herod being troubled, but shouldn't the Jews in Jerusalem been happy about it?
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judae: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel.
So, the chief priests and scribes knew their scriptures. They knew where the Messiah would be born. Why didn't they go and look for Jesus, too? They could have followed the star, couldn't they?
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
A moving star! How about that?
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Those guys were jumping up and down! They were excited!
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
They were really hearing from God. They were led of Him, warned of Him and obeyed. Who WERE these guys? I mean, I know they were star-studiers or astrologers or wisemen who came from the East, but, WHO were they to be so in tune with God at a time like this?
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Now, this just blows me away, really. These guys show up from far away and they want to go to do what? To worship WHO? A BABY! Can you imagine? I have a lot of questions about this. First of all: How do they know that this king is King of the Jews? How do they know that that's HIS star? And, if they are not Jews, why would they want to worship him? And why would they care about a king that is born to the Jewish nation? Too many questions...
I have a gut feeling that these three wise men were very wise indeed. They were led of God. They had the humility to fall down at the feet of a baby by faith that He was going to be a great King some day. And they put their faith into action by giving the best gifts they could offer.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
I can understand Herod being troubled, but shouldn't the Jews in Jerusalem been happy about it?
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judae: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel.
So, the chief priests and scribes knew their scriptures. They knew where the Messiah would be born. Why didn't they go and look for Jesus, too? They could have followed the star, couldn't they?
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
A moving star! How about that?
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Those guys were jumping up and down! They were excited!
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
They were really hearing from God. They were led of Him, warned of Him and obeyed. Who WERE these guys? I mean, I know they were star-studiers or astrologers or wisemen who came from the East, but, WHO were they to be so in tune with God at a time like this?
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Matthew 1 continued...
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Joseph was thinking about hiding Mary so that she didn't get stoned to death. Imagine the humiliation of it all. God certainly was not considering the Jewish law in this case because by getting Mary pregnant, it just raised a heck of a lot of questions. I mean, what would her parents say? Anyone who knew her must have been ashamed of her.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Do you have dreams that you can remember when you wake up? Sometimes God will speak to us through our dreams. It seems God has a better opportunity to talk to us while we are asleep. So, I suggest you keep track of your dreams that you feel are significant. I do. I write them in a little book. Sometimes, I don't get the interpretation until much later and that little book has been a source of guidance and inspiration to me.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(It is also written in the Koran or Qua ran that Jesus is the Messiah and a Messiah is the One who saves us from sin.)
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is God. (says so right there)
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
There's one man who knew he was marrying the right girl because God TOLD him to marry her.
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Joseph was thinking about hiding Mary so that she didn't get stoned to death. Imagine the humiliation of it all. God certainly was not considering the Jewish law in this case because by getting Mary pregnant, it just raised a heck of a lot of questions. I mean, what would her parents say? Anyone who knew her must have been ashamed of her.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Do you have dreams that you can remember when you wake up? Sometimes God will speak to us through our dreams. It seems God has a better opportunity to talk to us while we are asleep. So, I suggest you keep track of your dreams that you feel are significant. I do. I write them in a little book. Sometimes, I don't get the interpretation until much later and that little book has been a source of guidance and inspiration to me.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(It is also written in the Koran or Qua ran that Jesus is the Messiah and a Messiah is the One who saves us from sin.)
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is God. (says so right there)
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
There's one man who knew he was marrying the right girl because God TOLD him to marry her.
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Matthew 1
Since this is a blog for "new" believers or those who want to grow spiritually and are starting at square one, I want to encourage you to continue reading the New Testament. I'll try to walk you through it as much as possible to keep you focused on what you're reading. Reading the Word is what some might call an acquired or developed 'taste'. Maybe you need to try it a few times before you can appreciate it fully enough to make it a habit.
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
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