A blog about belief in Jesus Christ that asks the question; Did God send His only Son, Jesus Christ to the earth to start a new religion called Christianity?
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
3. as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4. by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
Below is a guest post by Karen Anderson...
Easy Christian Solutions to Life’s Problems
If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty about life, it’s that it is not easy. We are beset with problems at every turn, and not all of them have visible or viable solutions. So unless we learn how to cope with them, we’re going to end up becoming victims of stress. I’ve learned through experience that one of the best ways to deal with stress and reduce its detrimental effects on our life and our health is through religion. Spirituality can work wonders in helping you find solutions to life’s problems, so if you’re looking for answers, here are a few Christian solutions to the common ills that plague you:
· M Money: It’s not an exaggeration to say that the world revolves around money. Without this manmade concept of riches, we would have no life. And even though money is not everything, we do need enough of it to live satisfactorily. So if you’re having money trouble, the best way to get over it is to analyze your spending habits and make the necessary amends. Remember the parable of the talents where God rewarded his servants who had used their money to make more money and punished the one who was too cowardly to invest it wisely? Well, there’s a lesson we can learn from this story – it pays to spend less than what we earn and also put away an amount that accrues interest and will stand us in good stead in the event of a rainy day.
· R Relationships: No man is an island and we need other people for our emotional and sometimes even physical needs. Whenever any relationship in your hits a problem or goes through a bad patch, all you need to do is remember the commandment that says – Love your neighbor as you love yourself – the neighbor here refers to your loved one. And when you love them as much as you love yourself, you see things in a different light. It’s not all about you and you’re able to understand their feelings as well. This positive outlook changes your relationships for the better.
· W Work: To be successful at work and avoid problems at your workplace, all you need to do is take heed of the fourth commandment – Observe the Sabbath as a holy day and work diligently on the other six days of the week. When you follow this to the letter, you not only get all your work done efficiently and on time, you also prevent yourself from falling prey to stress and overwork by taking adequate rest and rejuvenating yourself on Sunday.
Our lives revolve around money, friends, family and work, not necessarily in that order. By using lessons from the Bible wisely, it’s easy to solve any problems we may face.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Karen Anderson, who writes on the topic of online bible colleges . She welcomes your comments at her email id : karen.anderson441@gmail.com
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
<---CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE...Have we grown callous about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during the Easter season? Are we truly aware of what Jesus gave so we could live? What does turkey and Easter bunnies have to do with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?
I got this image in an email and it thoroughly inspired me to share it here lest we forget the reason why we believe as we do in a Saviour Jesus Christ.
FACTS ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS:
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
A Rather Graphic Christian PoemNation will bomb nation
The sun will kiss and yell
Whilst trying to feed the world this year
We'll contract AIDS as wellWogan will be Wogan
Lebanon will scream
Liverpool will win the League
if not, some other teamPeople will spend holidays
in irksome traffic jams
Daffodils will leap with Spring
alongside new born lambsPop songs will be written
but sheep won't safely graze
They're earmarked for experiments
involving micro wavesThe Church will stand divided
as if in some deep trance
But, Christ still shines in glory
and gives us one more chance...
Calling all God's people everywhere...
Get involved in the "The Bad Christian Project" make a difference in your faith today and learn about the history of Christianity. Here is brief synopsis of how it all went down...
Once upon a time there was this little Roman Emperor named Nero. You know the guy that played the fiddle while Rome burned. Nero wanted to rename Rome under his name and started the fire. He blamed the Christians for the fire and wholesale persecution started. With thousands and thousands of Christians dying for something they never did. Then about 250 years later along came another Emperor named Constantine. Who was best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor. Under Constantine Christianity moved from a persecuted belief to a persecuting religion literally overnight.
Then about 1200 years later along came a simple German monk named Martin Luther who started the great reformation and the split from the Roman Catholic church. Protestantism was born. Fast forward to today 2010 there are currently 38,000 Christian denominations that are not supported by scripture yet they exist. My question is why do we allow this when it is clear in scripture we are to be united?
The Bad Christian Project is a fairly large effort that will need the cooperation and unity of many Christian folk right across the world. The whole idea stems from the fact that Christianity is divided by denominational divergence and that we as believers in Christ can work together to make a difference in our belief. And further the great commission to make disciples of all the world. Starting here in North America and moving as far as God will allow the project to reach. That we can break down the barriers of denomination by participating in a project that makes a bee-line to the message of Jesus Christ.
The project itself is a grassroots movement that can help raise awareness to the fact that Christianity in the beginning was a persecuted belief. And that persecution of that belief still happens in many parts of the world Today. Maybe it happens right in your own church or neighborhood. The project will focus on how denominational divergence started and how we as grassroots believers in Jesus Christ can stop the spread of sectarianism in Christianity and get back to the basics of why Jesus came and offered salvation to a dying world.
I am asking people of faith from every denomination these questions...
1. Do you think that God sent Jesus Christ to the earth to set-up a new religion called Christianity? If yes... Where in scripture would you find that Jesus was to start a new religion called Christianity?
2. What denomination did Jesus and the Apostles belong too?
3. Will Jesus find faith on the earth when He comes on the great and final day?
Also I would like to receive any footage from anywhere that shows believers being persecuted for their belief in Jesus Christ. This footage could include folks who have been excommunicated for any type of reason from any denomination.
People needed;
- Prayer Warriors to pray continually for the project from start to finish.
- Amateur/Professional Film Makers - Who have DV style camera's right across the world who would be willing to shoot footage in their cities and send it in to me for consideration in the film.
- People that can help with production, graphics, website, computer animations, posters and as general lobbyists to gain support from the Christian community in their geographical locations.
- Film industry people who would give their talents to help make the film look professional and help with distribution.
- Musicians/Song Writers/Artists/Actors/Actresses et al that would be willing to contribute their talent through song, poetry, prose, painting and any and all art-forms that excite the senses.
- Donations of money, time, talent for every aspect of this creation.
Folks I am just a small believer with a big dream that is based in scripture. If God is for us, who can be against us? And that despite the huge problems that the current 38,000 Christian denominations have caused. We as believers despite our denominational differences can one day walk into any Christian church that professes Jesus Christ as Lord and be accepted. Just as Jesus accepts us into his body and that we can be one just as the Father and Son are one. Is this not the prayer that Jesus prayed for all believers?
JOHN 17: 20-26
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge
click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here
Hello Joshua,
I hope you don't mind answering a couple of questions I am asking all believers everywhere;
Do you believe that God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to start a new religion called Christianity?
And if yes. Where is the text in the bible that supports the popular Christian belief that God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to start a new religion called Christianity?
12/10/2009 11:08 AM
Hi, MAC.
No, I don't believe God sent Jesus to start a new religion called "Christianity." I would object to that idea on two counts. First, Jesus didn't start anything new. Rather, he completed what was promised/predicted in God's covenants with Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel. Second, the name "Christianity" isn't part of God's intention, best I can tell from the Scriptures, although it does fit for a faith that centers on Jesus the Christ.
Interesting question.
Blessings,
-jw
12/10/2009 1:39 PM
Hi Josh,
So if there is no scriptural evidence that proves Jesus was sent to start a new religion called Christianity. Do you think there is a danger for all the denominations at the judgment seat of Christ?
Consider; Matthew 7
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Sounds like Jesus is talking about church folk here.
12/10/2009 2:18 PM
MAC,
The Sermon on the Mount - of which Matthew 7 is a part - was addressed to Jesus' disciples, yes. But "Christian" denominations came well after Jesus' return to heaven, so it's hard for me to see how this passage "is a danger for all the denominations." What are you driving at?
-jw
12/10/2009 3:01 PM
Josh,
The point is apparent in the text and the words of Jesus. He warns against self-deception and a mere verbal profession of his Lordship without obedience to the word of God. Regardless of when denominational divergence came it is completely outside the will of God.
Consider Jesus' prayer at
JOHN 17: 20-26;
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Sectarianism is sin and for salvation to be full we must repent of our sin fully.
Do you think there is a danger for all the denominations at the judgment seat of Christ if they have not repented of their sin?
12/10/2009 7:24 PM
OK, MAC, now I think I see where you're coming from. Yes, I agree that sectarianism is sin, and anyone who willfully persists in sin is headed down a dangerous road. But something about your comments makes me think you and I might not agree fully on some of the points you're raising.
For one thing, no one merits salvation by his/her perfect repentance. In fact, if Jeremiah 17:9 is true, we literally cannot repent fully for all our sin because we don't understand our own heart and its wickedness fully. Thankfully, we aren't saved by repentance. We are saved by Jesus; and the really good news is that His death atones for both the imperfect lives and the incomplete repentance of repentant sinners who look to Him in faith.
In addition, I still don't see how denominations are in jeopardy at the judgment. Speaking practically, how would that work? I mean, how would Jesus punish a denomination? ...or reward one? Don't you think, rather, that PEOPLE are judged, not denominations (and other organizations)?
And finally, how would you suggest Christians handle doctrinal error in their midst? My question aims to make the point that sectarianism is not the only way to be unbiblical in how we relate to other Christians. Embracing a false gospel is a sin as grievous as sectarianism, don't you think?
-jw
12/10/2009 9:12 PM
Hi Josh,
If, is pretty weak language my friend. The Lord knows the heart, He tests the mind.
Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed it is our helper against the deceitfulness of the heart.
Repentance is the key ingredient my friend. If you do not repent you are not saved. Jesus could die one thousand times and you would still not be saved unless you repent. God commands us to repent. For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation. You can find that in 2 Corinthians.
Notice the progression from repentance to salvation.
Here are some more verses on repentance for you to consider Josh.
Mark 2:17
Luke 13:1-9
Acts 3:19-20
Acts 17:24-31
2 Corinthians 7:10
Denominations are about money, bucks and cash. I challenge denominations to give up their tax status and make there business about Salvation through repentance for real.
People make up denominations and not everyone in any particular denomination is not saved for real. Remember the parable of the wheat and the tares you can find it at Matthew 13:24-30
Embracing a false gospel as you have plainly shown here. By your thankfulness that you don't need to repent to gain your salvation is definitely a problem.
My mission is to the church and my intentions are completely solicitous towards denominations.
12/10/2009 10:12 PM
MAC,
I agree with you that repentance is required as part of a saving response to the gospel. Turning from sin, recognizing Jesus' Lordship, the whole enchilada. No quarrel from me there.
Your answers to my other two points aren't clear to me. I realize that not every person in every Christian denomination is a genuine believer, but I don't see how that applies to your question about whether denominations are in danger at the judgment. How can Jesus punish a denomination?
I also didn't understand your answer to my question about how Christians should handle false teaching in their midst.
-jw
12/10/2009 10:28 PM
Josh,
I will answer both questions in sequential order.
Denominational judgment, in the book of Revelation there are seven (7) churches mentioned. Although there are currently thousands of Christian denominations. They are commonly referred to as "The Seven Churches Of The Apocalypse"
Of those seven most Christian denominations will fall into one of the seven. Unless they are a cult.
1. The Loveless Church is instructed to; "Do the works you did at first" and the criticism is; Love for Christ no longer fervent. 2:1-7
2. The Persecuted Church is instructed to; "Be faithful until death" No criticism. 2:8-11
3. The Compromising Church is instructed to; "Repent" and the criticism is; tolerates immorality, idolatry and heresies. 2:12-17
4. The Corrupt Church is instructed that; "Judgment is coming and to keep the faith" and the criticism is; Tolerates cult of idolatry and immorality. 2:18-29
5. The Dead Church is instructed to: "Repent and strengthen what remains" and the criticism is; It's a dead church. 3:1-6
6. The Faithful Church is instructed to; "Keep the faith" no criticism. 3:7-13
7. The Lukewarm Church is instructed to; "Be zealous and repent" and the criticism is it is indifferent. 3:14-22
These churches are representative of the churches at the time and all subsequent generations. Any church can chose to be "The Faithful Church".
My message is to repent and turn from sectarianism which is sin. My challenge is to give up your tax status and make your business Christ centered not about money. Make it about love to see others saved.
False teaching is problematic and has much to do with indifference, ignorance, laziness, sloth and the fact that not many Christians or professing Christians actually read the word of God. Make God first above all things in your life.
Consider the walk of a true believer. 2 Peter 1:5-11 shows the walk of the true believer of Jesus Christ. Add to your Faith Virtue, to Virtue Knowledge, to Knowledge Self-control, to Self-control Perseverance, to Perseverance Godliness, to Godliness Brotherly Kindness, to Brotherly Kindness Love.
I'm still on perseverance and I started nine years ago.
Exhortation to live up to the calling that Christ called us too. Help others with their ministry's. There are numerous ways get involved do something. Don't sit on your hands get up and do something right now. Feed the poor, start a savings group that teaches poor people to save money. Be socialist like Jesus was.
I could go on and on but I'm not going to. I'm sure you got the picture.
May...
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
12/10/2009 11:33 PM
Amen!
12/11/2009 9:19 AM
Josh,
Another way to get around false teaching is to understand the existence of the law. The law was designed to show us our short comings as we attempt to enter the Kingdom of heaven. And to create the Godly sorrow that must exist for salvation to works in us and through us to those who would hear us on the topic.
12/12/2009 8:59 AM
What the HECK?
1/27/2010 12:38 PM
Yep. My thoughts exactly.
1/27/2010 12:46 PM
I guess talking about Christianity is something that makes you say a watered down version of WTF.
Anonymous you may as well go all the way next time nobody knows who you are anyway. Unless you are, nah!
Josh I asked questions you asked questions. We had dialogue. But all along you didn't care about what we are talking about. Is that what you mean by "Yep. My thoughts exactly."?