Custom Search

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas

Most people are aware that the origin of Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, but many aren't completely aware of who he was and what he represents.

Saint Nicholas was a very real person who was born as the only child to wealthy parents around 270 A.D. in what is now Turkey. Upon the death of his parents while he was yet relatively young, he inherited a rather large sum of money. It is said that he was already a religious boy and that soon after the death of his parents, he dedicated his life to serving Jesus Christ.

He became very well known for his love of children and generosity to the poor. His method of giving was generally more in the form of throwing a bag of money into a window, or putting gold coins in the stockings of the needy as they hung out to dry.

There are many legends that go with the type of person St. Nicholas was. One of the better-documented accounts of his generosity tells of a family who was starving with no money for food much less money for a dowry so the father could marry off his three daughters. The father was considering sending at least the oldest out to earn money as a prostitute. When the young Nicholas heard of this, he went during the night to a window of the home and threw in a bag of gold coins. In the morning they found the gold; they now had money for food and a dowry as well. The daughter kept her honor.

Because there were two other sisters, the young Nicholas threw in two more bags of coins on two other occasions. By the third time, the father wanted to know whom the benefactor was and watched until finally he caught the lad after he threw the third bag of money. It is reported that Nicholas was very upset that someone knew of his acts of charity and made the father promise not to tell anyone who had helped his family.

Eventually he became the bishop of the church in Myra where he was known for more great acts of charity. One legend said that some children were captured by a group of pirates that threatened to take the children to be sold as slaves if some large amount of money was not given to them. This bishop is said to have gotten the money himself and given it to the pirates to save the children.

During this period of history, the Romans were still persecuting Christians with their infamous cruelties including throwing them to the lions, etc. Although the worst persecution of the Christians had just taken place about 250 A.D. under the reign of Decius Trajan, there had been relative peace in the later part of the century. But in 303 A.D., the last of the great Roman persecutions began. The Roman Emperor Diocletian was persuaded again to suppress the Christian religion. Those who would not give up following the Lord, Jesus Christ, and turn over their sacred books would be either killed or put in prison. Those who went to prison were cruelly tortured.

Many great men suffered and died in defense of their faith in Christ. St. Nicholas was among these bishops.

This part of Saint Nicholas is not legend, it is part of history. While he lived in a world where apostasy from Christianity was all around him, he stood for what he believed. Saint Nicholas was one of the few who survived Diocletian's torture chambers. This is where he gained his title Saint; for those who did survive were called "saints" by the people in honor of their great devotion to Jesus Christ.

Saint Nicholas was freed when the new Emperor Constantine came to power. It is said that as he reentered Myra, the people flocked around him in his honor. He may have been beaten and tortured, but he was not broken. He went on to serve the people for many more years giving service and adding to the legends of his great goodness. To me this is a story of a man who did his best to serve his God and apply the principles taught by Jesus Christ. It is one that is worthy of being pasted down to our children.

In Germany Saint Nicholas is still called by that name, not Santa Claus. He is a priest with a normal sized body who wears a plain robe, without fur, that is not necessarily red. He has no magical powers or magical reindeer and elves -- he rides a donkey that he must coax along. Saint Nicholas day is December 6th, the day that the real Saint Nicholas died. On the night of the December 5th is when he leaves his presents and the children put their shoes by the door for him. Because this Saint Nicholas is more human, he doesn't come down the chimney nor can he put his finger to the side of his nose and go back up to the roof top. December 25th and 26th (they have two days for Christmas) is a time only for the celebration of the birth of Christ.

We have adopted many of these German customs. We tell our children about Saint Nicholas rather than Santa Claus and we celebrate his example on the 6th. I explain that it is the example and spirit of generosity that lives on. We try to give our children opportunities to play this secret role of giving to other families so that they too can feel of this spirit.

I believe that as Christians ourselves we should be promoting a Christian emphasis for the holiday. Statistics show that only 21% consider this a time to think about the birth of the Savior. For most people in America, Santa Claus is the only level celebrated. But even Santa Claus is a thread for these people back to Christianity. Perhaps we can spread the word of who this man was and help them understand that if the real Saint Nicholas were here to celebrate with us, he would tell us to look to the Son of God. I believe he would also be reminding us that we are celebrating a Holy Day and that this is the original meaning of the word Holiday.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

The real reason for CHRISTmas

I would just like to say that I hope everyone has a merry Christmas. Please don't forget the reason why we have Christmas. As Christmas draws near, let us remember the true meaning of why we celebrate it. We celebrate because a Savior which is Christ the Lord was born. The angel said, "I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." In a world where it is not politically correct to mention Christ the Lord at Christmas time, Remember that Christ's birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas! So instead of saying Happy Holidays, tell the world Merry CHRISTmas!

True Christmas Spirit- Author Unknown

It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season hadn't yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking lot of our local discount store. Inside the store, it was worse. Shopping carts and last minute shoppers jammed the aisles. Why did I come today? I wondered. My feet ached almost as much as my head.

My list contained names of several people who claimed they wanted nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt if I didn't buy them anything. Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost of items, I considered gift-buying anything but fun. Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last minute items and proceeded to the long checkout lines.

I picked the shortest line but it looked as if it would mean at least a 20 minute wait. In front of me were two small children - a boy of about 5 and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat. Enormously large, tattered tennis shoes jutted far out in front of his much too short jeans. He clutched several crumpled dollar bills in his grimy hands. The girl's clothing resembled her brother's. Her head was a matted mass of curly hair. Reminders of an evening meal showed on her small face. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers.

As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo system, the girl hummed along, off-key but happily. When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a treasure. The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said. The boy laid his crumpled dollars atop the stand while he searched his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12. "I guess we will have to put them back, " he bravely said. "We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow." With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. "But Jesus would have loved these shoes, " she cried. "Well, we'll go home and work some more.

Don't cry. We'll come back," he said. Quickly I handed $3.00 to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time. And, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said, "Thank you, lady." "What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?" I asked. The boy answered, "Our mommy is sick and going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus." The girl spoke, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't mommy be beautiful walking on those streets to match these shoes?" My eyes flooded as I looked into her tear streaked face. "Yes" I answered, "I am sure she will."

Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of the true spirit of giving.

Does Xmas Take Christ Out of Christmas?

Xmas vs. Christmas : Xmas isn't the work of the devil. I grew up under the assumption that spelling Christmas as "Xmas" was a way of naming the holiday separate from its religious beginnings. I always kinda hated it, thinking that people were so averse to religion that they were x-ing out Christ's name.

Here's the Explanation....

The fish, Greek
ichthys (ixquj), is a symbol for Christ which has been in use since the days of the early church. In Greek, it is an acronym for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior:

Jesus - I h s o u V

Christ - C r i s t o V

God's - Q e o u

Son - U i o V

Savior - S w t h r

Frequently Christians were forced to worship secretly. The fish symbol served them well in difficult times because it generally would go unnoticed by a foe of Christianity when Christians used it to communicate. Placed outside a Christian's home, this symbol would announce silently that Christian Communion was to be observed secretly there that night. Artistic forms of the fish frequently decorated the Roman catacombs where Christians were forced to meet during persecution.

Notice that X was the first letter in the word that was Greek for Christ. In the fourth century, copies of the scriptures had to hand written. Commonly used terms were abbreviated using the letter abbreviation. The original four gospels were written in Greek and so the abbreviation of X for Christ remained.

So the next time you see the X used in Christmas instead of Christ, instead of being upset and feeling like it is an effort to take Christ out of Christmas, be reminded of early Christians trying to worship their Savior and later by people trying to speed up the process of making more copies of the scriptures.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Love is on the Air!

It is felt everywhere if time is normal. Not to some that are affected by the collapse of the economy and for those who lost their jobs and houses, for those who tried to keep themselves warm on the side of the streets and under the bridge, to those who were left by the family, those who don't have a family to call their own and those who are suffering from pain of illness, lost of loved ones and depression. But even in times like these, the spirit of Christmas is evidently seen everywhere. More giving hearts, more smiling faces, more helping hands and more hopes and prayers. Do we really have to wait for this season to show more kindness and feel more love to other people? I call it seasonal love! Maybe we can live better than that, maybe we can live with it all year round. Do you think we can do it?

Friday, December 12, 2008

Charity - a pure love of Christ

In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others. The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.

Love, in this sense of an unlimited loving-kindness towards all others, is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. In its most extreme form such love can be self-sacrificial. This love is necessary for salvation, and with it no one can be lost. Charity is comprised two parts, love of God and love of man, which includes both love of one's neighbor and one's self. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity. His crowning expression of charity was His infinite Atonement.

The stronger our hope, the purer our charity. The reason why charity never fails and the reason why charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness is that charity, “the pure love of Christ”, is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is something one becomes. "Charity Never Faileth". Charity encompasses all other godly virtues. When all else fails, charity—Christ’s love—will not fail.

"Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away". (1Cor 13:4-8)

If ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all. … Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever.”

Monday, December 8, 2008

How to Stay Married!---Great Story

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.

When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $95,000. He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "My grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?" "Oh," she said, "That’s the money I made from selling the dolls.”

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Chastity - a Heavenly Virtue

Chastity is sexual purity. Being chaste is to be morally clean, in thoughts, in words and in deeds . And while we are in the era of new fashion, the style of accessories and clothing worn can be used to broadcast a person's receptiveness to sexual advances. For this reason, cultures which attempt to foster chastity often employ a modest style of dress, especially for women.

I pray that this issue will help us understand of the vital truth that chastity is the ultimate and perfect standard underlying all spiritual progression. There is no joy to be found in breaking this law. The primary reason for obedience to all the laws of chastity is to keep the commandments of God. Chastity has to do with the sacredness of the power of procreation. In fact, chastity and fidelity begin in the spirit, not in the body. Thus, chastity and fidelity are more than sexual abstinence before marriage and sexual fidelity after marriage. It can keeps you safe and makes your future marriage stronger. Please believe me when I say that chastity is worth more than life itself. Try to relate your feelings about the blessings of obeying the law of chastity.

Today millions of people are buying the rationale that chastity is outdated. But no matter how much we tried to keep ourselves from the truth, our gospel duty remain to do what is right and to love and delight in what is right. I delight in the chastity and purity of all women and men. How it must grieve the Lord to see virtue violated and modesty mocked on every side in this wicked world.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Be Prepared!!!

Millions of people from all over the world are suffering from hunger, thirst, isolation and diseases. Watching the news about war for power, war against poverty, war against illnesses and even spiritual war, each of us have our own battle to face. How are we going to prepare and protect our family? There are lots of information we can get from our local fire station and red cross stations, and on-line. The government gives us the resources and guidelines on how we can be prepared with our family. Our problem is we don't set the goal to when we can start preparing. We have to act now before it's too late.

There are six phases of personal and family preparedness that have been stressed by some insititutional leaders: education, career development, financial, health, and spiritual preparedness, and home production and storage. Of course, we need to help care for those people who do not have adequate means. When we speak of family preparedness, we should speak of foreseen, anticipated, almost expected needs which can be met through wise preparation. This fact further underscores the need for family preparedness. But spiritually minded people finds that the preparedness encouraged by the Church—temporal, emotional, and spiritual—helps them feel more secure and cope more successfully with the trauma. Coping temporal preparedness starts with a year’s supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel. It is truly the first step towards personal and family financial preparedness. We cannot progress without attending to our own personal and family preparedness on a regular basis. Preparedness is not something that is static; it is ever changing.

We need to be more responsible for the things that are yet to come and be prepared for it. We can't just set back and relax and blame our government. Of course, the government are playing a big role in our total national security but we are the one who make the government and we need to do our part-start from ourselves and our family.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Gratitude in Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving celebration has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. It was actually first observe to keep a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. This is also to commemorate the ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. Near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic.
The tradition have been long foretold but sometimes we only care the need of Turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I consider the celebration not just a mere feast for family crowded the dinner table but to celebrate the goodness of the Lord for sustaining us all year round with His bounteous blessings. We have to develop in our hearts the feeling of gratitude and the spirit of thanksgiving. Isn’t that a wonderful thought to live in thanksgiving daily? Count your every blessings and for all of us Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Divorce. Is this the only way?

Despite the truth about the sanctity of marriage, divorce become a commonplace in many societies and has increased even among Christians. Too often, it is the bitter fruit of anger and failure. Divorce is an ugly word and a shattering experience, but the victims are not ugly or evil people, especially the children. Couple needs to consider that the cure of most marital troubles does not lie in divorce. If you are married and you and your spouse experiencing difficulties, remember that the remedy for most marriage stress is not in divorce or separation.

Studies show that the main causes of divorce among couples are failure by husband and wives in discharging their responsibilities, the others were low grounding in religion, interference by third parties, difference in culture, sexual problems, money and careers.

Marriage is a very difficult institution to hold together. It is a hectic life. It's stressful. But successful marriage is possible...the key is communication. Ask about your finances, which church to go, how many times you need to visit your relatives every year, how many children you both want, things like these can cause problems and disagreements and they can add up quickly and lead to divorce. But too often, couples don't do it too soon enough. Marriage takes a lot of give and take, a lot of loyalty to the other person and a lot of love and caring.

So, why people get divorced when most common reasons are preventable? The top reasons were 'lack of commitment', 'too much conflict and arguing', and infidelity - reasons that can be addressed by counseling and interventions included in various healthy marriages.

Think of what is the effect of divorce on your children's lives. It is a stressful experience for all children regardless of age or developmental level. The pain they experience composed of a sense of vulnerability as the family disintegrates, a grief reaction to the loss of intact family, loss of non-custodial parent, a feeling of anger as the disruption of the family and strong feeling of powerlessness, but one of the most profound effects is in the impact on a child's later marriage.

The scriptures counsel against divorce generally and advise husbands and wives to love each other in righteousness (Matt 19:3-9). Think of your marriage vows, the sweet memories of courtship, and the gifts God has given you in your marriage: your loved ones and your children. Afterall, it's worth saving your family and giving up your pride.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Blessings of Forgiveness


"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times'" (Matt 18:21-22)

An excellent definition of forgiveness as it applies to human relationships is freeing up and putting better use of the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. Forgiveness is not an option, it is a commandment. It does not matter how bad the offense, if we cannot forgive and allow the Lord to deal with it as He promised,we will have issues of resentment, anger, bitterness and depression.

Forgiveness is often difficult to others because offenders may deny their behavior or avoid acknowledging it. It is important to note that forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting the offense, trusting the offender, or even associating with him/her. There is no peace in being abusive to others in any way, whether it be emotionally, physically, or sexually for those who are abusive will remain in mental and spiritual turmoil until they come to Christ in all humility and seek forgiveness through complete repentance. And even the most hardened, may at times feel the prick of conscience and thus the need for forgiveness from God.

An attitude of forgiveness generates a feeling of peace and optimism about life. It is a blend of charity, forgiveness and respect; and it takes into account the realization that God stands at the helm and we are His children. If we develop that heart to center around virtues of love, compassion, forgiveness and long-suffering, we refuse to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us - the quality that enable us to deal with our fellowmen more compassionately.

If someone fails to give up their anger and trust in the Lord, standing ready and willing to forgive-they are committing themselves to bondage of their own anger and pride, and a slave of someone else's sin.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Our Body is a Temple of God


The trend of new generation seems to go off beyond the limit of what we called modesty. Young men and women are often dummies of this fashion evolution. The sense of respect to our body are set aside wanting to be 'in' in the new world of trends and fashions. Don't we know that in us lives our spirit and dwell the Holy Spirit? Why allow the world to clothe us as a dummy if we have a higher standard than that of a mannequin? I believe in modesty as one way of portraying oneself to gain respect from other people. If you try to reveal private parts of your body, what do you think is the message you are trying to imply to those who sees it?

Even tattoos and body piercings seemed to be a part of social trends and so is the alcoholism, drugs addiction, and everything that destroy our body as a creation of God. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are (1Cor 3:16-17).

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Halloween, Trick or Treat?

Every holiday you keep, you probably have an idea of what it commemorates. If you were asked WHY you observed Christmas, you would probably say,- "To honor the birth of Jesus Christ." If you were asked WHY you observed Easter, you would probably say,- "To acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus."

But think for a moment. . .WHY HALLOWEEN? Just what does its observance commemorate? Do you really want to participate in a festival that has its roots in DEMONISM, demanding HUMAN SACRIFICE?

Satan's agents, who represent themselves as Christians, do not want Christians to know that Halloween is about human sacrifice and they definitely do not want them to pray against it. That is the reason they do not mention the need to pray against ritual human sacrifice and instead, urge Christians to participate in the trick-or-treat ritual which represents human sacrifice. Since the trick-or-treat ritual looks cute on the surface, Christians who have not investigated this matter are entering into this annual custom for a little bit of "harmless fun." In reality, the trick-or-treat ritual is a culturally and even church-sanctioned way for Satan to gain access to their lives and that of their children.

The Apostle Paul says that these PAGAN GODS were really DEMONS "masquerading" as God. Since Lucifer (Satan) was cast down after attempting to take the throne of the true God, he and his demons have continually deceived mankind into worshiping them as God. 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 SAYS THAT Satan DISGUISES himself as an ANGEL OF LIGHT in order to deceive the unsuspecting. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan is presently the god of this world.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Abortion Word Games

Have you ever noticed how pro-abortion people like to use positive, nice sounding words? For example, words like pro-choice, or they will say abortion is a woman's right. And they try to pretend that the living human being that is being killed is not really a living entity by using clinical sounding words such as embryo, fetus, cell, or tissue.

Well, I thought it would be interesting to look in the dictionary to find out how the dictionary defines words such as "pregnancy" and "termination," since even the abortion groups such as Family Planning still use those words to advertise their services. Yes, look in any Yellow Pages directory, and there you will find listed Pregnancy Termination. So let's see what that REALLY means:

Pregnancy: 1. state, condition, or quality of being pregnant.

Pregnant: 1. having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.

Offspring: 1. children or young of a particular parent or progenitor. 2. a child or animal in relation to its parents. 3. descendants.

(Okay, so the dictionary says that pregnancy equals pregnant which equals having a child or offspring developing in your body. A child, not just some tissue)

Termination: 1. the act of terminating or the condition of being terminated.

Terminate: 1. to bring to an end; put an end to.

(Okay, so termination equals terminate, which equals "to put an end to." Let's see what other word has that same definition.)

Kill: 1. to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay. 2. to put an end to; extinguish.

So to recap, according to the Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary (1989 Edition) PREGNANCY means the same as CHILD, and TERMINATION means the same as KILL. Put them together and you have PREGNANCY TERMINATION equals CHILD KILLING.

I wish the pro-abortionists would stop hiding behind euphemisms. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet, and abortion by any other name is still the murder of children. Call it what it is!

If you don't believe me click the picture above...

Monday, October 20, 2008

We are Children of God

If we think about the divinity of our Heavenly Father and our state being carnal and our imperfections, we can feel the big gap between Heaven and Earth. The reason why people find it hard to endure all of the sacrifices and afflictions they are trying to battle with everyday. The way is to know where we from and what comes after this life. If we know that we are a literal children of our Heavenly Father and that this life is a test to prove ourselves worthy to go back to His presence, then we know what to fight for to live the life God expect us to be. We know that we have to make ourselves worthy for the companionship of the spirit and let God influence our lives. We have to make Him a center of our goals, a reason for every decision we make and the focus of our lives. Only then we will realized that there's not a single challenge hard to bear, there's no enemy hard to forgive and easier to love even those who hurt you as they too are children of God. Would it be nice if we can live with God as the center of our life? Love begets love and that's how we can bring peace and joy to our troubled hearts.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Marriage is Ordained by God

For all Christians, marriage is ordained by God as a lifelong union of a man and a woman. Most Christian wedding ceremonies usually take place in churches, but nowadays marriages happens anywhere they want even in a drive through wedding chapels. The sacredness of the marriage is seemed to be set aside. Currently same-sex marriage is recognized on some other state level in the US (two states, California and Massachusetts). The issue is a divisive political issue in the United States and elsewhere. Today, liberal influences of the sexual revolution are seen everywhere. There are even churches that tolerate couples living together without marriage (cohabitation, and if sexual, fornication), extramarital affairs (adultery), lesbian (gay) marriages and no-fault divorce.

Divorce is seen from a Christian perspective generally as less than ideal. Some see divorce as an unavoidable, but regrettable, part of life; others believe that a divorce is never truly recognized by God, and view it as universally wrong. There are many views in between these extremes.

This foundational principle was first articulated biblically in the Book of Genesis (2:24). Later, Jesus set forth his basic position on marriage by bringing together two important passages from Genesis (1:27; 2:7–25). He pointed to the completion of the creation — "male and female he created them." Then he described marriage as a relationship, a union, so intimate and real that "the two become one flesh." As persons, husband and wife are of equal value. In truth, they are one. Finally, Jesus added his emphasis on marriage being God-made and eternal:

Have you not read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate (Matthew 19:4–6, Mark 10:6–9).

In this view, I can't believe how many people accept this new trend of marriage that even Christians seemed to be okay with it? We are moving way far to what God taught us. How can we accept gay marriages, and 'live-in' couples. Several leaders in other churches still serving at their congregation after facing some sort of sexual accusations or after facing a rape cases, they just reassign them to a different location. Why don't they allow them to get married and commit such crime? Where is their devotion to their faith? How are they going to apply what they share to their believers? How can they call themselves as disciples of Christ? As advocate of Christ? We have to think what's going on here if who is true to the faith. Who's on the Lord's side, who?


Friday, August 29, 2008

Did America Forsake God?

Yes, they did! Believe me or not there is a lot of people in America don’t believe that Christ is the only way to be saved. Am I right? Correct me if am wrong.

For example: This atheistic misnamed outfit has done more to destroy America than any other organization. It is not American but clearly anti-God or Anti- Christ. From entertainment to the high courts of America, the blasphemous world is staging a war against God. The atheists, liberals, and apostate Christians all want a life without restraints and without the fear of judgment for sin. The words "Merry Christmas," must become "Happy Holiday", the Ten Commandments must be out of public sight, they have led the charge to remove every manger scene, every word of prayer, every affirmation of our Biblical heritage, and every expression of God from the public arena of our nation. They look for schools to sue over some benign expression of the Christian faith. They support the entire homosexual/lesbian agenda, the absolute right to kill unborn babies, and the rights of children over their parents. What the heck are these? This is totally a devil's work.

This organization has worked tirelessly to defeat conservative judges from even receiving a fair hearing. Their goal is to dominate every judge in America and strip our nation of judicial morality and constitutional honesty. It's a battle to the teeth, and we have not realized that it is a spiritual war unequated by God's saints.

Fight against Evil America!!! We are suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome. It is a serious but uncommon bacterial infection. We should always wash our hand before touching food before putting in our mouth. It means We should have guidance from our Father in Heaven before to decide to follow this evil thing. Pray to God. The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective". "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Who is going to win? God Himself has plainly stated, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." (Psalm 24:1) If you have read the last chapter of His infallible Word, you already know that He will have the last word and will be victorious. He said by His Spirit, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure" (Psalm 2:4-5).

"The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 146:10) All God's Children should not fear, be anxious, or trouble himself over our glorious future. The future of this earth and every saint of God are star-studded and breathtaking. Write it down in your book and walk with God in peace and hope.

MAKING A COMMITMENT NEVER TO PRACTICE THOSE SINS AGAIN!

This is real repentance. "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17,). Put your faith in His grace to keep you from falling. He will keep you! It is not enough to just "say a little prayer'. Many preachers will stand in judgment for leading so many to a false conversion. How many souls are in hell right now who thought they were alright because the preacher didn't want to scare them away with a challenge and a call to a total commitment to Christ? I will not tell you a cheap and easy gospel message. Jesus requires you to give your ALL!

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not ALL that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33). "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy strength, and with ALL thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." (Luke 10:27).

Many of you have hardened your heart to God and the gospel. You have heard the preaching of Jesus many times before. But you've never made a total commitment to follow Jesus. You do not care that He died for you? You are in bitterness of soul and "nigh unto cursing." I warn you! Do not harden your heart to God's love and mercy! There is no other choice left to you but His wrath and indignation! I plead with you to fall on the Rock and be broken before the rock falls on you and you are crushed to powder! (see Matthew 21:44). This is a very serious decision you must make. Your eternal destiny depends upon it!

On Judgment day you will be without excuse. You have been warned of the Day of the Lord and told the Good News to avoid God's wrath. Jesus loves you... enough to warn you and give you a way out. Will you choose His loving way or go your own way to destruction? The ball is in your court now. What will you do?

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Jesus is Jehovah

Jehovah's Witnesses are well-known for their denial of the deity of Christ. According to their theology, Jesus was an incarnation of the supreme archangel, not God in human flesh. And I am convinced that those who reject Christ's deity must therefore also reject the plain meaning of the Word of God.

We need only sample of few key passages to make the point:
Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm and was recognized as such by Jewish scholars centuries before Christ. In Acts 13:33, Paul affirms that this psalm has a Messianic meaning. The psalm closes with these verses, "Worship [Jehovah] with reverence, And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (vv. 11- 12).
There the phrases "Worship [Jehovah] with reverence" and "Do homage to the Son" are parallel. And as is typical in Hebrew poetic parallelism, this means the two phrases are logical equivalents. Worship [Jehovah]" means "do homage to the Son." Moreover, this psalm presents the Son as Someone in whom believers can take refuge—a Savior who is God's own Son, identical in character and rank with God the Father.

How Do We Know Jesus Is Jehovah God?
Although the word Trinity is not in the Bible, the word Godhead is.
Colossians 2:9.

Here are some reasons we know Jesus is God:
1. Jesus, the 2nd person or being in the one true God has always
existed. Micah 5:2. Isaiah 44:6. Revelation 22:12-13,16.

2. He created everything that exists. John 1:1-3,14. Malachi 2:10.
Isaiah 44:24. Colossians 1:15-18. Hebrews 1:2,8-10.

3. He is to be worshipped. Matthew 4:10. Hebrews 1:6. John 20:27-28.
Matthew 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9,17.

4. Scripture identifies Jesus as God. (Isaiah 9:6 = mighty God). [(Zechariah 12:1,10 = they shall look upon me whom they have pierced). Fulfilled in Revelation 1:7.] (John 5:18 = The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because he also said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God). [(John 8:57-59 = The Jews tried to stone Jesus because he said, Before Abraham was, I am.) They believed Jesus was claiming to be Jehovah God the "I AM" of Exodus 3:13-14]. [(Isaiah 44:6 = Jehovah the King of Israel, and his redeemer Jehovah of hosts says; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.) Revelation 1:8,11,17-18; 22:12-13,16 = Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last]. (Genesis 19:24 = Jehovah here on earth rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah from Jehovah in heaven). [(Isaiah 42:8 = Jehovah will not share his glory with another). John 17:5 = Jesus evidently had shared Jehovah's glory before the world was]. (1st Timothy 3:16 = God was manifest in the flesh). [(Isaiah 45:18,23 = Jehovah said that unto Him every knee will bow, and every tongue shall swear). Philippians 2:10-11 says that every knee will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father]. (Hebrews 1:8 = unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever).

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Ordinance of Baptism

How many ways of baptism did Jesus Christ taught us? I have known different religious sects practice baptism different from the other. In the scripture, there is only one way of baptism demonstrated by Jesus Christ himself (Matt. 3:16). He was fully immersed in the water. But there are churches that tried to make it more convenient for them. Some a few sprinkles of water in the head, to others a dipper or two of water poured over their heads and there are some that name the river "Jordan" to make it sounds like a more holy and a true way of baptism just like Jesus had. But the true meaning and concept of baptism was not there. Don't we remember that in the Scripture only Jesus was baptized being holy and perfect? How about baptizing infants? I believe the purpose of baptism is washing away of our sins (Acts 2:38). One must have faith in Jesus Christ and faith brings remission of sins and desire to be baptized. Infants are not capable of committing sins and know nothing about faith, but they are pure, that's why the grace of God is sufficient for them and they need no baptism.

In one of the Easter congregation, the priest is sprinkling 'holy' water (as they called it) by dipping a leafy branch of a tree in a bowl saying 'renew your baptismal covenants!' I was thinking, how foolish are these priests to say that phrase. Don't they know that those infants and even young children that they baptized know nothing about the covenants they were talking? They haven't entered into a covenant! They are helpless when they pour water over their heads! Are these young and tender souls willfully submit themselves to be baptized? No! I was baptized too when I was just a baby and I told my parents if they only give me the chance to choose my own faith that I definitely would not become a member of their church. Lots of parents exploited the rights of so many children, most have grown up and have no strong gospel foundation.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Karma vs Reincarnation

The concept of karma is closely associated with reincarnation. Karma is essentially the law of cause and effect. Those that profess belief in karma teach that the deeds (good or bad) of one's past lives affect this present life. Further, ones present deeds will have ramifications for future lives.

In other words, the law of sowing and reaping is not limited to this present life but rather continues throughout eternity.

In much of the Orient, this strict belief in karma has resulted in a hopeless, pessimistic view of life. Their lives are seen as dreary, endless cycles of suffering and rebirth. Because of this endless chain of karma, reincarnation does not resolve the problem of evil, but simply points toward the impossible goal of perfection and self-salvation, the ultimate freedom from reincarnation. In modern, western reincarnation, the objective is to join with "ultimate reality," merging with God and becoming God. Modern reincarnation often promotes the divinity of the soul and denies the biblical concept of a sovereign, personal God.

The Bible also contradicts the belief in karma by emphasizing grace. According to the Bible, atonement and forgiveness may be gained only through the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is based solely upon the work of Jesus Christ, not upon our own merits. The concepts of reincarnation and karma are in clear contrast to Hebrews 9:27, "For it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." Paul clearly states that the soul does not transmigrate into another living body, but goes to await judgment.

For the Christian, Paul promised that death is the means to being in the presence of Jesus, "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (heaven). 2 Corinthians 5:8" It is clear that the Bible does not allow for the concept of reincarnation.

Reincarnation! True or False?

Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon and is a central tenet within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism . Many modern pagans also believe in reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of spiritism. Reincarnation is the belief that the human soul never perishes or dies, it simply passes through a succession of lives. It is vital to classical Buddhism and Hinduism. In the original forms of reincarnation, it was believed that souls transform from life to life in never-ending cycles.

It is widely accepted among non-Christians, probably because it appeals to many who would like to believe that they would be given a second chance in case they failed to make the grade in this life. Christianity disputes reincarnation because it is unnecessary, since anybody can "make the grade" simply through an act of their own will through faith in Jesus Christ and good works (James2:17). The scientific rebuttal to reincarnation is quite simple. Because of the population explosion, more people are currently living on the earth than have ever lived on the earth for the entire history of humankind. In other words, over half of the people who have ever lived on earth have never died even once! There simply are not enough dead souls to go around for a second time. This does not absolutely eliminate reincarnation, but it does severely restrict its extent, especially for those who have claimed to have lived several times before. However, some people believe that souls can be reincarnated into or from animals. In that case, it is possible that many people have been frogs before they became princes.

The concept of reincarnation is completely without foundation in the Bible, which clearly tells us that we die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at life, or coming back as different people or animals. Jesus told the criminal on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), not "You will have another chance to live a life on this earth." Matthew 25:46 specifically tells us that believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go onto eternal punishment. Reincarnation has been a popular belief for thousands of years, but it has never been accepted by Christians or followers of Judaism because it is contradictory to Scripture.

The one passage that some point to as evidence for reincarnation is Matthew 17:10-12 which links John the Baptist with Elijah. However, the passage does not say that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated, but rather that he would have fulfilled the prophesy of Elijah coming if the people had believed his words and thereby believed in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 17:12). The people specifically asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah, and he said "No, I am not" (John 1:21).

Conclusion: Reincarnation is a popular belief among many "spiritual" people, and is commonly held in most major religions. It has such popularity because people would like to believe that they will be given a second chance if they "blow it" in their first life. In Judaism, where salvation is based upon "being good," one could be condemned quite easily by making some major mistakes in his life. The "hope" of reincarnation provides an escape from a God who demands righteousness. However, both the Old and New Testaments do not leave reincarnation as an option that God chose to use. Why would God not allow a second chance for those who made mistakes on their first attempt? The answer is quite simple. Salvation is a free gift for all who want it. It requires only repentance from your former life (admitting you were wrong and wish to change) and belief in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross to atone for your sins. For the Christian, however, there can be no doubt: reincarnation is unbiblical and must be rejected as false. Anyone can be saved through the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Don't expect a second chance to go to heaven. Today is the day of salvation!