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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Deuteronomy
18:10-12
There shall not
be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the
fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets
omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist,
or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to
the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out
from before you.
Micah 5:12
I will cut off
sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers.
Galatians 5:19–21
Now the works
of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of
wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness,
revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told
you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God.
Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used
witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the
sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
Learn a definition
Soothsayer
n. A person who
claims to tell what will happen.
Omen
n./v. A sign of
what is to happen; object that is believed to have good or bad fortune. (aka
lucky charms, never thought of that one huh?)
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Because Halloween is this week, we
thought it would be fitting to talk about witchcraft and sorcery and all of
that stuff. There are plenty of verses, New Testament and Old, that talk about
the issue. When researching this I found out way more about Witchcraft then I
ever wanted to really know. I discovered that they call themselves Wiccans and
that when asked their religion, they can say Wiccan because apparently it is a
religion. And the fact that they’ve claimed it as that is reason #1 for us to
be ‘iffy’ about it.
Then you get into the Word. And I found
a lot of verses that talk about sorcery and fortune tellers and witch craft and
such.
I always learned magic and potions to
be praying to the devil. Whether or not that’s actually true… I don’t know. But
I do know that when people are performing these “spells” they are not praying
to God. And that’s why it’s wrong.
How many of you actually know where
Halloween came from? Well I just thought we could inform you at least a little
bit, of what really goes on during this “holiday” so many people celebrate.
EVEN GOD-HONORING CHRISTIANS!
If you don’t want to know about it, or you
feel uncomfortable knowing, please scroll down now. But please reconsider, this
will take a few minutes to read but is something we all need to learn.
I did a lot of research, only to have
to be confused about what I grew up on. Everything I have read clearly states
that celtic druids, who practiced wicca, or some other neopagen religion, were
just doing their thing like us Christians do.
They tried to make it a point that
wicca is not an “occult” but rather a form of religion. But then a druid
himself said that it is not a religion. (at least not any more) "Druidry is not a religion. It's a philosophy
and you can worship a God or a Goddess, it's up to you. You can be a Christian
or a Moslem or anything else and still be a Druid. But while a Christian will
say God made that tree, a Druid will say the energy of a creative force is in
that tree." Kieron, a North-East UK Druid.
“Some might argue that it is no longer
accurate to include Wicca under the catchall term of "occultic."
In Occultic religions, pastimes, and other activities, knowledge is kept secret
from the public and only released to initiates in small quantities during a
lengthy training session. That may have been true in the early decades of
Wicca, within its more tightly structured traditions such as Gardnerian and
Alexandrian Wicca. However, much of modern day Wicca is eclectic in nature.
Beliefs and practices are generally shared at Pagan festivals. Full
descriptions of most traditions can be obtained from books which are sold in
any large book store. There is a growing realization that Wicca and other forms
of Paganism are simply ordinary religions, like Christianity, Islam, and
Judaism. Thus, casual involvement by a Christian in Wiccan activities (e.g.
WATCHING a public Pagan solstice ritual) would be as harmless as taking a tour
of a Mosque or Synagogue.” – religioustollerance.org
- Modern Misconceptions about
Samhain/Halloween -
Many neo-pagans, including Druids and
Wiccans, trace their annual seasonal days of celebration back to Celtic times
in Europe. They celebrate the most important of their four major Sabbats,
Samhain, on or near OCT-31 each year.
The following are believed to be
accurate:
Neopagan religions
are modern faith traditions which are reconstructed, in part, from the beliefs
and practices of ancient aboriginal faiths, typically from Europe
Satanism is a
completely separate group of faith groups, with an opposing code of ethics,
concepts of deity, and ritual practices that are unrelated to that of
Neopagans.
Neither Satanists,
nor Neopagans nor anyone else in North America engage in religiously motivated
human sacrifice. Wiccans have been known to sacrifice a peach or apple, but
nothing higher on the evolutionary scale.
Samhain is neither
a Celtic god of the dead, or the major Sun god. The Celts may have had a deity
by that name. However, he was an obscure character, and unrelated to death. In
Gaelic, "sam" means summer; "fuin" means "end."
So, "Samhain" means "end of the warm season." Another
Celtic deity that is sometimes mentioned in Christian literature is the sun God
"Muck-Olla". He didn't exist either in Celtic times. He seems to be a
non-Druidic "boogey-man" from Yorkshire, England. Celtic sun Gods
were named "Lugh", "Lleu" or "Llew."
Ancient Druids
were not bloodthirsty killers of humans. All of the stories of human sacrifices
by Druids are traceable to a single passage in one of Julius Caesar's books.
And that passage is probably simply a centuries-old example of wartime
propaganda.
The ancient Celts
did not carve pumpkins; there were none in Europe during Celtic times.
After the arrival of the Gregorian
calendar, Pagans are believed to have moved Samhain back about a week to
OCT-31.
How they do what they do
Most modern day Wiccans and Druids have
attempted to reconstruct as accurately as possible, Celtic beliefs, rituals,
and other practices. A Wiccan, or other Neopagan, may celebrate the Sabbat
alone, as a solitary practitioner. Or they might gather with others in a coven,
which typically might include 6 or more adults. A typical celebration of
Samhain might involve:
Scheduling the celebration to a day near October 31. Wiccans often
avoid Halloween, because of the interruptions from "trick or
treaters."
Decorating their altar with autumn flowers, pine-cones, small
pumpkins, decorative gourds, etc.
Ritual purification of each participant; they take a solitary
bath.
Casting (creating) a sacred circle within which their ceremonies
are conducted. The circle is usually marked with four candles of various colors
aligned at the four cardinal directions. The purpose of the circle is to
confine the Wiccans' healing powers within it. It is not created to provide
protection against demonic powers as some Cowans (non-Wiccans) have suggested.
Performing rituals of divination to predict the future. This may
involve tarot cards, runes, I Ching, etc.
Performing rituals to contact loved ones who have died. ''There is
a recognition of our close ties with our ancestors and a recognition that the
veils between the worlds are thin at this time of year." 9 They do not
perform séances, as do Spiritualists. They do not summon or order back the
dead. "They do, however, believe that, if the dead themselves wish it,
they will return at the Sabbat to share in the love and celebration of the
occasion." 4
Consecrating and sharing cakes and wine (or perhaps muffins and
cider)
Banishing (or closing or grounding) the circle.
Because of the fear of attacks from
misinformed Cowans these rituals had been rarely performed in public. However,
in recent years, an increasing number of Neopagans have been coming out of the
(broom) closet and performing public rituals for all to enjoy.
If the children's activities are
considered to be linked to Paganism, then one must logically tackle Christmas
next. The Christmas tree, yule log, mistletoe, ivy, Santa Claus, the exchange
of presents, the choice of DEC-25, and other traditions are all traceable back
to ancient Pagan customs. They too would have to go.”
All above information was taken from www.religioustollerance.org
-----
Ok now back to my point. Well I was
greatly deceived, I think we all have been. We have taken this day, and twisted
it into something evil instead of into something good like we have obviously
done with Christmas and Easter! Things just turned out the wrong way and the
devil got a hold of this day and claimed it as his own, so now we all give the
devil credit for this day that originally wasn’t meant to celebrate him. So in
us setting apart this day for the devil we are basically giving him credit and
making him pretty dern happy. There’s a slap in the face for you. So yes it’s
our fault, we have given the devil credit. Do you think there is a way to get
this day and turn it around for God? Yes, we could always do things like most
are doing! They are having harvest festivals and hallelujah nights! We can take
this day and claim it for good!
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
You
know, Halloween can be a ministry opportunity as well. When we were still at
home on Halloween night we would give tracts to the people who came by. Souls
got saved that night. Take that, devil! Go to a “Halloween alternative” this
year, or minister just like we did! If you go to a harvest festival that’s
about God instead of the devil don’t feel like you are still honoring the devil
because others have set apart that day for him, but rather don’t treat it like
a holiday.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I thank you that you have
given us alternatives so that we can praise you on such a dark day instead of
feel like we are helping the devil out or praising him. I pray for all the
souls that have truly sided with saten, some of them may be doomed because they
don’t want to know that there is something better, but I pray that you will get
someone to reach out to them and let them know that there is something better.
I praise you and thank you in Jesus name, amen.
********
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><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Jeremiah 23:4
“I will place
new leaders over my people, who will take care of them. And my people will not
be afraid or terrified again, and none of them will be lost.” Says the Lord.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for
the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord.
- They appoint elders of the church -
Ephesians 4:11
And He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
- Some as pastors and teachers -
1 Timothy 3:8
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not
double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money
- deacons must be men of dignity -
Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
-
Have a servant’s heart no matter where you’ve been placed -
God appointed many different people to
be many different things. He told some to go be teachers, some to be bankers,
some to be cops, some to be pastors, etc… My point being, he gave us different
jobs to match our different talents and skills.
Some people were given the job of
deacon, and some were appointed elders. We are told numerous times in the Bible
to follow the people that God has put before us. Unless you can find something
Biblically wrong with what these people are doing, you shouldn’t argue with
what they do.
We were all commanded by God to follow
His law and not to be bad. The same goes for those who want to be servants in
the church. These people need to be kind of serious, not deceitful, not
alcoholics, and not in it just to see how much they can get out of it.
Lots of people go into church-work
because they want those blessings that God gives out so abundantly. People who
do that are greedy, and God doesn’t bless people for being greedy.
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
Preach the good news. Be ready at all
times, and tell people what they need to. Tell them when they are wrong.
Encourage them with great patience and careful teaching.
Let me explain something first. This verse does not mean that when you
see someone doing something wrong you go up to them and say "hey that was
wrong stop it!" You need to help them with it and tell them when they are
wrong in a loving way as if you would want them to do for you also.
Becoming a leader is all about serving others. Sounds confusing doesn't
it? The Bible clearly tells us that becoming a servant is the key to being a
leader.
Matthew 20:26 GOD'S WORD
But that's not the way it's going to be
among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant.
Matthew 20:27-28 NKJV
And whoever desires to be first among you
let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but
to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
1 Kings 12:7 GOD'S WORD
They told him, "If you will serve
these people today, humble yourselves, and speak gently, then they will always
be your servants."
"As Christians, we should strive
to become like Christ. Of all the things Jesus was, he was first a servant.
Everyday we should look for opportunities to serve people. By helping those
around us succeed, we too rise to the top." - Emily H.
"Everyday people are wanting to
learn. As Christians; it is our responsibility to be leaders, to show them
God's love and teach them about Jesus." - Mandy M.
Christ's baffling act of servant-hood
and FRIENDSHIP towards his disciples:
John 13:12-17
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down
again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me
Teacher and Lord, and you say well for so I am. If I then, your Lord and
Teacher, has washed your feet, you also aught to wash one another's feet. For I
have given you an example. That you should do as I have done to you. Most
assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who
is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you
if you do them.
In New Testament times, people wore sandals or open shoes, and walked on
dirt roads. You can imagine what their feet looked (and smelled) like after a
long journey. A polite host would provide water for his guests to wash their
own feet with. A wealthy host might have a slave wash his guests' feet. The
idea of a host washing his guests' feet himself, though, was unheard of.
"Jesus gives his disciples a lesson in humility when He washes
their feet. He tells them that they are to follow His example. And we, as
disciples of Christ, are to do the same. Meeting the needs of other people and
sacrificing your own is the example of Jesus, and we are to be like Him. Did
you know that when you feel sorry for yourself, one of the best things to help
you feel better is to do something good for somebody else? And if you are
acting like Jesus, it may cost you something - some time, some energy, some
money, maybe even your pride. Sometimes we can serve others secretly, and God
gets all of the glory. Jesus came and humbled himself by being a servant to
others. Being Christ-like means that we humble ourselves and do the same. It's
the whole point of our time here on earth - following His example, looking more
and more like Jesus.” - On The Edge, Extreme Teen Bible - NKJV
When I was at camp this past summer we
were told that we should be servants. They described a servant in this way:
"A slave does what his master tells him, but a servant goes the extra
mile." You ever think of it that way? We all need to be servants to those
around us (even when its hard and seems unbearable). People will respect you
more, and you won't be on the bad sides of others as often.
Sometime you can clearly point out a "leader" (the popular
cheerleader, the cute football player, etc.) but are those people truly leaders?
Or do they have followers because the followers think that they will become
more popular? Most true leaders today won't have as many followers today like
Jesus did. That's mainly because now-a-days our society has a narrow minded
self centered way of doing things. Serving people doesn't seem like something
that will do them good, so they don't do it.
But honestly, I ask you, What true profit is there for you when you are
not giving yourself to others? When you serve someone you have the feeling that
you know you've done something good for them, and that you will get your reward
in heaven whether or not you get noticed for it on earth.
So the next opportunity you get to serve someone, Will you take it, or
leave it because its not popular?
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Jesus has given us the perfect example of
leadership. He didn't go around boasting that he was God, instead, some people
he didn't even tell who he was! He was a servant to everyone he knew or came in
contact with, gaining the trust and adoration of many. He became a leader by
serving others with a loving heart, and changed the lives of millions in this
way. So let's learn from His example and take the humble position of a servant.
When you do this, the people around you will start to respect you and you will
earn their trust and adoration, just like Christ.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I thank you for giving us
the perfect example of a leader. I pray that you will guide me to be a good
leader for the people around me. Give me the wisdom and strength I need to lead
others to you as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
********
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Psalm 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell
in safety.
Psalm 29:11
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace
Isaiah 9:6b
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 1:79
To shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the path of peace."
Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor
rests.”
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those
who were near.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in
every way. The Lord be with all of you.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
God is the one who gives us peace. Don’t let anyone try to tell you
anything else. There are a lot of people who simply choose to overlook these
verses. They choose to believe that we don’t get peace until we get to Heaven.
That’s completely untrue.
Do you remember when Jesus said, “But take heart! I have overcome the
world.” I know some of you were thinking,
“what would his overcoming the world, have to do with me having peace?”
We can put our faith in Him, that He has gone through hard times and still made
it past them. We don’t have to give up, we can have peace and hope that we will
get through the hard times, just as He did. And since he has overcome the
world, we know that we aren’t putting our trust in a failure, but someone who
has been there, done that, and overcome it!
You can’t hide from the facts. These verses are facts. They tell me that
Jesus came to preach peace to us all. They tell me God doesn’t want us to be
uneasy, but he wants us to be peaceful. They tell me that if I get to have that
personal relationship with God, then I too will have peace.
I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite verses.
John 14:27 (KJV)
Peace I leave
with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Are you having a hard time finding peace?
Well this is your lucky day, you can find it by looking for it in God. You
can’t get peace from smoking, you can’t get peace from sex, and you certainly
can’t get peace from alcohol. God is the only true source of peace. But don’t
just take our word for it; try it out right now. With everyone there is a
different way of finding peace in God. You can read your Bible, pray, worship,
whatever is best for your needs. I strongly urge you to seek God out when you
need peace, “those who seek will find.”
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I pray that I will find
peace in you this very moment. Fill me with your presence and lift me up and
put me at ease. You are the only true source of hope and rest, and I thank you
that you are giving it out freely to anyone who needs it. Please help me with
what I’m going through and give me peace that will last. In Jesus’ name, amen.
********
Back to top
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that
the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward
your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.
Matthew 6:1-4
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen
by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I
tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be
in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Hebrews 7:5
Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a
tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are
descended from Abraham.
The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was
not brought into the house of the LORD. It belonged to the priests.
Mark 12:41-44
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and
saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in
much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly,
I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given
to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she
out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
(= THINK IT
OVER =)
This week we are going to talk about
money, what the bible says about how to use it and things like that. I added
some information on how they used it thousands of years ago. I found out that
they had an offering chest. They used the chest to put money in so that they
could make up for their sins. That’s not how it’s done today (except for maybe
in a few catholic churches). Now-a-days it’s more from the heart and because
you WANT to. When you give to the church you WILL get a blessing back from God.
It may not come in the same form, but I’ve found that a lot of times it does.
We also included verses on giving to
the poor and needy. Now, these days if you just give money to some one; there
is no telling what they will spend it on. But if you give it to a charity there
is a possibility it will go to a better use. I’m not saying don’t give it to
the people you see on the streets, I’m saying BE CAREFUL! I live in a big city
where you see the homeless everywhere. They are out there with their signs and
buggies sometimes, just asking for a little help. When you give out of the
goodness of your heart, you don’t need to think twice about giving it to those
people. Just make sure you are doing it for the right reason.
I just thought it would be neat to look
into money a little, and what the bible says about it… Enjoy!
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
I KNOW there are those of you out there who
worry CONSTANTLY about your money. You need to hand that over to God. Worrying
is not going to get you ANYWHERE! I have found out that the key to “not having”
money problems is just not worrying about it! You may still be scraping for
that last penny, but when you stop worrying, it will get extremely better.
(-.-) PRAY
ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I hand all my money problems
over to you. I pray that you will bless my finances abundantly so that I won’t
have to think about it any longer. In Jesus name, amen.
********
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Some Definitions:
Godhead: trinity
Trinity: the
combination of three divine people, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one
God.
God exists in
3 people: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The 3 together are the
Trinity. The Old Testament emphasizes that there is one God, as it’s talking
about false gods. There is only one God, however he exists in 3 parts. Take an
egg. You have the shell, the yoke, and the white. It is one egg. But it can be
split up into 3 parts. Believing that
all 3 parts are connected, that’s the key.
Don’t just
take our word for it. We have scripture that proves this:
The Spirit of
God is mentioned in Genesis 1:2
Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The Son is
spoken of in Psalm 2:7 & 2:12
I
will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
Kiss
the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can
flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
There are many
places that show all 3 of them together such as:
Genesis 1:26
“Then
God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”
The Bible
shows us a Father (John 3:16)… who is God,
a Son (Philippians 2:5-8; John 1:1)… who is God, and a Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3, 4); … who again is God. Yet, these
are NOT 3 different Gods, but one and the same God.
It is
difficult (if not impossible) to explain what the word ‘person’ means as
applied to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are used to thinking of people
as individual human beings, and we know that 3 people can’t be one being. The
people of the Godhead/Trinity are very characterized from one another, but they
can’t be separated. This truth is beyond complete understanding in our human
minds. But if we could understand God completely, then He wouldn’t really be God.
A good
illustration was shown to me:
When trying
to express this mathematically, we will ordinarily add 1 + 1 + 1 and get 3. We
add the Father + the Son + the Holy Spirit and get confusion. Well, if we’re
going to get math involved, then it would be more accurate to multiply. 1 times 1 times 1 which equals 1. Just as the Father times the Son times the
Holy Spirit equals 1 God!
Every member
of this Trinity has a purpose. God did know what He was doing when He created
all of this. And He did know that He would need to cut Himself into thirds to
make it all work. So He did, and it was a great idea. Throughout the Bible, we
are shown part of God’s plan. The Father sent the Son to save man; the Son
willingly came to die for our sins; the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and
helps us to lead Godly lifestyles.
Matthew
3:16,17
As
soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven
was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on
him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him
I am well pleased."
Remember-
Jesus came on this earth 1) to save us and 2) to give us an example for the
perfect life. It was absolutely necessary for God to be in 3 parts. He had to
be Himself up in Heaven, He had to be Himself down here on earth showing us how
it’s done, and He had to be within us, guiding us to live the right life. God
is omnipresent. And by splitting Himself into thirds helps prove this more.
I hope that
your vision of the trinity is a little clearer now, but in case it isn’t, I
want to leave you with some other verses:
Hebrews
11:1
Now
faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Job
11:7-9
"Can
you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? 8They
are higher than the heavens -- what can you do? They are deeper than the depths
of the grave -- what can you know? 9Their measure is longer than the
earth and wider than the sea.
Romans
11:33
Oh,
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Will we always understand God? Certainly
not. Is this topic crucial for salvation… nope. Does that mean you should
forget about it if you don’t understand?? Not at all. You shouldn’t worry about it, but you shouldn’t just let it go.
Pray to God for understanding, and then trust that He will lay the
understanding upon your heart at the right time.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
Today I thank you for everything You’ve
done. I thank You for letting some of us understand this. And I pray that for
those who didn’t – You will lay the meaning upon their hearts at the right
time. I look at topics like these, and I am so amazed by how well You planned
out this whole world; how well You knew what to do. You knew that there would
need to be a Trinity. I am so grateful for that.
In Your Holy name I pray, Amen
A
lot of information was taken from:
http://www.montney.com/inspire/trinity.htm
********
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
*Verse of the week*
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that
you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are
hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; stuck down, but not destroyed – always
carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our body.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
This month I have been reading through
1st and 2nd Corinthians. I have found out while reading,
that Paul refers to treasure a lot.
Paul was going through so much, and
what kept him going was the thought of having treasure from God. He expressed
the word treasure in many different ways. Some of them included
the spiritual treasure that God has put
inside each one of us,
the treasure of being a Christian and
having a future and a hope, and
the treasure of heaven that Jesus came
to show us.
He kept these different ideas in his
head all the time to comfort himself, and shared them with the believers that
he wrote letters to. Let’s “analyze” how he explains the different treasures.
2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of
God and not of us.”
This definition says that God has
placed a treasure in “earthen vessels” WE are those earthen vessels that carry
around the treasure of God. WE are the treasure of God.
Paul goes on to say [2 Corinthians
8-10] “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; stuck down, but not destroyed
– always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Did you read that? We can go
through ANYTHING and still make it! You know why? Paul said because WE carry
around the life of Jesus INSIDE of our bodies. That’s the second way he showed
us what treasure is.
The final way he described treasure was
this, [2 Corinthians 8:9] “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through
His poverty might become rich.” Jesus had it all. Then one day, it was decision
time. Someone had to go to earth. God loved His people so much that He couldn’t
stand to watch them suffer and wander. The humans needed someone like them to
explain God’s plan and purpose. So God sent Jesus to be like the people and to
live among them on earth. He poured His glorious body into one like ours, and
gave up all the magnificence of heaven just to help us learn how to live and be
right with God. He became poor so that we could know the riches of heaven – joy
in a busted world, love when hearts are broken, peace when chaos is reigning,
and other blessings. Jesus said that His riches have become ours by faith in
Him. That’s great news; YOU’RE rich!
Some extra verses:
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Remember, you are already filled with God’s
treasure and with His power! They go beyond our own ability and strength. They
come from God. Just as if you would bust open a clay pot with a hammer and pull
out a treasure, so it is with you and God. He wants to open you up and see you
blossom into what He wants you to be. Realize that God’s treasures are inside
of you, and watch what He can do with you.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord I thank you for putting your treasures inside of me, and I
thank you for the treasure of having hope and being able to make it through
anything that comes my way. I pray that you will open me up and let the
treasure that you have put inside me, flow out and shine for everyone else to
see. In Your precious name, amen.
********
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Job 1:9-12
So Satan answered the LORD and said,
"Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around
his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the
work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now,
stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You
to Your face!" the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in
your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from
the presence of the LORD.
1:13-2:10 (summarized)
His sons and daughters were eating in the
oldest brother’s house when a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were
plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them when the Sabans came and took
them away and killed the servants with swords. I alone have escaped to tell
you.”
While he was still speaking another
servant came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the
sheep and the servants, I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking another came
and said, “The Chaldeans raided the camels and killed the servants with swords,
I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was speaking yet another servant
came and said, “Your children were eating in the oldest brother’s house when a
wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house
and it fell upon them and they are now dead, I alone have escaped to tell you.”
…. In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Then Satan came back to the Lord, and the Lord asked him about
Job, showing satan that Job had not sinned even though he had tried to convince
him he would. And satan said to the Lord, “But stretch our your hand now and
touch his bones and his flesh, and he will surely curse you to your face!” Then
the Lord gave him permission and Satan gave Job boils from his head to his
toes.
Job’s wife sees him trying to dig out the
boils with a potsherd and said to him, “Do you still hold to your integrity?
Curse God and die!” Job argues back though and continues to sin not.
23:10-12
“But He knows the way that I take; When He
has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the
commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my
necessary food.”
42:10
And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he
prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had
before.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
The story of Job is all about when God
lets Satan mess around with a man’s life so that we can have an example of hard
times and someone who pressed through them. I know what you’re thinking, that
doesn’t sound like something God would do. So why did he do it? Well for one
thing I am sure of, it was so that God could prove the devil wrong. When Satan
came to God, God pointed out Job and how proud he was of him. Satan then told
God, “That man is only worshipping you because you have given him all these
great things, but the moment they are gone, he will curse you!” God knows the
heart of Job and knows that the devil is wrong. God then says to Satan, “Go
ahead, mess with him, take away everything he has. Just don’t hurt him!” So
that’s what Satan did.
So satan starts to attack. First his
oxen and donkeys were stolen, then the sheep and the servants were burned up
from a fire that fell from the heavens. Then the Chaldeans raided his camels
and killed his servants, and finally his children were killed. And in all of
these bad things that happened, Job still remained faithful to God.
Later on, after all of this had passed
and Job was trying to get on with his life, Satan comes before the Lord again.
The Lord was like, “It looks like I was right, Job has hung onto his integrity
even though you hurt him so much.” Then satan said, “Well, it doesn’t matter,
men don’t care about anything except their own life. If you harm his body he will
hate you.” And God says, “Fine, Job is under your power, but you are not
allowed to kill him.”
So the devil goes and gives Job these
really painful sores from top to bottom. His wife, seeing all of this says, “Do
you still hold on to this God? You should curse God and die!” His reply was,
“You speak like a fool. Why should we expect the blessings without the tests
and the hardships?” And in all that he did, Job still didn’t utter a sin.
That’s when a couple of Job’s friends come
to visit him and try to encourage him. From far off at first sight they
couldn’t even recognize him, so because of how horrible it was they sat there
just crying with him and not saying anything for a whole week straight! When
they finally started talking, instead of encouraging him, they lectured him!
They kept saying that Job must have done something wrong for God to be
punishing him, and that he needed to repent right away. Job was furious at his
friends for judging him and couldn’t take it any longer. That’s when he started
arguing back. Job knew he didn’t do anything wrong, but his so-called friends
just didn’t get the point. They argue for several chapters using long words and
confusing theories, only to come to a maddening dead end. His friends leave him
alone, and Job starts to pray again, complaining of pain and cursing the day he
was born.
Finally God can’t take seeing Job in
pain so he goes and talks to Job about it. He then blesses job with twice as
much as he had before, for enduring the testing.
Imagine you are Job. You have gone
through all of this pain. It has just been one thing after another. How long do
you think you would be able to hold up while staying faithful to God? When I
ask myself this question I can’t honestly say I would be able to stay true as
long as Job did. This was one amazing person, as far as humans go. This book is
one of the more difficult ones to read, but it’s so necessary. It answers the
classic question of “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
No, we don’t always know the answer. In
Job’s case, they were tests. In some cases the tests are for a bigger purpose.
I won’t play the ‘what if’ game with you, but time will usually tell you why
certain things in your life have happened. At least that’s how it is for me.
The further I distance myself from the hardship the more God reveals why I had
to go through it, and in the end I’ve become a better person after enduring it.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Why do you think God let Satan attack Job?
What would you do in times like these?
When God tests you, will you come forth as
gold?
E-mail your answers to [email protected]
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the book of Job to read and study. I
pray that I have learned something today that will stay with me for the rest of
my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
********
><> FROM THE TEXT <><
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she
was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just
man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away
secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name
JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
So all this was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not
know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name
JESUS.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Have there been times when you feel
like you can't do things because you're too ordinary? Have you ever thought
that God only uses really extraordinary people to do the big things? Okay, well
stop thinking like that! God can/will/DOES use anyone and everyone who is
willing to do His work. He has extraordinary plans for even the most ordinary
of us.
Take a look at Mary - Jesus' birth mom.
She was your average girl, engaged to an average “Joe”; (forgive the pun) Joseph,
and they figured they were destined to have an average life. But things didn't
work out how they were expected to. God had the bigger, better plan in mind. He
knew Jesus had to come to make up for all of our many short-comings.
Imagine how incredibly brave Mary had
to have been. She was the one and only virgin to ever give birth. Think of how
most people looked at that. Especially back in the day when things were so
strict. They see this supposedly good and proper Jewish girl expecting, and
she's only engaged. She must have been so scared. But God came to her and
Joseph and explained what was happening, and both of them were brave enough to
face the ridicule and go on.
Think about where we would be today
without Mary. Think about where we would be without Jesus. Wouldn't the world
be so much worse than it already is without the two? I definitely don't think
that worshiping Mary is what she would want (and I know it’s not what God wants
either), but I do believe we can admire her and use her courage as an example.
God uses ordinary, everyday people to
do big things. You never know what kind of difference you'll be able to make.
So don't underestimate yourself, better yet - don't underestimate God. Mary probably
didn't believe she could do what God asked her to, but she tried. And look at
the good that came from that. God is in control and won't have you do anything
that is too big for Him and you to handle. So sit back, relax, let go, and let
God!!
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Mary was so brave to do what she did. Can
you imagine bringing the savior of the world, into the world? Can you think of
how hard it was for Joseph to think he had to either forgive her for cheating
on him, or send her away, before he knew the truth? I’m sure Mary was scared when the angel came to her, and Joseph
was relieved when the angel came to him! I would like us all to learn a lesson
in bravery from the story of Mary and Joseph. Nothing is too great for us to
handle when we have the power of God backing us up. Amen?
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord, I pray that you will place a spirit of bravery in my life.
Help me to overcome my fears and do boldly what you want me to do. Thank you
for the great example of Mary and Joseph and how you helped them to be brave.
In your name, amen.
********
Religion
6-day devotions
Muslim Faith
ISLAM
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Islam is the religion Muslims practice. It was thought to have
been started around 622 AD. There are approximately 1,215 million people practicing
Islam and the over all population of the world is about 20% Muslim and growing.
From the sources we got our information, it says that
Christianity is currently the largest religion in the world. It is followed by
about 33% of all people in the world -- a percentage that has remained stable
for decades. But if current trends continue, Islam will become the most popular
world religion sometime in the mid-21st century.
When you hear about Muhammad, you are hearing about someone who
thought he was a prophet on earth to get people to turn from their wicked ways.
He grew up a normal childhood in a foster family, and eventually became a camel
driver on the trade routes between
Islam has six fundamental beliefs that are the foundation of
their faith:
1) A Single, indivisible God.
2) The angels
3) The divine scriptures- which include
the Torah, the Psalms, the rest of the Bible (as it was originally revealed),
and the Qur’an.
4) The Messengers of God- which include Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad.
5) The Day of Judgment- when people will
be judged based on their deeds. If they were good enough they will get to go to
Heaven, and if they were too bad, they have to go to Hell. They do not believe
that Jesus or any other individual can atone for another’s sin.
6) The Supremacy of God’s will.
Some other beliefs of Muslims are:
1)
God didn’t have a son.
2)
Jesus is a prophet, born
of the Virgin Mary. They think that Jesus is blasphemous because they don’t
understand/agree with the Christian views of the trinity.
3)
Jesus wasn’t executed on
the cross. He escaped the crucifixion and was taken to Heaven.
4)
The existence of Satan
who drives people to sin.
5)
Muslims who sincerely
repent and submit to God return to a state of sinlessness
6)
All people are considered
children of Adam. Islam officially rejects racism.
7)
All children are born on
Al-Fitra (a pure, natural state of submission to Islam) Their parents sometimes
make them Christian, Jewish, etc…
8)
When a child reaches
puberty, they are then officially held accountable for their actions.
9)
Alcohol, drugs, gambling
and the eating of pork should be avoided.
For more information about the Islamic
faith go to the place where we got most of our information: www.religioustolerance.org
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Today we challenge you to talk to someone who is or used to be Muslim.
Find out a little about their beliefs and let them know about yours. Pray
before you talk to this person. Pray that God will give you the answers and
questions you need and that you’ll be able to stand strong in your faith during
the conversation.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
I thank you for the information you’ve given me, and I pray that you
someone reading this newsletter today will be touched. That they will learn
something they’ll be able to use in the future.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Hinduism was founded around 1,500
BC. Their sacred text is The Veda. There are only about 1.1 million people who
practice this religion in the
There are thousands of different
religious practices related to the Hindu religion. There isn’t a single person
who founded Hinduism, but a thousand of different Indian groups. (You would say
that God founded Christianity… it’s that type of thing.) Hinduism is a religion
which worships multiple deities: gods and goddesses; but it also recognizes
only one supreme God. Strictly speaking, Hinduism is a henotheistic religion --
a religion which recognizes a single deity, but which recognizes other gods and
goddesses as facets/manifestations/aspects of that one, supreme God.
Among the most important of all
Hindu sacred texts are the Vedas: the Rig Veda, Sama
Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Rig Veda
is the oldest, having been composed about 1500 BC and
written down about 600 BC. They
contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from ancient
Hindus believe in the repetitious
Transmigration of the Soul. This is the transfer of one's soul after death into
another body. This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and
rebirth through their many lifetimes. It is called samsara (which is also
recognized as reincarnation).
Karma is the accumulated sum of
ones good and bad deeds. Karma determines how you will live your next life.
Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level.
Eventually, one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. Bad deeds can
cause a person to be reborn as a lower level, or even as an animal. The unequal
distribution of wealth, prestige, and suffering are thus seen as natural
consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives.
Hindus organize their lives
around certain activities called ‘purusharthas”. These are the Four Aims of
Hinduism, or the doctrine of the fourfold end of life. They include:
The three goals of the
"pravritti," those who are in the world, are:
1)
dharma: righteousness in their religious life. This is the most important of
the three.
2)
artha: success in their economic life; material prosperity.
3)
The main goal for the "nivritti," those who renounce the world.
is:
4)
moksa: Liberation from "samsara," This is considered the supreme end
of mankind.
Meditation is often practiced,
with Yoga being the most common. Other activities include daily devotions,
public rituals, and puja, a ceremonial dinner for a God.
Hinduism has a deserved
reputation of being highly tolerant of other religions. Hindus have a saying:
"Ekam Sataha Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti," which may be translated:
"The truth is One, but different Sages call it by Different Names"
I have met a few people who grew
up with Hinduism, and have met some people who practice it. The people who grew
up with it are now Christians, and say they have pity on the people who are
still practicing Hinduism, because they don't get to have a real relationship
with God. They are saddened at the fact that Hindus think that God has to be
set up on a pedal stool so high that you can't even talk to him like you would
talk to a friend. And according to the Holy Bible Jesus is our Friend. (John
15:15)
Again, we our information from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism2.htm
You can check out that website if
you’d like more info, or as always, you can write to us with any questions and
we’d be happy to try and help.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Much like yesterday, today we challenge you to talk to someone. Only
this time we ask you to talk to someone that follows Hinduism. Along with this
challenge we ask you to write in about whatever you and your Islamic friend
talked about yesterday, that is… if it’s not private. We might post it in an
upcoming issue to give others a better understanding of the Islamic faith.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
I thank you for everyone who is reading this newsletter today. And I pray
that the words being written are all yours, not ours. Just let Your will be
done Father. And in Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Buddhism is the 4th most popular religion in the
world, underneath Christianity, Muslim, and Hinduism.
Buddhism is divided into a number of different traditions.
However, most traditions share a common set of fundamental beliefs.
One fundamental belief involves reincarnation: the concept that
one must go through many cycles of birth, living, and death. After many such
cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and the self, they can
attain Nirvana which is a state of liberation and freedom from suffering.
The Buddha's Four Noble Truths explore human suffering. They may
be described as:
1.) Dukkha: The reality and universality of suffering. Suffering
has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure, the impermanence of pleasure.
2.) Samudaya: The cause of suffering is a desire to have and control things. It
can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire for fame; the
desire to avoid unpleasant sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy.
3.) Nirodha: Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana (a.k.a.
Nibbana). The mind experiences complete freedom, liberation and non-attachment.
It lets go of any desire or craving.
4.) Magga: The eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering.
The eight fold path is in some ways a lot like what Christians
believe: conquer evil thoughts with good, keep your speech right, (no lying,
gossiping, cursing etc.) They have to follow the five precepts that we
mentioned above, and then they need to meditate to achieve a higher state of
consciousness.
Also, they have 5 rules that are similar to the last 5
commandments of the Bible, that they believe and follow. They are:
Do not kill
Do not steal
Do not lie
Do not be unchaste
Do not consume alcohol or other drugs
Once
again we got our information from www.religioustolerance.org
~~~
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
I bet you know what your challenge is for today. Today, we want you
to talk to a Buddhist. Find out a
little more about their belief, and explain what you believe… if they don’t
already know.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear God,
Thanks so much for letting us be able to send this newsletter out
regularly. I pray Lord that You will find some way to get us up and over that
200 mark. But only if it’s Your will. I love you and praise You.
In Jesus’ Name I pray
Amen
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Judaism used to be the belief that most people turned to way
back in the day. Things have clearly changed since then and now Christianity is
the biggest world religion. The 2 religions are a lot alike. The Old Testament
of the Christian Bible is what the Jews live by. Christians have been able to
add a New Testament to that which gives them a sense of hope and more freedom.
As of now, there are approximately 18 million people who follow Judaism; about
0.2%, of the population.
Jews have divided the Old Testament into three main parts, but
all of the old testament books are in there. This book they call
"Tanakh". They also have another book which isn't related to the
Bible called "Talmud". It has hundreds of chapters with stories,
laws, medical knowledge, debates about moral choices, etc.
Some things that the Jews believe are:
1) Jews believe in God, He is the creator of all that exists; He is one,
incorporeal (without a body) and that He and He alone is to be worshipped.
2) God communicates to people through prophets.
3) He monitors every individual's deeds, rewarding good, punishing evil.
4) Some of them won’t actually write the LORD’S name, instead they put G-d. The reason for this is incase they
have to erase it later; they believe it would blasphemous to erase God’s name.
5) A major similarity is that they also believe in the Messiah.
The only difference is that Christians believe He already came, and the Jews
are still waiting for Him.
Although Christians base much of their faith on the same Hebrew
Scriptures as Jews, there are major differences in belief.
Some of the differences include:
They believe that Jesus was only a great moral teacher. Others
see him only as a prophet or idol of Christianity. Some sects of Judaism will
not even say his name due to the prohibition against saying an idol's name.
They also believe that believers of Judaism are able to sanctify their lives
and draw closer to God by performing and fulfilling mitzvot (divine
commandments).
There are 613 commandments found in Leviticus that the Jews are
to follow. The Ten Commandments are a summary of them all! That's a lot of
rules to follow!
They believe that the Messiah has yet to come. They’re still waiting for Him.
They also believe in the 2nd coming of The Messiah in the future to
gather believers (what a lot of us refer to as the rapture/tribulation period).
I'm sure most of you have heard of Bat Mitzvahs (for boys of age
13) and Bat Mitzvahs (for girls of age 12). This means that they are considered
adults. They are allowed to get married, sign contracts, lead services, etc.
(Even though the Talmud recommends 18-24 as the proper age for marriage, they
can marry earlier if wanted.)
There are five main forms of Judaism
in the world today:
Conservative
Judaism: This began in the mid 1800’s as a reaction against the
Reform movement. It’s a main-line movement midway between Reform and Orthodox.
Humanistic
Judaism: This is a really small group, mainly composed of
atheists and agnostics, who regard mankind as a the measure of all things.
Orthodox
Judaism: One of the biggest, oldest, diverse, and most
conservative forms of Judaism. They attempt to follow the original form of
Judaism as they view it to be. They look upon every word in their sacred texts
as being divinely inspired.
Reconstructionist
Judaism: This is a newer and smaller liberal movement started by
Mordecai Kaplan as an attempt to unify and revitalize the religion. They reject
the concept that Jews are a uniquely favored and chosen people. They have no
connection at all with Christian
Reconstructionism, which is an ultra-conservative form of
Christianity.
Reform
Judaism: They are a liberal group, followed by many North
American Jews. They follow the ethical laws of Judaism, but leave up to the
individual follower whether to go by or ignore the dietary restrictions. They
use modern forms of worship and they have many female rabbis in congregations.
Once again, we got most of our
information from www.religioiustolerance.org
If you have any questions or
feel we didn’t explain something correctly or well enough, let us know
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
We apologize for being so repetitive, but we like the challenges this
week. Today we challenge you to talk to someone who is Jewish. We challenge you
to ask them about their beliefs and of course explain yours. Our hope is by the
end of this week you will have told 6 different people about your beliefs and
as a result you will be better at doing that.
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
I pray that some people will actually
do the challenges. I thank You so much for all that You have blessed me with
lately and I wanted to ask that You help Kathrine’s sister. She’s pregnant God
and the baby wasn’t supposed to be born until February, but it has to be born
within a week. I just pray that You’ll bless the family with the beautiful new
baby and be with the doctors as they’re delivering him or her. Please be with
the mother, if it’s Your will, let her live to raise her child.
Also, I ask You to be with Nagamani.
She was admitted to the hospital to give birth last week and the doctor had to
do surgery on her. Bless them with the money to pay the hospital bill and help
keep her and her baby healthy.
As You know, Praveen has been having
terrible leg pains. I ask that You will help him with these. That You’ll be his
strength when he is weak, as you’ve promised You will be.
Let the Christmas Program work out
well. Let the kids that attend know that Jesus is the reason for the season.
In all of these things I pray to You
Father,
In Jesus’ Name I Pray,
Amen
(= THINK IT OVER =)
There isn't a lot to say about atheism, because it is what it
is. It is not considered a religion in the sense that Christianity and Islam
are. Atheism is not generally perceived as offering a complete guideline for
living as do most religions. It can be the positive belief that there is no
deity or it can be the absence of a belief that there is a deity. Atheists have
a PERSONAL moral code. However, it is derived from secular (worldly)
considerations, and not from a religious text.
No one really knows how many Athiests there are in the world,
because some people consider themselves something else mostly because of fear
of "coming out of the closet". (Humanists, Free Thinkers, Unitarian Universalists,
Ethical Culturalists, persons of no religion, etc.)
So basically Atheism is all up to the person. It’s all up to the
individual.
Another thing
I think of that is associated with Atheism, is Agnostic. Atheism is believing
there is no God at all. Agnostic is believing it’s impossible to know whether
or not there is a god. They are skeptical about the existence of God, but they
don’t profess Atheism. They are doubtful and don’t want to make a commitment
one way or the other.
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Today we challenge you to write in and let us know about what you’ve
learned from your conversations of different religions. If you’d like, talk to
an atheist, agnostic, or humanitarian today. Find someone who won’t argue with you,
but who will simply let you have a conversation with them. Who knows what might
happen, maybe you’ll plant some ‘what ifs’ in their heads. The good ‘what ifs’.
The ones that make them think, “Hey maybe there IS a God.”
(-.-) PRAY
ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear God,
Merry Christmas Eve! I love you so much
God. I pray that you will bless this day and let it be full of happiness. Happy
Birthday Eve.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
(= THINK IT OVER =)
There are many different types of what SOME would consider
Christianity. There is Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian,
Jehovah Witness, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Non-Denominational, Bible
Churches, Lutheran, Mormon, etc. Some of them believe basically the same thing,
with a few differences, but some have complete differences in beliefs. 33% of
the population of the world is considered “Christian” but it is all of the
listed denominations above; and more, all smashed into one category.
Did you know that there are over 1,200 different denominations
in
This category is too vast to list a certain set of beliefs. But
one thing they all have in common is Jesus.
When it comes down to it, it is the way YOU believe in God.
Follow your heart and interpret what you read in the Bible for yourself. No one
can do it for you or make you believe a certain way if you don't let them! God
doesn't want you to feel obligated to a "doctrine". He wants to spend
time with you and be with you through out your day. He wants you to get to know
Him better and for you to share your life with Him!
One of the BIG things we believe is that it’s not about
religion; it’s about a relationship with God. If you have the relationship all
is good. Jesus isn’t a religion.
The basic beliefs of Christianity that we teach in this
newsletter are these:
We all sin and fall short of the Glory of God. (Romans 6:23)
God sent His son to die for us so that we could have eternal
life with him when we die. (John 3:16)
There is no remission for sins without the shedding of blood.
Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. In the Old Testament times, people had to
present a flawless lamb to the priest to repent for their sins. We don't have
to kill a lamb every time we sin anymore. When Jesus died on the cross, He
became the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus was mocked, then he died and shed his
blood for our sins. After being buried he rose from the dead on the third day,
like prophecy predicted.
When Jesus died, God tore the veil in the temple so that we can
have a personal relationship with him. So we wouldn’t have to be in a church or
any other specific place to talk to Him.
We can be forgiven in a heart beat and all we have to do is ask.
(Colossians 2:13-14)
If you have accepted Christ as your savior, you go to Heaven
when you die.
Something else that Christians are supposed to do is go through
a water baptism. It’s not necessary in order for salvation, but it was
commanded. The baptism represents Christ dying on the cross and then rising
again 3 days later. When you first get dunked into the water it symbolizes His
death and then when you’re brought back up it represents his resurrection.
That’s one thing it symbolizes. The other is that the submersion of water shows
our death to our former self (the one that didn’t know God) and when we are
brought back up it shows that we’ve made a commitment to become new people
(ones that DO know God and want to live with Him as well as be obedient to
Him).
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
What do you believe? Do you believe in
speaking in tongues, a special kind of baptism, or something different about
when you die? Today we challenge you to
talk to another Christian. Tell them about how you feel about certain debatable
issues (ex. Do animals have souls?). Try to get them to tell you THEIR opinions.
You never know when you’ll learn something new!
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord,
Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday
Dear Jesus! Happy Birthday to You! I thank you so much for enabling us to send
out our every day devotionals this week. I pray that people learned things from
them and weren’t just annoyed at the extra emails. I love you!
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen
********
<>< FROM THE TEXT ><>
Proverbs 15:31-32
He who listens to a life-giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise.
He who ignores discipline despises himself,
but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have
a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and
has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm
alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three
strands is not quickly broken.
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
(= THINK IT OVER =)
Do you remember last year’s New Years resolution? Do you
remember ever actually following through with it? Sadly to say, the large
majority of people who make resolutions have given up on them a month later.
Why do they? Well, more times than not, because they have no one to hold them
accountable. They have no one really pushing them to keep with this goal. The
way we see it, this should change. The Bible gives us several verses that tell
us it’s important to hold us each other accountable. “As iron sharpens iron, so
one man sharpens another.”
The whole reason we asked you all to
write in with your resolutions is so that you can publicly announce what you’re
goal is and as a result have a ton of people here to not only hold you
accountable, but simply just be there to help.
So without further ado we give you- the resolutions:
Melanie
resolves to:
1) To be
stronger in my faith.
2) To spend
more time going to movies with friends.
3) To finish homework
the day before its due, instead of half finishing it the class before it’s due.
Aubree
resolves to start reading her Bible everyday, she wants to spend the next year
getting closer to God.
Lori resolves
to gradually quit smoking this year, and by December she will have completely
quit.
Kelly resolves to finish the Old
Testament, and to start working out.
Danielle resolves to get a job and start
working out her physical and spiritual life more often.
Rhona hopes to get a job this year. To get Healed this year and
to grow in Christ.
Jessica resolves to become more focused on God.
WE’LL BE KEEPING TABS ON YOU!!! Every month we will include you
in a special follow up article in the newsletter to show progress to all the
readers. You may have to write a paragraph or even just a statement on how you
are doing, what God has taught you on keeping your resolution, etc. Have
fun!!!!
*&* TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE *&*
Ok well I am guessing that you already know
what our challenge will be for this week… BUT I am going to tell you anyways.
Keep going for that goal that you have set for yourself, but most importantly
the one that God has called you to in Christ Jesus!
(-.-) PRAY ABOUT IT (-.-)
Dear Lord give me everything I need to
achieve the goal that I have set for myself. Thank you for being there for me
to help me when I feel like I can’t make it. In Your heavenly name, amen.
********