🙂👍💯💒 🐇🥚 how to turn the alleged pagan easter bunny/eggs for the purpose of glorifying God ❗❗
Posted : 25 Mar, 2024 11:34 AM
eggs have a historical tie with the symbol of new life, we can easily transfer those symbols to the idea of the new life that comes through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
also rabbits are known for multiplying. We can see how the idea of the Great Commission can be applied to rabbits. We are to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16-20)
many churches will often fill plastic Easter eggs with
symbols of the Crucifixion and resurrection story (instead of candy) to remind kids about the reason for the Easter season. Some examples of these egg contents may be:
- a donkey (or a drawing of a donkey) to symbolize Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11)
- a purple cloth to represent the “robe” they placed on Jesus, mocking him at his crucifixion
- nails to represent the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet on the cross (Mark 15:24-26)
- an empty egg to represent the empty tomb of Jesus on the third day, when he rose again (Luke 24) 💡⭐🕊️ 1 corinthians 10:31 whatever we do do for the glory of God ‼️
Was it unfair for God to allow Job to suffer over what was basically an argument between God and Satan?
Posted : 22 Mar, 2024 09:06 PM
🙂💯👍💡⭐🕊️ job 13:15 though he slay me i will still trust him
this is the attitude that will see Job through his past and present crises. He did not understand any of his situation and felt that God was against him, not for him (as in Job 9:28 and 10:16-17). At the same time, he could still exclaim: yet will I trust Him.
i. “I have no dependence but God; I trust him alone. Should he even destroy my life by this affliction, yet will I hope that when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Clarke)
ii. Writing fictionally in the voice of a senior demon instructing a junior demon in his popular book The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis stated – from a demon’s perspective – this dynamic of trial in the life of the believer: “He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
iii. “It is well worthy of observation that in these words Job answered both the accusations of Satan and the charges of his friends. Though I do not know that Job was aware that the devil had said, ‘Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast thou not set a hedge about him and all that he hath?’ Yet he answered that base suggestion in the ablest possible manner, for he did in effect say, ‘Though God should pull down my hedge, and lay me bare as the wilderness itself, yet will I cling to him in firmest faith.’” (Spurgeon)
iv. “There are three things in the text: a terrible supposition — “though he slay me”; a noble resolution, “yet will I trust in him”; and, thirdly, a secret appropriateness. This last will require a little looking into, but I hope to make it clear that there is a great appropriateness in our trusting while God is slaying us — the two things go well together, though it may not so appear.” (Spurgeon)
v. Charles Spurgeon listed several reasons why he thought that “slaying times” were good times.
· Such times show us that we are really His sons and daughters because He only chastens His children.
· Such times – slaying times – are when real faith is created.
· Such times are when God tests and affirms our faith.
· Such times are when we can grow in faith.
· Such times allow the child of God to prove that he is not a mercenary professor of faith.
vi. “Once more, the grim supposition of the text, if ever it was realized by anybody it was realized by our Lord Jesus. Our great covenant Head knows to the full what his members suffer. God did slay him, and glory be to his blessed name, he trusted God while he was being slain.” (Spurgeon)
🙂👍💯🇺🇸🕊️💡⭐ christian nationalism does have its benefits ❗❗
Posted : 20 Mar, 2024 11:42 AM
for some of us Christian Nationalism simply means that Christianity has influenced and should continue to influence the nation. They argue America was founded on transcendent Christian principles. The Declaration of Independence affirms “all men are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Such a principle is worthy of Christian advocacy alongside a biblical view of issues like marriage, sexuality, and abortion. Our nation would be improved by affirming the goodness of natural law principles.
In the best sense, this form of Christian Nationalism doesn’t attempt to dominate the political process or to make the nation completely Christian but seeks instead to bring change by persuasion. Rather than trying to overthrow the government, adherents advocate their cause by supporting laws, electing candidates, podcasting, writing, and developing think tanks. They won’t force their opinions, but they also won’t back down from arguing for them.
religion will always have a place in politics. Everyone has a “religion” she promotes. The best form of Christian Nationalism advocates for Christian principles just like secular nationalism advocates for secular principles
If a Christian Nationalist is someone who believes that as citizens our views should influence our nation, then surely every Christian falls under that label
☘️💚 happy st paddy's day march 17th and it's true meaning ❗❗
Posted : 12 Mar, 2024 12:24 PM
What Is the Spiritual Meaning of St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick is most known for illustrating the meaning of the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - by sharing with the masses that the shamrock is one leaf with three parts, just as God is one entity with three persons.
Aside from this and St. Patrick's Day itself, St. Patrick's legacy is sustained by his famous prayer of protection or breastplate prayer. The prayer is long, but the encouragement still speaks the same message to this day. Here is a small excerpt of the prayer:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Spiritual Meaning of St Patrick's Day
The Irish see that St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland. The celebrations should be about being thankful for him and thankful that his missions helped bring about the message of the Good News. Moreover, it is being thankful that God gave His only Son to die for us so that we could live. Therefore, it is always a celebration when the gospel is preached to the lost.
In Mark 16:15, Jesus appears to the 11 disciples and commands them to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”
Are you thankful that someone obeyed God and preached the gospel to you? I am. Without God, my life would be totally different. Imagine what life would be like for you. Even more, imagine what the country of Ireland would be like if the gospel was never reached there. So, when you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, remember what it is all about: the gospel.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:15-17)
when this bible passage is often taken out of context it's like what 🧛 count Floyd of SCTV Fame would say " very scary kids "
Posted : 7 Mar, 2024 06:04 PM
⭐💡🕊️ ii. Hebrews was obviously written to Christians with a Jewish background, but it was also written to a Greek frame of mind with its analysis of Jesus as the ultimate reality. This approach to the nature of Jesus explains the Savior to the mindset of the Greek philosophers.
iii. Hebrews is basically a book that exhorts discouraged Christians to continue on strong with Jesus in light of the complete superiority of who He is and what He did for us
when this bible passage is often taken out of context it's like what 🧛 count Floyd of SCTV Fame would say " very scary kids "
Posted : 7 Mar, 2024 11:47 AM
hebrews 10:26 CSB for if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice.
the wrong way to interpret Hebrews 10:26 🚫🚫
Hebrews 10:26 is an oft-abused scripture. If you wanted to use this verse to scare people, there are a couple of angles you could take:
1. You could use this verse to present a “balanced” view of God, like this: “He is a God of grace and He is a God of judgment. He’s not some senile Santa in the sky. He’s a God of vengeance and a consuming fire. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
2. You could also use this verse to preach works: “You will be judged according to the light of your revelation and those who have received the knowledge of the truth will be held to the highest standard. It’s time for judgment to begin in the house of God. If you fall away it is impossible to be brought back to repentance!”
trampling the Son of God under foot
a key to unpackaging this scripture is to recall the audience. Hebrews was written for – surprise, surprise – Hebrews. It was for those who have grown up with the “elementary teachings” of the Old Covenant. In other words, the author writes for an informed audience. They know all about the law, sacrifices, and high priests. But what they may not appreciate is that the law was only a shadow of the good things to come. The law points to the true high priest Jesus and His eternally perfect sacrifice.
Hebrews was written to reveal Christ and His work so that we may “enter through the new and living way,” “go on to maturity,” and “draw near to God.” That last bit is the key. How do I know the two sermonettes above are carnal nonsense? Because neither will inspire you to draw near to God. Indeed, they will have the opposite effect.
Hebrews 10:26 describes those who have received the knowledge of the truth (i.e., they have heard the gospel) but they have rejected it. The writer compares those who reject grace with those who reject law:
Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? Heb 10:28-29
This passage is not talking about Christians but those who, like Judas, have heard the truth and spurned it. Judas spent time in the company of the Lord. He not only heard the truth, he saw Grace and Truth in the flesh. But Judas rejected Jesus as Lord. He never saw Jesus as anything other than a rabbi. Calling Jesus “Rabbi” is a bit like calling the President “Mister,” only infinitely more so. It’s not just insulting, it’s unbelief.
Jesus came to give His life for Judas but Judas wasn’t interested. He preferred his own sinful life of greed and betrayal. I am sure Judas had many opportunities to repent (i.e., change his mind) and put his faith in Jesus, but he never did. He rejected the grace of God that could empower him to say no to sin.
Jesus died for Judas. What more could He do? There is nothing! There is no more sacrifice for sins other than the one Jesus provided. To reject Jesus as Lord is to trample the Son of God underfoot and treat the blood of the covenant as unholy.
How do you insult the Spirit of grace?
If I was to give you a free car out of the generosity of my heart, but you insisted on paying for it, I would be insulted. Similarly, we insult the Spirit of grace by trying to pay, with works and sacrifices, what God has freely given us. We may call it “proving our salvation” or “appropriating what God has given” but it is unbelief. It is like saying, “I don’t believe Jesus has done it all. I need to finish what He started.”
The wrong way to read Hebrews is to think that God is judging us on our performance. Over and over again Hebrews tells us that it is Jesus and His performance that matters. It is His sacrifice that made us holy, indeed, perfect forever Heb 10:10-14 How can we interpret Hebrews 10:26 as a warning against sin when Hebrews 9:26 says that Christ appeared once for all “to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself”? Is His a finished work or isn’t it? If it is, then sin is no longer the problem. Where there is remission of sins, “there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” Heb 10:18 The good news is that the Son of God is the once and final solution for sin. Because of Jesus, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit choose to remember our sins no more see Heb 8:12, 10:17
The warning of Hebrews
In a forthcoming post I will look at Hebrews 6:4-6, which is another passage that bothers some. But the punch-line is the same. The main warning of Hebrews is not in regard to sin but unbelief:
So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Heb 3:19
The Hebrews of Moses’ day never entered God’s rest because they hardened their hearts to His voice. In the New Testament era, many Jews were doing exactly the same thing. They received the knowledge of truth, they heard the gospel of grace, but they rejected it. They may not have said so in so many words, but by their actions they revealed their distrust.
For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Heb 4:2
The author of Hebrews writes to stir up faith. Without it we cannot please God. With it we can come boldly to the throne of grace.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved Heb 10:39
Some people hear the good news of God’s grace and shrink back. They cannot believe it. “It’s too good to be true,” they say. “I’d better cover myself by doing works.” Do you see the danger? You cannot cover yourself. This is idol-worship. You are elevating yourself to co-savior with Christ. You are insulting the Spirit of grace by trying to pay for what God has already given you. This is why sermons that put the emphasis on you and your performance are dangerous. Don’t buy into any message that purports to give you a list of keys or steps that will help you achieve/accomplish/appropriate what you already have. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and the sweat of men to take away sins and it is faithless to strive for what you already have (every good thing!)
According to Hebrews there are only two kinds of people; those who don’t enter because of their unbelief and those who believe and are saved. Sin is not the variable; faith is. Where does faith come from? Jesus! He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith Heb 12:2
