HELP IN TIME OF NEED

Boldly draw near to the throne of grace with fearlessly and confidently

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 11:41:00 +0000

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on the name of holy spirit:

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners).

Boldly draw near to the throne of grace with fearlessly and confidently

Parallel Verses:

English Standard Version

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

King James Bible

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

American Standard Version

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.

Douay-Rheims Bible

Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid.

English Revised Version

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.

Webster's Bible Translation

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Weymouth New Testament

Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need.

Come - unto (προσερχώμεθα)

oP., often in Hebrews, and commonly in the same sense as here - approach to God through the O.T. sacrifices or the sacrifice of Christ. Paul's word προσαγωγή access expresses the same idea. SeeEphesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12. The phrase come boldly expresses a thought which the Epistle emphasizes - that Christianity is the religion of free access to God. Comp. 2 Corinthians 3:12, 2 Corinthians 3:13.

Unto the throne of grace (τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος)

The phrase N.T.o. Throne of glory, Matthew 19:28; Matthew 25:31 : of majesty, Hebrews 8:1. In Revelation throne occurs over forty times, either the throne, or his throne, or throne of God. Once throne of the beast, Revelation 16:10. Throne of grace expresses grace as the gift of divine power.

Mercy - grace (ἔλεος - χάριν)

Mercy for past sins; grace for future work, trial, and resistance to temptation.

To help in time of need (εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν)

Lit. for seasonable help, or help in good time; before it is too late; while there is still time to seek God's rest. Others, however, explain, when it is needed; or, before temptation leads to sin.

Hebrews 4:16 Parallel Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

come.

Hebrews 10:19-23 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus...

Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.

Romans 8:15-17 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba...

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

the throne.

Hebrews 9:5 And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Exodus 25:17-22 And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof...

Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said to Moses, Speak to Aaron your brother...

1 Chronicles 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof...

obtain.

Isaiah 27:11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire...

Isaiah 55:6,7 Seek you the LORD while he may be found, call you on him while he is near...

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you...

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 For this thing I sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me...

Philippians 4:6,7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God...

1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

7 prayers must accepted by the Heavenly Father

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:49:00 +0000

Almighty God is our creator who listens our prayers any time any where .Is not it true that you spend more time offering prayers for help from God than in any other type of prayer? I know that is the case with me, as much as I do not like to admit it. I am so thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who is full of mercy and grace and we can count on the fact that He will always answer our prayers for help. We can cry out to Him in our time of need and He will rescue us.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Though sometimes it seems like He will never answer or does not hear, God is still on the throne and available and willing to listen to our prayers for help. Ask for help and then be still and know that He is God and will act in His time.Here is the evergreen collection of prayer those 7 prayers must accepted by the Heavenly Father .

Prayer for Help towards the sign from the Lord

1. Judges 6:36-37, 39 :-

“If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said …let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.”

2. Samuel-I 1:11 :-

“O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

3. Kings-I 3:5-9 :-

“Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
4. Daniel 9:16-19 :-

“O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
5. Jonah 2:2-9 :-

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,

and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
6. Luke 22:42 :-

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
7. Ephesians 3:14-21:-

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Selectors Conclusion :-

Lord the Almighty father can help any one and any time but we have to ask for that such a parable says like so ." A mother normally doesn't feed the baby until it cries"

The LORD Jesus Birth & Christians(Catholicism) Celebrating The Birth of Sun Along With Christmas ?

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:56:00 +0000

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

So the shepherds were watching over their flocks in the field at night. Have you ever thought that it may have been a little cold on a late December night in Bethlehem? Well the Bible says nothing about the birth of Jesus being at that time of year. Indeed, if the flocks were still in the field, it definitely was not during the winter. Since the Bible does not openly declare any particular date for the birth of Jesus Christ, just how is it that December 25 was selected?

Why, then, the 25th of December? Actually, the date was chosen not by the Christians, but by Romans, the traditional antagonists of the Early Church.
Each year as the days became noticeably shorter in November and December, the Roman citizens feared that the earth may be "dying". With the "return of the sun" at the end of December resulting in longer days, the Romans celebrated the "Feast of the Sol Invictus" (Unconquerable Sun") on December 25. Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered in 354 that all Christians celebrate the birth of the Christ child on that day. Scholars believe that the bishop chose this date so that Christians, still members of an "outlaw religion" in the eyes of the Romans, could celebrate the birth of their Savior without danger of revealing their religious conviction, while their Roman neighbors celebrated another event.
The feast of the Epiphany, which had existed fairly generally in the Greek Church even in the third century, is now found in the Latin Church also. In migrating, the feast acquired, however, a new meaning. Whilst in the East it commemorated more especially Christ's Baptism, in the West it came to be a festival in honour of His manifestation to the Gentiles. The other meanings of the feast gradually passed into the background, one of them, that of Christ's birth, becoming the object of an entirely new festival, Christmas. The origin of the latter is by no means clear: the Armenian Ananias the 'Computer,' writing at the beginning of the seventh century, tells us that it was kept at the imperial court under Constantius (337-61); we have also an illusion of the so-called Chronographer of A.D. 354. If his notice at the head of the Depositio Martyrum is to be taken as indicating that December 25 was merely reckoned as Christ's birthday, then the feast may have arisen subsequently to 354, but if it refers, as quite possibly it may, to a festival, then Christmas must have been kept as a feast not only in 354, but, as is clear from a comparison with the Chronographer's Depositio Episcoporum, as far back as 336. However this may be, the feast certainly existed in Rome before 360, and from thence it spread throughout the Church; Justin I [p. 199] (518-27) was, nevertheless, obliged to issue decrees making its observation compulsory throughout the empire. Armenia alone refused to accept it, and there Christ's birth is still commemorated on the Epiphany. December 25 seems to have been chosen on account of the Roman custom of keeping this day as the festival of Sol Invictus - i.e. of the re-birth of the sun; it was judged fitting to substitute for the pagan feast a Christian one commemorating the birth of the true Sun of the world and Redeemer of mankind.
Source: Manual of Church History, Volume I., by Dr. F. X. Funk, Published by B. Herder, 17 South Broadway, St. Louis, Mo., Copyright 1912, bearing the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur of the Catholic Church, pp. 198-199.
The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days counted from December 25th to January 5, January 6th being the date the Epiphany (Twelfth Night) is celebrated, which is when the three Wise Men, or Magi, visited Bethlehem.

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th?

Although Christmas is celebrated on the 25th day of December each year, the exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown. Most biblical scholars agree that the birth, in fact, did not take place in December at all, but probably occurred during the spring of the year. The Gospel of Luke states that the shepherds to whom the announcement of the birth was made were watching theirs sheep by night (Luke 2:8) which would suggest the lambing time (the spring). Only then did shepherds bother to guard their flocks around the [p. 206] clock. In winter, for example, the sheep would have been kept in the corral.

A star cult, sun-worship, became (in the third century A.D.) the dominant official creed, paving the road for the ultimate triumph of Judaeo-Christian monotheism. So strong was the belief in the Invincible Sun (Sol Invictus) that for example Constantine I (d. 337), himself at first a devotee of the sun cult, found it, indeed perfectly compatible with his pro-Christian sympathies to authorize his own portrayal as Helios. And in 354 the ascendant Christian church in the reign of his pious but unsavory son, Constantius II, found it prudent to change the celebration of the birth of Jesus from the traditional date (January 6) to December 25, in order to combat the pagan Sun god’s popularity—his “birthday” being December 25.

The Holy Scripts Bible Is Mentioning of Another Jesus & Christians Birth Day Celebration Along With X-Mass Day

noreply@blogger.com (Shazida Khatun) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:17:00 +0000

The Christmas, the shocking truth is that even this supposed Christian custom does not come from the Bible. It is an irony that people love to believe they are following the custom of the wise men giving to Christ, when actually they are giving almost exclusively to each other! What hypocrisy! Christ is completely forgotten.

“Another Jesus”

There is another problem with the idea of “putting Christ back in Christmas”—and it is big! The “Jesus” that is the focus of this season is not the true Jesus Christ of the Bible!
Most have been taught that there is only one Jesus Christ. But God’s Word speaks of a counterfeit, and this substitute Christ is identifiable in history. The proof? The apostle Paul warned of “another Jesus.”
Grasp what is at stake here!
First, consider Paul’s entire introduction as he sets the stage for the warning that follows: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent [Satan] beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (II Cor. 11:3).
Now for the actual warning in the next verse: “For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him” (II Cor. 11:4). The Corinthians seemed to “bear with this” without much resistance.
Paul, under inspiration of the true Jesus Christ of the Bible, was moved to record the peril of unwittingly following “another Jesus.” Consider. Most have probably never remotely considered the idea of a false Jesus for even a moment—that there is such a thing as a wrong, different and “false Christ” (Matt. 24:23-24)—called “another Jesus.” In the past, this “Jesus” has even corrupted the thinking of true Christians. This much is plain. But the “subtilty” of how this can happen, and how it has occurred in history, is so deceptive—so seductive—that even true Christians can unknowingly slip into worshipping this so-called Jesus. This is what was happening to the Corinthians.
People can worship in ways that represent things that are far different than what they sincerely believe or intend. Bible “believers” today can think that they are worshipping the true Savior when they are really worshipping a false savior—another Jesus! The entirety of traditional Christianity is actually worshipping Nimrod/Saturn/Molech/Baal. The modern mother/child “Mary/Jesus” emphasis, including the worshipful adoration of Mary by millions, is a parallel with Nimrod and his mother, Semiramis, that cannot be missed.
Here is the point of what is being explained. Many speak of “putting Christ back into Christmas.” This is heard every year from thousands of pulpits and elsewhere. But the true Christ was never there! Just as a person cannot go back into a room that he had never entered, Jesus Christ cannot be “put back” into an event that He has never been in, and that He in fact hates! (See Mark 7:7.) The Jesus that these preachers and religionists have in mind is another Christ, one with another gospel, another spirit—the Christmas spirit!—bringing totally different doctrines and teachings.
Can you see the connection?
What Should You Do?
Finally, let’s examine what God told His people they should do and the way they ought to teach their children.
In Jeremiah 7:31 God condemned Israel for burning their children in the Valley of Tophet. Eight verses earlier (vs. 23-24), God had made plain what He requires: “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people: and walk you in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not…but walked…in the imagination of their evil heart…”
Human beings do not want to obey God (Rom. 8:7). They would rather follow their own “imagination.” They do not understand that God wants their lives to go “well.” He wants happiness, joy and blessings to flow into people’s lives. All these are the results of obeying Him.
God inspired Moses to warn parents of the grave responsibility that they have in what and how they teach their children. Notice His instruction in Deuteronomy 6:1, 6-7, 20-21, 25: “Now these are the commandments…which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it…And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up…And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God has commanded you? Then you shall say unto your son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.”
God took Israel out of Egypt—from slavery—out of the customs of the world around them and revealed His Law to them. He does not want His people going back to the traditions, customs and ways from which He has called them.
When all of the interconnected traditions, filled with the symbolism of worshipping an ancient pagan, humanly devised god, are taught, this is not worshipping the true Creator.
We Have not Known that Christmas is of Babylon
Jesus said twice, in Matthew 7:16 and 20, that “you shall know them by their fruits.” Everything that people say or do, good or bad, has fruits. The fruits of Christmas are terrible. This season leads the entire year in adultery, loneliness, jealousy, drunkenness and drunk driving, family arguments (and worse), and accumulation of debt that often lasts until March. This problem is so significant that almost all churches typically report that their incomes—how ironic—drop during this period as people “recover” from all their spending!
The Real “Christmas Spirit”
The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression” (58:1). I have done this. Now that you have read theplain truth about the true origin of Christmas, what will you do?

N.B.The Bible actually teaches that Christians should not keep birthdays. Numerous scriptures make this principle clear.

Christmas Celebration, Christian Believers Around The World & The Holy Script Bible Says About Lord Jesus Birth !!

noreply@blogger.com (Shazida Khatun) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:55:00 +0000

Christmas (X-mas ) story gives a biblical account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story is paraphrased from the New Testament Books of Matthew andLuke in the Bible. I am going to narrate it as The Bible says.

Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married toJoseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (KJV)Luke 2:1-14
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (KJV)
The Visit of the Shepherds Luke 2:15-20
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (KJV)

Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (KJV)

Christian World Celebrates The Christ Mass But It Jesus Birth Day or Following Blind Tradition ?

noreply@blogger.com (Shazida Khatun) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:19:00 +0000

Today's widely spreader news for not only Christians but also for the whole world " Should Christians celebrate Christmas?" or, "How should a Christian celebrate Christmas?" These are questions of concern for many sincere believers. In fact, many believers dislike the season and have refused to celebrate it at all. I am going to give the answer according to The Holy Bible or Bible related books were written by the some great believers.

One day I happened to catch a TV preacher denouncing the celebration of Christmas. He was saying it is pagan holiday, and that Christ could not have born in December. He used some Old Testament passages to show how the Christmas tree was idolatrous and an abomination. He quoted Jeremiah 10:2-4 which reads:

2 Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; 3 For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4 "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.
Then he quoted Isaiah 44:14-15:

Isaiah 44:14-15 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it. (NASB)
Finally, he quoted Jeremiah 3:13:

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,‘ declares the Lord.
It seems that the points of reference for this preacher were to "wood cut from the forest," "they decorate it with silver and gold," "he plants a fir" (an evergreen tree), "scattered your favors . . . under every green tree," and "falls down before it." The preacher went on to say, that at Christmas people take an evergreen tree cut from the forest; they decorate it with ornaments of silver and gold, and then fall down before it when they place their presents under the tree. His conclusion was that this is idolatry.

If this weren't so sad, it would be hilarious, but sincere people hear this and become concerned. As a pastor, I have had people ask me questions such as, "Are we wrong to celebrate Christmas?" "Is this idolatry?" "What should we do about celebrating Christmas?"
It is this mentality that I will address in this study. How should believers respond to such questions and to the criticism leveled against the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season? Is it scripturally wrong to celebrate Christmas? Is it pagan?
Everywhere we go during the season, the signs of Christmas are there with all their glitter, tinsel, lights, greenery, cards, festivities, carols, bells, Santas, manger scenes, angels, trees and presents--and the push by Madison Avenue and the gimmicks of the retailers. The Christmas season either makes or breaks many businesses.

Should we play the part of Scrooge and say, "bah humbug!"? Should we call attention to the fact that certain of our Christmas traditions such as the yule log, the decorated tree, and mistletoe each have their roots in pagan festivals? Should we assert that celebrateChristmas is to promote paganism and materialism and thus is just not the biblical thing to do?
I personally do not agree with that conclusion. In this short study, we will take a look at some of the arguments and issues and consider some of the biblical options open to us as believers.
Arguments Against
the Celebration of Christmas

Argument Number 1: Christmas is Commercialized and Materialistic
It is said that because the birth of Christ has been commercialized and secularized the real meaning of the season been lost. For the most part this is true. Even the story about the birth of Christ is often distorted, mocked, or misrepresented. The meaning of Christmas is said to be the spirit of giving. However, the giving of the Son of God who became the babe of the cradle that He might become the man of the cross and one day reign on earth with the crown is forgotten, rejected, or ignored.
Answers and Considerations:

If we use this argument as a legitimate reason for discarding the entire celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas, it would follow that we would end up having to throw out everything--even our Bibles and our wives or husbands. Why? Because Satan and man distort and ruins everything in life--the Bible, sex, marriage, the church, food--everything. Name one thing that Satan doesn't ruin. We don't throw things out just because the world misuses or distorts them.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Paul says, "abstain from every form of evil" (NASB). Because of the translation of the KJV, "every appearance of evil," some have taken this to apply to anything that even looks like it might be evil. As the NASB translation make clear, however, Paul's meaning is "to abstain from every genuine form of evil," not what might simply appear to be evil. We are to abstain from what is genuinely evil or wrong according to the index of the Word of God. To abstain from the mere appearance of evil would seem to contradict what the Apostle says in the second passage important to this discussion.
In Titus 1:15 the Apostle also warns against those who see evil in almost anything and condemn it. For these people, a lot of things have the appearance of evil, but purity is first of all a matter of the mind and conscience, not merely the external. "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (NASB).
Just because the world distorts something, that does not make it evil if we avoid the distortions and use it as God intended or in a way that does not go contrary to God's character and holiness. A good illustration is the beauty of sexual love within the bonds of marriage.
Argument Number 2: Scripture Doesn't Authorize It

The argument is that since we are not clearly authorized by the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ during such a season, we should have no celebrations or even special services to commemorate the birth of Christ. On the other hand, Scripture does tell us to remember His death in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and we celebrate His resurrection by assembling on the first day of the week, but there is no precedent for celebrating His birth.
Answers and Considerations:
This is what we could legitimately call hyperliteralism in the use of Scripture. Such an approach completely misses the spirit and intent of the Bible. Hyperliteralism (or letterism) is an intense devotion to the details of the Bible in such a way that one misses the spirit and essential thrust of a passage. Mountains are made out of mole hills and the truth is missed. One is busy counting the number of letters in a sentence rather than listening to its instruction.
If we applied this argument consistently, we would need to discontinue the use of overheads, musical instruments, hymnals, chorus books, the church building, pews, Sunday school, Christian schools, and many other things. Further, there could be no special services or seasons to commemorate things God has done as with Thanksgiving or a dedication service for a new building. Why? Because the only illustrations of such things are found in the Old Testament and not the New Testament. If the New Testament had clearly spoken on this matter, this argument would be correct because the New Testament does take priority over the Old Testament. However, since it has not, the argument from silence is not sufficient reason.
Some would argue that the New Testament has not been silent, and this is the third argument we need to consider.
Argument Number 3: Scripture Forbids It
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Using this passage, it is claimed that Scripture actually warns and forbids the observance of any special months, seasons, days or religious festivals.
Answers and Considerations:
What Colossians 2:16-17 forbids is the celebration of religious seasons or holy days when they have been prescribed as religious duty and necessary for holiness or spirituality.
In this passage, the Apostle is talking about the Old Testament festivals which were shadows of the person and work of Christ--but Christ has now come. To continue to celebrate them is to dishonor the fact of His coming, or to act as though He were not enough for salvation or spirituality. Note what the Apostle says, "let no one act as your judge in regard to . . ." He is saying don't let anyone tell you these things are requirements for fellowship with God. They were only shadows of the person and work of Christ, and He has not only come and fulfilled those shadows, but He is totally sufficient.
Colossians 2:16 and 17 in no way forbids believers from commemorating something such as the birth of Christ if it is done out of love, devotion, and the joy the season gives when used as a way of focusing on the Savior and not as a religious duty. The issue is not the observance, but the reason, the attitudes and the spirit in which it is done.
Furthermore, I believe there is scriptural precedent for commemorating and remembering the birth of Christ. This is in keeping with the events that occurred around the time of Christ's birth These include:
1. The appearance of the angel of the Lord with the glory of the Lord to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Lk. 2:10-12).
2. The response of the angels at the announcement of Christ's birth (Lk. 2:13-14).
3. The actions of the shepherds who left their flocks to go and see which was nothing short of a celebration (Lk. 2:15-20).
4. And the arrival of the men from the east bearing gifts as much as a year to two years later (Matt. 2:1-12).
There is, of course, the New Testament precedent for believers meeting together on Sunday. In essence this is a celebration of the Lord's resurrection. The early church automatically did this, but Scripture does not command us to do so. In fact, the early church at first met daily and took the Lord's Supper daily, but we don't do that today. Why not? Because these are not binding. We are not under the Law. Believers meet on Sunday because of its significance and because the early church set a precedent for it, but it was never commanded in the Bible. Believers did it out of love and adoration for the risen Savior.
The point is this: If the early church could celebrate the resurrection without a specific command from God, only the spirit of legalism or the letter of the law would forbid the celebration of Christ's birth as a special season of joy and adoration. Ultimately, the issue is not the season, its the attitude and reason behind it and the distortion of it. Let's not throw out the baby with the wash.
Argument Number 4: Christmas Traditions are from Paganism
Another argument against the celebration of Christmas as it has been done for years is the claim that many of the traditions found in the celebration of Christmas were brought over into Christianity from pagan practices. These include the yule log, the tree, special feasts or meals, and mistletoe. How can we justify these things? Isn't it just like celebrating Halloween? A number of Old Testament passages are sometimes used to condemn the use of Christmas trees such as: Jeremiah 10:2-5; Isaiah 40:19-20; 44:14-17. (See verses in introduction above.)
Answers and Considerations:
Some Historical Facts about our Traditions
The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says:
Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices.
The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Other nations, the Scandinavians, Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . . . as well (pp. 804, 805).
Concerning these ancient elements, The Christian Encyclopedia says:
Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration, such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later as Christianity spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas tree, bonfires, and similar items.
Finally, Unger's Bible Dictionary adds:
The giving of presents was a Roman custom; while the yule tree and yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into mere revelry . . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament in 1555; And the reformation brought in a refinement in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing it Christian elements.
But what about passages like Jeremiah 10? Some believe this condemns the celebration of Christmas and especially the use of the Christmas tree. Is Jeremiah telling us to avoid the customs of the nations? No. Jeremiah 10 is a denunciation of the making and worship of idols and not the decoration of evergreen trees in the home.
This passage is not a categorical denial of all the customs of the nations. It is only a command to avoid those customs that are contrary to the revelation of God to Israel. There were many customs that Israel and the nations had in common that were not wrong.
This passage in Jeremiah and others like it in Isaiah had to do with idolatry. First, Jeremiah warns against astrological worship--the worship of the sun, moon, and the stars. Second, he warns against going into the forest to cut down trees to be carved into an idol in some form whether human or animal, and then worshipped and prayed to for guidance, for protection, and blessing (cf. Isa. 44:14-17).
Some have tried to tie the reference to the green tree in Jeremiah 3:6, 13 to the reference in 10:3f to further justify condemnation of the Christmas tree, but this refers to the idolatrous groves of trees used as a place for idol worship and revelry.
Issues Facing Us Today
(1) The pagan associations were lost long ago
The names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Thursday originally stood for the Germanic god of the sky or of thunder. Tuesday stood for Tiw, the god of war. And Wednesday is derived fromWoden, the chief god in Germanic mythology. Sunday and Monday were related somehow to the worship of the sun and the moon. Saturday is from Saturnus, or Saturn, and Friday comes from Fria, the goddess of love.
All of these ancient meanings with their beliefs and associations were lost long ago. When Friday roles around we don't think about Fria, the goddess of love. On Saturday we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. If one observed the days of the week or the Christmas season with their ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our Sunday, have been given Christian connotations.
The evergreen tree is a symbol of the eternal life which Christ, the Son of God, offers to man via another tree, the cross (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14).
The presents under the tree can remind us of God's gift and our need to give of ourselves to others as those who have received God's gift of life through Christ.
Even without seeking special significance in the traditions of Christmas, you could still celebrate this season for the joy and family fun the season can bring.
I would like to suggest that believers can capitalize on the Christmas season as a family tradition and as a learning experience much like the Old Testament Passover was to be used by Israel. It all depends on the spirit and attitude in which it is done. We can be very negative and critical, or we can be positive and use the season as a time to remember and commemorate the birth of the Savior. We can use it as a time to demonstrate love for others in a special way, and to be together as a family like we do on Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or New Years. We can make something evil out of it or something good.
(2) Facts of Scripture Concerning the Celebration of Christmas
In view of what we have seen, the Bible is silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under grace, we are at liberty to celebrate Christmas. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas even in the traditional form and we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.
Scripture does, however, set down principles which should affect the way we celebrate it. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world.
Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the reason for the season--the birth of the Savior of the World. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on.
Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt. They buy things they can't afford, which nobody needs, and sometimes can't even identify. The response is "Hey, thanks. What is it?"
Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Savior--or never hear about the Lord as God's gift of His Son that we might have life.
Through the Christmas message, Parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world.
Finally, some may observe the season as they would observe lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship.
(3) Ancient traditions are often distortions of original revelation
Many of the customs of Christmas originated in ancient Babylonian paganism and were related in various ways to the mother-child cult. But an important concept is often missed here.
Originally, many of the ideas of these pagan practices may have had their roots in the truth of the Old Testament or divine revelation from God as:
In Genesis 3:15, we have the promise of the Savior through the seed of a woman.
In Isaiah 7:14, we have the promise that this Savior will come through the virgin birth.
A number of passages use the symbol of a tree to point to the promise of life through the Messiah. Genesis 2:9: 3:17, 22; Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14 all speak of a tree of life, some historic, some prophetic. Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; 60:21; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 and Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 all speak of the branch of the Lord as the work of God.

These verses form a whole line of prophecies concerning the branch of the Lord, the shoot, that would spring forth and become a tree of life both to Israel and the nations. So, when we come to the New Testament, we find reference to a tree of life that is available to believers in Christ.
In view of these Old Testament prophecies, I believe four things are evident:
These ancient customs of the nations were originally introduced into the religious life of the nations by Satan to distort the original promises and truth of God which these customs would portray. For instance, in the mother-child cult of ancient Babylon, the mother was the primary object of worship, not her son. This was a distortion of the promise of Genesis 3:15.
These customs came from a basic need in man (one built in by God) for the truth and need of a Savior. The practices, though in perverted form, did portray a deliverer, the provision of eternal life, the gift of God through the seed of a woman, a divine branch from heaven as the means of reconciliation to God.
The principle is that these customs cast surprising light on the revelation of God's grace as they originally came from God in the beginning of human history. As with the story of the flood, the temptation, and the fall of man, they all became perverted from that which we find in the inspired Word. However, in many cases, they did point to original revelation from God and maybe even customs that were originally pure.
Today, our Christmas traditions have lost their original pagan significance or connotations. In some cases, the distortions were corrected by the reformers over two hundred years ago, but they did not see fit to condemn the celebration of Christmas.
(4) The celebration of Christmas falls under the category of doubtful things.

It is argued that since Scripture does not clearly rule out the celebration of Christmas; its celebration falls under the category of debatable or doubtful things covered by the principles of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 9. In summary, these passages teach us the following principles:
Every believer must become convinced in his or her own mind (Rom. 14:5).
We must not judge or look upon other with contempt who do not come to the same conclusion that we do (Rom. 14:3, 4, 13).
Just as there is nothing evil in meat sacrificed to idols, so there is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them by their attitudes and beliefs (Rom. 14:22-23; 1 Cor. 8:4-8; 10:19).
The ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.
(5) Some Options to Consider
If you have doubts or misgivings, do away with any observance of the Christmas season all together. But do not become a Scrooge and look down on those who do celebrate it (Rom. 14:-5).
Cut out some or all of the traditional elements like the tree, presents, etc., but spend the season reflecting on the birth of the Savior through the Word and the singing of carols.
Keep the season's traditions--the tree, presents, and decorations--but divorce them of any religious tones. Use this part of the season simply as a family tradition for fun and family togetherness. But remember the birth of Christ through carols, reading the Christmas story, and times with other members of the body of Christ.
Keep the Christmas traditions and use them to illustrate and focus on the truth of Jesus Christ. (1) The tree speaks of the Lord and the eternal life which He gives; (2) The presents speak of God's love and gift to us of His Son and of our love for one another. Make the emphasis more on giving rather than receiving. (3) The mistletoe speaks of the gift of God's righteous branch, and the kiss or hug stands for kissing the Son in faith--an expression of faith in Christ as God's means of salvation and reconciliation (Psalm 2).
The problem is that many believers are already carnal or marginal in their spiritual life and they get caught up in the rat race and secularization of the season. People spend far more than they can afford. They seek relief from their burdens and seek happiness in the glitter and merry making of the holidays, rather than in the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They look for the season to give joy, rather than the Person of the season. They expect from the season what only God can give. As a result, depression and suicide reaches its peak during the Christmas season and immediately following it.
Argument Number 5: Uncertainty of the Date of Christ's Birth
As one who has specialized in biblical chronology, Dr. Harold W. Hoehner, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote:
Jesus Christ entered into the history of our world, Christianity, therefore, has historical basis. The backbone of history is chronology. Whereas history is a systematic account of events in relation to a nation, institution, science, or art; chronology is a science of time. It seeks to establish and arrange the dates of past events in their proper sequence. Thus chronology serves as a necessary framework upon which the events of history may be fitted (BIB SAC, Vol. 130, # 520, Oct.-Dec., 1973, p. 338).
The argument is that Christ could not have been born on December 25 or even in the winter, so the entire celebration is wrong, even the time of the year.
Answers and Considerations:-
By considering the chronological notes in Scripture such as Luke 2:1, "it seems that the evidence would lead one to conclude that Christ's birth occurred sometime in the winter of 5/4 B.C." (Hoehner, p. 350). Our concern here is not with the year, but with the month Christ was born--or at least the time of year, i.e., winter or spring. Is a winter date out of the question? Is it possible or maybe even probable?
1. Hoehner points out that the traditional date for the birth of Christ as December 25th dates back to as early as Hippolytus (A..D. 165-235). In the Eastern church January 6th was the date used for Christ's birth. But this is still a winter date and not far removed from December 25th.
2. Chrysostom (A..D. 345-407) in 386 stated that December 25th is the correct date and hence it became the official date for Christ's birth except in the Eastern church which still retained January 6th.
3. One of the main objections has been that sheep were usually taken into enclosures from November through March and were not out in the fields at night. However, this is not as conclusive as it sounds for the following reasons: (a) It could have been a mild winter. (b) It is not at all certain that sheep were always brought into enclosures during the winter months. (c) It is true that during the winter months sheep were brought in from the wilderness, but remember, Luke tells us the shepherds were near Bethlehem rather than in the wilderness. This indicates, if anything, the nativity was in the winter months. (d) The Mishnah tells us the shepherds around Bethlehem were outside all year and those worthy of the Passover were nearby in the fields at least 30 days before the feast which could be as early as February (one of the coldest, rainiest months of the year). So December is a very reasonable date.
James Kelso, an archaeologist who spent a number of years living in Palestine and who has done extensive research there says this:
The best season for the shepherds of Bethlehem is the winter when heavy rains bring up a luscious crop of new grass. After the rains the once-barren, brown desert earth is suddenly a field of brilliant green. One year when excavating at New Testament Jericho, I lived in Jerusalem and drove through this area twice every day. At one single point along the road, I could see at times as many as five shepherds with their flocks on one hillside. One shepherd stayed with his flock at the same point for three weeks, so lush was the grass. But as soon as the rains stopped in the spring, the land quickly took on its normal desert look once again.
Since there seem to have been a number of shepherds who came to see the Christ child, December or January would be the most likely months (James Kelso, An Archaeologist Looks At The Gospels, p. 23-24).
Argument Number 6: The Timing of the Magi's Arrival
It has been claimed the Magi could not have arrived in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. It would have taken months to travel to Bethlehem from the East. The family was living in a house when the Magi arrived, and Herod had children killed up to two years old when he heard about the child.
While none of this really affects whether one should celebrate Christmas, this argument is often used to throw further doubt and contempt for the entire tradition of celebrating Christmas.
Answers and Considerations:-
The argument concerning the time required to travel from the East assumes a great deal. It assumes they were in the East when the star was seen, or even that God had not revealed information to them which could have caused them to begin their journey before the star was seen.
Let me just quote Hoehner from BIB SAC again (Vol. 130, # 520, p. 349).
The question arises whether Matthew is speaking of the same time as Luke or a later time. Madison attempts to demonstrate that the Magi visited Christ when He was about two years of age by noting that the Lukan narrative uses the term brephos (2:12) which is used to refer to an unborn, a newborn child, or an infant whereas Matthew uses the words paidion (2:8, 9,11, 13, 14, 20, 21) and pais (2:16) which are used of a child that is at least one year old rather than an infant. The fact that the wise men came to the house (in Matthew's account) rather than a manger (in Luke's account) would also indicate that Jesus was older when Herod slew the children. Thus Luke is talking about the time of Christ's birth whereas Matthew is talking about two years after Christ's birth.
However, the distinction is not so clear-cut as Madison would have one to believe. The term padion is used of infants (Luke 1:59:, 66, 76; John 16:21; Heb. 11:23) and brephos is used of a young child (2 Tim. 3;15). The wordpais is used in the N.T. of a child six out of twenty-four times (the other eighteen occurrences speak of a servant). In the O.T. the meaning "servant" is almost unanimous. In Matthew 2:16 pais would fall into the same age category as paidion since the latter term is used nine times in the same context. Furthermore, to say that Jesus was no longer an infant because the magi visited Him in a house rather than a stable is quite weak. Certainly they would have moved to a house as soon as it was possible. Indeed the tone of Matthew 2:1 is that the Magi visited Christ soon after His birth. That Herod killed children up to two years old was only to be sure he got Jesus. This is not out of character with Herod. Therefore, the slaying of the children soon after Christ's birth is tenable.
Please note what Charles Ryrie has to say on Matthew 2:11 in his Study Bible, p. 1447.
into the house . . . the Child. These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and "child" can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were, gold and frankincense and myrrh. These were gifts worthy of a king. The early church fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity; the frankincense, of His purity; and the myrrh, of His death (since it was used for embalming).
Argument Number 7: Christmas means "Christ's Mass"
The name Christmas is objected to because it means Christ's Mass. This is supposed to be a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual involving the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Roman Catholic tradition holds that by the priest's consecration the bread and the wine are changed into the literal body and blood of Christ; that this consecration is a new offering of Christ's sacrifice, and that by partaking of the elements the communicant receives saving and sanctifying grace from God.
Answers and Considerations:
Christ + mass, can also mean "a large number or quantity." It can also mean simply a mass of religious services in commemoration of the birth of Christ. In other words, mass stands for festival involving a number of religious activities, and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist.
Further, even if the term originally referred to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist, it long ago lost that connotation and is really not an issue.
Argument Number 8: What about Santa Claus?
Christmas can involve children in the belief of Santa Claus, a mythical figure, which detracts from the person of Christ. The objection is that the emphasis is turned from Jesus Christ to Santa Claus as the giver of gifts for good behavior rather than God's gift of His Son by grace through faith.
Furthermore, young children sometimes confuse Santa with Jesus Christ since "he knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, . . .
The idea of gifts for good behavior can connote a "reward for good deeds" mentality which is opposed to God's gift of His Son through faith. Scripture does promise rewards for obedience.
Answers and Considerations:
The Santa Clause idea originated with a man by the name of St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the area of present day Turkey. He went about, often at night, giving gifts to poor and needy children. He later became the patron saint of children in the Roman Catholic Church. From here the story grew and became legend in country after country with various details were deleted and added as the legend of St. Nick grew.
So, how should believers handle it? Santa may be taken as a fairy tale idea like Alice in Wonderland, or Jack and the Bean Stalk. Children normally understand that Alice in Wonderland is only make believe--a fairy tale. However, for many children Santa is real. In many ways it is probably harmless. But because of the confusion between Santa and Christ, parents need to be careful in their use of this part of Christmas.
We also need to remember that Scripture does promise rewards for godly behavior or faithfulness for believers in Christ. Salvation is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone, but crowns, metonomy for rewards, are promised for faithful and obedient living (1 Pet. 5:4).
Conclusion:-
As with all of these doubtful things, each family needs to make up their own minds. In my opinion parents can explain the traditions and have fun with them, but make sure your children understand the historical roots and use these things to teach the truth behind the traditions.

Almighty Is The Real Source Of Truth,Freedom,Humanity,Help & Life Of Light

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 02:33:00 +0000

Almighty is the source of Truth Humble & Humanity of Life Via Light

John 8:12 12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Almighty Is The Real Source Of Truth,Freedom,Humanity,Help & Life Of Light

I live my life according to Scripture, not according to what other religions believes i should. I don’t celebrate anything to do with pagan origins and i don’t participate in the Rituals Customs or Traditions of men. God said trust in Him. He never once said to trust in men.

Matter of fact this is what He said about men :
Psalms 146:3 "Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help." Psalms 56:11 "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me."

Romans 3:4 "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightiest overcome when thou art judged."God says right up here that all men are liars so who do you put your trust in A Church. A Religion.Or GOD ALMIGHTY.

So that leaves out your seminaries your schools. Jesus never sent anyone to school to learn Gods Word He sent us
THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TEACH.
Most are so wrapped up in what their preachers say they have no clue what The Bible really says. Or they spend their days copying and posting Scriptures without a clue as to what they mean. And do you tell others of Christ or do you just ramble off a few scriptures and think that’s good enough. Do you study those scriptures before you post them. Wake up and smell the roses. We are living in the last days and you better be quite sure you are not being deceived by THE DEVIL. Some think The Devil is some stupid being that can’t hurt them. They belive they are smarter than the very one who was once by Gods side. Just how foolish are you? He knows The Scripture better than anyone on this planet and he can deceive you in a million different ways. So while your making fun of him he might very well be laughing at you. You might think you have Christ, Question is Did you pick the right Christ ? For here in the scripture it says this about The Devil
John 10:10 (King James Version) 10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
1 Peter 5:8 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
The Truth Shall Set You Free!!! Jesus Said I Am The Truth I Am The Light and He was the only way To Salvation"
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Do you know what He really meant by that ? I do. That He was the only way to salvation and by doing His Will and observing and keeping His Commandments you would gain eternal Life!!!!
So how do we do that ? Is it done by our will and what we want ? Is it by works alone ? Is it by faith alone. Jesus said this here in
John 3:7 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! First off you must realize that you are a sinner Notice here in Romans what it says :
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;Because you’re a sinner you are condemned to die."

Romans 6:23 says 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:But God loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place!!! 2 Corinthians 5:21 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Note that He was made to be sin for us How awesome is that.Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.His Blood had to be shed in order to free us from our sins.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true.God cannot lie. God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.”Pray something like this Use your words and let it come from your heart Grieve for your sins: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died for us. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for us. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!
God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.
Jesus said The Truth was so simple a child could understand it HUMBLE YOURSELF AS A CHILD!!!!!

Label:truth of life,humanity of life,help in time of need,life in light,Believe in Almighty he can do for us, four key help, Pray with loud voice as you can., PRAYER FOR YOU,

Words Of God Says That The Almighty Will Help In Time Of Need

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 09:06:00 +0000

The words of God has a clear instruction as what we need or help in time of need.As such God has given help in time of need to our fore father.

Words Of God Says That The Almighty Will Help In Time Of Need

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

God is not indifferent to our needs. He wants us to come to him for help in the time of need. Not only does he want us to come to him, but he wants us to come boldly. That means we come with confidence that he will respond to our needs with grace and mercy. Our needs are an opportunity to discover how much God wants to help us.

How do we come to him in time of need? First of all, we come to him according to the promise of his word. Hebrews 4:16 is a clear promise from the Bible that God will help us. We take him at his word. This is an invitation from the Lord himself to find grace to help in time of need.

Secondly, we must come to God by faith. It is a faith based on his word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Romans 10:17. When we base our faith on the word of God, it is resting on a solid foundation. God's word does not change. His promises are forever true.

Also, we come to God in prayer. The prayer of faith finds God's promises to be true. Doubt and unbelief cannot receive from God. "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord," James 1:6-7. Let us confess our doubt and unbelief as sin, that we may come to God by faith, trusting the promise of his word. He will give us grace to help in time of need.

Lord, by faith I receive your help in my need.You too ask for that and our Lord will be stand in your side to help you in time of need.

Everlasting Life And Call of Todays Young Generation's LifeStyle

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:19:00 +0000

Are you interested in money or everlasting life? Money can buy things but not happiness or everlasting life. Why is it that people today want more than they really need? Didn't Jesus tell us to store up our treasures in Heaven and not to be hungry for the things of the world ? Are you not satisfied with what God has to offer?

Everlasting Life And Call of Todays Young Generation's LifeStyle

Children of today get no parenting because their parent either live above their means or their ambitions mean more to them than their families. They always try to keep up with the jones or they must have the new gadget out. I understand that we have to have certain things and pay bills. But is it really necessary to have both parents working and leaving your kids unattended or shoving your responsibility off on others ?

Take time from your busy lives for your children. Cut some of those hours you spend working overtime to pay for useless things. Dont you think your kids might rather have you with them than you working senseless hours to pay for the toys they play with, The same toys you use to keep them out of your hair.

Why did you have them if you don't want to be near them? What was the point? If your going to have children weigh out the circumstances you are in. Ask yourself can i afford a child? Will i have the amount of time necessary to spend with them? Can the mother stay at home while Dad works or visa versa? Remember children need their parents to teach them values and Godly ways. Not strangers or Schools. You brought them into the world. Now they are your responsibility.

Dreaming of Jesus states that your biggest aims would be achieved. During your bad times of hardships as well as immense struggle, such dreams give you strength and console you. You will come above any sort of a situation or problem and achieve victory. If you are speaking or praying with Jesus in your dream, it indicates that you will soon be blessed with joy, happiness and peace of mind. Islamic interpretation of dreams One who has a dream of Jesus, who is a God’s prophet, is surely a blessed individual, a genuine one, a disciplined man who is appreciated by his Lord, who is full of happiness, who excessively travels from one place to another and may grab knowledge about herbs as well as medicines in future. Some say that people who dream of Jesus are saved against any calamities that occur that year. In a dream, if one asks for something as a wish, he will surely receive it, and if he acquires the knowledge of something, he will surely achieve success at it. An individual who dreams of Jesus becomes a well disciplined man who travels to different places across the land; stays protected from his rivals and enemies and may turn into a famous physician. If one dreams of Jesus with his mother, it indicates that something miraculous will happen in that particular location as it is a sign of purity and divinity.

If one dreams of himself as Jesus, or sees himself wearing his garments, or performs one of the duties suitable for the prophet of God, it indicates that the individual will surely rise above in his rank. If an individual is a scholar, it indicates that his knowledge will gain fame and his intelligence and habit of serving will be advantageous to others, or, if a physician dreams the same, it indicates that he will be a popular and most successful one. If one is awed in his dream, it indicates respect, authority and blessing wherever he goes. If an ill individual has a dream of Jesus, he will recover from illness soon. If one sees Jesus ill, it signifies his own death. Generally, seeing Jesus’ dream means happening of wonderful events, economic growth and social justice. If Jesus is seen in the dream of a pregnant woman, it indicates that she will have a child who will be a physician. Dreaming of Jesus also denotes doubt on one’s philosophical disputes or religion. Dreaming of him also indicates rising of his followers. Dreaming of Jesus also means that the individual may be accused of something that he has not done, or someone may break his trust by lying to him or accuse his mother. Dreaming of Jesus and his mother states immense sorrow, stress, traveling from one country to another, or may even mean miracles. Dreaming of Jesus may mean glad tidings, as he was God’s last prophet who handed over the glad tidings and talked about Muhammad, God’s Messenger, as a comforter for the people in the world.

Dreaming of Jesus also represents good luck, or being surrounded by friends. If a child dreams of Jesus, it may mean that he would grow as an orphan, as may be brought up by his mother and may live his life as a scholar and a justifiable person, or he may get to travel often between Egypt and Syria. If an impotent or sterilized individual dreams of Jesus, it may mean that his fruition and fertility will be regained. If one dreams of Jesus descending upon the town, it indicates that righteousness and justice will spread in that location, as he will descend upon Earth to finish the impostor (Antichrist) and destruct and destroy his creations and followers so that he can make the world full of justice, blessings and give victory to believers.

Label:Believe in Almighty he can do for us, everlasting life, four key help, jesus call, Pray with loud voice as you can., Read the whole part., Wait for fathers' divine comfort

HELP IN TIME OF NEED FOUR KEYS TO UNLOCK GOD'S POWER

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:47:00 +0000

Some people give up too easily when things do not work out or their way, or when they face some adversity. Instead of persevering, they get up set, and throw up the towel too easily. Some one who failed in a business venture may say: Just as I expected, I did not do well in this business. Someone who has just gotten married and it is having some friction may say: I was better off being single, I’d better get divorce.

HELP IN TIME OF NEED FOUR KEYS TO UNLOCK GOD'S POWER

Another person who is not progressing in his job may say: It is obvious that I am not going to make any further progress around here. But if we want to live our best life today, we need be more determined than that. We need to relay on oh mighty God to find the strength and grace we need to persevere in the midst of adversity. How can we do that? Well, we will go to the Word of God and find out through the example of others four essential keys that would teach us how to unlock God’s power in time of need. And if we apply these principals that we are about learn, God will help us to be victorious when we confront trails and tribulations in our daily living.

Key # 1: Getting up in the inside:

We all face challenges and crisis in our daily living. Perhaps, we are sick or someone in our family is suffering from a sickness or disease. Maybe we are going through a crisis in our finances, marriage or education of our children. What are other challenges that we face?

We may be nock down on the outside, but if we use the key #1, learning how to get up in the inside, God will help to overcome the situation we are going through. Getting up in the inside means to stay in attitude of faith and confidence that we will overcome the problem or situation with the help of God. It is saying to our Lord: “God, I may not understand this, but I know you are still in control. And you said all things would work together for my good. So, Father, I thank you that you are going to bring me through this”!

[1] Romans 8:28

Let’s see an example from the Word of God on how Paul and Silas got up in the inside when they were falsely accused as being trouble makers, and were arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison:

Did Paul and Silas murmur and complain? Did they start blaming God? No, in the midst of their crisis, the Bible records that they were signing hymns of praise to God. In other words, they were getting up in the inside. When we give God praise and stay in attitude of faith in the midst of adversities, God’s miracle working power will work in our behalf.

Key # 2 Trusting God’s timing

We are always in a hurry. We want the new business to start making money right away. If we are in line in store, we want to move quickly. When we pray to our Lord, we want an immediate response. We need to understand that God has an appointed time to answer our prayers and bring our desires to pass. It does not matter how consistent we are in our prayers, they will come to pass in God’s time table.

Many times just like Abraham we received a promised from the Lord, and we received confirmation and assurance that the promised is ours, but for some reason and the promise does come to pass. And we ask God, why has not this yet happened? We do not understand. Why does God sometimes hold on his promises? How many years did take Abraham to get his promise son? The Bible says that Abraham had his son 25 years later after He got the promised from the Lord. Why did take so long? God’s timing is perfect.

He knows what is best for us. Perhaps we are not ready to receive the promise. Why? He wants to see a change in our character. Let’s look at Abraham life and learn from him.

Key #3 Cooperate with God in the midst of trails

It does not matter how successful we are. We all face challenges, struggles, and difficult situations. The Bible teaches us that God allows that we go through tests and trails, and difficulties to test our character and faith. Let us look at what the Bible says:

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one, who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." JHON21:20--22

Does not this complain sound like, what about my boss, when are you going to deal with him? What about my wife or my husband when are you going to change her/his hearth? What is the Lord answer to this: You must follow me. In other words, I am not going to change anyone you are dealing with. You follow me. You change yourself.

Key #4 Allow God to use adversity to push us into our divine destiny.

2 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed; you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

James 1:2-4

As we know, Esther talked to the king and the Jews were not destroyed. God used this uncomfortable situation to push Esther to her divine destiny. We may be in a situation like Esther. Are there people around us, family members, friends, coworkers, or neighbors that do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have a death penalty? Have we been put in a position like this to share our faith? Can you name some of them? Do we feel like Esther uncomfortable and afraid? God wants to use this pressure to push us to our divine destiny. God is not looking for ability, but for availability. Let us trust in the Lord and be brave like Esther, and if we do, God will use this pressure to push us to our divine destiny.

If we shall follow these things then almighty will always with us via any means

Determining the Fine Line Between Helping and Hindering from others

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:52:00 +0000

What can I do, what more can I do?!?!?!" As Jan's frustrated voice broke into deep sobs, I just prayed quietly. She sobbed into the other end of the phone. I was hoping that she would realize for herself what I had been telling her for months--she needed to let go and let her daughter be responsible for her own choices. Her helping had somehow turned into hindering a few months back. I had hoped that she would find peace on the other side of those tears. For a long time she had been bailing her daughter out of one mess after another, hoping her daughter would "'see the light" and be thankful to God and to her mom. Now her daughter needed several hundred dollars to get her car out of the impoundment yard.

Jan knew that she could not help Dawn this time for two reasons. One was she couldn't come up with such a large amount of money. The second reason was that despite all her warnings about drinking and driving, this was the reason her car was now impounded. But what really hurt Jan was that the manipulation that had always been there was now finally very clear to her. First was guilt. "If you don't help me, I will probably lose my job because I can't get to work". Then when that didn't work she turned on her mother in anger saying "you have never been there for me!"

As I sat back and listened to this drama unfold, it was clear to me what Jan needed to do. Of course, when I am personally required to make decisions like this, it is often difficult to see clearly.

So what are the answers and how can we tell if we are helping or hindering our loved ones? First, let's look at the reasons why we could sometimes be hurting others in our desire to help.
   The Need For A Savior

God has created all of us with a need for a savior. The basic job of a savior is to save, to rescue. If a loved one is willing to play that role then we will have no need of Jesus. Most of us became pretty disgusted with our life before we turned to the Lord for help. We first had to see that we were making a mess out of things before seeing our need for God. I don't know any Christian friend or family member of a homosexual who isn't praying for their loved one to turn to Jesus. I pray for my son something like this: "Lord, do whatever it takes to save Tony", "Father make him see his need for you". Then when he is hurting or "uncomfortable" I run to the rescue and try to "make him happy". I get in the way of what God is trying to do. With a great mom like that, why would Tony need a savior? When I pray "make him need you" and then rescue him, I am sabotaging my own prayers!
   How Do We Know When We Are Hindering?

Honesty with self. What is your motive for helping? Often my motive is fear. Fear of losing my relationship with my son. Others might see that they really like being needed by their loved one, even looking for ways to keep their child dependent on them. These are just two of many wrong motives.

Take a close look at why they need your help. Sometimes, as in the case of Jan and her daughter Dawn, it is clearly reckless behavior and wrong choices that have led to trouble. You may have encouraged their dependence by regularly giving them money just before they receive their pay check. They have come to count on this and expect it as something you owe them. If we will take a closer look at why they need our help we can better decide if God wants us to help them.

Are you trying to keep it a secret? Do you sneak money to your loved one? If you are hiding what you are doing maybe you need to ask yourself why. This can really add an unhealthy specialness to your relationship.

Have you been in competition with another for the prime position as helper? In your mind does dependence equate with love and affection? We often see this in the male struggler who is close to a female friend or his mother. This woman takes an exalted role as counselor, confessor, protector, and nurturer. The struggler will often say things like "you're the only one who understands me". This is a stagnant place for a male struggler to be. He needs healing that only same sex relationships can give him as he moves on in his change process.
   How Can We Be Sure We Are Helping?

Prayer and accountability are of first importance. We may be the last to know that our relationship is unhealthy and far too close. Through prayer I can sometimes see when it's not a good idea to help Tony. Because my son is in a state of poor health that has led to many medical emergencies, it becomes more difficult to stand back and see the situation objectively. I need someone that I can trust to be accountable to. My husband, Frank is a life-saver for me. We have the kind of relationship where I can ask him anything. I really value his input.

Listen to your thoughts and how you may be rationalizing the situation. Are you being defensive? Are you becoming protective?

When possible, don't rush into anything. Usually there is time to think, pray and talk it over before you have to respond. If your loved one has just called you and asked for something you're not sure of, ask if you can call them back. You can think better without the pressure of them waiting on the phone.

Prayer! I pray for God to help me be willing to let Tony go through emotional pain. I pray that I will want God to be more important to him than me. I ask God to stop me from getting in the way of what He is doing in Tony's life. I pray "Lord help me to not want just what feels good for now but what is best for Tony."

There are times when we can and should help our loved ones. If it is an emergency, then naturally you should run to their aid. It is those non-emergency situations that are so difficult to judge. We must be so careful that our help isn't promoting the very thing we have been so diligently praying against. If we have the slightest suspicion that our finances are being used to purchase drugs, pornography, drinks in gay bars, or sustaining someone who refuses to work then we are not helping but hindering. Sadly, many of today's street people were young men and women who mistakenly believed that someone else would always care for them. But they discovered that their source of provision was not unending, and became subject to the twists and turns that life takes. Someone who loved them thought they were doing the right thing in supporting them, but their support could not last forever. Let us always be concerned for the long-term rather than the short-term and remember to ask: "What is best for their eternal salvation?"

The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man.WHO IS LIVING GOD

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:49:00 +0000

1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (Whole part quoted from 1 CORINTHIANS1)

Comfort in Time of sorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:26:00 +0000

1Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. 2For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. 4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm43:1-5 3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2Corinthians1:3-5 26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans8:26-28

Recovery from sickness

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:18:00 +0000

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. " 38"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love." 39" No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans8:28,38,39 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." IICorinthians12:9-10

Relife in time of pain

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:06:00 +0000

1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage! 2 Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. 3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. 4 My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. 6 I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. 7 A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. 8 I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. 9 You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. 10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind. 11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. 12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery. 13 But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. 14 I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. 15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. 16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.” 17 I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. 18 But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. 19 I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. 20 They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good. 21 Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. Psalm38:1-22 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. James5:14-15

Courage in the time of Fear

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:43:00 +0000

1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!Interlude 4 A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. 5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. 6 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.Interlude 8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.Interlude. Psalm46:1-11 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" Hebrews13:5-6 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. 13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e] being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. IICorinthians4:8-18

The way of SALVATION

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:49:00 +0000

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Revelation 1:8 Jesus replied most assuredly, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you can not see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 " If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Peace in time of Anxiety

noreply@blogger.com (Main Uddin) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:11:00 +0000

1 Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 2 How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?Interlude 3 You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him. 4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.Interlude 5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord. 6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. 7 You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. 8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm4:1-8 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.""Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" Philippians4:6-7 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. 12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” 23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. 30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going. John14:1-30