In the Spirit

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It takes time to grow as a Christian
2007-10-05 04:47:00
There are many frustrations that come along when we embark on our Christian journey. It seems that at every turn we find ourselves doubting whether we are doing what is right. We worry about the things we do and we are fearful that we might do something that is not good, even if it is out of ignorance. We hold ourselves to a standard which it is apparent no man could live up to, because if that were possible, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. So what is really involved in this journey we call the Christian life?It is when we first hear the Gospel and except it for the truth that that journey first begins. We are told to be as children because that is how we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. However, one obstacle we face is our past life in the flesh. The first big hurdle is to get past what we have done in the past and to believe God when he says that your sins are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus. It is a widely held belief that if you do your best and try t...
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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
2007-10-04 05:02:00
Many Christians have a difficult time deciding whether they should celebrate certain holidays. This is due to the fact that many of these holidays have their origins in Paganism. It is easy to see why this would be a problem to someone that wants to only worship the one true God. However, there is one holiday in particular which seems to be the most troublesome for Christians and that is Halloween . It is true that Halloween is derived from a Pagan Holiday. Quite simply the Roman Catholic Church could not stop the indigenous people of the British Isles from celebrating their Pagan ritual of “Samhain.” Samhain was a day which the people had set aside to honor the dead, through rituals. It was soon renamed, “All Saints Day,” and the night before eventually evolved into our current holiday, Halloween. I find it odd that many Christians regard Christmas as a Holy Day, even though it is rooted in the same Pagan rituals. So why is it, that Halloween should be ...
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How much should I Tithe?
2007-10-02 08:29:00
Throughout my Christian walk I have heard this question come up time and time again. It is unfortunate that tithing is still being taught as if it were a requirement. The issue of tithing is not a complex one and can be answered by simply reading the Scriptures. That is the great thing about the Bible, anything that we need to know can be found within its pages. There are some men which will be angry with me because of what I am about to explain to you. They are dependant upon their parishioners believing that tithing is a requirement. While it seems that they use the funds they collect for good purposes, they still do teach error and cause some to sin. There is a reason why somebody would ask this question and that is because they feel as though they are giving too much, or that they do not really want to give that much. Why is it that these Pastors put such a burden upon the people? It is because they believe that it is their responsibility to raise money for...

What is the Will of God?
2007-09-26 23:35:00
This is a question which has vexed man for an eternity. Although, some men have found the answer, to some Christians it is still a point of contention. They believe that the will of God is to do all of the commandments which he gave to the Hebrews. They believe that if a Christian performs good deeds to a reasonably decent standard they will be given access to Heaven. This is a slightly skewed interpretation of the Bible and the will of God. We must look at the Scriptures to understand the true will of God. It is important that we understand what the law was and its purpose as well. The law was given to the Hebrew people through Moses and Aaron while they were wandering in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. God gave them his commandments knowing that they would not be able to perform them. These commandments were to be in their hearts, and their righteousness would not, could not be manifested in their flesh in the works of the law. The law was meant to be ...

Is Christian Rock Unholy?
2007-09-26 09:10:00
There are many Christian s, and for that matter churches which seem to have a problem with the music used in the worship of our Lord and Savior. These Christians feel that the old hymns are the only true music worthy of God. How can you disagree with this assertion when you realize that the Christian Rock , and other genres of music are offshoots of the secular music scene?It seems all people have their preferences when it comes to music and the Christian church is no different. What they fail to realize is that the worship of the Lord comes from the Spirit of man and anything else is an insult. The hymns are beautiful songs which were written in recent centuries and are easy to lead the congregation in. Most people know at least a few of them that they remember from childhood. The thing about the hymns which are not commonly known is that they too were secular songs which the Christian author merely changed the words, but the music remained. These were the popular songs in their time...
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Moses Saves the Hebrews with Serpents?
2007-09-25 08:15:00
There are many events in the Old Testament which are what is known as foreshadowing events. They are events which take place which at the time make no real sense, but they are an indication of what is to come. In the book of John, Jesus is explaining such an event. However, even as he had explained it to Nicodemus, it was not to be fully understood until the actual event came to pass. This is the way these similitude’s work. They can only be understood after the event they foreshadow takes place. This is generally understood to be an, “Aha moment.” This is when a person comes to understand the impact of the event and the relationship of it with a prior event. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so too must the Son of man must be lifted up.” Now, this would be a very puzzling idea to Nicodemus because he did not know that Jesus was to be crucified. Nicodemus was apparently very confused ...
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The Best Bible Study Software
2007-09-22 22:05:00
With the advances in computer technology we find that we can benefit in our Christian studies as well. Throughout the centuries men have had to spend much of their lives going through Scripture to study the word of God. We now find that even the layman has the ability to study God’s word with the development of special Bible based software. The advantage of this software is that now you can read, study, and compare different translations of the Scriptures in a relatively reduced amount of time. In this article I will present to you different Bible study programs which will be a great help to you in your study of the Scriptures. The absolute best software I have found would have to be Bible Works. The program is a culmination of practically any Bible study tool and resource you could possibly ever need. The program itself operates seamlessly and is very pleasing to work with. It has an intuitive interface so that as soon as you start the software, you are ready to jump r...
More About: Software , Study , Bible Study

God is my Crutch
2007-09-22 06:12:00
Many people who choose not to believe in God like to attack Christians with the following statement, “You are just using God as a crutch.” This is supposed to invoke some sort of feeling of insecurity, or weakness in the heart of the Christian. It is the unbelievers attempt to say that believing in God is a sign of weakness. For some reason they equate weakness with dependence on God. Depending on our Father is what Christians are supposed to do. We are to lay all of our worries and cares upon the Lord and trust that he will take care of them. I find it funny that people which seemingly have no religion, or real belief in God will suddenly begin to pray if the circumstance is bad enough. It is almost an instinct within humans to pray to God in times of trouble. Of course, this does not mean that we all pray to the same God, but we pray nonetheless. Actually, a Christian should consider it to be a blessing to be told that they are leaning on God as a crutch....

The Very Condensed Bible
2007-09-19 21:37:00
It is clear that many people which read the Bible soon become mired in the many stories and rules, which makeup the Scriptures. At times it can become cumbersome and very difficult to understand. It can also seem as though there are contradictions running throughout the Scriptures. However, these contradictions are due in large part to a misunderstanding of what is happening. There are also many events in the Bible which seem to be unbelievable, and are fairy tale in nature. It is my hope that as I run through the Bible and just point out the most relevant facts and ideals, it may help you to understand the larger picture. The perfect place to start is of course in the beginning. “In the beginning God created all things in the Heavens, the Earth, the seas and all things on them, and all things in them.” God accomplished all of this in six literal days. The seventh day he set aside as a holy day, because that day he rested. In the Garden of Eden God placed t...

If God wants us to believe in him, then why does he not just show himself?
2007-09-18 06:51:00
This is one of those questions people often ask as a rebuke to the existence of God. They believe that, if there was an omnipotent creator and he wants us to know him, then it would be simpler and more efficient if he made his presence obvious. However, what would really happen if the creator of all things suddenly poked his head into our atmosphere and said, “Hello, here I am?” It would be utter chaos in the world, and many would just simply fall down dead of heart attacks. It would not be possible for life to continue as normal. We like to think that we can handle a lot, but man can only truly handle so much. Being face to face with the creator would be enough to send any man into the depths of insanity. The Bible tells us why no man may see God directly. In Exodus God explains to Moses, “That no man can see the face of God and live.” However, God is gracious and did allow Moses to see his glory as he passed by because Moses had asked and found grace in the Sigh...
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Must I be a Church Member to get into Heaven?
2007-09-17 11:39:00
It is taught in many churches that you must be a member of the church to get into Heaven . It does not matter which Christian denomination that you belong to because it is taught across the board. Membership consists of being on the Church registry and of course, tithing. But is this really a correct doctrine, or is it another deception by those that would only use you, in order to receive financial gain? Many like to quote the book of Hebrews when telling their members that it is a commandment of God that you must be a member of a Church. Yes, and even I was told that it was a commandment of God when a Pastor came to my door to try and increase the membership of his church. Although I welcomed the brother in, it was soon evident that he was a victim to a law which is not taught in Scripture. It was not that he had devised this deception himself, but instead that it had been taught to him. We must realize that the book of Hebrews was written to Hebrews. At this ...

Book of Malachi Prophecy Foretells Jesus
2007-09-15 03:20:00
There are many prophecies in the Old Testament which foretell the coming of Jesus as Messiah. However, at the time that the prophecy was written, it would not be fully understood until it came to pass. That is why men today, who believe, can read the ancient prophecies, and after knowing of Jesus, they understand them. The same can be said of the parables which Jesus himself told to the people that, “They might hear, yet not comprehend.” This was another fulfillment of prophecy. However, it is in the book of Mala chi, where we see the prophecy, though it is only one verse in length; it is a clear reference to Jesus. The book of Malachi is a very tough book to read, but only because it is such a condemnation of Israel’s religious leaders and practices of which God is not happy at all with. At the end of the first chapter God makes a statement that, “His name would be great among the gentiles and great among the heathen as well.”Anybody that knows anythi...
More About: Book , Prophecy , Prop

Is There a Real Place Called Hell?
2007-09-14 08:59:00
I recently saw a program on MSNBC which aired on September 13, 2007. It was about a Pentecostal Preacher that changed the doctrine he was teaching. He was claiming that there was no such place as Hell . It got me to thinking; I have always understood Hell to be a real place. This is where unbelievers are burned alive for eternity.In my flesh I would want to agree with that assumption, but my Spirit will not allow it. I would like to believe that all people will make it into Heaven, but Scripture does not support this. In the Bible, Hell is a very large part of the word. Jesus talks of it more than he does Heaven itself. Now if Jesus is talking about such a place as burning Hell, then it is most likely something to be fearful of.Hell is not where you will go to be burned for eternity. Hell is a stopping point. It is the place where the condemned people wait until the second resurrection, after the thousand rein of Christ with his Saints. Hell is always in Scripture referred to as down...
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Did God Create Satan?
2007-09-13 21:09:00
God created all things and without him was nothing made. This creation includes Satan himself. It is often wondered why God would create evil. The thought is that God knows all things that will happen, so why bother creating something he knows will become corrupt anyway. It was not God that created evil, but he created beings with free will. Some like to argue that Angels do not have free will, but this does not seem to be the case. It was the fall of these Angels when they took for them the daughters of men in Genesis, which lead to the birth of the giants.Therefore, it is obvious that these beings have free will, or it would be impossible for them to rebel. Therefore, it appears that these Angels are as fallible as we are, in that they were seduced by this Satan as well. The trouble with the Angels is that they were given much more privilege than man. They have a lot of power and they get to be in Heaven in the presence of God. If they rebel having known and seen God, then there i...
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Once Saved Always Saved?
2007-09-13 04:43:00
This is a sad question which Christians ask, because it insinuates a lack of faith on their part. It is that they lack knowledge which causes them to fear and those which teach it to cause undo doubt to rise up in their people’s hearts. Those that are truly following Jesus do not need to fear, “Because perfect love cast out all fear.” It was not us that had perfect love, but God that had perfect love towards us because, “He loved us while we were still sinners.” If you remember the parables of Christ, there are a couple of them which are relevant in this situation. The parable of the sower, “The man went out to sow seeds, some landed on rocky ground, some on shallow soil, some in thorns, and finally some landed on good soil." What we have here is Jesus giving us different degrees of how we accept the good news of Salvation. For some the word will not take hold, these are those whose hearts have been hardened. Then there are those that only have a s...
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To Remember 911
2007-09-12 08:05:00
It is important that we remember the heinous events of 911. It is not even the matter of remembering, but instead it is a grand visage ingrained in our minds of the most treacherous attack in the history of this country. A murder was carried out on such a scale, so as to torture our thoughts each and every day of our existence. Our minds frighten us and make us to believe that this shall happen again and again. They hated our freedoms is what we were told. It was said that we must continue doing our normal routines, yet be diligent. Now they unclothe in their security lines singling out even the young and the old. Making lewdness at our wives and daughters, they make themselves filthy in their own minds. They have stolen away our God given rights in order to subjugate us to their will. In doing this they have only declared victory for those who hated our freedoms in the first place. They lie about what they knew and they even lied about dots. While some were br...

Do Christians Sin?
2007-09-11 04:26:00
Whether Christians sin, or not is one of those timeless questions. Many Christians have a difficult time dealing with the issue of sin. When they sin, they will often lose faith and start to question their own salvation. The biggest problem that Christians face today is those that claim they do not sin and then are found to be liars. Then what do they do, but give voice to those that do not believe on Jesus by presenting themselves as hypocrites. What did Paul say? Did he say that I am without sin, or did he say that he was chief of all sinners? This article is intended to help you out if you find that you sin, even if you have received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. By nature, we are all sinners. It was passed on through the generations from the time of Adam. Those great men of God in antiquity were not free from sin, yet God chose to work through them and commune with them. Is it that God will commune with sinners? Actually, that is where Jesus spent most of hi...

Must You be Baptized to be Saved?
2007-09-09 19:45:00
There is a doctrine in the world which tells believers that baptism is a requirement to be saved. It is important that we validate any claim that requires us to do anything to earn our Salvation. Remember, if you have to do anything to earn your Salvation, then it is no longer a gift of God, but a payment for the work you have done. That is not how God setup his plan of Salvation. He set it up as a gift, a product of his mercy and grace, an offering to imperfect man. You see, if Salvation were anything we were capable of doing by our own actions, then God would not have had to send his Son to die for our sins. God would have simply said do what I say and you will be saved. Instead he said that anyone that believes on the name of his Son shall be saved.There are stories in the Bible in which, some did not get the chance to be baptized. The thief on the cross did not get the opportunity to be baptized, yet Jesus said to him that, “Surely he would be with the Lord in paradise on that...

The Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah
2007-09-09 05:51:00
We, as Christians have been taught that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality. I believe that now it is time to delve into the Scriptures and see what they really have to say about the subject. It does not seem right to believe that any one particular sin was the reason why God destroyed those twin cities, and all of the other cities of the plains. I want to be clear, that Scripture tells us that all of the events recorded in the Bible were meant as an example for us. That means the plagues of Egypt, the many that fell in the wilderness during the Exodus, and that goes for Sodom and Gomorrah as well.We enter the beginning of the story in Genesis, where it is said that, “The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” This is not the same as people sinning as we do naturally; this is sinning in the extreme. What do we know about the nature of God? We know that he is patient and longsuffering, in other words it takes a lot to get God angry enough t...

A Thorn in the Flesh
2007-09-07 22:32:00
What exactly is the Apostle Paul speaking of when he said that he prayed three times for the Lord to remove the thorn in his side? Many people have interpreted this as an actual physical ailment, or condition which afflicted Paul. I do not believe that was the case at all, and we will look at the scriptures to find out exactly what was going on.In 2nd Corinthians Paul is saying that he was given a thorn in the side. He further goes on to tell us exactly what this thorn is. The thorn is a messenger of Satan which attacked him on a regular basis. This indicates a Spiritual condition, not a physical one. Given Paul’s experiences up to this point it is my opinion that Paul would have very little regard for physical infirmities. He was blinded, he was stoned, almost to death, and he was bitten by a poisonous snake which he shook off and he was not ill affected.In all of Paul’s letters, Paul is only concerned with the Spiritual things of God. In Romans he made a reference to the infir...
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Are all Sins Forgivable?
2007-09-07 01:22:00
Why is it that people have such a problem with the forgiveness of sins? That is the basis of the Christian and Jewish Religions. The whole journey involves man sinning, and God working to forgive those sins. Through the death of Christ we received the forgiveness of sins. In the resurrection of Christ we were promised eternal life to all of those that believe. The trouble with us is that we tend to judge sin according to the flesh; we have degrees of sin by which we judge each other. Some may say that killing is worse than adultery. Still, there are others that might say that stealing is worse than lying, but God has only one standard for sin. That standard is, if you offend in any part of the law, then you are guilty of transgressing all of the law, and the penalty for sin is death.Now, we are all aware that we all fall short of the Glory of God and that we have all sinned. So how did we receive forgiveness of sins? It was by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It had to be a perf...
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