Would Jesus want us to remember or celebrate His birthday? thebiblesaysthat.com
Throughout the Bible God is very clear about what he wants us to do and what he doesn’t. Pagan traditions aside, the Bible is very silent on the exact date of Christ’s birth. At the same time enough information is available in the gospels to know that He wasn’t born in December but more than likely around the month of September. What is clear, within…
The Root and Fruit of New Year’s Eve lifehopeandtruth.com
What are you doing on New Year’s Eve? A more intriguing question might be, do you know where the traditions associated with New Year’s Eve originate from? There are many customs and superstitions associated with the celebration that vary around the world. The one thing they all have in common, however, is a pronounced focus on human reasoning. So, from a Christian perspective, it is…
Depression – Brian Orchard vision.org
The numbers continue to indicate depression is an ever-worsening problem. It is happening to more adults, and it is happening earlier in life; and it is of major concern to health-care professionals. Depression is a mood disorder and should not be confused with the ups and downs that are a part of normal life. Emotions clearly play a part in the problem. When emotions become…
Mysterious Festival Days – David Treybig ucg.org
As a young child the author experienced a shift in his family’s religious observances, they stopped keeping Christmas and started keeping the biblical festivals of God. God’s way of life, as delineated in the Bible can be mysterious, contrary to what is taught in mainstream Christianity. Christ, Himself, called the Kingdom of God a mystery in Mark 4:10-12. Mystery is used several times in the…
The Greatest Story Never Told – Jim Franks lifehopeandtruth.com
Christian norms dictate a passive if not negative view of God’s festivals. Days kept by Jesus and the New Testament Christians that followed His example. One consequence to these modern views is the loss of this powerful and true story that these days layout. Complete with setting, plot, hero or main characters, conflict, point of view, overall theme, and conclusion this story contains the answers…
A Right Christmas – Edwin Stepp & Robert Boraker vision.org
The early Christian Church didn’t keep Christmas. Christ wasn’t even born in winter. However, a solar feast commemorating the Persian god Mithra, whom the Romans also worshiped, was historically observed on December 25th around the winter solstice. Gift-giving and unrestrained revelry were also features of the Roman Saturnalia, another solstice festival that anchors modern Christmas traditions. Roman emperor Constantine saw the tension between emerging Christianity…
4 Lessons Jesus Taught About the Sabbath tomorrowsworld.org
Four, hidden in plain sight, lessons that Jesus taught about the Seventh day Sabbath. Jesus, Himself, kept the seventh day Sabbath and taught on it. This leads to the first lesson – We are to keep the Sabbath day holy. (Matt 19:16-19) “if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” of which commandment four is “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”…
The Seventh Day sabbathcog.org
The Sabbath is the memorial that reminds us each week, not only of God’s physical creation, but also of His incredible future spiritual plans for mankind. God blessed the seventh day, sanctified it, and rested on it. It is one of God’s Ten Commandments. Jesus observed the Saturday Sabbath and He is our example. Indeed, Christ said He is Lord of the Sabbath. The Bible…
“Not Everyone Who Says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ …” – Erik Jones lifehopeandtruth.com
It may surprise many to learn that most of the teachings of Christ are not taught, in most cases, and are ignored by modern Christianity. Summarized by this article Christ taught that in order to be a genuine follower of Him (a Christian), one must believe and practice exactly what He taught. In addition, a church, a religious leader, or an individual can profess the name…
What Is the Mark of the Beast? tomorrowsworld.org
The Mark of the beast as described in the book of Revelation has been a subject of wild speculation. This whiteboard video clearly lays out what it is and what it isn’t. Within the context of scripture, the mark is not something physical. It is not a vaccine, tattoo, barcode, chip, or anything else that can be forced upon someone against their will. This mark on the hand and…
Mankind’s Inheritance – Michael Kelley ucg.org
The Bible teaches that God is in the process of expanding the divine family. God the Father and the Son are reproducing Themselves in the form of perhaps billions of spirit beings, who will be like Them, sharing Their level of existence: “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:18) This is a radically different…
The Time That Matters – Jeremy Lallier sabbaththoughts.com
Does it matter to God how we spend our time – the decisions we make, the lives we lead, the paths we choose to follow? Analyzing scripture and the time dedicated to specific events would indicate that it does. Found in the Bible, there are very specific moments in time that focus and attention is given while other expanses of time are given little to…
Hell: Origins of an Idea – Richard Burky, Jeannette B. Anderson vision.org
The authors of this article set out to answer a simple question – “how can anyone worship a god who sets up fallible humans to be forever tormented in hell?” The idea of perpetual torment for the dead that in some way fell short in life is held by most of this world’s religions. This includes two of the three Abrahamic religions (Christian and Muslim)…
Halloween – Bill Butler vision.org
Halloween is rooted in ancient pagan rites and customs. Why do those who claim Christian identity keep it? Paul told the followers of Christ to disassociate themselves such customs when he said “…what accord has Christ with Belial? …‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord’” (2 Corinthians 6:14–17). Christians ought to reject this overtly pagan festival. Halloween’s history goes back 2,000…
Halloween: Treat, or Trick? – Richard A. Wilson tomorrowsworld.org
There is a Gaelic tradition that says, at Samhain, the doors to the underworld open— allowing dead souls and harmful spirits to enter our world. Modern Halloween costumes originated as an attempt to mask one’s identity as protection from those harmful spirits. This tradition melded with the practice of “souling”. This was a practice where children and the poor would go house to house offering…
Where Is God? – Jim Servidio lifehopeandtruth.com
Why does God stay hidden from mankind? This is a question that many have asked. The answer can be surprising and enlightening. In short, we hide ourselves from God through our sins. Our sinful nature separates us from God. He spoke face to face with Adam and Eve until they sinned. That sin caused the breach in their relationship followed by Adam and Eve hiding…
Are People Lost Because of Adam’s Sin? – Herbert Armstrong hwalibrary.com
Christian teachings concerning the “fall of man” hold that God made man complete, perfect, with an immortal spirit soul. Further, that this creation was then corrupted by Satan, forever condemning humanity to hell, and that God has ever since been trying to “save” men in a contest with Satan for these fallen souls. That’s not what the Bible says. Man is mortal. He does not…
The Last Great Day – Martin Collins bibletools.org
The Last Great Day is the 7th and final Holy Day in God’s annual calendar. It looks forward to a time after the return of Jesus Christ, and after the 1,000 year period in which Christ rules over the Earth with peace and prosperity, when everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected to physical life and given a chance to know Christ, to have…
Pride, Humility, and the Day of Atonement – John W. Ritenbaugh cgg.org
The Day of Atonement and fasting – God devotes one Feast Day, picturing being at one with Him. A day in which He commanding us to go through an exercise in self-affliction designed to promote humility. This is done to impress upon us that the root of all that is wrong in this world is the result of pride. This also foreshadows the great humbling…
Remember Your Creator – Ulysses Ronquillo thefatherscall.org
King Solomon’s depth of experience – good and bad – allowed him to accumulate (with God’s help), a great deal of wisdom. Toward the end of his life he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in order to leave a legacy of his wise conclusions. The final chapter of the book pulls together his powerful observations regarding life and life’s priorities. It begins with an admonition…