Christ Teachings

Many married couples let their relationships to deteriorate to a point where they already feel enough resentment towards each other, and there is little keeping them together. And, they are teetering on the edge of a break-up before they actually attain Christian Help For Troubled Marriage.

If you feel your marriage is in serious trouble, it is essential for you to take the required steps now that will stop any permanent break up.

And when will you realize that your marriage is so lost that you have to reach out to Christian Help for Troubled Marriage? 

To view the complete article on Christian Help for Troubled Marriage, check out: Christian Help for Troubled Marriages

There are a number of common indications of marital trouble, such as:

* A chasm between your husband or wife and yourself has grown that seems too extraordinary to cross

* A feeling of loneliness is always felt, whether you and your spouse are together or not

* When you talk to your spouse, your words seem to fall on deaf ears

* Sex is no longer a part of your lives any longer

* You fail to be together as a pair any longer

* Conversations between the two of you have died down, and when there is communication, it seems as if you aren’t on the same wavelength

Here are a number of the indications of a troubled marriage, whether it is noticed by you, or your spouse.

It is crucial that you pencil down your feelings and show the list to your spouse. Then request for an honest assessment of your marriage, and discover what particular issues irritate them the most – even the issues which you haven’t already mentioned.

It is important to have this conversation calmly, and without becoming defensive.

Now is the time to look hard at your marriage and decide if it’s necessary now to extend your hands to Christian Help For Troubled Marriage.

Your marriage may rely on locating help without, if either you or your partner believe that the marriage is in serious jeopardy.

Just a reminder, that I’ve got the complete article of Christian Help for Troubled Marriage, that you may want to See: Christian Help for Troubled Marriage

The danger of waiting to find help, is that one of you may take off from the marriage, before you receive the assistance that you need.

You possess an extremely significant element working for you when you are prepared to accept Christian Help For Troubled Marriage, and that is your faith in God that you each share.

Regardless where the issues first originated from in the marriage, your christian faith has the ability to strengthen your bond shared with your spouse.

You and your spouse were purposely brought together by God, and leaning on your christian faith, will help you remember this
Keep in mind that the solution to marital problems doesn’t have to be divorce.

Christian marriage counseling can be extremely powerful if you and your spouse are willing to work together to resolve issues, bring problems out into the open, and work out answers together.

Where do you go when you’re looking for Christian marriage counseling? 
There are a variety of resources available at your church, including christian counselors, other church officials, and your pastor, that can share helpful information, if you discuss your feelings with them.

If they don’t feel qualified to help you, most likely they will give you names of counselors who are.

Christians and non-Christians alike can face the same types of marital problems, but it may be more helpful for you to share and discuss your deepest feelings, and receive counseling advice, from someone who shares your faith.

Christian counselors have the knowledge and experience to remind you of the common ground that you and your spouse share as Christians, and can effectively help you to reinforce the bond of your marriage, through the powerful tool that you have in your shared christian faith.

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I have been greatly helped in my pastoral ministry by a passage in John

Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. ~2 Kings 23:25 (NRSV).

Anyone who might think the Old Testament is irrelevant due the sparkling Word of the Lord Jesus heralded in the New is sorely mistaken when we grasp this king, Josiah. If we want a model of near-on perfection we could easily look to him.

The boy king was only eight when he came to power, but his reign was momentous for the Israelites and the discovery of the book of the law swung history – Josiah’s catalyst – as the later reforms would commend (2 Kings 23:1-20). Josiah was ruthless in his one-eyed obedience to the LORD his God.

And Israel’s then momentary stay-of-execution, and any sense of God’s forgiving mercy, was entirely because of him who acted sweetly for his God.

And we find in this incessant obedience to track long and hold fast after the words and intent of God, a love that gives an undivided allegiance. Indeed, this “reminds us that love is more than emotion, for the praise of Josiah does not come until he persevered in removing all sources that encourage worship of other gods.”[1] We could easily see cause for him to be praised much earlier, but it’s not over until it’s over! We’re praised for enduring faithfully – that is love.

And this definition of love is found, at last, in Jesus of Nazareth. All of Jesus’ true praise comes due his nailing and dying on the cross and his resurrection – his devoted and complete allegiance to the Father – notwithstanding his godly and anointed-from-heaven ministry. ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain’ is the golden imperative the many thousands of heavenly angels sing in very loud voices in Revelation 5:12.

Josiah was an incredibly faithful king but he doesn’t compare to the Lord Jesus.

And Jesus is the better and Supreme King for the lasting legacy of the New Covenant in his blood – the covenant of grace – and not merely the blood of an animal – the symbol of a conditional and “legal,” but insufficient, covenant. It is not insufficient from God’s perspective but it is from our sinful human perspective.

There is much, however, we can learn from the young and tenacious king, Josiah. I wonder how we might be similarly characterised in our obedience in turning toward God with all our heart, soul and might as Josiah was.

The Bible, in Ecclesiastes 11:1-7.

Offers three recommendations as a guide to man’s activity.
Presents Meteorological four facts.
Gives three scientific facts.

The Bible offers three recommendations as a guide to man’s activity; they are:

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

The Bible presents four Meteorological facts; they are:

He who observes the wind will not sow, and
He who regards the clouds will not reap.
If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth,
And if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

The Bible gives three other scientific facts; they are:

You do not know the path of the wind,
You do not know how the embryo’s body and bones are formed in a mother’s womb
It is good for the eyes to look at the sun.

On the other hand, it should be emphasized that NONE of these three recommendations, NONE of these four Meteorological facts and NONE of these three other scientific facts are mentioned therein in the entire Quran.

————————————————————————–

The comments about the three scientific facts

1) The Bible denies Meteorology

The Bible says that man does not know the path of the wind.

However, Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting including the path and speed of the wind.

2) The Bible denies Embryology

The Bible says that man does not know how the embryo’s body and bones are formed in a mother’s womb.

Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo and the formation of an embryo’s organs in a mother’s womb.

3) Does the Bible aimed to blind us?

The Bible says that it is good for the eyes to look at the sun.

The scientists say that if you look at the sun, you will go blind; Looking at the Sun causes blindness.

Never ever look at the Sun, even during an eclipse or at sunrise or sunset; even a couple of seconds is dangerous and could cause long-term damage to your eyes

Herein is the golden rule:

Never, ever look directly at the Sun — even during an eclipse or at sunrise or sunset. The Sun emits dangerous UV radiation that can permanently damage your eyes and even cause total blindness. This can happen in a matter of seconds.

Foe this reason, no smart one can believe that the Almighty Creator would say the above three facts that contradict with the science.  God is the father of the sciences, then how come He would have said that.

————————————————————————–

On the other hand, the Quran talks about the role of the wind in our life, the importance of the eye and never ever recommends us to look at the sun.

Also, the Quran talks comprehensively about the Embryology and the development of the embryo’s bones. The Embryology in the Quran needs more than seven articles to talk about.  However, I will let Professor Keith L. Moore to give a quick look about the Embryology in the Quran.

Who is Keith L. Moore?

Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto, Distinguished embryologist and the author of several medical textbooks,

Dr. Moore was a former President of the Canadian Association of Anatomists, and of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists.  Dr. Moore was honored by the Canadian Association of Anatomists with the prestigious J.C.B. Grant Award and in 1994 he received the Honored Member Award of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists “for outstanding contributions to the field of clinical anatomy.”

What Professor Keith L. Moore says about the Embryology in the Quran?

 ”At first I was astonished by the accuracy of the statements that were recorded in the 7th century AD, before the science of embryology was established. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, or Allah, because most of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God, or Allah.”

————————————————————————–

The Bible, Ecclesiastes 11:1-7

American Standard Version

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

————————————————————————–

Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Are the Scholars truthful when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?

Do you send your child to public school, private school, Parochial school, or do you home school them? That choice of schooling approach is a dilemma that all parents face today.

Today’s child starts his/her education early. It is not unreasonable to send a child to school at age 2. At this young age, the child can already learn and you have a blank slate on which to write. Private schools begin teaching children at age 2 to say their ABC’s and recognize their numbers. Children can learn songs and dances. They can learn to get along with other children their own age. They can learn manners and begin to learn religion.

By age four, the child should be able to write his/her name and to recognize it when he/she sees it. By the time he/she enters kindergarten at age 5, children who have been in private school already know what most children in public school do not learn until they are in the first grade. Many of these children can already read and do simple math. They have taught themselves.

Public school does not allow the teaching of any religious subjects. The Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem are no longer learned or recited/sung daily. This is something that all school children learned in the 50′s,60′s 70′s and part of the 80′s. At the end of the 80′s thing began to change subtly in our public schools. References to certain historic events were removed from the text books. School prayer was banned. The world started to see things in a new light: Political Correctness.

Today, Political Correctness has run totally amok. Our children do not learn about the Civil War, the conflicts that involved Arab nations, WWII and Hitler’s murder of the Jews. Civics isn’t part of the curriculum any longer. Today’s student does not study the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Most students cannot tell you what is engraved on the Statue of Liberty and do not know it was a gift from the French. I would challenge you to discover twenty students who know how many are in Congress and the Senate. Few know how a Bill is introduced or made. Maybe we should bring back the television show The Electric Company. Children learned a lot from that show.

If there is a concern to you, there are options. One increasing popular option is home schooling. However, if you decide to home school your child, you had better be serious about it. You have to set regular hours for each lesson and stick to them.

There are curriculums available over the internet through some of the states. The state supplies the teacher and all work is all done at home on the computer. The child does not have to attend classes but does have to do the same amount of work that is required of those who do. In some states the child goes to a central testing place for the year end tests.

There are over 60,000 students being home schooled. Studies show that home schooled students score above those who attend public school. Being home schooled allows the student to partake in outside learning through apprenticeships. The subjects taught are not limited to the normal ones taught in public school. The home schooled student may learn subjects such as Greek, Latin, astronomy, architecture, philosophy.

Home schooled students also have the opportunity to travel with their families. This presents another field of learning. Parochial schools conduct their lessons and education in conjunction with religious instruction. Students are treated strictly and expected to abide by the rules of the Church.

Private schools are of many different types. Christian schools conduct their education in conjunction with the teaching of Christian values and the Bible. These schools teach from age 2 until high school grade 12. There are also Christian colleges.

Montessori schools approach education based on the experiences of Maria Montessori who believed in giving the student a chance to self pace themselves. She believed that they had a sort of inner guide to follow. This school usually teaches children from 2-10.

There are Hebrew schools, Muslim schools, and schools for other religions. There are alternative schools for troubled youth. Parents have many choices to investigate prior to enrolling their child. They need to investigate each one in order to choose the best one for their child and their family.

Herb likes to learn about schooling options. Please check out his website with information on car carpet cleaner choices and details on car wash supplies.

Jesus died on the cross of a result of unjust prosecution. He was prosecuted by Pontius Pilate even without any sufficient proof. He was condemned without being tried fairly. Sadly, even Pilate himself declared that no fault was seen in Christ three times. Had this happened in the modern world, the accused should have been released. Thus, the crucifixion story itself provides lessons about an essential aspect of human existence

Each of us need both devotion and study time if we are to grow as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people make the simple mistake of confusing and merging these two different activities. Let’s look at the purpose of each, and then I will give you my recommended strategy to maximize their value to you.

The purpose of devotional time is to re-connect your heart with God through the Holy Spirit.

The purpose of study is to conform your mind to the right things of God. Our minds take on a likeness to what we study – that’s how we are made.

So personal devotions and study have different purposes, and are best approached in different ways. What they have in common is use of the Bible.

Personal Devotions

Go to any Christian bookstore and you can find half a zillion devotional books. If you find one you like, by all means buy it and use it. I grow concerned, however, when I see believers who are dependent on these books as crutches. I am convinced that if more were needed than the Bible and the Holy Spirit, it would have been provided at Pentecost.

Here is my personal pattern of devotional practice, which I recommend to everyone. It’s rooted in the Bible. It’s simple, and works for all ages and stages of spiritual maturity. It has depth. You can do the same thing your whole life.

I pick up my Bible and turn to where I left off yesterday. I prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to connect my heart to God, thanking Him for another day to learn and serve. Then I begin to read verses, slowly. I read until a verse hits me with a truth about God or my condition or what I need to do. I find that my heart is sparked again! I mark my place, and then spend a few minutes praying. My heart is reconnected with God through the Holy Spirit.

Some days I only need to read three verses. Other days I read several chapters. But I do not quit reading until I am confident that my heart is connected to God. I may repeat this process later in the day if I find my heart has grown cool towards God.

That’s it. That’s all that you need to do. Do not make your personal devotions more complex — or less satisfying — than this.

Transition

Now that you have re-connected your heart with the Lord, you’re almost ready to study. The next step is to shift your mindset.

Because devotion and study are different acts of learning, create a genuine break between them. I usually do both devotion and study in the early morning. So I actually get up out of my chair after my devotion time is complete, walk out of the room, and then re-enter the room and sit down again for study. It may sound goofy, but I need to do this in order to “reset” my mind and heart for study.

Study

Remember that the purpose of study is to conform your mind to the right things of God. The primary object of our study must be the Bible. We must discipline ourselves to study it and understand it.

The Bible is not just a collection of moralistic stories and guidelines about dos and don’ts. It is the story of God’s interaction with mankind, and in it we find commands and principles that help us live wisely. So we are aiming for much more than a low-level Sunday School familiarity of the Bible stories.

Developing this level of understanding – the capability to think with a biblical worldview – requires strategies for studying the breadth of Scripture, so you understand the whole counsel of God in His Word. Too few people read large amounts of Scripture on a regular basis. And it takes only a little more commitment — you can read through the entire New Testament in less than a month if you read ten chapters a day.

You also need strategies to mine the depths of a particular passage or book. Let me give you six suggestions that don’t require anything except your Bible. (1) Read it out loud. (2) Read it repeatedly. (3) Look up the cross-references. (4) Turn it into prayer. (5) Read it backwards, one sentence at a time (you’ll notice different things). (6) Talk about your insights with another person.

Encouragement

Use the Bible for both your personal devotions and for study. Recognize that you need to reconnect your heart to God each day, and that study is needed to conform your mind to the right things of God.

By: Glenn Brooke

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By Peter Menkin

Readers will note that this interview with Sharon Ely Pearson is the result of several questions, answers, and responses over a period of separate days. The title for this piece on “Sunday School,” suggested by Sharon, says a great deal about where 2009 brings us in formation of members of The Episcopal Church in the United States, part of the worldwide Anglican communion of 77 million. Her title for the interview is contained in this email response by her:

As far as title (suggested by me), “Sunday School with Sharon” (you reply that it) is rather demeaning to the ministry of Christian formation and I prefer you not use it. A title such as “Christian Formation: No Longer Your Grandmother’s Sunday school” if you need to use the term Sunday school (which is not used in the Episcopal Church very often anymore). It is LIFE LONG formation and education into living out one’s baptismal promises.

Tell us then, is Christian Formation or what was called Sunday school, for children only?

Christian formation is life long, so it includes all ages. This is occurring across denominational lines, and is not new to Christianity. It is reclaiming the understanding of how Christians were “formed” in the early Church.

Sunday school is no longer seen as a separate component of education just for children. We like to use the term, “Christian formation” to describe the continual lifelong process of deepening one’s understanding of his or her faith.

In the Episcopal Church it involves all aspects of our life together – worship, service to others, mission, pastoral care, evangelism, fellowship, AND education. Education is comprised of learning and reflecting, integrating holistically all of our experiences with God’s Word, connecting faith and daily life.

Where did the term “Sunday school” originate?

The term “Sunday school” originated with Robert Raikes, a devout Anglican layman, (1736-1811) who started a movement of prison reform and education of offenders and poor children. The purpose of the school was to teach poor children (in “Soot Alley”) the rudiments of learning on Sunday, their free day. Of course the Bible was their textbook, and from the movement the idea of Sunday schools spread to the Baptist, Congregational, and Methodist churches throughout England. In 1803 the London Sunday School Union was created. It was also brought to America, and in 1824 the American Sunday School Union was formed in Philadelphia. It was, and is still today, characterized by strong missionary and evangelistic zeal. There continues to be a Unified Lessons Series curriculum, though this is not usually used in Episcopal Churches. 

So, what is the official curriculum used for Christian Formation for Episcopalians?

The Episcopal Church does not have a “mandatory” or endorsed curriculum for all to use. Holy Scripture (The Old and New Testaments) and “The Book of Common Prayer” ground us in study. We are the curriculum – individually and our congregations together in all that we say and do as well as what is implicitly stated in how we shape our environment and provide hospitality.

And remember, Christian Formation is not just about memorizing doctrine, Bible verses, a Catechism, and certain prayers. It is about developing a relationship with God, and living out Jesus’ commandments in the world, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, and with all your mind, and all your strength …You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12: 30-31)

 Episcopalians are called to live out The Baptismal Covenant and, what many consider the foundation of our lives together and which guides us to live out our ministry in the world.

All churches are called to use this as a foundation for our life together, including our educational programs.

How do you offer teachings on Baptism as part of Christian formation?

This Covenant takes seriously our call to be Christ’s ministers in the world at the moment of our Baptism. We understand that we are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge, but are known by God and already have a relationship with God, no matter what age.

By virtue of our Baptism, in the Episcopal Church, we believe we are full members of the Body of Christ. God was present with us at birth, and at Baptism we are filled with the Holy Spirit, that continues to remain with us, being “marked as Christ’s own forever” with the sign of the Cross on our forehead, one of the outward and visible signs, with water that is exhibited at Baptism – no matter what age we are.

Will you give an example?

An excellent example of how this is experienced in a church setting with children is through a program called Godly Play (www.godlyplay.org).

This Montessori-approach to children’s formation was developed by The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman, understanding that children have a desire to learn liturgical language while exploring their relationship with God and Jesus on their own terms. While learning the lessons of the Old and New Testaments, children learn to fall in love with God all over again and again.

The program is child-centered and is story-based, using beautiful materials and open-ended wondering questions to allow the child to place themselves in the various stories of God’s people. It is a program used in a growing number of churches of many denominations.

So Christian formation is just for children? It seems so many parents come to a church for the moral, spiritual, and religious education of their children. They want their child to have a firm sense of right and wrong:

But Christian formation is not just for children. It is a lifelong process in which all of us are continually learning and growing in our relationship with God.

At the Episcopal Church’s triennial gathering this July in Anaheim, one of the pieces of legislation will include a Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation. Patterned after The Children’s Charter for the Church passed in 1998,  this document will highlight the importance of education and formation for all ages.

There is a hunger in Episcopal Churches to better understand how to read scripture and apply it to today’s world. There is a hunger to learn spiritual practices to keep one grounded in the midst of a busy lifestyle. There is a desire for intergenerational methods of engaging each other, understanding that elders have much wisdom to share, children are often prophets calling us to see God in the world, and all ages in between make up the whole people of God.

Many adults in our society today were not brought up in a religious tradition, or had a bad experience as a child with the institutional church. So when their own children start asking existential questions about God, Jesus, and the meaning of life, they turn back to the Church for assistance.

While many are looking for “education” for their children, they too are hungry for a deeper spiritual life and connection to the holy.

Our world today is very fragmented, and our lives are like a gerbil running on a wheel. The Church provides a community of faith in which one can slow down, be renewed, and fed.

And the Episcopal Church is open to all people. Our doors are open to any seeker. As many would say, you do not need to leave your questions at the door before you enter. We embrace Scripture, the Traditions of the past, as well as Reason—our ability to make up our own minds and personal decisions as to where we believe God is calling us.

As we end this part of our article-interview, tell us something of your title and who you work for, as well as something about what published materials are offered by Church Publishing on Christian formation:

My title is as the Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) (www.churchpublishing.org), the publisher for the Episcopal Church.

CPI publishes books on prayer, faith in the world, and other topics of interest to those lay and ordained. We publish “The Book of Common Prayer,” various Episcopal hymnals, and many resources.

(I) also work closely with one of its divisions, Morehouse Education Resources, which publishes curricula and educational materials for The Episcopal Church and other denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church.

These include the original lectionary-based curriculum, Living the Good News, as well as Godly Play books and materials, All Things New, and many more. Confirm not Conform a groundbreaking confirmation program for youth that was developed by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, CA is also part of their resources. 

Some basic questions of Sharon:

Morehouse Education Resources  is a division of Church Publishing Incorporated, located in Denver. Church Publishing’s main office is in New York City, along with its parent company the Church Pension Fund, which serves all (7,500) Episcopal congregations in the United States and beyond (many countries in the Caribbean and Latin America): and  Church Publishing publishes all liturgical materials as stipulated by General Convention.

We also are partners with The Godly Play Foundation  and the founders of Confirm not Conform -– both are used in the San Francisco Bay area.

These two programs exemplify the ‘cutting edge’ in the area of Christian formation and education in the Episcopal Church (and beyond).

Are all the people you help Episcopalians? If others, give me a couple of examples, please.

Morehouse Education Resources publishes curricula and sacramental resources used by many denominations. I participate with APCE, the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators, the National Association for Episcopal Christian Education Directors  as well as many educators from the United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), and Roman Catholic Church.

Will you name five people around the country who you consider “partners” in your work and in its direction? Notable ones are good, with Church name. Is there anyone in specific in the San Francisco Bay Area you can name? This is not to contact or interview, but as a kind of list of endorsers and people who are prominently involved in Christian Formation and Sunday school.

Julia McCray-Goldsmith, Director of Ministry Development, Episcopal Diocese of California (located in San Francisco); Melissa Neofes Mischak, Director of Christian Formation, Christ Episcopal Church (Alameda, CA); Carol Campbell, Resource Center Director, Episcopal Dioceses of El Camino Real and California (located in Sunnyvale); Wendy Cliff, Director of Christian Formation, St. Paul’s’ Episcopal Church, Oakland, CA; and The Rev. Beth Foote, Rector, Holy Trinity, Menlo Park, CA

How many Churches do you serve?

7,500 Episcopal churches (a membership of over 2 million) and many from other denominations.

Are all the people you help Episcopalians? If others, give a couple of examples, please.

I participate with APCE, the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators as well as many folks from the United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), and Roman Catholic Church. Morehouse Education Resources publishes curricula and sacramental resources used by many denominations.

Note: Sharon says she:

travels extensively, offering workshops and consultations to congregations in need of training and program planning support.

produces a free, monthly e-newsletter, Living IN-Formation as well as maintains an on-line Resource Room of support materials for the Christian educator.

Readers may write Sharon: Sharon Ely Pearson, Christian Formation Specialist Church Publishing Incorporated/Morehouse Education Resources Mailing address:17 Pumpkin Lane – Norwalk, CT 06851

Images: (1) Godly Play class. Photo courtesy Church Publishing. (2) Sharon Ely Pearson. Photo courtesy of Church Publishing.

Thomas is known to be one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ in the Bible. He was also referred to as Didymus which literally means the

Many ponder the question, “Is Jesus for Real?” Here is my personal perspective and a few points to ponder.

What would He have had to have done? For someone to have been born in a remote town in an empire that no longer exists, and 2000 years later to have buildings erected in His name all over the world… what would He have done? Was it the miracles that He performed? No… there were many people that came before Him that were known as “miracle workers”. Was it His family name? No… He was born into a peasant family and He Himself had the most common first name of the time, Jesus. Was it that He was crucified? No… there were thousands that were crucified in the Roman Empire. Did He travel the world spreading His message? No… He didn’t travel more than a few miles from the place of His birth and His ministry only lasted three short years.

What was it then that would cause the short life of a 33 year old man to be talked about 2000 years later? What was it that made Him so special?

If Jesus had simply ministered to people for 3 years and died on a cross, there would be no such thing as Christianity. Yes, the message of hope, love and grace was powerful… yet His followers all abandoned Him when He was crucified. The Jews dismissed Him as a false Messiah and His friends deserted Him.

He died and rose again on the third day. The first Easter is the reason that millions the world over 2000 years later even know about Jesus. His death, burial and resurrection is the reason that hundreds went to their death claiming to have seen the risen Jesus.

By the shear magnitude of the number of Christians 2000 years after his birth, death and resurrection would leave one to wonder if Jesus was the biggest hoax in the history of human existence… or the simple gift of salvation to the world. I think that from a simple common sense point of view, should one ponder the details… it’s easy to draw a conclusion in favor of Christ.

Justin S.

Sleep Paralysis is classified clinically as a “Parasomnia.” It consists primarily of an inability to perform voluntary movements-either at sleep onset or upon awakening. It is usually accompanied by other bodily sensations-none of which are pleasant. This can be a very frightening experience.

I used to have this problem myself.

I experienced this problem over 20 years ago. For me, it happened only when I was about fall asleep. It happened repeatedly-though not every time I went to bed.

As I was about to fall asleep, I would suddenly become paralyzed. Additionally, there was this awful feeling that was always the same: My head felt like a moving drill bit. And there was nothing I could do about it. It was scary–but I doubt it ever lasted more than a minute.

I’m a Christian. I experienced this problem both before and after I got saved. Getting saved made no difference whatsoever.

After I got saved, however, I tried using the Bible. When the paralysis came on, I said out loud “Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ.” The paralysis and associated symptoms immediately disappeared. Talk about a faith builder for a new Christian!

This happened a number of times-each time, the same thing happened.

Then it happened again. I tried to rebuke Satan, as before, but I could not talk. So I prayed: “Dear Lord, I pray for you rebuke the devil in Jesus’ name.” Instantly, the problem disappeared.

I don’t remember if this happened only once–or twice. But the problem has been gone for over 20 years.

In researching this problem on the internet, I have been amazed at how many people suffer from sleep paralysis, how much they have suffered–and how big of a problem this has been for people.

Some people are even prescribed psychotropic medication.

It is possible that some people may not have the instant results I experienced. I’m a counselor. I know, from clinical experience, that other types of “hallucinations” do not always disappear just because the devil is rebuked in the name of Jesus. They don’t disappear because the devil has a spiritual foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV)–usually as a result of anger.

However, from what I have been able to gather over the internet, I believe my experience is typical. I have never had a client with Sleep Paralysis.

If you are saved, just pray and/or rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. In my experience, rebuking the devil does the trick-you don’t have to also say “demons.”

You can do the same for other similar hallucinations-for example, if you experience a demonic attack in the middle of the night.

Never try to rebuke the devil until you first get saved. That is potentially dangerous (Acts 19:13-17). If you’re not saved, you can learn how to get saved by visiting my website below.

So that’s it. As far as I know, you now have everything you need to solve this problem-permanently.

James Serio M.A. has years of experience in the mental health field. His website focuses on Biblical solutions to common mental health issues.

That website is: http://www.MentalHealthSolution.com

There can be confusion, however, about the difference between natural health remedies like my programs and herbal remedies. They are not synonymous.

But these cannot contribute to effectiveness of one’s well being. A vitamin dosage that is used to test one’s nutrient level will be very essential to test the body’s condition.

Medicines if taken as a mixture or in a wrong ratio with other drugs will lead to harmful effects. Herbal Healers or dosages for nourishing the nutrient level should be taken carefully as written in prescription by the physician.For example drug St.John’s Wort should not be taken with anti- depressants

We must clearly know that Producing herbal products do not need an authorization from Food and Drug Administration before selling. Though We switch to Herbal goods for resisting diseases and treating them if found we must know about it with a clear knowledge

Such Goods will not be tested whether they are pure and powerful. As these do not have a streamlined selling, choosing another label that looks alike will produce negative effects due to the power in the medicine. While choosing the product one must focus on the study done on the medicine by the one who has manufactured it.

The Medicine produced should be from a firm that is well known. and it must give us details about the dosage and steps on how to use it. Things That are so good would no longer make meaning and that which are no good puts one down financially.

I can post responses as a fit man taking supplements as a portion of a complete healthy lifestyle but I am Not a physician to prescribe vitamins and health dosages for picking up nutrients.

Being a specialist its important to know more about the client for positively providing a diagnosis. It is Very essential to study the Mental fitness of a patient before giving a treatment .

While Taking Herbal Products Doctor Should to be informed. Though twenty five percent take herbal products , thirty percent of the patients do not inform their doctors. Doctors Basically do not curb from taking these medicines but would tell so while taking an appointment.

As you know, I have a very effective program that includes three simple exercises that quickly and effectively drop blood pressure. I’m very often asked, however, if there is any natural herbal formula that I recommend as well. Yes I do. This is the formula I’ve used myself and many clients have used very effectively with my exercises. It’s called Healthy Choice Natural

By: Christian Good

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Christian Goodman is a well known health researcher and the author of several revolutionary ChristianGoodman.com”>natural health alternative methods. He also suggests natural herbal formula suggestions which you should check out as well.

Church fundraisers can be an easy way to raise some additional money for any church. To maximize costs, it may be beneficial to have a fundraiser with either little out of pocket expense or no cost. Some free or nearly free fundraisers are to have a rummage sale.

To start you simply ask members of the church and possibly the community to donate items. Volunteers will be needed to go through the items and to price them. The location of the rummage sale should either be someplace like the basement or possibly the parking lot, if the weather is cooperating. The only cost will be any advertising costs and any supplies that you may need (ie. stickers).
Another fundraiser is to host a bake sale. Members of the church can simply bring in a baked good that they have all ready packaged into individual servings. A bake sale can be a great addition to a rummage sale or it can be a sale by itself. If the church can spend a little more money on the fundraiser and if they do not need the money immediately, they can get in contact with a company that prints cookbooks.
Members can submit recipes and the recipes are supplies to the company for compilation. A deposit will most likely be due when the order is placed.

If the church has the kitchen space, members could donate supplies and have a spaghetti dinner or maybe a pancake breakfast. A simple sign in the church yard will be advertising enough to bring people to your dinner or breakfast.

By: Sierra Roth

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

cookie dough fundraising, magazine fundraising, fundraiser ideas

Teaching youngsters to swim starts with a simple lesson – they should be taught to put their face in the water. That first step will open the door to learning the way to swim. Unless the kid professionals that one little talent, swimming remains out of reach, and some future pleasure is sacrificed.

Obeying God always starts with a tiny step, one that can infrequently seem trivial or not related to the task to hand. Yet it is where God wants us to start. Jesus had been addressing the crowds when He asked to get into Peter’s ship.

This did not appear like a request that would open the door to ministry or perhaps great blessing. But it was really the place where Peter was to start. Our pronouncing yes to God in the small things is an essential step to His best blessings. People will also derive benefit from our obedience. When Simon Peter consented to Jesus’ request, the result was 2 boatloads of fish, more than needed for all those with him.

Obedience to God may need us to do some things that appear irrational. A carpenter asked pro fishermen to stop fishing and take Him on board. Those with Peter might have questioned why he delayed the work to accommodate Jesus. Others may question us to if the problem is urgent or reasonable. We may wonder too. Obedience in the smallest of matters can open the door to God-ordained opportunities and lead to blessings for us and others.

About Rodney Howard Browne and New Years Ablaze

New Years on fire is a website dedicated to sharing scripture and the events in the news on the move of God and revival across America through Pastor Rodney Howard Browne and his ministry.

2) Why God Gave Us the Law

In our last article we saw the reason why God gave the Law to the Jews. However, in other parts of the New Testament we learn that the Law served another purpose, not only for Jews but also for us who are Gentiles. It was given:

A) That we might know what He is like.

Why did God give 10 commandments? Why these specific ones? Was it just an obedience test? No, the law is a picture of what God is like. It is a transcript of His very own nature – what He essentially is and does. E.g. Thou shalt not steal. God is not a thief; He does not take, but gives. Thou shalt not commit adultery. God is faithful in all His relationships. Thou shalt not bear false witness. God is not a liar, He always tells the truth, etc. The foundation of God’s law is God Himself. What He requires is only the expression of what He is.

B) That we might know what we are like.

The law is a plumbline that shows us how perfectly straight and upright God is. When that plumbline is placed alongside us it shows how crooked we are. Sin is not a measurement of how bad you and I are, but of how good we are not. We do not have the goodness and holiness of God. In Rom.5:20 we read that the law entered or, was added (NIV). The meaning of this term is to come alongside of. Something was already in existence and the law came alongside of that in order to help us to understand it. That “something” was sin. (See Rom.7:7.) The law is not something that was basic, essential or fundamental to life. It was given to increase our knowledge of sin. Those who are made aware of their sin are ready for a Saviour. The Law, bringing conviction of sin, is an indispensable requisite in the process of evangelism.

So the law was given to a specific people, for a specific period of time and for specific purpose. If we were living in Old Testament times and wanted to be in relationship with God we would have to come under the Law. God placed His Law between Him and His people as the basis of the relationship between them.

But we are not living in that era, so it would be totally wrong to relate to God on the basis of law-keeping. Jesus spoke of the Law passing away. He said that it would not pass away until all was fulfilled. (Matt.5:17&18). In His life He fulfilled its every command and in His death He endured the wrath of God for every command that has ever been broken by every single human being. The Old Testament sacrifices could only cover the sins of the Israelite. But Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn.1:29). When He cried, It is finished! on the cross, the Old Covenant had passed away and the New Covenant was brought in to replace it.

Many times Paul confirmed this. He said:

# The law has passed away (2 Cor.3:13).

# Christ has abolished in His flesh the law of commandments (Eph.2:15).

# Christ has wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has nailed it to the cross (Col.2:14).

# We are dead to the law through the body of Christ (Rom.7:4).

# We have been delivered from the law (Rom.7:6).

# Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to those who believe (Rom.10:4).

# We are not under law but under grace (Rom.6:14).

We have seen how the Old Covenant served the Covenant of Promise, but what about the New Covenant? The New Covenant is simply the fulfillment of the Promise Covenant. The difference between Abraham and us is that He believed God would give him a son; we believe He has given us a Son. Abraham looked forward in faith to the coming Seed, we look back to when that Promised Seed came, died for us and rose again in order to minister to us on the basis of His finished work and the New Covenant.

Under the Old Testament, God came down from heaven to Mount Sinai, gave Israel a law and said, “Do.” Blessing was conditional upon works. Under the New Covenant, Jesus ascended into heaven, presented His own blood before the Father and said, “Done!” Blessing is now on the basis of what He has accomplished. What God has placed between Himself and us in the New Covenant is the blood of Jesus. See Heb.9:11&12. We do not attempt to merit blessing; we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph.1:3). We are to access to all the riches of His grace by faith in Christ.

Many believers are frustrated and fruitless because they are trying to relate to God on a law-basis. They try to do deals with God. If we will do this, then God will do that. No wonder the Christian life does not work for them! Trying to relate to God on the basis of law will cancel out the grace of God and bring condemnation (2 Cor.3:9), place us under the curse of the law (Gal.3:10) and minister death to us (2 Cor.3:6&7; Rom.7:10-11). In contrast, the grace of God ensures blessing, fruitfulness and life.

Don’t let anyone take you captive to legalism. Stand fast in the liberty and bounty of God’s grace!

By: Ken Legg

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Ken Legg is pastor of New Beginnings Christian Church on the Gold Coast of Australia. He has authored several books, including This Is The Life! (How To Establish Your Heart In The Grace Of God), It’s Not What You Eat That’s Making You Sick But What’s Eating You, etc. You can sign up for Ken’s free ezine, Grace Roots, on his website at www.small-groups-ministry.com/Bible-Studies.html.

Bible Software is a computer program that contains the actual contents of the book version. It is used for studying and reading the bible. The available sfotware packages have a large number of capabilities and features that merely displays the text of the Bible translation on a wide screen, while others include a wide range of theological resources.

Bible Software packages can include numerous different bible translations in different commentaries, languages, lexicons and maps, charts, theological writings, cross references as well as language aids like grammars, dictionaries and original language texts. Some Bible Software allows the users to select from a large number of different base packages that contains different resources and then downloaded or purchased needed additional resources.

Usual features include Bible searching and reading, while several software offer features such as gospel synopsis, syntactical and morphological searches of original texts, note taking, sentence diagramming, dynamic and manual highlighting along with lectionary viewers. The initial advantage computers have over the printed Bible study materials and tools are the speed because they could research a large number of texts quickly.

The first bible programs were more on basic electronic concordances and useful for finding where certain words are located at the King James Bible. Nowadays, computers developed their ability to handle foreign language fonts such as Greek, Hebrew and English. There are also a lot of available bible software for Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Unix, PalmOS, WinCe, Android, iPhone and iPod touch Java and Browser Access.

List of Bible CDs

Bible Study Library CD-ROM Logos Bible Software 3
This CD has perfect tools for small group leaders, youth leaders or Sunday school teachers. It gives you the tools to really dig into the topics in the Bible and come away with understanding whether it is for making a lesson for your next group study.

This CD comes with more than 150 Bible reference titles. It is featured with several relevant articles, organizing content around your collecting materials, topics and generating reports tailored to your specific study. The price of this CD-ROM is 194 US dollars.

PalmOne Zondervan NIV Study Bible CD
This CD provides theological, historical and cultural insights. The set contains 5 public domain Bible translations such as King James, Darby

I doubt that anyone will disagree with me when I state that our society today in America is biblically illiterate. Specifically, I would define “biblically illiterate” as the following:

* Unfamiliar with the structure of the Bible. Most people could not explain why the Bible is split between Old and New Testaments. They cannot name the books of the Bible. That the books are grouped into certain categories is unknown to them. And, sadly, many people cannot even locate a verse of Scripture.

* Unfamiliar with the content of the Bible. Noah and Moses and Jesus are favorite stories, but are known only in the terms and generalities of childhood tales. The Psalms are at best pleasant poetry. The sermons of Jesus draw a blank. The Pauline and General Epistles are much too difficult to read and really aren’t practical. The books of the Prophets are totally useless.

* Unfamiliar with the purpose of the Bible. The Bible is certainly not science, and even its history is suspect. At most it’s a moral code, but even then, the vast majority of people haven’t read it to know what moral code it contains – they quote the Golden Rule and think that’s all Jesus ever said.

* Unfamiliar with the theology of the Bible. Words such as sin, salvation, sanctification, grace, justification, and redemption are archaisms completely out-of-touch with modern-day America. The concept that there are doctrines of God, man, Christ, and the Trinity is unheard of.

* Unfamiliar with the truth of the Bible. In a world of moral relativism and moral decay, the statement that there is absolute truth, revealed by the one True God, would be considered ridiculous, narrow-minded, and old-fashioned.

It is one thing, however, to state that our society is biblically illiterate. That is almost to be expected; after all, that is the “world” that we are in, but not of.

What would you say, though, if I were to assert that the Church in America is also biblically illiterate? And by “the Church” I mean the true Church: the children of God, saved and redeemed by the blood; not everyone who happens to inhabit a pew on a given Sunday morning.

Look back on our definition of “biblically illiterate.” Unfamiliar with the structure of the Bible. Can most Christians talk knowledgeably about the reason for the Old and New Testaments? Find their way quickly around to locate a given text? Talk about the various types of books found in the Testaments?

Unfamiliar with the content of the Bible. More is known about content, undoubtedly, than in society at large, but ask yourself: How many Christians can quote or locate verses that they need without hesitation? Or paraphrase passages or verses of Scripture – even well known ones such as the Beatitudes or I Corinthians 13? If asked what would define the Christian walk, could they provide a clear answer? Are people comfortable defending their faith? Proving a point from Scripture? Leading someone to Christ with nothing more than a Bible in hand?

Unfamiliar with the purpose of the Bible. The Church does fairly well here, recognizing and affirming that the purpose of the Bible is to tell the story of man’s sin and God’s plan of salvation and how to live a holy life, but still – do we really live it? Do our lives show the world the importance of the Sacred Writ?

Unfamiliar with the theology of the Bible. We do all right with short words like sin and grace, but longer terms such as sanctification and justification still get glazed looks from many Christians. Certainly, the words seem to be detached from everyday life. We are content to admit that doctrine is important, but we relegate it to pastors and seminary students.

Unfamiliar with the truth of the Bible.  As Christians, we affirm that the Bible is the true and absolute standard of living, the only plan of salvation, and the answer to every question voiced by humankind. But if we don’t know what it says, if we don’t understand the doctrines, and if we can’t tell people about it – then can we really say that that is what we believe?

In any battle, it is important to understand what we are fighting against. Christian education in all its forms – Sunday school, Bible studies, discipleship relationships, sermons, books, radio, etc. – is struggling against biblical illiteracy: in the church as well as in the world. Let’s take the time to study our opponent so we can advance God’s kingdom and win this war!

© 2008 Paula Marolewski

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

In the past few years, a large number of free Christian dating websites have sprung up online. The reason why so many of this type of site are popping up is because many Christian adults and even youngsters are looking for companions that believe in the same basic core values as they do. If there were no religious dating sites online, then Christians would find it quite difficult to find other Christian singles. This is because on large scale dating sites, religion is not one of the subjects that can be easily talked about. Because dating websites are not allowed to discriminate based on religion, most dating websites do not specifically ask what religious faith their members follow.

Significance of Christian Dating Websites

Free faith based dating sites are an ideal platform for men and women of all ages to get familiar with one another so that they can plan to meet up in the future in the event that their likes and dislikes are similar enough. These Christ believing world wide web sites are ideal because they give people the opportunity to meet likeminded individuals that these Christian members would not normally be able to meet in their everyday lives. Many faith based fellowship websites are websites that do not require membership fees at the point of sign up. People who are interested simply have to sign up, and once they fill out a profile they are given access to other Christian singles in the area.

Process to Find Dates

Since there are no fees, most websites which cater to Christians, derive their revenue from advertisements that are posted on the pages within the site. Anyone who is interested in finding a date or seeking love on a believers site simply has to sign up and fill out a profile filled with basic information about themselves. As a member of these dating websites you can also post pictures of yourself and any information that you are interested in sharing in order to meet up with other people who have similar interest, dreams, goals, ambitions and of course religious creed. Best of all, members of the same religion can rest assured that anyone they choose to speak to has the same religious beliefs as they do.

Special Features

Not only do these faith dating sites arrange for believers to meet, but also often involve extra special features like relationship counseling for Christians who want to date in a way that is true to their religious beliefs. These websites also often contain other useful information about finding the right partner, either as someone you can date or someone you can finally settle down with.

Some free faith based dating websites offer chatting, web logs (blogs), instant messaging, picture sharing and a variety of other types of features which make these Christian dating websites even more advantageous, for Christian singles of all ages, who are interested in meeting likeminded singles in their area.

Earlier this week a group of Chinese Christians held a news conference to announce they were 99.9 percent sure they had found Noah’s Ark — the boat the Bible says was built by God’s most righteous man before a “sinful” human race drowned in the Great Flood.

Maybe the find on Mount Ararat in Turkey really is Noah’s Ark. More likely, it isn’t. But if it isn’t, that won’t stop Ark enthusiasts from believing it is out there somewhere.

Immediately in the wake of the news flash, experts weighed in to shoot it down. “The wood in the photos is not old enough” … “There are no location pictures to verify the site” … “No independent experts have looked at the data” … “There’s never been evidence of a great flood.”

And the people voicing the loudest caution are biblical archeologists who believe the ark is real and that it can be found.

Dr. Randall Price, head of Judaic Studies at Liberty University, had been a cohort of the Noah’s Ark Ministries International team until two years ago. He pulled out of the project, sensing they were being taken advantage of by Kurdish guides, who’ve turned Ark searching into a cottage industry.

“I think we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a hoax, because a lot of the things that happen in that region of the world, and especially with the Kurdish guides that are involved, are designed to try to extract money from gullible people,” Price said.

But he added: “I’m reserving my opinion at this point until I see how things are developing.”

Dr. John Morris, lead archeologist at the Institute for Creation Research, says “I’m leaning towards that the Chinese people have been deceived.”

Morris has led 13 expeditions to Mount Ararat looking for the ark. He knows the area well and says of the recent find, “At best, it is an elaborate deception.”

Morris and Price were contacted by the Chinese team to take part in the press event, but they declined based on how little evidence they saw.

Professor Porcher Taylor at the University of Richmond says he, too, believes it is not Noah’s Ark, because “they’re digging in the wrong place on Mt. Ararat.”

Taylor says satellite imaging of the region about a half mile away from where the Chinese group says they found the ark shows what has been called “the Ararat anomaly,” an area that has intrigued the U.S. intelligence community for years.

“If the remains of Noah’s Ark are on Mt. Ararat,” Taylor says, “the only logical place would be at the Ararat anomaly site, and not at the site in these sensational claims made by this group.”

A fundamental question separating scientific inquiry into Noah’s Ark is: Is the account of the great flood in the Bible true, or is it a mythical legend?

Dr. Paul Zimansky, professor of archeology and ancient history at State University of New York at Stony Brook, says, “I think it has all the earmarks of a story, but in any case it isn’t anything we can investigate as an archaeologist.”

A catastrophic flood on Earth is spoken of in many ancient cultures: in Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Hindu, Gallic, Scandinavian and Chinese legends. Some even predate the Old Testament.

The odd thing, Zimansky says, is that even though there are written accounts of the flood in all these cultures, archaeologists have yet to find evidence of it.

If you take the Bible literally, Zimansky says, “this ark is going to be deposited in an archaeological context which would be a flood stratum. And it’s not going to be a little flood stratum. It’s going to cover the entire Earth. Well, no such flood stratum exists.”

And that’s where Morris disagrees with archaeologists like Zimansky.

“It all depends on your presupposition,” says Morris. “I think they’re looking at it through the wrong glasses.”

Morris says a great flood would shape the landscape of the entire planet — carving out crevices like the Grand Canyon, even separating huge masses of land like the African and South American continents.

“Everything on earth gives evidence of the flood,” Morris says.

That is why he is convinced something is up there on Mt. Ararat. He says there have been hundreds accounts from eyewitnesses saying they saw what looked like a big ship. Some of those accounts, he says, are from pilots who flew over the area during World War II. Considerable amounts of military data and ground-penetrating imaging have reported showing a shape of something manmade on the mountain.

Taylor is also convinced Noah’s Ark is there, because of the Ararat anomaly’s shape and size. “The boat-shaped Ararat anomaly and Noah’s Ark both have a 6-to-1 length-to-width ratio,” he says.

The Ark, depending on how you measure a cubit, could be anywhere from 450 to 600 feet long. The anomaly is 1,200 feet. But, Porcher says, scientists have debated for years the length of a cubit, which is thought to be the length of a man’s forearm between the elbow and the tip of his finger. But whose elbow?

The Bible talks of “the Nephilim” (Genesis 6:1-4) being in the world at that time. The Nephilim were giants or a very large race. If a cubit was measured by the length of a very large man’s forearm, Porcher says that would mean “the ark was much larger than previously thought.”

Many experts have concluded from examining the photos that the images are of rock formations that strongly resemble the boat described in Genesis.

Whatever it is, it convinces Morris, and countless others, to keep returning to Mt. Ararat, hoping to find what their faith tells them can be found.

Earlier this week a group of Chinese Christians held a news conference to announce they were 99.9 percent sure they had found Noah’s Ark — the boat the Bible says was built by God’s most righteous man before a “sinful” human race drowned in the Great Flood.

Maybe the find on Mount Ararat in Turkey really is Noah’s Ark. More likely, it isn’t. But if it isn’t, that won’t stop Ark enthusiasts from believing it is out there somewhere.

Immediately in the wake of the news flash, experts weighed in to shoot it down. “The wood in the photos is not old enough” … “There are no location pictures to verify the site” … “No independent experts have looked at the data” … “There’s never been evidence of a great flood.”

And the people voicing the loudest caution are biblical archeologists who believe the ark is real and that it can be found.

Dr. Randall Price, head of Judaic Studies at Liberty University, had been a cohort of the Noah’s Ark Ministries International team until two years ago. He pulled out of the project, sensing they were being taken advantage of by Kurdish guides, who’ve turned Ark searching into a cottage industry.

“I think we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a hoax, because a lot of the things that happen in that region of the world, and especially with the Kurdish guides that are involved, are designed to try to extract money from gullible people,” Price said.

But he added: “I’m reserving my opinion at this point until I see how things are developing.”

Dr. John Morris, lead archeologist at the Institute for Creation Research, says “I’m leaning towards that the Chinese people have been deceived.”

Morris has led 13 expeditions to Mount Ararat looking for the ark. He knows the area well and says of the recent find, “At best, it is an elaborate deception.”

Morris and Price were contacted by the Chinese team to take part in the press event, but they declined based on how little evidence they saw.

Professor Porcher Taylor at the University of Richmond says he, too, believes it is not Noah’s Ark, because “they’re digging in the wrong place on Mt. Ararat.”

Taylor says satellite imaging of the region about a half mile away from where the Chinese group says they found the ark shows what has been called “the Ararat anomaly,” an area that has intrigued the U.S. intelligence community for years.

“If the remains of Noah’s Ark are on Mt. Ararat,” Taylor says, “the only logical place would be at the Ararat anomaly site, and not at the site in these sensational claims made by this group.”

A fundamental question separating scientific inquiry into Noah’s Ark is: Is the account of the great flood in the Bible true, or is it a mythical legend?

Dr. Paul Zimansky, professor of archeology and ancient history at State University of New York at Stony Brook, says, “I think it has all the earmarks of a story, but in any case it isn’t anything we can investigate as an archaeologist.”

A catastrophic flood on Earth is spoken of in many ancient cultures: in Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Hindu, Gallic, Scandinavian and Chinese legends. Some even predate the Old Testament.

The odd thing, Zimansky says, is that even though there are written accounts of the flood in all these cultures, archaeologists have yet to find evidence of it.

If you take the Bible literally, Zimansky says, “this ark is going to be deposited in an archaeological context which would be a flood stratum. And it’s not going to be a little flood stratum. It’s going to cover the entire Earth. Well, no such flood stratum exists.”

And that’s where Morris disagrees with archaeologists like Zimansky.

“It all depends on your presupposition,” says Morris. “I think they’re looking at it through the wrong glasses.”

Morris says a great flood would shape the landscape of the entire planet — carving out crevices like the Grand Canyon, even separating huge masses of land like the African and South American continents.

“Everything on earth gives evidence of the flood,” Morris says.

That is why he is convinced something is up there on Mt. Ararat. He says there have been hundreds accounts from eyewitnesses saying they saw what looked like a big ship. Some of those accounts, he says, are from pilots who flew over the area during World War II. Considerable amounts of military data and ground-penetrating imaging have reported showing a shape of something manmade on the mountain.

Taylor is also convinced Noah’s Ark is there, because of the Ararat anomaly’s shape and size. “The boat-shaped Ararat anomaly and Noah’s Ark both have a 6-to-1 length-to-width ratio,” he says.

The Ark, depending on how you measure a cubit, could be anywhere from 450 to 600 feet long. The anomaly is 1,200 feet. But, Porcher says, scientists have debated for years the length of a cubit, which is thought to be the length of a man’s forearm between the elbow and the tip of his finger. But whose elbow?

The Bible talks of “the Nephilim” (Genesis 6:1-4) being in the world at that time. The Nephilim were giants or a very large race. If a cubit was measured by the length of a very large man’s forearm, Porcher says that would mean “the ark was much larger than previously thought.”

Many experts have concluded from examining the photos that the images are of rock formations that strongly resemble the boat described in Genesis.

Whatever it is, it convinces Morris, and countless others, to keep returning to Mt. Ararat, hoping to find what their faith tells them can be found.

 WHY TODAYS RELIGIONISTS ARE ACTING LIKE NOAH’S AND JESUS’ ERA 

They looked Jesus directly in the Face and rejected Him. They felt that He wasn’t Kingly enough. They felt that He wasn’t Royal enough. They felt that He wasn’t political enough. Most importantly, Jesus seemed to be disrespecting the Law(s) of Moses. Those ancient religionist felt no need to “follow God (the Lamb) wherever He go (Deuteronomy 5:27; John Chapter 10)”.

History repeats itself. Much of modern Christianity has not kept up with Bible Study, Prophecy, or “keeping” awake. Financial greed, Entertainment, and using the Name of God to “make a name for themselves” (Genesis 11:4) seem to be their mode of operation(s).

 Many believe that Jesus was a prophet, a good man, but not the Son of God. Many are still awaiting some “Great God-Like Leader” to appear.  

These individuals repeat the mistake of Noah’s and Jesus ”Day”. They rely on their own intellect, “spirituality”, and emotions. None of those areas can Save.

Salvation is Given From God Through Whomever He Appoints (or Anoints).  

When asked about His seemingly “anti-Law” actions Jesus spoke of “new wine bottles”. God was moving forward. Jesus’ death fulfilled what the Law pointed to.  

Yes, Scholars could have pointed to God’s “indefinite” promise concerning the Law. Scholars could have made a great case. Yet, that wasn’t going to stop God from energizing the Christian religion (Acts Chapter 2), and destroying (judging) those who refused to move forward. The fact is any person or kingdom which opposed Christianity was eventually removed. This is an historical fact pointing to the Intensity of God’s Forward Moving Purpose.

We should learn from the religionists who rejected Jesus. The arriving Savior does not have to obey any preconceptions. He does not have to look a certain way. In fact, God may use “trickery” to keep the Savior’s identity hidden (Matthew 13:1-17). Prophet Jeremiah was “fooled” by God’s secrets (Luke 21:15-31).  

The Bible fully points to the Savior of God. No, I do not mean Savior as in “saving the world”. The Biblical definition of Savior is the Deliverer. He will “Deliver (Save)” humans into the Angelic “Hands” of God (Luke 23:46; Matthew 24:30-34).

We must not make the mistake of the early religionists. They attempted to judge Jesus based on their views. These men should have sought out the prophets, the witnesses and God through prayer. Their arrogance blinded them leading to the 70 CE destruction.

I find it fascinating that various modern day religionists identify the same man. These religionist generally assign “evil” to him. It’s no wonder, the first century religionists assigned evil to Jesus. God’s Judge and Savior will always be hated by this world (John 16:8-11). The fact they many associate him with “End Time” Prophecy should move all Godward.

Yet the World continues in its “programmed (traditional)” routines. The World fails to realize that acknowledging “The Son” at the Earthquake is Too “Late” ((Matthew 27:50-54; Genesis 19:10).  

This ministry (and others) Biblically, historically, and irrefutably proves that God’s Savior is presently among us. Jesus preached for 3 to 3 1/2 years. God’s modern day Savior is allotted the same time. The time frame takes us to 2012.

Now is the time to take one’s eyes off personal viewpoints and concerns. All eyes should be on that Serpent (John 3:14) Fig Tree (Luke 21:29-30) Who will be Cursed (Killed) and Lifted Up (Into Mount Zion Hebrews 12:22) As God Ends This World (Judgment Day).

 For those needing help in reasoning read Revelation 11. You have the 42 months (3 1/2 years), the Beast (Leviathan God’s Judge-Job 41; Psalm 104:1-5, 25-27; Revelation 17:1; the Two Prophets (The Beast and God’s Angelic Army), the Fig Tree or Olive Tree (God’s Beast And Savior-John 3:14), The Crucifying Assassination (Revelation 11:7-8), Sodom (God Coming With His Angels After The Assassination-(Matthew 27:49-55; Psalm 104:1-5; Matthew 25:31-44)), Egypt (Reference To Pharaoh Moses (Akhenaten)) 3 and 1/2 day Death (Reference To The Crucifying Assassination), God’s Voice (The Trumpet which will be heard after the Assassination), “Come On Up” (Modern Day Akhenaten returns to God’s Presence), Earth’s Final Great Earthquake (Revelation 11:13; Matthew 27:54), Angels “Sit” In Judgment Destroying Earth (Revelation 11:16-Worship-Play On Words-War Ship-Hebrews 12:22; Joshua 5:14-16; Matthew 25:31-46).  

Feel free to research the never ending information concerning God’s modern day Savior and Judge. 

The main thing to do is “let go” of this old wine bottle that we call life. Give Glory To God And His Modern Day Savior (Psalm 2:12-looks like 2012). 

This article can be freely edited and utilized as long as credit is given to its author (Gary Colin).  

About attending bible colleges

If you have a passion for theology, or perhaps want to have a post-secondary education within an environment that shares your spiritual values, then Bible college may be right for you. Bible colleges combine education with faith, allowing you to widen your horizons in life at the same time that you deepen your Christian beliefs and faith.

Studying theology at college

To become a minister or pastor, you will need to attend seminary school. There, you will study the Word of God in detail, so that you can delve into the deeper meaning of each verse of the bible, whether it is well-known or obscure. Seminary schools are sponsored by denominations, so to become a Baptist minister, you will need to attend a Baptist bible college, and so on.

Online

You may also explore bible schools online options, if you need to pursue part-time studies, or wish to take classes simply out of your interests in theology. This way, you can keep your job and earn college credits.

Often “Bible college” refers to institutions that teach programs in many traditional subjects, but do so within a context of Christian religious thought. On many subjects, a Christian interpretation to the subject matter is offered. For instance, English literature can easily be viewed through the lens of faith, as many tracts, essays, and novels in fact explored religious themes.

Traditional colleges simply cannot offer the combination of faith and education that bible college can offer. To ensure that your commitment to God and the church and to God are reflected in your education, explore the faith-based opportunities that Bible Schools offers.

On-Campus Tours

If you are interested in attending a Bible school in your area, think about attending a special college entry weekend. That will give you a chance to tour the campus, meet with college faculty and staff, and see what life is like at college.

At Bible college, you will likely find an exceptionally caring group of individuals, a set of students passionate about theology, and friends, faculty, and colleagues who will encourage you in your spiritual life, and help you train practically for your life in service to God.

Why attend Bible colleges

College-aged people have a variety of reasons to attend. Some want to extend their high school experience, others are confused about how to spend their post-high school days, so default to attending college; others are looking for career training.

But Bible college students are following a different track altogether. These are people who have come to know God, and want to strengthen their relationship with him through discipleship. They want to engage in a lifetime devoted to serving God, to teaching others, to making a difference in this world.

If that sounds like a good description of you and your motives, then Bible College may be an ideal choice for you. No one knows every detail of the path they are on, but your instructors at at your chosen college are there to help you find out; they have dedicated their lives to helping you to meet the challenges that lie on your path to maturity in the eyes of God.

Charlie Fordham is the Founder and Director of the Capernwray Bible School on Thetis Island in British Columbia, Canada. He has lectured around the world and has taught thousands of students in Christian centers worldwide. Charlie Fordham provides pastoral leadership, training people for full time Christian service…regardless of their occupation through teaching and preaching locally and abroad. Find out more about Bible College.

The church in the New Testament is described under various appellations the best known perhaps being the family of God.  It is the designation that touches the heart with the greatest force.  We long to be part of a family, to have people that care about us and care how we are doing and who will help us willingly and gladly should we need it, people who do love us.  One of the saddest things one can experience in life, a gut wrenching experience, is to feel alone, to feel abandoned, to feel you matter to no one.  It rips your heart out and then shreds it to pieces.

Many people truly are alone; no one cares even enough to pray for them and the saddest thing is many realize this.  It is not hidden from them and they thus bear the burden of that knowledge suffering the pain that comes with it. 

The sickness of heart so many experience who feel abandoned and alone is far more painful than any physical ailment for it touches the soul.   When one is unloved and unwanted then what is left when that comes into a person’s life?  “By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Prov. 15:13 NKJV)  God knew what he was talking about.  All human experience has borne out the truth of this statement of scripture.

In Christ one always has family for the church of God is the family of God, people who love one another and care about one another, people who will literally pray for you as well as help you.  How thankful we ought to be to find someone who cares enough to pray for us.  Many people have no one who will do that for them.  Have you ever wanted someone to pray for you and there was no one to do it – no one who cared, no one close enough to you to even know your need?

While the phrase “the family of God” is not found in the New Testament the concept is.  We are the children of God, “Beloved, now we are children of God.” (1 John 3:2 NKJV)  Christians are born of God, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” (1 John 5:1 NKJV)  We are begotten of God in that he has “according to his abundant mercy…begotten us again.” (1 Peter 1:3 NKJV)  The Christian has been born again into the family of God.  We call God Father for, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1 NKJV)  If we are his children he is our Father.

Jesus is our elder brother, “For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:  ‘I will declare your name to my brethren; In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you.’” (Heb. 2:11-12 NKJV)  We are brothers and sisters in Christ for in Jesus’ own words he says, “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:50 NKJV)

Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.” (1 Tim. 3:15 NKJV)  Thus the church is our spiritual family, the house of God, and if we live in it long enough and are faithful in it it becomes as close to us as physical family, even a closely knit physical family, and even dearer to us as the years go by and we grow older.  That is the way God meant it to be.  

What should one experience in the family of God?  Here are but a few of those things.

(1)  Love.  “In sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22 NKJV)  “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 NKJV)  “By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us.  And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16 NKJV)  “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13 NKJV)

I think the greatest desire of the human heart is for love, to be loved and cared about.  In the church if the brethren are what they ought to be they will love you and care about you.  You are their beloved family. 

(2)  Compassion.  “The members should have the same care for one another…if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:25-26 NKJV)  Sounds like what we expect in our own homes does it not?  Sounds like people care for one another does it not?  That should be the church when the membership lives as Christ has directed them and have the love of God in them.

(3)  Kindness.  “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.” (Eph. 4:32 NKJV)  Every Christian is to have “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7 NKJV) in his life.  Kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 NKJV).  Have you ever wondered how much kindness the homeless receive?  What value do you think they would place on a little kindness?  How much value do we place on kindness in our life – kindness both shown to us and that which we show or should show to others?  In the church one should always find kindness being shown one member to another for we are family.  We should show kindness to all, the Bible teaches that, but certainly we need kindness to one another in the family of God.

(4)  Longsuffering or patience.  Life in any family requires patience or longsuffering with one another.  You should find that in the church as well.  God’s people, his family, learn to put up with one another’s quirks of character – those things that can be annoying – because of the love we have for one another.  We are “bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Sprit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:2-3 NKJV)  Is that not the way it is with a husband and wife?  We all know it is and that is the way it is in any successful family.  It is that way in God’s family if it is the family God would have it to be.

(5)  Forgiveness.  “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 NKJV)  “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.” (Col. 3:13 NKJV)  We all feel the need to be forgiven.  In the church, God’s family, one needs to find that forgiveness and I am speaking here of the forgiveness by our brethren specifically. 

Sin is a burden we carry and yes, certainly, we must first be concerned with the forgiveness of God but we also must feel our brethren, our spiritual brothers and sisters in God’s family, will forgive us and help us unload the burden and guilt of sin.  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 NKJV)  To know our family will have us back, forgive us, and love us despite our past sin is a wonderful thing.  An unforgiving Christian is an unsaved Christian.  “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14-15 NKJV)

(6)  Help and support.  If it is needed the family of God helps one another out with the matters of this life.  “Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NKJV)  “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10 NKJV)  In 1 Tim. 5 Paul instructs Timothy as to how the church is to care for those who are “widows indeed” (1 Tim. 5:3 KJV) having no one to help them.  It would be a disgrace for a church to have hungry and needy brethren uncared for, a mark of a lack of love.

This list could obviously be greatly extended but brevity must rule.  But, just based on the 5 items I have listed, without extending them, I think we would all agree that any family sharing those traits is going to be a happy and successful family in meeting the inner human needs we all have.  Give me a family that loves me, has compassion for me when I need it, is kind to me, is patient with me, forgives me as needed, and who will help me in my life and I would say I have a wonderful family.  God’s family, when it is what it ought to be, is a wonderful family.

I could extend this article indefinitely talking about the wonderful Father and older brother we have but time and space will only allow a brief comment or two.

As I think about God as my Father four thoughts come to my mind foremost.  (1) God loves me.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)  He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (1 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  He “desires all men to be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  “We love him because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NKJV)

(2) He will never give up on me or come to the point he no longer wants me as long as I will come home even if I was to wonder afar – the story of the prodigal son as found in Luke 15.  (3) He has prepared great things for me as a rich inheritance. (1 Peter 1:3-4)  (4) He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5 NKJV)  What a wonderful Father!  That last promise means a lot to me for I know whether they want to leave me or not (some die, passing on, and have no choice but leave) it is going to happen, has happened already.   I have someone, in God my Father, who will be with me no matter what even if it comes down to being just the two of us alone.  He is the only one that can go with me through the gates of death.  It means a lot to know he will be by my side.

Finally, I must close with the elder son of the Christian family, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  How much does he love me, love you?  To ask is to answer for there was, is, and ever will be the cross.  “He himself is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 2:2 NKJV)  When I think of Jesus I cannot help but think of him in the garden praying, “And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly.  And his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44 NKJV)  He “offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and was heard because of his godly fear.” (Heb. 5:7 NKJV)  What more could one ask of an elder brother in giving himself to save his younger brother?  Greater love has no man than this.

The family of God is the greatest family any man or woman can ever have.  Likely if it is not what it ought to be the reason is you or me, we are not the children we ought to be.  We know the Father is the best and the older son wonderful but how are we as children – rebellious or loving and faithful?  The church can always be made better, made better as you and I make our lives better and become more like our elder brother.  How Christ like are we?

I end with this final thought.  We have often sorrowed in our lives as our earthly family has been struck down by death.  The family of God is not torn asunder by death.  It is a family that will always be ours unless we leave it.  When we die as a Christian we just go on where other family members have already gone and are reunited with them.  How wonderful that will be to be reunited with those we have loved in the past and who loved us and are now waiting on us.

But bear in mind the promise we have is only to those in God’s family.  Everyone today seems to think they are in God’s family regardless of doctrine or practice.  The Bible does not teach that every sincere person is going to be saved.  There is a way to be born into the family of God so study your Bible and compare what you did to become a Christian, a child of God, with what they did in the first century.  Read Acts 2 as that is the day the family of God, the church, was established (a topic for another time).  Do as they did and you will be on safe grounds in the family of God.   

The English visionary poet and mystic, William Blake, believed that Albion, the most ancient name for the British Isles, was the original and true Holy Land of Christ. In my well documented book

Progressive preschools are also known as Developmental, Child-Centered, or schools following the Bank Street Model.

Here are 10 features of a progressive school:

1) The philosophy is that children need to explore and learn through imaginary play, art, and block building. Play is considered the “work” of children and is taken seriously.

2) The progressive classroom is usually set up as a series of “centers” where learning can take place using open-ended materials. There might be a fantasy play area, a cluster of easels with paint, a block corner, a water table, puzzle area and more. Teachers set these environments up in response to what they see the children are interested in. They move among the areas and encourage the kids to pursue their own projects and ideas at these centers.

3) There is no pre-planned curriculum. Since teachers are following the children’s lead, what kids learn from year to year and between the morning and afternoon sessions may be different.

4) Children work at their own pace, learning through play.

5) The interaction is between the children as opposed to between the children and the materials (as with a Montessori preschool).

6) At no prescribed points are children expected to learn any particular skill. In fact, specific learning through teaching is frowned upon.

7) Social interaction between children is very important in a progressive classroom. There is much talk about “community.” Separation between child and parent is seen as a major developmental step and a lot of time and energy is spent on this.

The atmosphere is informal. Kids often call teachers by their first names and you would never find uniforms in such programs. The school is usually more relaxed about when a child should be toilet trained.

9) Children who attend progressive schools are usually more independent, curious, creative and likely to ask questions.

10) Children who attend progressive schools score higher on tests of problem solving and curiosity, but lower on IQ tests. If your child will need to be tested for private school or a gifted program after attending a progressive school, you will want to be sure he has gained all the abilities IQ tests will assess.

For information on what IQ tests assess, visit http://www.testingforkindergarten.com.

Karen Quinn is a former admissions consultant and the author of Testing For Kindergarten, a guide to helping your child ace the tests for private school admissions, gifted program qualification, and public school placement. For information and to sign up for a free daily IQ test prep question, visit http://www.testingforkindergarten.com.

There are so many sources telling us about the genesis bible study. Well, some said it is a translation of what the elders were saying orally into a document. Some also said that the bible’s origin is based on the manuscripts and some said through autographs. There have been arguments about its genesis and I don’t think that it is important. What is important here is to study the bible and follow what the God wants us to achieve.

In order to know what God wants, we must understand exactly the content of the bible, rather than just reading it. Bible contains a lot of sentences that we may not understand and hence it is important to interpret it correctly. Every single sentence contains its very own meaning and we must understand it to understand God spiritually.

We should let the spirit of God to guide us the truth of this world rather than using our own wisdom to understand the truth. Many people have not understood the bible well but they claimed that they do. It is because they interpret the bible with their own knowledge but not studying the bible through the spirit of God. Whenever we read the bible, feel that God is here with us and you will understand why God urges us to study the bible.

The bible does not only tell us about the truth but also to divide the word of God through keywords. Studying the keywords will make us understand the bible in a more effective way and it ensures right interpretation. There are so many words used and there should be similar words repeated in other passages. Relate those different passages and feel what God is trying to tell us. Try to see the things written in bible as whole and you will finally understand what the God wants us to do.

You don

Following Jesus as a Disciple
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . Follow Me . . . If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:43; Luke 9:23)
Living daily by God’s grace depends upon getting to know Him and then walking in the humility and grace that are consequences of growing in fellowship with Him. We have reflected upon four ways to relate rightly to the Lord in humility and faith: living by the Spirit, living by resurrection power, living by the sufficiency of God, and living by the promises of God. Another example is following Jesus as a disciple.
When our Lord was about to leave His disciples, He gave them the marching orders that were to guide the lives of His people until He would return. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Jesus had been calling out people to follow Him as disciples. Now, they were to continue doing the same. A disciple is a follower of a master, who guides and shapes the lives of his followers. Jesus is the ultimate Master, who gives us a new life in him — life eternal. Jesus’ invitation to discipleship was “Follow Me.” Along with this invitation, Jesus often explained the terms of discipleship: “If anyone desires to come after Me.” This would inform the willing and interested about how to respond. These terms dramatically depict the necessity of relating to the Lord in humility and faith.
The first aspect of being a disciple of Jesus is renouncing the self-life. “Let him deny himself.” This amounts to a refusal to attempt to develop a life that can be produced by natural human resources (which everyone inherits from Adam through physical birth). This is a repudiation of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, self-help, self-exaltation, and the like. Our willingness to embrace this term of discipleship will be seen by a humble agreement with similar biblical pronouncements. “Make no provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14). Those denying self are not wanting the flesh to have opportunities to indulge itself. “The flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63). Those who renounce self confess its total spiritual bankruptcy. We “have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Those who repudiate the self-life do not want to place any hope in the spiritual resources of the flesh. “That no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29). Those denying the self-life agree that nothing of the flesh can ever boast in itself before the Lord God almighty.
Dear Lord Jesus, I want to relate rightly to You by following You as a disciple. I do not want my flesh to have any opportunity to indulge itself. I confess total spiritual bankruptcy in my flesh. I want to place no hope in my flesh. I agree that my flesh can never boast before You. I humbly renounce the self-life!

Why is Bible parenting vital for you to consider on your path to becoming the best parents possible? The answer is simple – You cannot separate parenting from the Bible.

It contains time-tested truths from our Heavenly Father that can bring you to the highest level as a parent. Parenthood was created by God. As soon as you try to separate from His way of doing things, your parenting and your children will suffer.

Contrary to what many say, children do come with a manual.

The choice is simple:

1) Dr. Spock opinions based on man’s ideas, or

2) The absolute truths of family life from your Creator.

Yes, there are absolute truths in this world, as painful as that may sound.

The challenge we all face in looking for wisdom in raising our children is that you can’t find it all neatly placed in one chapter called the Book of Parenting. Bible verses on parenting can be found, however. So, we will break it down for you in small nuggets of parenting wisdom. Here we go:

1) Celebrating the family is a top priority.

Matthew 12:25 – “But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them,’Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to destruction, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.’”

When is the last time your entire family enjoyed a fun activity? Make sure you find a fun way to bring the whole family together at least once a month (a picnic, a hike in the park, start a family fun night with a movie and popcorn). Celebrate family as a most precious gift from the Lord.

2) Your marriage sets the course for your parenting skills.

Hebrews 13:4 – “Marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled.”

In a thriving marriage, both husband and wife always keep the goal of showing honor to one another as a top priority. There may be disagreements, but honoring one another stays first. This atmosphere of honor is learned by your children.

3) Mothers reflect the nurturing grace of our Lord.

Ephesians 4:32 – “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God forgave you.”

Giving love and unconditional ACCEPTANCE to our children is the cornerstone of true motherhood. This is shown through YOUR WORDS, YOUR ACTIONS, and YOUR ATTITUDE.

Success in parenting only comes with following a plan and having an unending supply of patience. The best plan and the only source of unending patience can be found in one place – the Holy Scriptures. Make use of the Bible verses about parents and watch success come to your family.

By: Mike Ecuyer, LCSW

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

As the parents of 10 children, my wife and I are excited about your desire to grow into the parents God intended you to be. Come join us to learn more about Biblical parenting. We would love to see you at www.2-minute-parenting-tips.com

A recent Time magazine cover had a picture of a Rolls Royce with a cross as the hood ornament. The headline read: “Does God Want You To Be Rich?” The article talked about a trend that is developing within the American church to preach what some call the “Prosperity Gospel.”

I sometimes wonder what all the controversy is about. I remember going to a meeting with some other Christians and listening to the preacher talk about God’s blessings. After the event was over, one of the people I was breathed a sigh of relief and said, “For a minute there I was worried that he was going to start preaching health and wealth.”

I believe that I understand what this person was getting at, but I have to ask: “Would you have felt better if he had preached sickness and poverty?”

There is a lot of confusion around the topic of God’s blessings in our lives and what it means to live an abundant life. And I have no doubt that some preachers are simply teaching something that a lot of people want to hear, and they may not be all that sincere. But I also believe that God wants to bless His people, and no they don’t have to wait until they get to heaven, and yes they can, and should, create and enjoy wealth in this life.

A story from the Gospels that is often cited when talking about the evils of riches is the story of the rich young ruler. This young man came to Jesus asking about what he needed to do so that he could have eternal life. (Matthew 19:16-26)

What I find interesting is that Jesus answered his question in some very odd ways. If we look at it from a “Christian” point of view, He said some things that really don’t make sense. The first thing he told him was to obey the commandments. That’s odd because Paul tells us in Galatians 2:16 that no man will be justified by obeying the law, but through faith in Christ.

And I know that some people may say, “Yeah, but this was before Jesus died on the cross.” Still, even the Old Testament taught that the righteous live by faith. Even Abraham was justified in God’s eyes because of his faith. God’s word has always taught that we are justified by faith and not by works.

But even this young man realized that obeying the law wasn’t enough because when Jesus gave him a list of commandments that he was to obey, he replied, “‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’” (Matthew 19:20)

It was then that Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) The story goes on to say that this man went away sad because he had great wealth.

Now before we begin to think that Jesus just told this man he could earn his way in to heaven by giving his money away, let’s take a look at what Jesus said. He just gave this man an incredible promise. He told him that, if he would give his earthly wealth away, he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus wasn’t trying to find out if this man was too attached to his wealth, He was pointing out that this man didn’t really believe in heaven.

Let me ask you a question. If God said to you, “Sell everything that you have here on earth, where moths eat it, rust corrupts it, and thieves steal it, give it to the poor and I’ll make sure you can enjoy it forever,” what would you say?

Well, if you believed in heaven you’d say, “You got a deal!”

This young man, and everyone who trusts in their earthly wealth more than in their heavenly treasures, will have a hard time getting into heaven. Jesus wasn’t preaching to this man that he needed to earn his way into heaven by being poor, He taught us all that our faith, what we really believe, is displayed by our actions.

By: Rob Marshall

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The same faith that helped David defeat Goliath is in everyone of us. In “Taking On Goliath – How To Unleash The David In All Of Us,” author Rob Marshall shows you how to unleash your faith, overcome any obstacle, and live your dreams. Get two free chapters of “Taking On Goliath” when you sign up for the Faith-Full Life newsletter, just visit:
www.TakingOnGoliath.com

We’re told by Jesus to go out into the whole world and tell others about the Good News?
But just how can we do that?

Here’s my top ten suggestions on how to share Christ with a nonbeliever.

1. Look for common interests. WIth most people, it does little good to hit people over the head with a Bible. Instead, talk about common interests, problems, experiences. In other words, build a relationship.

2. Listen more than you talk for the first few minutes. Ask questions. How did that make you feel? What did you think about then? Then what? Open -ended questions are always the best.

3. Empathize. Sympathize. Let your eyes and body language convey to the person that you are listening and understand. Don’t pass judgment. Don’t ever say “I know just how you feel.” you don’t.

4. Ask questions that let you go for Biblical direction. “Have you read what the Bible says about this?” Or “Can we see what the Bible says about this?” Always present the Bible as an authoritative resource. Try some humor.You know the acronym for BIBLE:

Basic…Instructions…Before…Leaving…Earth.

5. Share your story. Tell about your life BC – Before Christ. And your life AC – After Christ. Learn to be able to give your personal testimony in three minutes or left.

6. Don’t be afraid to say you don;t know the answer to a particular question or problem. Offer to check it out and promise to get back with an answer or scriptural reference. And do so.

7. Remember your witness. Often, before a friend or coworker seeks spiritual counsel, they’ve been watching you for weeks. If you stress out or lose your temper, apologize. No one expects you to be perfect. It’s how you handle difficulties that often open the door for a conversation.

8. Seek out open doors for a continuing dialogue. Don’t try to deal with every issue in one meeting.Take time to discuss one or two in depth. Try to arrange follow up discussion times.

9. Invite them to church. There they can find true spiritual community. Offer to pick them p and drive them and treat them to lunch afterwards.

10. Practice lifestyle evangelism. Have a Bible always handy. Wear Christian T-shirts or jewelry where appropriate. Many a spiritual conversation has started because of a T-shirt.

By: Mike Wendland -

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Mike Wendland – Online Christian Shopper www.onlinechristianshopper.com Mike is a pastor from a large Bibe-believing church in the Midwest who founded the Online Christian Shopper Web ste to make it easy for Christians to practice lifestyle evangelism. His Web site sells quality Christian T-shirts and jewelry.

A cheating spouse is tough for any marriage to face. Christian marriages, who feel that cheating is not only a betrayal of the marriage but also a sin according to the religion, often find that cheating is one of the most difficult stumbling blocks to forgive and move past. If you have a cheating spouse then you know forgiveness is tough for this particular offense.

There are some things you can do that will help you see things from a different point of view and find forgiveness a little easier to swallow when it comes to your spouse. Perhaps these Christian principles will help you.

1) Forgiveness. This is one of the most difficult of Christian principles to follow at a time like this. I understand completely. Revenge fantasies may even be playing through your mind. But, forgiveness works in many ways. You need to forgive yourself as well as the offending spouse.

It will take a lot of soul searching and hard work to do both. All you need to do is make up your mind that you are going to forgive your spouse for cheating on you and forgive yourself for putting yourself in a position that allows it to happen.

2) Devotedness. In Christian marriages your spouse should come second only to God. Far too often we let the world invade the marital space and get in between us and our spouses. That isn’t the way it was ever meant to be. Forsaking all others wasn’t limited, as most people believe, to other people. It doesn’t exclude some people. Forsaking all others isn’t just about cheating. It’s also about allowing “other” things to come between you and your spouse as much as it is about allowing other people to come between the two of you. Be devoted to your spouse and it won’t take long for your spouse to begin to share your devotion once again.

3) Trust. Finding trust in your spouse after he or she has cheated on you will not be easy. But, God can help you both work through this every step of the way. Lean on God, the Bible, and the support system you have in church to help you learn to trust each other again. It will take a little bit of work on both sides of the coin but the marriage will not survive if it isn’t worked out between the two of you.

Warning! Don’t do anything to get your ex back after your Christian spouse has cheated until you’ve put this super secret first step in the right direction to work for you: http://www.getyourexbacknow.com/just_break_up3.html.

Marriage is a life-long commitment, especially for couples whose faith is rooted in Christian tradition. This may leave you wondering why Christian marriage counseling is so popular. Having religion in your home doesn’t mean that you automatically have a successful and productive relationship. In fact, there are plenty of pitfalls, such as unrealistic expectations, that can hinder the health of your marriage. If you find yourself struggling, there are many options, including Christian marriage counseling. What are the things that you need to consider when going into this process? Can it really fix your marital woes?

Licensed Counselor or Minister?

The first thing you need to determine when you are considering Christian marriage counseling is what format will best meet your needs. There are two main choices. You can either see a minister of your particular faith, or a licensed marriage counselor that promotes or respects that faith tradition. There are pros and cons to both options.

When you see a minister acting in a role of a Christian marriage counselor, there is a great deal of understanding about your particular belief system and the expectations that are inherent from that tradition. Because this person already knows you, they won’t have to spend much time examining things like family history. However, be very aware that many ministers are not trained in the techniques that make for a successful psychological evaluation. There may be issues that are involved that are just outside their realm of expertise. Many ministers are very good at the counseling aspect of their job, but not all have what it take to save a Christian marriage, despite their deep beliefs.

Marriage counselors are trained to deal with the deep and varying issues that can lead to the breakdown of any partnership. However, finding a practice that offers true Christian marriage counseling can be a struggle. Many therapists may claim to respect a belief tradition, but really display a subtle bias that makes progress difficult. For the best results, look for a counselor who shares your beliefs. They will be able to tap into their own personal feelings, while still giving you the professional guidance necessary. Don’t forget that most Christian marriage counseling services are for-profit ventures, so the required fee will be higher than obtaining counseling through your home church.

Create a Safe Place

Regardless of who you select to perform your Christian marriage counseling, both partners should be comfortable with the choice. The best counselors take a balanced approach, favoring neither the husband nor the wife. This will create safety and trust, allowing each partner to hear what is needed to make improvements. Listening to criticism can be impossible to take if you feel threatened or unfairly targeted. However, that same statement may be internalized if the spouse knows that the therapist truly has the best intentions for the success of the marriage.

Commit to the Process

It isn’t easy to save a marriage. There are so many layers of hurt and misunderstanding and peeling those back can be extremely painful. However, unless there are issues of abuse, addiction or infidelity, Christians have no excuse to not do the hard work that is necessary. Make the commitment to do what it takes to bring peace and harmony back into your home. Christian Marriage Counseling can be a valuable part of this process, creating a more stable home based upon firm religious foundations.

Discover why saving a marriage is worth the effort. The situation you find yourself in is not unique. Learn how to solve your marriage problems with Christian Marriage Counseling and stop your divorce, improve marital sex and save your marriage. Start Now!

Choosing the type of education for your children is an important decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Too many families jump into situations without fully researching the pros and cons of all types of education and comparing them to the needs of their children.

In general, there are two options for parents when it comes to the education of their children: private school or public school.

Each type of school has its pros and cons and supporting one type of education over the other is something that has been debated for many years. The best we can do is provide you with the facts; the final decision is up to you and your child.

Public School

The great thing about public schools is that they are accepting of all students, regardless of their parent

Where do these esoteric teachings come from? What is there original source? These inner teachings go far back into the distant mists of time, before recorded history, but we can at least trace them back to several thousands of years and to more recent times, to the ancient Egyptian mystery schools, the Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece, the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, the Druidic Mysteries, Dionysian Mysteries, the Orphic Mysteries, the Pythagorean philosophy, the Hebrew Cabbala, the initiatory school of Moria-el, the Essenes, Jesus Christ’s teachings, and so forth. But the sources of these schools and mystery teachings essentially come from the ancient and mystical White Brotherhood (existing in the higher planes) and its emissaries who have walked the Earth for several thousands of years, teaching and enlightening people of all nations. To cite an example, Moria-el was a great master from the White Brotherhood who lived around 1300 B.C. in Egypt. He initiated countless souls through a particular initiation we currently call Baptism, for he emphasized the mystical rite of immersion by water, a form of spiritual purging that prepared each soul for further illumination. Naturally, the initiation of Baptism was continued by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, becoming a common ritual in the Christian churches, although its esoteric level is misunderstood by most.

What do these Ancient Wisdom Teachings consist of? In general, they involved spiritual initiations, alchemy, sacred ritualism (or sacraments), symbolism, universal principles, spiritual disciplines and practices, a number of other sciences and arts, etc. These often manifest through various different forms, systems, and schools or traditions, depending on the particular land and culture and era. In most cases they manifested through vehicles such Shamanism, Hermeticism, the Cabbala, the Tarot, Eastern and Oriental traditions, Gnosticism, Theosophy, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and so forth. Although the majority of world religions are exoteric, there are esoteric levels within them that only their teachers and students will acknowledge. But the essential aim for the Greater Work of the sacred Wisdom Teachings is to raise the consciousness of mankind, to uplift people into a higher vibrational level, through Illumination and the other great Initiations, so that they will eventually enter Cosmic Consciousness. At this point they will become Masters of Life who will reach down and lift others up as well. And so the cosmic cycle continues, until all members of mankind eventually become enlightened. The Age of World Illumination is nigh approaching.

*** *** ***

Let us venture back in time to view the evolution of the consciousness of mankind and see how it has progressed. In the beginning, our world seemed so vast that we could not even fathom it, or its actual parameters. In those primitive times, we hardly comprehended anything beyond the next horizon. Our thinking process was likewise limited, for we knew very little of our own world, nor of our own origin.

In the early stages of humanity, our concepts of many things around us were limited, because our minds were not yet advanced or evolved enough to conceive or comprehend them. But this developed with time, as we gradually expanded our thinking processes and awareness as we simply yearned to know more. Thus, the “inner being” was awakening. It inwardly developed the human vehicle, slowly but surely. The God within had to prepare the human temple for eventual full residence, but the evolution of this process would take many thousands of years.

Eventually, explorers discovered what lie beyond the immediate horizon, and even further, for voyagers ventured across the seas and oceans, discovering other lands, so our field of awareness expended. Likewise, philosophers and teachers arrived, who broadened our mental and spiritual horizons of this world and levels beyond. This gradual progression in learning of our planet Earth and beyond is symbolic of the expanding awareness and consciousness of mankind on all levels; mentally, spiritually, and physically alike. Throughout time, as we learn more, and become more receptive, and desire to know more, our intelligence increases; even our creativity develops. This is natural human evolution.

Several centuries ago, many people believed the Earth was flat, for the idea of a round world was new at the time, except for a few philosophers who knew better. About four centuries ago, most people believed the Earth was the center of the universe, and this absurd idea was intertwined into church doctrine; hence, many progressive scientists or philosophers were severely persecuted, some executed for their heresies. Soon, as astronomy advanced, mankind had no choice but to accept the new truth that the Earth was merely one of several planets that circled the sun, the true center of our immediate universe, or solar system in this case. The idea of our local galaxy, the Milky Way, or the innumerable galaxies that make up the whole universe was still unknown in those early days, if not incomprehensible.

With continual advancements of the telescope as technology developed, we begin to see further into space, observing that there is much outside of our small solar system, and even beyond the billions and billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy, that there are countless galaxies beyond this. Our awareness of the vast universe has increased beyond what we would have ever dreamed one hundred years ago, not to mention four hundred years. We can be especially thankful for the Hubble telescope for revealing to us countless beautiful wonders of our vast universe. We may not as yet be able to travel to the stars, but our imagination has taken leaps and bounds through the medium of science fiction in accomplishing this, perhaps paving the way for preparing us for such travel, an idea totally unfathomable a few centuries ago.

Global exploration subsided in the last centuries and gave way to space exploration, the new frontier. Another example of the expansion of mankind’s consciousness is demonstrated in the astronauts= orbiting of the Earth and landings on the Moon. Whereas before we had a vague idea as to what our planet accurately looked like, now we have a very clear view of it from space and from the surface of the Moon, and film footage and photography to demonstrate this for all to see. This progression is very symbolic of our spiritual unfoldment, from the standpoint of how we come to experience our true selves; not as we think we are, but as we truly are, as we look deep within now. Just as the astronauts revealed to the rest of mankind what Earth truly looks like, so do the teachers of truth show us how to look within and see the reality of our own inner selves. The realization of the God-being within for each soul is one of the higher levels of the Esoteric Initiations, and likewise one of the primary aspects of Ancient Wisdom Teachings.

*** *** ***

These Esoteric Teachings encompass both the Lesser and Greater Mysteries; however, the former is more prevalent because it is much easier to communicate since it is more digestible for the human intellect, whereas the latter must be intuited and realized within your own being. The seeds are in the Lesser, which will sprout forth, grow and blossom into the Greater as one’s consciousness expands. One leads to the other. One is the door, the other is that which lies beyond the door. But if you merely stop at the door and go no further, there will be very little inner unfoldment. Unfortunately, certain religious dogmas prevent people from taking the next step.

The very concept of Greater and Lesser Mysteries are symbolic references in order that the finite human mind may more easily comprehension the Teachings. The Lesser Mysteries are aspects of a vehicle that shrouds the inner teachings of truth in mystery, allegory and symbolism. But the actual Greater Mysteries refers to the penetration of the deeper Divine Wisdom that only intuition realizes, beyond all symbolic forms and comprehensive ideas. For the real truth is a matter of experiential spirituality, not merely intellectual comprehension.

Only through the well-developed intuition, realization, and mystical experience can we witness the real Divine Wisdom. On such a Mystical Path as this, many have reached this higher realm of realizing the Truth. For this reason, the Ancient Wisdom Teachings can never be suppressed. Truth will always demonstrate itself throughout time and through many mystic sages and teachers and traditions. But we need to know where to look, and we need to know HOW to look. We can read great spiritual literature, but when we learn to go within for true Wisdom, here is the real source of Truth. This can be achieved through continued disciplines and practices, for when you learn to listen within through meditation, you will penetrate an inner knowing of truth, which many mystics call gnosis, or Divine Wisdom. This inner gnosis is the true source of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings.

Countless written teachings in the esoteric fields or other philosophies have been virtually lost, mostly due to persecution. Great literature and libraries have been destroyed or burned in past ages, and this is unfortunate indeed. In particular, the destruction of the Royal Library of Alexandria was considered a great loss, which historians estimate once housed anywhere from five-hundred thousand to one million scrolls. However, if all the ancient scrolls or manuscripts and sacred scriptures, and all the important books on spiritual and esoteric teachings and the great sciences in the world had been completely lost or destroyed, many people would panic and grieve the great loss; but ultimately, it simply would not matter.

Why?

Because as long as we have Initiates and Teachers who can tap into the true Divine Wisdom, the gnosis which is not hidden from us, we shall always have the True Teachings. For the Truth is One. Then new books would be written and given to the world.

You yourself, if you conducted the discipline of meditation on a regular basis, enabling yourself to intuitively connect to God’s Wisdom within, void of your own opinions and personal investments of course, will be able to write many pages of genuine wisdom. Disciplined meditation and contemplation will reap such positive results from any true spiritual practitioner. This portal to truth is not reserved for only the elite or highly evolved souls, as many would think. Anyone who has applied a regular and sincere practice of meditation, by centering and tuning into the God within the heart, will also receive this wisdom, this gnosis. The various mystery schools and traditions will teach many aspects of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, but the greatest gift a Teacher can offer is how you can receive this Wisdom internally, and especially how to receive Illumination so that access to Wisdom becomes an established connection within your heart and soul from now on. The point we are making here is that Illumination leads to Wisdom, not the reverse. You cannot reach Wisdom or Illumination by the limited human mind. You must transcend this, seek and find the Light which leads to the God-Self within, then you will receive Illumination and Wisdom and Unity. There are many paths, but only one way to Truth, and that is through God within the heart, for God and Truth are one and the same.

May your journey in the discovery of Divine Wisdom within be enlightening and fulfilling!

Copyright 2001, 2007 by Matthew Martin — All Rights Reserved

When I was a kid, my grandmother used to regularly remind me of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Pretty clear, no matter which Holy bible edition you use, but this unique prose is the one that continues to be most familiar at present in the 21st century, the King James version. The King James edition of the Bible was an effect of King James I who succeeded Queen Elizabeth in 1603 on the throne of England. He observed that he did not know of a Bible well translated into English. King James presumed the existing editions such as the Bishops Bible to be corrupt in their translation and communication and not answerable to the initial intention of the authors. Consequently one of the first things he accomplished as king of England was to instigate a standard translation of the scriptures made for reading throughout the whole church of England. The King James Bible became basically the “accepted” Bible of England.

The prose within the King James Bible continues as the most beautiful of all in print in modern times. It most certainly is among some of the most revered literature in history and one of the best selling Bible versions of all times still popular today among Bible purists who believe that it is the only pure translation in print. On the other hand, splendor of language be as it may, the words of the King James Bible is antiquated, and in fact foreign to many students of the Bible today. With words and phrases in old English prose that mean the exact opposite of what they mean today, a person studying from the King James these days would do well to seek the help of Bible scholars acquainted with the idioms of the edition lest it be substantially misinterpreted. If you are in a quandary concerned about which Bible edition is the best one for you, the King James in all probability isn’t. I personally cost myself lots of hours of revisiting passages that I didn’t understand because of the terminology of the King James.

The New International Version came on the scene strongly with it’s modern language, easily readable style, and easily understood composition. The New International Version is at this time, in the 21st century, the most chosen variant of the Bible in print. That is why it is the most heavily stocked in secular and Christian book sellers and in more numerous editions than any other. The King James is still heavily purchased and many editions can be found, but the NIV has overtaken it as the most in demand today. When figuring out which Bible version is best, the NIV is viewed by a lot of people to currently have a good hold on that claim. Even so, it has been seriously criticized for being translated from texts that leave out some of the most revered passages in scripture some with notations, some without. And the gender neutral expressions in it in some places is also bothersome to some fundamental Bible scholars. On the other hand, it is the most in-demand version in print today.

A couple of what are regarded as “translations”, the Living Bible and The Message Bible are not translations at all but less than scholarly paraphrases by individuals, one of which makes it clear (Living Bible) that he is the only source of the edition. The other had some “collaboration” with scholars but has not been forthcoming on exactly who they were. The two versions make the Bible a pleasantly understandable story, but should not be utilized for deep Bible research or word research. On the other hand, the New Living Translation brought together the very best in readability and scholarship to deliver a Bible that is catching up to the preferred versions today. It’s comfortably readable style with the information that the content is reputable and scholarly makes the NLT one of the best when figuring out what Bible version is right one for you.

The New American Standard Bible that has become my choice for more than 20 years is a translation that in the first edition made it apparent that its objective was to be the most exact and literal word for word translation in print. It performed that exceptionally well at the same time compromising readability and clarity. A somewhat modified version later improved the readability and clarity to help to make it one of the best study Bibles in print today. It is extensively used, but its popularity is nowhere close to that of the most well-known translations.

You’ll find a few other popular translations that have gained a great deal of acceptance including the New King James version, New English Standard version and the Contemporary English version. All have their own reasons for the translation and all have benefit in the library of a Bible scholar. All versions referred to here can adequately tell the story of scripture from Genesis to Revelation. But the most vital matter is not getting too hung up in which translation is best, but acquiring the remarkable instructions of scripture and implementing them in our lives..

By: M.N. Rogers

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M. N. Rogers has been a fundamental, born again Christian believer for over 28 years. He has been a member of one fundamental Bible believing church for all
those years. He is a licensed minister and an employee of his church,working to develop Small Group ministry. His study of many versions of the Bible has given him familiarity with Bible idioms and an understanding of the life application of scripture. He has concluded that one of the finest study Bibles in print today is the Life Application Study Bible and the most popular version in that edition is the New International Version. He has written a web site summarizing that version of the Bible coupled with it’s value in the LASB.

Do you seek enrichment and personal fulfillment? Do you want to make the world a better place for yourself and others? You can enrich your life and make the world a better place by doing several things that will make a difference.

Be an active learner. It is important for you to do more than just observe everything around you. You have to actively participate. Ask a lot of questions. Take notes mentally or physically. It is very important that you physically put into practice what you learn because you learn how to do things by doing them rather than relying on watching and listening. Another great way to become a stellar pupil in life is to learn from all your mistakes. There is an axiom that says,

The history of divorce is a long one. It has, as French philosopher Voltaire put it, likely been around since the advent of formalized marriage. While Voltaire may have referred to the susceptibility of marriage to collapse even in a loving union, divorce also applies to the legal dissolution that has resulted from disagreements amongst couples over the years in the Western world.

Legal divorce began as early as the sixteenth century in Europe as a firm rejection by Protestant leaders against Catholic institutions, such as marriage. And while the Protestants supported the legal proceedings of divorce and claimed that Catholic divorce-equivalents, such as annulments that were primarily used to break off bigamous relationships, were easy to obtain, very few married couple ever filed for divorce or annulments. Soon after, however, the granting of divorce began emerging from secular sources of power in Switzerland and later the U.K. The cases for divorce during this time were based on some fault of the defendant, though the guidelines were described in religious terms, such as from the Bible.

In America, the fault-based process of divorce remained mostly intact when the colonists arrived. A complete divorce-while necessary to prevent the moral complications of separated-but-married status-was possible, but very hard to get. As the 13 colonies became the 50 United States, the grounds for divorce had to be concrete, which enabled the ostensibly innocent or injured party to get relief in the form of the actual divorce. The reasons included desertion, adultery, regular inebriation and impotence, as well as the classic cruel and abusive treatment. While it was in the interest of the state to sustain marriages, the plaintiff had to come up with solid reasoning even when both parties wanted the divorce. It essentially had to be presented as a fight or fault-based case.

Around the mid-1950s in the U.S. several court rulings and state laws clearly recognized the many instances of no-fault reasons to end marriages. These included long-term separation, instances of incompatibility and loss of sanity. In practical terms, though, no-fault legislation was hard to use to actually provide a divorce for couples. It seemed that attorneys and judges were still driven by social mores that established the finality of marriage. Couples seeking divorce and their lawyers still had to fabricate their cases in a way that applied to established grounds most of the time. Ironically, as more people became married more than once in their lifetime and divorce was seen as less morally compromised, judges and attorneys had to sustain the fault-based divorce system to expedite the divorces easily.

Many states had many different reasons for divorce, from clear-cut adultery to major physical abuse. Some, however, were limited to just a few finite grounds, as in such East Coast states as Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and others. For this reason, many couples seeking divorces would travel to other states, typically out West to a divorce refuge like Nevada or California, to gain their divorce. Many of these places, it must be added, made for easy and virtually instant marriages, too, like Las Vegas. When the divorce became legal, the couple would return to their original state to proceed with their now separate lives as usual. The trends were recognized by legislators, however, in states like New York, whereby a couple could travel to Mexico, live there just 24 hours and legally file for a divorce that would be recognized back in New York. They also recognized that those who had no means to leave the country for their divorces needed their rights protected, as well.

Yet it wasn’t until the 1970s that the U.S. instituted no-fault divorces that were easily obtainable. The U.S. took the cue from the U.K., which spearheaded divorce reform legislature. Judges in the U.K. could simply issue a divorce decree when a couple’s marriage was clearly irreparably damaged. California soon recognized the success of this approach and enacted its own law soon after. Laws like the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act soon spread across the country.

This method of divorce has been criticized by those who see that attorneys and judges may drag their feet because the grounds are so simple and open-ended, thus causing major family, employment and financial disruption amongst all of the parties involved. It has also been said that this kind of simple divorce has broken important bonds, and will continue to compromise the institution of the family.

In the contemporary U.S., the rate of divorce peaked in the 1980s almost one half of all marriages ending in dissolution. Many now say that it is not so much the laws granting easy divorce that have enabled so many to break apart their formal relationships, but several other reasons, such as increased women’s earning power, greater acceptance of divorce and-most prominently-the desire for “the pursuit of happiness,” in this case the ability to find a better spouse.

Typically, in the course of a divorce, an ex-husband will pay his ex-wife alimony for a discrete length of time. There are some states, however, that permit the reversal of that arrangement if the woman is the major breadwinner. If the couple has any children, custody can go to either or both parents, with visitation and custody settled between the parties as part of the divorce agreement.

Ultimately, divorce may be a necessary event for some to make the remainder of their lives reasonable and happy for all involved. When divorce becomes a possibility in your life, it is always best to enlist the aid of an attorney versed in comprehensive family and divorce law.

By: Roberto Bell

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The lawyers of Family Law Solutions are recognized for their integrity and professionalism. As one of santa cruz lawyer firms our expert lawyers will have the skill and sensitivity your looking for. Visit online today.

The question of how to educate a child is one of the most important a parent can ask. A basic choice that many parents struggle with is that of public vs. private school. Parents do not want to take on unnecessary expenses if they will not ultimately benefit their child. After all, many public schools do an excellent job of educating students. But while it is true that public schools do not have tuition costs (and a private school can run, on average from 12,000 to 30,000 dollars a year), the benefits of a private education can still far outweigh the costs depending on the local options parents may face.

Students who attend private schools can be more academically challenged, exposed to clearer value systems, given greater access to teachers, and may simply feel safer than local public school options. If you do decide to pursue private schooling for your child, start the research process early. Admission to private schools can be competitive, and finding a school that is a perfect fit for your child where he or she will be also be accepted, may take some time.

A Higher Bar:

A major advantage to private education is that your child will likely be challenged to a higher academic standard. Private schools can be more academically rigorous than public schools, and private school students may have to meet more criteria to keep up their grade point averages. According to The Condition of Education 2001, from the National Center for Education Statistics, Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.

Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school programs). More can be expected of private school students in terms of quality of work, course workload, and special requirements such as community service or Arts participation. In some schools, what would normally be considered extracurricular activities, are prerequisites for graduation, which ultimately round out students’ high school experience. The push to meet this higher standard often results in a greater level of student performance. In a recent NAEP report it was found that, ‘Students in private schools scored significantly above the national average in grades four, eight, and twelve.

As the report put it, ‘Performance results in 2002 show that, at all three grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than students who attended public schools.’ In general, a student given the opportunity to attend a private school will most likely reach a higher level of academic achievement.

Student Teacher Ratio:

Private schools also tend to focus on controlling their class sizes. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey found that, ‘Private high schools on average are less than half the size of public schools. In central cities, for example, the average size of a private high school is 398, compared to 1,083 for a public school.’ Students of private schools may have more opportunities to form relationships with their teachers, which can lead them to greater academic success. In such cases, a student is given help for his or her specific academic problems, which can allow the issue to be resolved quickly and correctly.

Once any issues inhibiting a student’s progress have been addressed, the child can go on to achieve at his or her highest level. In The Condition of Education 2002, it was found that, ‘Placing students in small groups tends to foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning, particularly among at-risk students and those in the early grades.’

Also, small classes allow the teachers to have a better sense of who your child is, and what his or her specific strengths and weaknesses are. Your child will also have more opportunities to speak up and participate in class discussions. In addition, students may be offered office hours during which the teacher will be available. Students who have worked closely with their teachers are less likely to feel intimidated about using such time to actively seek help from their teachers directly.

Exposure to the Arts:

Private schools have the ability to create their own curriculum. Although, they must ultimately prepare students with the same basic course as any other school, private schools also have the option to add various elements to their programs. Private school administrators often develop programs that emphasize the Arts, perhaps more so than local public schooling options.

Schools may choose to produce elaborate plays and musicals, giving students unique opportunities to explore their talents and express themselves. Government regulations on public schools prevent them from spending more than a certain percentage of school funds on the Arts. Private schools, however, are not subject to the same regulations, and they have more freedom to develop and expand these programs as they wish. Some private schools may even offer filmmaking or video production courses which are opportunities normally reserved for college students.

Potentially More Funds:

The tuition that you and the other parents of a private school contribute often will go toward developing and funding special programs that would be restricted in public schools. The school may be able to offer other activities such as special field trips that reinforce the school’s curriculum. Such trips can give your child opportunities to form close friendships and build independence. The school may have more funds available to provide supplies to student-run clubs. The school also may create programs that better tie the arts or sciences into the overall general curriculum.

A Push Towards College:

Private high schools can instill their students with the expectation of attending college. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, ‘Fourth Follow-up’ (NELS: 1988/2000) show that, ‘Students who had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor’s or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and far less likely to have had no postsecondary education.’

With college as a focus, students can be more goal oriented, and often elements of the schools curriculum will be specifically aimed at preparing your child for college. Many private schools are even referred to as ‘college preparatory.’ Private schools often encourage their students to take an active role in their own college admission process. Students may be given more access to information about college options, and they may be made more aware of the requirements they must fulfill to qualify for a specific school.

Community Service and a Sense of Values:

Private schools often put a major emphasis on personal values. When choosing a private school for your child, it is possible to find a school that incorporates a great deal of your own values into its everyday curriculum. Private schools often have honor codes and stricter behavioral standards that help students develop into mature adults.

According to The Condition of Education 2001 from the National Center for Education Statistics, ‘At private schools, a greater percentage of children had parents who were very satisfied with order and discipline than with the school or teachers in 1999.’ Parents are often given greater say in school policies at private schools.

Many private schools require that their students complete a mandatory number of community service hours. This not only provides the obvious benefit of instilling a sense of respect for the community and the importance of making a contribution to society, but it also happens to be something colleges especially favor. Students may also find possible career options while fulfilling this service requirement such as political involvement to aid the community or counseling for endangered teens. Community service experiences teach students that education goes beyond the walls of the school, and that it sometimes requires action and initiative.

Discipline and Safety:

Beyond the fact that smaller classrooms are by their very nature easier to control, most private schools put special emphasis on discipline. Even if your child does not have discipline problems, disruptive peers could take away from your child’s valuable learning time. The Condition of Education 2002 states that, ‘Private school teachers were more likely than public school teachers to say that they had a lot of influence on setting student performance standards (63 versus 38 percent) and on student discipline policy (48 versus 30 percent).’

The push for discipline in private schools teaches children self control, which will ultimately be a requirement in college where the student will be far more responsible for his or her own attendance, and achievement. Also, stricter disciplinary policies mean that any major problems will be handled and eradicated quickly. Typical crimes that plague public schools are less common at private schools. The School Crime and Safety Report found that, ‘Students in public schools (37.3 percent) were more apt to see hate-related graffiti at school than their counterparts in private schools (16.8 percent).’

A Word About Teachers:

Because teachers at private schools are not required to earn the same certifications as public school teachers, some parents worry that the teachers are not as qualified. This is not necessarily true. Private schools must maintain their reputations and create positive word of mouth to survive. Toward this end, private schools are generally very selective about who they place in front of their students, and they choose educators with training specific to the subject they will be teaching.

A Community in Itself:

When you decide to enroll your child in a private school, your family becomes part of a network of families with the same goals. Parents at private schools are more involved in the lives of the students and various school events. As a parent, you may have the opportunity to connect with other parents to discuss the lives of your children. Such relationships allow parents to learn from each other and support each other.

The students also benefit from the community atmosphere of private schools. The very specific personalities of private schools often lead the students to have a strong sense of pride and loyalty to the school and its community. The student may also benefit from affiliation to the school far beyond graduation day. Many private schools have alumni mentoring programs that connect older alumni with newer ones. Recent graduates may find internship opportunities with alumni who have been working in their field of interest.

Every Family is Different:

Despite the numerous benefits of private schooling, it must be said that private school is not for every child. Some children would benefit from the diversity a public school can offer. Some parents would prefer their children to be more focused on the core subjects rather than the arts and extracurricular interests. And, of course, the financial burden that a private school brings is considerable. No student is exactly the same as another, and only a parent can know what the best option is for his or her child. Any child, whether in private or public school, will need the active participation of his or her parents in order to achieve true success.

School Choice:

The major advantage of private schooling is choice. Rather than sending your child to a public school that is required based on geography, now you have opened up a selection of several schools that may have very different educational styles and emphases, simply because you are deciding on private education. Every private school has a unique personality, and with a little research, certain schools will emerge from the pool as having more features than that will benefit your child.

Perhaps the school is affiliated with your family’s religious faith, and your child can be given a religious education along with his or her core studies. Perhaps the school emphasizes writing, or it pushes self-expression. With the vast variety of private schools available, it is easy to select a school that will help your child to shine and develop the values you find most important.

Conclusion:

No choice can guarantee that your child’s formative years will go smoothly. Parents should always remain highly active participants in the education of their children. Still, in the interest of giving a student the most advantages and opportunities possible private school can be an attractive option.

Private schools can reduce worries about safety, increase a child’s exposure to discipline, offer reduced class sizes, and offer a good environment for high academic achievement. In many cases, a private school can prove to be much more than that, providing a community environment for your family and special opportunities that your child would not have otherwise.

Earlier this week a group of Chinese Christians held a news conference to announce they were 99.9 percent sure they had found Noah’s Ark — the boat the Bible says was built by God’s most righteous man before a “sinful” human race drowned in the Great Flood.

Maybe the find on Mount Ararat in Turkey really is Noah’s Ark. More likely, it isn’t. But if it isn’t, that won’t stop Ark enthusiasts from believing it is out there somewhere.

Immediately in the wake of the news flash, experts weighed in to shoot it down. “The wood in the photos is not old enough” … “There are no location pictures to verify the site” … “No independent experts have looked at the data” … “There’s never been evidence of a great flood.”

And the people voicing the loudest caution are biblical archeologists who believe the ark is real and that it can be found.

Dr. Randall Price, head of Judaic Studies at Liberty University, had been a cohort of the Noah’s Ark Ministries International team until two years ago. He pulled out of the project, sensing they were being taken advantage of by Kurdish guides, who’ve turned Ark searching into a cottage industry.

“I think we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a hoax, because a lot of the things that happen in that region of the world, and especially with the Kurdish guides that are involved, are designed to try to extract money from gullible people,” Price said.

But he added: “I’m reserving my opinion at this point until I see how things are developing.”

Dr. John Morris, lead archeologist at the Institute for Creation Research, says “I’m leaning towards that the Chinese people have been deceived.”

Morris has led 13 expeditions to Mount Ararat looking for the ark. He knows the area well and says of the recent find, “At best, it is an elaborate deception.”

Morris and Price were contacted by the Chinese team to take part in the press event, but they declined based on how little evidence they saw.

Professor Porcher Taylor at the University of Richmond says he, too, believes it is not Noah’s Ark, because “they’re digging in the wrong place on Mt. Ararat.”

Taylor says satellite imaging of the region about a half mile away from where the Chinese group says they found the ark shows what has been called “the Ararat anomaly,” an area that has intrigued the U.S. intelligence community for years.

“If the remains of Noah’s Ark are on Mt. Ararat,” Taylor says, “the only logical place would be at the Ararat anomaly site, and not at the site in these sensational claims made by this group.”

A fundamental question separating scientific inquiry into Noah’s Ark is: Is the account of the great flood in the Bible true, or is it a mythical legend?

Dr. Paul Zimansky, professor of archeology and ancient history at State University of New York at Stony Brook, says, “I think it has all the earmarks of a story, but in any case it isn’t anything we can investigate as an archaeologist.”

A catastrophic flood on Earth is spoken of in many ancient cultures: in Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Hindu, Gallic, Scandinavian and Chinese legends. Some even predate the Old Testament.

The odd thing, Zimansky says, is that even though there are written accounts of the flood in all these cultures, archaeologists have yet to find evidence of it.

If you take the Bible literally, Zimansky says, “this ark is going to be deposited in an archaeological context which would be a flood stratum. And it’s not going to be a little flood stratum. It’s going to cover the entire Earth. Well, no such flood stratum exists.”

And that’s where Morris disagrees with archaeologists like Zimansky.

“It all depends on your presupposition,” says Morris. “I think they’re looking at it through the wrong glasses.”

Morris says a great flood would shape the landscape of the entire planet — carving out crevices like the Grand Canyon, even separating huge masses of land like the African and South American continents.

“Everything on earth gives evidence of the flood,” Morris says.

That is why he is convinced something is up there on Mt. Ararat. He says there have been hundreds accounts from eyewitnesses saying they saw what looked like a big ship. Some of those accounts, he says, are from pilots who flew over the area during World War II. Considerable amounts of military data and ground-penetrating imaging have reported showing a shape of something manmade on the mountain.

Taylor is also convinced Noah’s Ark is there, because of the Ararat anomaly’s shape and size. “The boat-shaped Ararat anomaly and Noah’s Ark both have a 6-to-1 length-to-width ratio,” he says.

The Ark, depending on how you measure a cubit, could be anywhere from 450 to 600 feet long. The anomaly is 1,200 feet. But, Porcher says, scientists have debated for years the length of a cubit, which is thought to be the length of a man’s forearm between the elbow and the tip of his finger. But whose elbow?

The Bible talks of “the Nephilim” (Genesis 6:1-4) being in the world at that time. The Nephilim were giants or a very large race. If a cubit was measured by the length of a very large man’s forearm, Porcher says that would mean “the ark was much larger than previously thought.”

Many experts have concluded from examining the photos that the images are of rock formations that strongly resemble the boat described in Genesis.

Whatever it is, it convinces Morris, and countless others, to keep returning to Mt. Ararat, hoping to find what their faith tells them can be found.

Earlier this week a group of Chinese Christians held a news conference to announce they were 99.9 percent sure they had found Noah’s Ark — the boat the Bible says was built by God’s most righteous man before a “sinful” human race drowned in the Great Flood.

Maybe the find on Mount Ararat in Turkey really is Noah’s Ark. More likely, it isn’t. But if it isn’t, that won’t stop Ark enthusiasts from believing it is out there somewhere.

Immediately in the wake of the news flash, experts weighed in to shoot it down. “The wood in the photos is not old enough” … “There are no location pictures to verify the site” … “No independent experts have looked at the data” … “There’s never been evidence of a great flood.”

And the people voicing the loudest caution are biblical archeologists who believe the ark is real and that it can be found.

Dr. Randall Price, head of Judaic Studies at Liberty University, had been a cohort of the Noah’s Ark Ministries International team until two years ago. He pulled out of the project, sensing they were being taken advantage of by Kurdish guides, who’ve turned Ark searching into a cottage industry.

“I think we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a hoax, because a lot of the things that happen in that region of the world, and especially with the Kurdish guides that are involved, are designed to try to extract money from gullible people,” Price said.

But he added: “I’m reserving my opinion at this point until I see how things are developing.”

Dr. John Morris, lead archeologist at the Institute for Creation Research, says “I’m leaning towards that the Chinese people have been deceived.”

Morris has led 13 expeditions to Mount Ararat looking for the ark. He knows the area well and says of the recent find, “At best, it is an elaborate deception.”

Morris and Price were contacted by the Chinese team to take part in the press event, but they declined based on how little evidence they saw.

Professor Porcher Taylor at the University of Richmond says he, too, believes it is not Noah’s Ark, because “they’re digging in the wrong place on Mt. Ararat.”

Taylor says satellite imaging of the region about a half mile away from where the Chinese group says they found the ark shows what has been called “the Ararat anomaly,” an area that has intrigued the U.S. intelligence community for years.

“If the remains of Noah’s Ark are on Mt. Ararat,” Taylor says, “the only logical place would be at the Ararat anomaly site, and not at the site in these sensational claims made by this group.”

A fundamental question separating scientific inquiry into Noah’s Ark is: Is the account of the great flood in the Bible true, or is it a mythical legend?

Dr. Paul Zimansky, professor of archeology and ancient history at State University of New York at Stony Brook, says, “I think it has all the earmarks of a story, but in any case it isn’t anything we can investigate as an archaeologist.”

A catastrophic flood on Earth is spoken of in many ancient cultures: in Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Hindu, Gallic, Scandinavian and Chinese legends. Some even predate the Old Testament.

The odd thing, Zimansky says, is that even though there are written accounts of the flood in all these cultures, archaeologists have yet to find evidence of it.

If you take the Bible literally, Zimansky says, “this ark is going to be deposited in an archaeological context which would be a flood stratum. And it’s not going to be a little flood stratum. It’s going to cover the entire Earth. Well, no such flood stratum exists.”

And that’s where Morris disagrees with archaeologists like Zimansky.

“It all depends on your presupposition,” says Morris. “I think they’re looking at it through the wrong glasses.”

Morris says a great flood would shape the landscape of the entire planet — carving out crevices like the Grand Canyon, even separating huge masses of land like the African and South American continents.

“Everything on earth gives evidence of the flood,” Morris says.

That is why he is convinced something is up there on Mt. Ararat. He says there have been hundreds accounts from eyewitnesses saying they saw what looked like a big ship. Some of those accounts, he says, are from pilots who flew over the area during World War II. Considerable amounts of military data and ground-penetrating imaging have reported showing a shape of something manmade on the mountain.

Taylor is also convinced Noah’s Ark is there, because of the Ararat anomaly’s shape and size. “The boat-shaped Ararat anomaly and Noah’s Ark both have a 6-to-1 length-to-width ratio,” he says.

The Ark, depending on how you measure a cubit, could be anywhere from 450 to 600 feet long. The anomaly is 1,200 feet. But, Porcher says, scientists have debated for years the length of a cubit, which is thought to be the length of a man’s forearm between the elbow and the tip of his finger. But whose elbow?

The Bible talks of “the Nephilim” (Genesis 6:1-4) being in the world at that time. The Nephilim were giants or a very large race. If a cubit was measured by the length of a very large man’s forearm, Porcher says that would mean “the ark was much larger than previously thought.”

Many experts have concluded from examining the photos that the images are of rock formations that strongly resemble the boat described in Genesis.

Whatever it is, it convinces Morris, and countless others, to keep returning to Mt. Ararat, hoping to find what their faith tells them can be found.

Was Jesus in the grave for three days and three nights?

By: Milburn Cockrell: Courtesy a Christian website:

 http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/was-jesus-in-the-grave-for-three-days-and-nights.html

“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three night in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

Since Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Jews demanded a sign of Him to prove His claim. Jesus could give them no better proof that He was the Christ than the literal fulfillment of the well-known sign of Jonah, Luke 11:30. If this sign were not literally fulfilled, it would prove unto them that He was not the Messiah. This was the only sign Jesus ever gave them to prove His Messiahship. Hence the great need for Him to do exactly what He promised them to do.

Mark 8:31 tells us:

“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Did Christ mean what He said? Did He really expect to be buried in the earth for three days and three nights? Jesus did not say, “After two nights and one day I will rise again.” He said, “After three days I will rise again.” He meant three days and three nights–a full 72 hours!

The Jews remembered this sign when He was crucified.

“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:62-64).

They did all they could to prevent His resurrection. They got the watch, made the sepulchre sure, and sealed the stone. “After three days I will rise again” was necessary to fulfill the Jonah sign.

Modern interpreters of the Bible make Jesus Christ a liar. They say Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, buried about sundown the same day, and arose on the next Sunday about daybreak in contradiction to the Scriptures! Any schoolboy knows that this is only two nights and one day. If He were crucified on Good Friday and arose on Sunday morning as they say, then He did not literally fulfill the sign of Jonah. If He did not fulfill this sign as He promised the Jews, then He was an impostor and not the Messiah! In other words, Jesus Christ lied to the Jews about His burial and resurrection.

If the Good Friday theory is correct as some teach, then the Bible contains “highly figurative language” which requires a human interpreter to tell people what the verses really mean. By this same liberal method of interpreting the Scriptures you can destroy every basic doctrine in the Bible.

I do not care very much for what scholars say! But I am greatly concerned about not accusing my Lord of lying! Jesus Christ plainly said He would be in the grave “three days and three nights”. He emphatically declared He would rise again “after three days”. I believe He fulfilled the sign of Jonah and vindicated His Messiahship. In Matthew 28:6, we read this testimony of the angel at the tomb:

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”
He said He would be in the grave “three days and three nights” and “after three days” He would rise again. Jesus did fulfill the Jonah sign. But He was not crucified on Good Friday, nor did He rise on Sunday morning!

The Part-of-a-Day Theory Wrong

Men, in order to get the Bible out of an embarrassing situation, allege that the Jews counted a part of a day as the whole day. Such passages as Genesis 42:17, 18; 1 Samuel 30:12, 13; Esther 4:15-17; 1 Kings 20:29; and 1 Chronicles 10:5 are cited to prove this theory. However, none of these passages prove “three days and three nights” means two nights and one day. Only one of them even contains the expression “three days and three nights” 1 Samuel 30:12. But there is absolutely no reason to give “three days and three nights” in 1 Samuel 30:12 any meaning except their literal meaning.

Divine inspiration declares the young man “had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.” What authority has any man to contradict these plain words by affirming the time was not so long? The expression, “three days, night and day”, in Esther 4:15, is not the same wording as “three days and three nights” in Matthew 12:40. There is no mention of any nights at all in the other passages; therefore, they give no evidence as to the meaning of “three days and three nights.” There is no reason to take any of the passages cited in any sense except their literal sense, unless one has a theory to prove. The “three days and three nights” in Jonah 1:17 are to be taken in their literal sense.

Granting that some of the Jews did count a part of the day for a whole day, can it be proven that this is what Jesus meant? Can it be proven that the Jews counted a part of a day as a whole day and a whole night? Where is the proof in the inspired Word?

Yet, proponents of the Good Friday tradition want us to believe that a part of a day meant a whole day and a whole night. Men who believe the Bible to be literally true dare not accept such reasoning.

The Meaning of Day in the Bible

The word “day” in the Bible in its primary sense means the interval between dawn and darkness.

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night . . . ” (Genesis 1:5, Compare Genesis 1:14-18; 8:22.)
This is the first occurrence of the word “day” in the Bible, and the Lord God himself gives its meaning. Jesus believed there were 12 hours in a day. He asked in John 11:9:

” . . . Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.”
Jesus made a day and night consist of 24 hours. Can there be any higher authorities than the Lord God and Jesus Christ? Do not such authorities settle the matter for all true believers?

In the Bible a day is the interval of time comprising the period between two successive risings of the sun (Genesis 7:24; Job 3:16). The Hebrews reckoned it from evening to evening Exodus 12:18,

” . . . from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath” (Leviticus 23:32).
The 12-hour night began at sunset and ended at sunup. It was counted before the 12-hour day.

“And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:5).
Hence a new day began at 6 o’clock in the evening and lasted until the same time the next evening–a period of 24 hours–a 12-hour night followed by a 12-hour day!

The Good Friday Hoax

The Bible nowhere says or implies that Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday! It is said that Jesus was crucified on

“the day before the Sabbath”, (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42).
As the Jewish weekly Sabbath came on Saturday, scholars have assumed Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. This is poor reasoning because the Bible bears abundant testimony that the Jews had other Sabbaths beside the weekly Sabbath which fell on Saturday.

The first day of the Passover week, no matter on what day of the week it came, was always an annual Sabbath.

“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (Leviticus 23:6, 7).
On the seventh day of this feast, the 21st of Nisan, was another annual Sabbath:

” . . . in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (Leviticus 23:8).
The day of Pentecost was an annual Sabbath Numbers 28:26. This is the reason we read about Sabbaths in the plural number in the Old Testament Leviticus 26:2, 34, 35, 43.

The Bible makes it plain, Jesus was crucified and buried on:

” . . . the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath” (Mark 15:42).
John tells us:

“And it was the preparation of the Passover” (John 19:14).
It was the preparation day on which the Passover Supper was made ready [editor's note: actually it was the preparation for the Holy Day, the Night to Be Much Remembered], the 14th of Nisan John 13:1, 29; 18:28. It was the preparation to keep the Passover Sabbath–the annual Sabbath which always came on the 15th day of the first ecclesiastical month. John 19:31 adds:

” . . . (for that sabbath day was an high day) . . . .”
Its greatness was due to the fact that it was the annual Sabbath of the Passover Festival.

Two Sabbaths that Week

Matthew makes it plain that two Sabbaths had passed since Jesus was crucified. The KJV has this rendering:

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre” (Matthew 28:1).
On this verse nearly all translators have allowed tradition to control their translation. It is not “Sabbath” but “Sabbaths” in the Greek text (the genitive case and the plural number). The verse properly translated would read:

“In the end of the sabbaths . . . .”
This allows for an annual Sabbath on Thursday and a regular Sabbath on Saturday.

When Jesus was buried near sundown on the day of the Passover,

“Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary”
watched the burial Matthew 27:58-61. Immediately after the burial, Luke says:

“And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on” (Luke 3:54).
This Sabbath was an annual Sabbath on Thursday. The day after the annual Sabbath the women bought spices, Mark 16:1. Luke tells us that the women, after preparing the spices on Friday,

” . . . rested the sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).
The traditional interpretation makes Mark and Luke contradict each other. In Mark 16:1 we are informed that the Sabbath was past when the spices were purchased. “Had” is inserted without any authority from the Greek text.

“No reason can be given for the variation–bought sweet spices. Not had bought” (An American Commentary on the New Testament, Vol. 11, p. 251).
In Luke 23:56 we are told that the women prepared the spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day. If Jesus lay in the grave on Sabbath only, Mark and Luke contradict each other. But if He lay there two Sabbaths having a work day between them, then Mark and Luke harmonize to perfection.

The Resurrection Late Saturday Evening

When does the Bible say that Jesus rose from the dead? The two Mary’s came to the tomb:

“in the end of the sabbath” (Matthew 28:1).
The Sabbath always ended at sunset:

“From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath” (Leviticus 23:32).
Then they went to the tomb before sunset on Saturday. Jesus had risen from the dead before their arrival Matthew 28:1-8. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ arose before sunset on Saturday. Christ did not rise on Sunday morning, for the two Mary saw Him, heard Him speak, and held His feet just as the Sabbath ended and the first day of the week began.

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week . . .” (Matthew 28:1).
Mark 16:9 tells us Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene early the first day of the week, which was Saturday after sundown. The nearer after sunset this happened, the earlier in the first of the week it was. Mark does not say that she was alone at the time she first saw Jesus, and Matthew tells us that:

“the other Mary was with her” (Matthew 28:1).
The Date of the Crucifixion

Having shown from Matthew 28:1 that Jesus rose from the grave as the Sabbath ended at sunset and the first day of the week began, this would put the crucifixion on Wednesday at sunset just as the preparation day ended and the annual Sabbath commenced. According to the Gospel writers, Jesus died at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m. our time) and was buried about sunset that same day, Luke 23:44, 45, 50-54; Mark 15:33-38, 42-47.

If Jesus were buried at sunset on Wednesday and arose at sunset on Saturday, He fulfilled the sign of Jonah. He would have been in the grave Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night–a full “three days”. All together a full “three days and three nights.” Thus we have a literal fulfillment of the words of Christ in Matthew 12:40. hence there is no need to follow Roman Catholic tradition which makes Jesus Christ a liar. Truly,

“. . . He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:4),
not the second day according to Roman Catholic tradition!

The Third Day

Some Scriptures speak of His resurrection

“after three days” (Mark 8:31; 9:31 R. V.; 10:34 R. V.; Matthew 27:63).
Other verses say

“three days” (Matthew 26:60, 61; 27:39, 40; Mark 14:58; 15:29, 30; John 2:19, 20).
Still others speak of

“the third day” (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Luke 9:22; 18;33; 24:6, 7, 21, 46; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 16:4).
Some make much over “the third day” in Luke 24:21, and they affirm that if the crucifixion took place on Wednesday, Sunday would be the fourth day since these things were done. But the answer is simple. These things were done just as Thursday was beginning at sunset on Wednesday. They were therefore completed on Thursday, and the first day since Thursday would be Friday, the second day since Thursday would be Saturday, and “the third day since” Thursday would be Sunday, the first day of the week.

So the supposed objection in reality supports the Wednesday crucifixion. But if the crucifixion took place on Friday, by no manner of reckoning could Sunday be made “the third day since” these things were done.

Unless we believe the Bible contains errors, we know that all passages must harmonize. Therefore, “after three days” must mean the same as “the third day” Matthew 16:21.

There is nothing in the Bible to favor the Good Friday crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The biblical record harmonizes with a Wednesday crucifixion and Saturday evening resurrection–a full 72 hours. This view allows for a literal interpretation of “three days and three nights.” It allows for the word “after three days” to mean just that. It proves that Jesus Christ fulfilled the sign of Jonah and thus proved His Messiahship to the Jews.

Written By: Milburn Cockrell

Paarsurrey says:

It is evident from the above that the Christians are in doubt about Jesus death on Cross. The difference is in almost every detail. The Catholics, Protestants believe that the incident of crucifixion happened on Friday; just to avoid a lot of questions as to why the funeral rites as per the Jewish custom were not performed if Jesus had died on the Cross. One may read my post:

http://paarsurrey.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/actions-of-disciples-putting-wrappings-on-jesus%e2%80%99-body-testify-jesus-was-injured-but-alive-when-laid-in-the-tomb/

Other Christians resort to believe that the incident happened on Wednesday.

I request the Christians to make the research in the issue sincerely and unbiased and to accept the truth where-ever it comes from.

Thanks
I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim