“The most likely theory is that Christmas trees started with medieval plays. Dramas depicting biblical themes began as part of the church’s worship, but by the late Middle Ages, they had become rowdy, imaginative performances dominated by laypeople and taking place in the open air. The plays celebrating the Nativity were linked to the story of creation—in part because Christmas Eve was also considered the feast day of Adam and Eve. Thus, as part of the play for that day, the Garden of Eden was symbolized by a “paradise tree” hung with fruit.” “These plays were banned in many places in the 16th century, and people perhaps began to set up “paradise trees” in their homes to compensate for the public celebration they could no longer enjoy. The earliest Christmas trees (or evergreen branches) used in homes were referred to as “paradises.” They were often hung with round…
Healing at the Cross Posts
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Timothy 1:5 “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” 1 Timothy 3:9 “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” 1 Timothy 1:19 Faith seems to depend on conscience, but what about these; purity, love? Faith grasps a mystery, a secret. Faith holds function in a (katheros) conscience. our English derivative is katharsis which is a cleansing. The blood of Christ, applied by the Spirit, cleanses our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God, simply put. Conscience accuses or excuses the owner. A good conscience has good constitution or nature, is useful, good, pleasant, agreeable, and joyful..” A good conscience functions right. What else does it do? It bears witness, producing a “knowledge by the side of the original consciousness…
Common sense can cure some depression but folks who renege at receiving God’s grace may be the source of their own problem. Common sense often requires no spiritual insight, and unchristian men and women may handle their depression by simple coping. They understand things like “no sense crying over spilled milk.” Here are some more common sense sayings: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” Edmund Burke blrainyquote.com “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.” brainyquote.com How could these men know these things? Martyn Lloyd Jones said this, “Christianity is common sense and much more, but it includes common sense.” He goes on: “Let us then lay this down as a principle…We must never for a second worry about anything that cannot be affected or changed by us…It is a waste of energy…if you can…
The Book of Job teaches us some interesting phenomena about the ways of men. “The tendency to conflate, (blend), poverty with other social issues such as unemployment, welfare receipt or substance abuse, or to uncritically cite these conditions as explanations of poverty, is tied up with the tendency to portray poverty as a problem created by those experiencing it. .” From jrf.org.uk “… those who deviate are seen as the source of trouble. The obvious question observers ask is, why do these people deviate from norms? Because most people view themselves as law abiding, they feel those who deviate do so because of some kind of unusual circumstances: accidents, illness, personal defect, character flaw, or maladjustment… In other words, the deviant is the cause of his or her own problem.” Borrowed from “the sociological approach to social problems—Russ Long” I guess we must talk of this phenomena. If a person falls to chance or…
A friendship features a level of security, and many factors determine this. I can list the first 400 of these determiners but lets skip to the real good ones. People who are thankful, truly thankful, have a good chance at longevity. Why? — because they have a very mature outlook on life. The Bible teaches “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5 What makes a person thankful? Our Greek word for “thanks” is (eucharisteō, eu plus charis) equals “well graced”? Aha, the thankful man or woman consists of the well-graced. This one has graduated from all other inferior precepts for life and has found a grace one. Noah was such a man. he found grace in the sight of Adonai and it made him mature? He was just, had integrity, and walked with God. But the earth…
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”Matthew 24:43 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10 The “chronos,” or times and seasons hardly involve the believer in Christ, because its high time for us. We watch and wait every day. For the thief? No, thieves…
Job maintained his own sense of honor. Repulsed by the deadly trio, he stood totally aloof of their accusations. However, as Peter Kreeft repeats, Job’s friends “do not listen to Job because they are too busy talking to him, and, Job does not listen to God because he is too busy talking to Him.” In other words, Job’s heart did not condemn him, but, “God is greater than the heart.” 1 John 3:20 Later on “…God shows up as Questioner, not as Ánswerer.” “God cannot be an object of our concepts.” “Faith comes from the deep eternal center of the person, the I, the will, not from feelings…” Kreeft from his book, “3 Philosophies of Life.” In a trial of our faith, God appeals to our sense of responsibility — what’s in there? God wishes for us to see, in its utter rawness, what, where, or what manner abides our…
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Philippians 4:11-12 I’m good at abounding but not so much with abasement. Why does God allow abasement? It means “to humble,” which conjures up thoughts of pain, so this is why most folks don’t get content with it. Yes, pain we cringe at, but humility itself brings something special. Paul became content since humility brings self-satisfying; it brings us closer to God . “The perfect meekness that comes from self-humbling brings with it an all-embracing concentration on the goodness and love of God.” “None of the acts of God, whether in…
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4 Why does God allow us to comprehend the fact of being chosen? Isn’t it confusing? — answer: to bless us with a sense of destiny — To bless us with the sense of our special calling — To give us a sense of value — and, because it is true. We are: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. 1 Peter 1:2 Aha, I was in God’s foreknowledge. He knew me before I was born, He knew about my choice, when I was 25 years old, for Him . Can we say that God chose me based on His prior knowledge of my choice? Yes! …Through sanctification of the Spirit. God’s election was carried out as He snatched me out of this world, and separated me unto Himself, once for all. Hebrews…
Culture: The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. eg.‘20th century popular culture ’The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society. eg. ‘Afro-Caribbean culture’ The attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group. eg. ‘the emerging drug culture’ 2 Corinthians 6:14 teaches us: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with the culture: for what fellowship hath righteousness with the culture? and what communion hath light with the culture?” my paraphrase I make a broad interpretation here since culture also has many advantageous aspects for all. Nevertheless, I refuse to allow the culture to be my sole guide. Lets talk about for-instances: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Am I preoccupied with enhancing my food intake? what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Do you esteem the world’s norms and standards above God’s? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Do you worship mammon, cars, and houses and social status? “Wherefore…