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What Child Is This?

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  During the Christmas season we often have to remember what the real reason for the season is. That is good and as it should be. However, as we do this, we often just stop with the miracle of Jesus being born in the manger. It’s difficult for our mortal brains to come to grips with the tremendous and total impact of Jesus’s role in God’s Plan of Salvation. All of it had to happen in order for the plan to work. Without it, we would have no hope and would rely on ourselves to save us from this fallen world – which, of course, would fail every time. The plan was for Jesus to have a lowly birth. Then He had a sacrificial death on the cross where He died for all the sins of mankind. Without this sacrifice, we could never truly follow Him. Jesus is our bridge to eternity in Heaven. A fter the cross, there had to be the Resurrection or else our faith is in vain. There are only a few Christmas songs/carols which begin touch on the totality of this plan. The one that I love is “W...
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Requirements of Being Born Again

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  Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) I was going to name this article “Requirements of being a Christian” when I realized there are so many examples of people prior to the incarnation of Jesus who show the faith of true believers that I would be doing them, and God, a great disservice. Plus, there are all those people who have lived and never heard of Jesus. Before we begin to explore this topic, it is important to point out that Jesus is the ultimate judge of whether someone is born again. As He says – John 10:14-16 14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,   15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.   16  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd...
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Freedom in Christ

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Every year on July 4, America celebrates its Independence Day. It was on this day the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, and the United States was born.   The basic premise of the Declaration was that King George III of England had shown himself unfaithful to his subjects. The Declaration goes on to list 27 grievances or accusations against the King stating these are the reasons for separation from England.   But it was more than that. In the beginning of the document, it states:   We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed   The idea is all rights come from God. Governments are only there to ensure the rights given to the people from God are prote...
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To have Communion with Jesus

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  The word “communion” by itself means “an act or instance of sharing, intimate fellowship or rapport”. For the Christian, Communion means this and so much more. The sharing of intimate fellowship with God can come at many times during our day. It should come as we pray. It should come as we read the Bible. It should come when we talk about Godly things with our friends or when we are enjoying His creation by taking a walk. Because of the Holy Spirit, we are always able to commune with God at any time. Jesus makes this quite clear in His message to the Church of Laodicea – 20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) The sharing of a meal is an intimate experience. Not only are we doing what we have to do to sustain our own life, we are doing it with someone else and they are probably eating the same food you are. What you are putting in...
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Last Supper or Last Passover?

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  We misname the last meal Jesus had with His disciples before His crucifixion. We call it The Last Supper when it really should be called The Last Passover. Why? Because Jesus actually says so -  14  And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.  15  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.  16  For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 22:14-16) Notice when Jesus says He will not eat "it" in verse 16, He is referring to the Passover meal. Why is this important? Well, we have to remember what Passover is. It is the celebration of God passing over the houses of the Children of Israel who had the blood of the lamb over their door sparing their first born sons but killing the first born sons of those who were not covered by the blood of the lamb.  This 10th plague, the Passover, is a foreshadowing of what is to come...
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Must You Know Jesus By Name?

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The Bible says in Romans 10:9 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. What about those people who lived before the crucifixion or lived in places where they never heard of Jesus, are they all condemned? I do not think so. Romans 6:10 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.  And  Hebrews 7:27 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.  “Once for all” is a pretty definitive phrase said in both these passages. But if these other people never heard about Jesus, how can they believe like it says in John 3:16? Paul answers this in  Romans 1:19-20 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his ete...
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