10 Worst People in Your Church

The worst people in your church might not be the first ones who pop into your mind. In fact, they might even, from time to time, include you!

All Christ-followers are positionally saints, but they may still have a long way to go in the practical outworking of their faith, obedience and holiness.

I’ve seen some of these unpleasant characters in churches. Maybe you have too.

1. The Pharisees

In the Bible, the proud Pharisees were quick to condemn and judge. Jesus called them hypocrites and revealed their true disposition in Matthew and Luke.

Today’s church Pharisees judge others harshly while making light of their own failings. Some lash out when their prestige is threatened. Others erect burdensome rules for others, hoping to improve their own standing.

People may appear upstanding—but remember, “The LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

2. The False

False teachers creep into the church and spread lies. They have a form of godliness, but their compromising teachings are not solid doctrine.

People embrace falseness when they heed voices in the culture more than the pure Word of God, or redefine biblical truth and then expect others to comply.

Paul warned Timothy “seducers” would get worse, “deceiving and being deceived.” We need to know the scriptures well and not be led astray (2 Timothy 3:13-17).

Do faith in God and science contradict?

Science is defined as “the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.” Science is a method that mankind can use to gain a greater understanding of the natural universe. It is a search for knowledge through observation. Advances in science demonstrate the reach of human logic and imagination. However, a Christian’s belief in science should never be like our belief in God. A Christian can have faith in God and respect for science, as long as we remember which is perfect and which is not.

Our belief in God is a belief of faith. We have faith in His Son for salvation, faith in His Word for instruction, and faith in His Holy Spirit for guidance. Our faith in God should be absolute, since when we put our faith in God, we depend on a perfect, omnipotent, omniscient Creator. Our belief in science should be intellectual and nothing more. We can count on science to do many great things, but we can also count on science to make mistakes. If we put faith in science, we depend on imperfect, sinful, limited, mortal men. Science throughout history has been wrong about many things, such as the shape of the earth, powered flight, vaccines, blood transfusions, and even reproduction. God is never wrong.

Truth is nothing to fear, so there is no reason for a Christian to fear good science. Learning more about the way God constructed our universe helps all of mankind appreciate the wonder of creation. Expanding our knowledge helps us to combat disease, ignorance, and misunderstanding. However, there is danger when scientists hold their faith in human logic above faith in our Creator. These persons are no different from anyone devoted to a religion; they have chosen faith in man and will find facts to defend that faith.

Still, the most rational scientists, even those who refuse to believe in God, admit to a lack of completeness in our understanding of the universe. They will admit that neither God nor the Bible can be proved or disproved by science, just as many of their favorite theories ultimately cannot be proved or disproved. Science is meant to be a truly neutral discipline, seeking only the truth, not furtherance of an agenda.

Much of science supports the existence and work of God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” As modern science discovers more about the universe, we find more evidence of creation. The amazing complexity and replication of DNA, the intricate and interlocking laws of physics, and the absolute harmony of conditions and chemistry here on earth all serve to support the message of the Bible. A Christian should embrace science that seeks the truth, but reject the “priests of science” who put human knowledge above God.

https://www.gotquestions.org

Ang Tipan ng Diyos kay Abraham.

Ang Tipan ay isang kasunduan sa pagitan ng dalawang panig. May dalawang pangunahing uri ng Tipan: Ang tipan na may kundisyon at tipan na walang kundisyon. Ang tipan na may kundisyon o “bilateral” ay kasunduan na nakasalalay ang tagumpay sa parehong partido. Dapat na pumayag ang dalawang partido sa mga nakasaad sa kasunduan. Kung mabigo ang isang partido sa pagganap sa mga kundisyon ng kabilang partido, masisira ang kasunduan at hindi magaganap ang layunin ng kasunduan. Ang Tipan na walang kundisyon o “unilateral” ay isang kasunduan sa pagitan ng dalawang partido, ngunit tanging ang isa lamang sa dalawang partido ang gagawa para sa katuparan ng layunin ng kasunduan. Walang hinihinging kundisyon ang isang partido sa kabilang partido.

Ang Tipan ng Diyos kay Abraham ay isang kasunduan na walang kundisyon. Nangako ang Diyos kay Abraham, at wala siyang hininging kapalit o anumang kundisyon kay Abraham. Inilalarawan sa Genesis 15:18–21 ang isang bahagi ng Tipan ng Diyos kay Abraham, partikular ang lawak ng lupain na Kanyang ipinangakong ipagkakaloob kay Abraham at sa kanyang angkan.

Ang aktwal na Tipan ng Diyos kay Abraham ay makikita sa Genesis 12:1–3. Ipinahihiwatig ng seremonya na nakatala sa Genesis 15 ang walang kundisyong kalikasan ng Tipang ito. Ang tanging pagkakataon na dumadaan ang parehong partido sa hinating katawan ng isang hayop ay kung ang tagumpay ng Tipan ay nakasalalay sa pagtupad ng magkabilang partido sa mga kundisyon ng Tipan. Patungkol sa kaganapan sa Genesis 15, mababasa na isang hurnong umuusok, at ang isang tanglaw na nagniningas ang dumaan sa gitna ng hinating katawan ng mga hayop. Nangangahulugan ito na tanging sa Diyos lamang nakasalalay ang kaganapan ng Kanyang Tipan kay Abraham. Sa kasong ito, walang duda na tanging sa Diyos lamang nakasalalay ang tagumpay ng Kanyang pangako kay Abraham. Itinalaga ng Diyos ang Kanyang sarili sa Kanyang Tipan kay Abraham. Pinatulog ng Diyos si Abraham upang hindi ito dumaan sa pagitan ng hinating katawan ng mga hayop. Kaya nga, malinaw ang mensaheng ipinapakita sa mga talata, na tanging sa Diyos lamang nakasalalay ang katuparan ng Kanyang Tipan kay Abraham.

Ang Ateismo

Ang ateismo ay ang hindi paniniwala na mayroong Diyos. Ang ateismo ay hindi isang bagong paniniwala. Isinulat ni David sa Mga Awit 14:1 noong mga 1,000 taon bago dumating si Kristo, "Ang mangmang ay nagsabi sa kaniyang puso, walang Dios". Isinasaad ng mga bagong datos na dumarami ang bilang hanggang 10 porsyento ng mga taong hindi naniniwala na mayroong Diyos sa buong mundo. Bakit kaya parami ng parami ang mga taong nagiging ateista? Ang ateismo ba ang makatwirang paniniwala gaya ng mga inaangkin ng mga ateista?

Bakit mayroong ateismo? Bakit kaya hindi na lamang ipakilala ng Diyos ang Kanyang sarili sa mga tao upang patunayan na Siya ay hindi isang kathang isip lamang? Inaakala ng iba na tiyak na ang lahat ay maniniwala sa Kanya kung Siya ay magpapakita. Ang problema ay hindi lamang gusto ng Diyos na maniwala ang tao na mayroong Diyos. Ang kagustuhan ng Diyos ay maniwala ang tao sa Kanya sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya (2 Pedro 3:9) at tanggapin sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya ang kanyang kaloob na kaligtasan (Juan 3:16). Pinatunayan ng Diyos ang kanyang katotohanan ng maraming beses sa Lumang Tipan (Genesis 6-9; Exodus 14:21-22; 1 Mga Hari 18:19-31). Naniwala ba ang mga tao noon sa Kanya? Oo. Sila ba'y tumalikod sa kanilang masasamang gawa? Hindi. Kung hindi handa ang isang tao na tanggapin ang katotohanang mayroong Diyos sa pamamgitan ng pananampalataya, hindi rin siya handang tanggapin si Hesus na kanyang tagapagligtas sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya (Efeso 2:8-9). Ang nais ng Diyos ay maging tagasunod Niya ang mga tao hindi lamang maniwala na mayroong Diyos.

What is the purpose of there being rewards in heaven?

The Bible mentions rewards in heaven multiple times (Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:23, 35; 1 Corinthians 3:14; 9:18). But why are rewards necessary? Won’t being in heaven with God be enough? Experiencing Him, His glory, and the joys of heaven will be so wonderful, it’s hard to understand why extra rewards would be needed. Also, since our faith rests in Christ’s righteousness instead of our own (Romans 3:21–26), it seems strange that our works would merit reward.

God will give rewards in heaven at the bema, or the judgment seat of Christ, based on our faithfulness in service to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10). The rewards will show the reality of our sonship (Galatians 4:7) and the justice of God (Hebrews 6:10). God will give rewards in heaven in order to fulfill the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7–9) and make good on His promise that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

One reason for the rewards in heaven is the fact that Jesus shares His reward with us. Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Our lives are “hidden” with Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1–4). We die with Him and we live with Him and we share in His joy (Romans 6:8; Matthew 25:21). In heaven we will dwell with Him (John 14:1–3). Our lives are inextricably linked with Christ’s. The reward He receives is shared with all of us: “If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17).

Ang itinuturo ng Bibliya patungkol sa pagiging mabuting mga magulang.

Ang pagiging magulang ay maaaring isa sa pinakamahirap na hamon sa isang mananampalataya, ngunit ito rin ay maaaring ang pinakamapagpala at pinakamatagumpay na bagay na ating magagawa. Ang Bibliya ay nagtataglay ng maraming katuruan kung paano tayo magiging matagumpay sa pagpapalaki sa ang ating mga anak upang sila ay maging mga lalaki at babae ng Diyos. Ang pinakaunang bagay na kailangan nating ituro sa kanila ay ang katotohanan patungkol sa Salita ng Diyos.

Kaalinsabay ng pagmamahal sa Diyos at pagiging mga maka-Diyos na halimbawa sa pamamagitan ng pagtatalaga ng ating sarili sa Kanyang mga utos, kailangan nating sumunod sa ipinag-uutos ng Deuteronomio 6: 7-9 patungkol sa pagtuturo sa ating mga anak . Ang mga talatang ito ay nagbibigay-diin sa patuloy na pagtuturo ng Salita ng Diyos sa ating mga anak sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Ito ay dapat na itinuturo sa lahat ng panahon - sa tahanan o sa kalsada man, sa araw at gabi. Sinasabi ng Bibliya na kinakailangang ang Salita ng Diyos ang maging panuntunan sa ating mga tahanan. Sa ating pagsunod sa mga tuntunin at sa mga kautusan ng Bibliya, itinuturo natin sa ating mga anak na ang pagsamba sa Dios ay sa tuwina hindi lamang tuwing Linggo ng umaga o sa mga sama-samang pananalangin.

Kahit ang ating mga anak ay maraming natututunan mula sa ating pagtuturo, mas marami silang natututunan sa pagmamasid sa atin. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan tayong maging maingat sa lahat ng ating mga kilos at ginagawa. Kailangan muna nating kilalanin ang mga tungkuling iniatang ng Diyos sa atin. Ang asawang lalaki at asawang babae ay dapat na may paggalang at pagpapasakop sa isa't isa (Efeso 5:21). Kaugnay nito, itinatag ng Dios ang linya ng pamamahala upang mapanatili ang kaayusan sa tahanan. "Ngunit nais kong maunawaan ninyo na si Kristo ang nakakasakop sa bawat lalaki, ang lalaki ang nakakasakop sa kanyang asawa, at ang Diyos naman ang nakakasakop kay Kristo" (1 Corinto 11:3). Nalalaman natin na si Kristo ay hindi mas mababa kaysa Diyos, tulad sa asawang babae na hindi mas mababa kaysa asawang lalaki. Gayunman, kinikilala ng Diyos na kung walang pagpapasakop sa namamahala ang tahanan ay walang kaayusan. Ang tungkulin ng asawang lalaki bilang ulo ng sambahayan ay ibigin ang asawang babae tulad ng pag-ibig niya sa kanyang sarili tulad ng paghahandog ni Kristo ng kanyang sariling buhay dahil sa Kanyang pagibig sa iglesia (Efeso 5: 25-29).

Easter Origin

Easter Origin - A One-time Event

Easter origin, as a Christian holiday, can be found in the pages of scripture itself. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all followers of Jesus, offer their own unique eyewitness accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this culminating event of Christianity that is celebrated on Easter Sunday every year.

Easter Origin - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Easter origin actually began as a part of the Jewish Passover, as Christ was crucified and resurrected during Passover week. Christ is believed by Christians to actually be the Passover Lamb spoken of in Exodus, for He Himself became the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the sins of all people. Jews who chose to follow Christ then honored this day in succeeding years during the Passover season, but as Christianity was spread throughout non-christian nations, the celebration of Easter was gradually combined with pagan "rites of spring" traditions. Modern celebrations are the result of this compromise. At the same time, Easter is often the only day that many people attend church and are introduced to the "Good News" of Jesus Christ.

Easter Origin - Christ Revealed in the Jewish Passover

Easter origin can be traced to the Passover ceremony itself. Christian scholars believe that the Old Testament is Christ concealed, while the New Testament is Christ revealed. Let's hold the elements of the Passover up to the light of the life of Christ. By tradition, the lamb to be sacrificed during the Passover was selected four days before the sacrifice was to be made. Jesus rode into Jerusalem four days before He was crucified. The lamb was customarily slain at 3 p.m. on Passover. Jesus uttered the words "it is finished" and died on the cross at 3 p.m. (this is known traditionally as Good Friday, but many Bible scholars have determined the crucifixion to be on a Wednesday or Thursday). The festival of Unleavened Bread began at sunset. One of the rituals involved the sacrifice of a grain offering, representing the first fruits of the harvest. Jesus, according to the Apostle Paul, became the first fruits of those raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). During the Passover dinner, three matzahs are put together. Christians see these matzahs as representative of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The middle matzah is broken, as Christ said at the Last Supper, "This is My body, broken for you." The middle matzah is also striped and pierced, as Jesus was during His crucifixion, and as was prophesied in Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10. This matzah is then wrapped in a white cloth and hidden, just as Christ was wrapped in linen and laid in the tomb.

Easter Origin - The Biblical Accounts

Easter (also known as Resurrection Day), is the event upon which the entire Christian faith hinges. Paul, once a Jewish leader hostile to Christians, became a convert when he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9). As an eyewitness of Christ, Paul made it abundantly clear that without the resurrection, there is no basis for faith in Christ: Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:12-29)

When Christ was born, He fulfilled a number of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. By the time of His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, He had fulfilled more than 300 of them. These numbers alone provide staggering evidence that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah. So it is with good reason that Christians the world over regard Easter as a very special event. But in the early days of the church, most Christians were Jewish converts. Because Jesus was crucified and rose again during the Passover season, their celebration of Christ's resurrection was acknowledged during that annual observance of the deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Christian Jews (or Messianic Jews) consider the Passover to be symbolic of the time when Christ set all believers free from the penalty of sin (through His death on the cross) and death (through His resurrection from the dead).

Easter Origin - What Does the Resurrection Mean to You?

Easter origin? Can a man who claims to be God and then rises from the dead actually be God in human form? Is He someone you should follow? C.S. Lewis asked those same questions and came to the conclusion that there are only three possibilities. Jesus Christ claimed to be God. Therefore, to say He is just a "good man" or "great teacher" is to call him a liar. Any sane person who would claim to be God, but who in fact, is not, must then be a madman - a lunatic! If Christ is neither a liar nor a lunatic, then there is only one other possible conclusion - He must be the Lord! If He is the Lord, what does Resurrection Day mean to you?

https://www.allaboutgod.com/

Crucifixion Of Jesus

Crucifixion of Jesus - An Accurate Portrayal

The crucifixion of Jesus is detailed in all four of the New Testament Gospels. Not only do these four accounts accurately portray this historical event, they graphically depict a Roman practice that has been absolutely confirmed by the archaeological evidence.

Crucifixion of Jesus - The Roman Practice

In 1968, the historical veracity for the crucifixion of Jesus took another leap forward. A mass gravesite in Israel was uncovered that contained 35 male bodies, each of which died a brutal death around the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome in 70 AD. An inscription identified one of the men as Yohan Ben Ha'galgol. Studies of his bones performed by specialists from the Hadassah Medical School determined this man was in his late 20's and stood five feet six inches tall.

Dramatically, these studies also showed that the man had been crucified in a manner resembling the crucifixion of Jesus. A large spike had been driven through both feet, which were turned outward so the nail could be hammered inside the Achilles tendon. Spikes were also driven through his lower forearms, just below the wrists. The bone studies also revealed that the man's legs were crushed below the knees. In John 19:31-33, we read that Roman executioners expedited the death of crucifixion victims by breaking their legs - this caused them to suffocate quickly because they could no longer push up with their legs to inflate their lungs.

Another archaeological find dating to the first century AD is an unidentified heel bone discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite. Now held by the Israel Antiquities Authority and displayed in the Israel Museum, this dramatic fossil actually has a huge spike still imbedded in the heel. It appears that the executioners hit the bone when they nailed this victim to the cross, and couldn't remove the spike when they removed the body for burial.

Crucifixion of Jesus - More Indirect Evidence

The crucifixion of Jesus isn't mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but the ancient texts reveal that both Jews and Romans hated the practice of crucifixion because of its extreme cruelty. The scrolls also explain that crucifixion was a form of capital punishment reserved for slaves and those who were a threat to Rome. This explains why Pontius Pilate chose crucifixion as the penalty for Jesus Christ, since Jesus claimed a form of "Kingship" that threatened those in religious and political power.

In 1878, a stone inscription was found in Nazareth containing a decree from Emperor Claudius of Rome. The official decree announced that graves must not be disturbed, nor bodies removed. The punishment for violators was death. Interestingly, this stone slab is dated to about 50 AD, and prior to this time, grave-robbing was not considered a capital offense. Claudius probably issued the decree as a result of the turmoil caused by the early preaching of the resurrection of Jesus, which actually caused major riots in 49 AD, when non-believing Jews declared that the body of Jesus had been stolen by his followers.

Crucifixion of Jesus - The Verdict

The crucifixion of Jesus as presented in the New Testament Gospels is totally consistent with the discoveries highlighted in this brief article. These finds provide indirect support for all the other direct evidence of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org

5 Warning Signs for the Church in a “Facebook Culture”

One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the movie Star Wars in the theater in 1977. I (along with an entire nation) was awestruck. Nothing like that had ever been done before. We were all sucked into a new world of spaceships, light sabers, strange creatures, and distant galaxies. But of all the things that caught the attention of the average Star Wars viewer, no doubt the amazing technology of the future was near the top of the list. What would it be like to have robots with personalities, to hover above the ground on a “land speeder,” to play “chess” with virtual-holographic images, and to have lost limbs restored with robotic parts?

Of course, in our modern day these very things have largely been realized. In fact, I noticed that when my own son watched Star Wars on DVD a few years ago, he was not amazed by much of anything technological—some of that probably seemed pretty realistic to him. He was mesmerized instead by the fast flying ships, light saber fights, and fun action scenes. We live in a world where technology advances at such a mind-boggling pace that we hardly have time to stop and be amazed by it. We feel this today particularly in the area of “social media” such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and just plain ol’ texting. We are (supposedly) more connected with each other, more in touch with each other, more often communicating with each other, than ever before.

But, as I think about my son’s future, and even about life in the modern day, I have to ask the simple question: What effect does “social media” technology have on the way we view church? What effect does it have on the way we conceive of life in the body of Christ? Of course, much of social media is positive. And the church has used this technology to advance the cause of Christ. Moreover, I cannot miss the irony of writing about the affects of technological forms of communication on my own website! Nevertheless, I do have some concerns—and so should you. Here are a few characteristics of a “Facebook culture” that we certainly need to reckon with as believers:

Why are there so many religions? Do all religions lead to God?

The existence of so many religions and the claim that all religions lead to God without question confuses many who are earnestly seeking the truth about God, with the end result sometimes being that some despair of ever reaching the absolute truth on the subject. Or they end up embracing the universalist claim that all religions lead to God. Of course, skeptics also point to the existence of so many religions as proof that either you cannot know God or that God simply does not exist.

Romans 1:19-21 contains the biblical explanation for why there are so many religions. The truth of God is seen and known by every human being because God has made it so. Instead of accepting the truth about God and submitting to it, most human beings reject it and seek their own way to understand God. But this leads not to enlightenment regarding God, but to futility of thinking. Here is where we find the basis of the “many religions.”

Many people do not want to believe in a God who demands righteousness and morality, so they invent a God who makes no such requirements. Many people do not want to believe in a God who declares it impossible for people to earn their own way to heaven. So they invent a God who accepts people into heaven if they have completed certain steps, followed certain rules, and/or obeyed certain laws, at least to the best of their ability. Many people do not want a relationship with a God who is sovereign and omnipotent. So they imagine God as being more of a mystical force than a personal and sovereign ruler.

The existence of so many religions is not an argument against God's existence or an argument that truth about God is not clear. Rather, the existence of so many religions is demonstration of humanity's rejection of the one true God. Mankind has replaced Him with gods that are more to their liking. This is a dangerous enterprise. The desire to recreate God in our own image comes from the sin nature within us—a nature that will eventually “reap destruction” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Do all religions lead to God? No. All people—religious or otherwise—will stand before God some day (Hebrews 9:27), but religious affiliation is not what determines your eternal destiny. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). It’s as simple as that. Only Christianity—faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—leads to God’s forgiveness and eternal life. No one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6). It does make a difference what you believe. The decision to embrace the truth about Jesus Christ is important. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.

https://www.gotquestions.org/