Manger Mythbusters: Clarifying the Biblical Nativity

Every year around December a website publishes the worst nativity scenes.  Probably the most awful one in recent years has been the zombie nativity.  People through the years have made creche’ scenes depicting the birth of Jesus.  (Creche’ comes from the French word for manger.) These scenes range from very beautiful to simply ridiculous.  There are hand carved wooden figurines to ceramic bear figures in first century costumes.  There are Lego nativities and even one made from smores.   Obviously, people have different tastes in art and discretion.  One thing is also clear; people have very skewed misconceptions about the birth of Jesus.

Most of the common misconceptions about the birth of Jesus come from the Christmas Card marketing firms.  They create very nice pastoral scenes and present a sanitized version of what was really going on.  Hollywood does their part to create a certain “Christmas” atmosphere and unfortunately they rarely get it right. Soon these misconceptions become part of the myth of Christmas.  This post is designed to answer some of the myths about the birth of Jesus so that we can have a more accurate understanding of the miracle of the incarnation- God becoming flesh and living among us!

If you ask a typical person about their understanding of the Christmas story they will probably tell you something like this:

On December 25 Mary and Joseph come into Bethlehem.  She is riding a donkey and needs to find a room to deliver her baby.  All the inns are full but a kindly innkeeper says they can spend the night in his barn.  That night, angels appear to shepherds and the skies are filled with music.  The shepherds and three wise men on camels find their way to the stable and find the sleeping Christ child, who does not make a sound.  The angels surround the stable and all the animals bow in respect and wonder at this sight.  Gifts are brought to the child and even a small boy plays his drum for Jesus. 

Sound familiar?  It has been told and retold so many times that it is hard to discern fact from fiction.  This is why we must go back to the source, the Bible, in order to set straight the truth of what really happened.  Here are some basic misconceptions:

December 25 is the actual day of Christ’s birth

Most people realize that this date was chosen somewhat arbitrarily by the Catholic church. We do not know with any certainty what the actual date really was.  Apparently God did not think it necessary to tell us the date, probably so that we would not revere the day and miss the person of Christ.  What is important is that Jesus was born, the date is not important.  Most Biblical scholars agree that Jesus was probably born sometime in September since we are told that the shepherds were “abiding in the fields.”  The shepherds would not normally be out in the winter with their flocks.  Trying to find the actual date and time of the birth of Jesus is a matter of conjecture and speculation. 

Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem

The road from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem is about seventy miles over hilly countryside.  We don’t know if Joseph and Mary had enough money for a donkey or if Mary rode in a cart.  Whether she rode or walked it must have been very uncomfortable for a pregnant woman to make this journey.

Mary just made it to Bethlehem in time to give birth

Again we don’t know for certain how long Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem before Jesus was born.  Going around from inn to inn knocking on doors and pleading with innkeepers for lodging makes good drama but probably didn’t happen.   Both Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem for the census because this was the place of their ancestral origin.  It is likely that they had relatives in Bethlehem and had already made some preparations.  The word, “inn” can be translated guest room or private chamber.  There was likely a huge family reunion with many people sleeping in the same room.  It may have been a practical matter to let the young people have their own space, especially since Mary was going to have a baby in the near future.      

The Bible says that “while they were there the days were accomplished that she should give birth.” Luke 2:6.  It does not say that Mary and Joseph just made it to Bethlehem at the last possible moment.  While we don’t know how much time they had before Jesus was delivered, it would have made more sense to get to town and get settled before the actual due date. 

Jesus was born in a stable

Was Jesus birth in a barn or a cave as some suggest?  We don’t know for sure where He was born, even though there are some places in Bethlehem that purport to be the actual site of the birth.  The Greek word used in the Bible is kataluma.  This word can mean a number of things like inn, or guest room, etc.  It is used in Mark 14:14-15 to refer to the large upper room where Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. 

Angels attended the birth of Christ

While angels were sent to announce the birth of the Messiah, we do not know if they were visibly present at the manger.  The Bible suggests that there are messenger angels and there are ministering angels.  We are not always aware of the presence of angels. Hebrews 13:2.   We do not know for sure that the messenger angels sang, only that they were praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace good will toward man.”  Luke 2:13

Three kings rode into Bethlehem on camels

The Bible records that magi came to pay homage to the newborn king.  We do not know if they were kings in their own right or not.  We do not know how many there were, only that the word is plural in the Bible.  We do not know if the “wise men” rode camels or donkeys.  We don’t know when they arrived, only that the Scripture says they “entered the house” Matthew 2:11.  The three kings idea originated in the giving of the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Again, we don’t know if there were three magi or not.  We do not know how much money this represented, but it is likely that Mary and Joseph used part of the gift to finance their unplanned trip to Egypt and their sojourn there. 

Given the fact that Herod had every male child in the district killed who was under two years of age, Mary and Joseph may have stayed in Bethlehem for awhile, before they were warned to flee to Egypt.  They probably used some of the money from the magi to rent a house or rooms in Bethlehem and to finance their presenting Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem.   While Bethlehem is only a few miles from Jerusalem, it would have taken funds for the circumcision, lodging, food and the required sacrifices. 

Jesus was a perfect baby that did not cry

The Bible tells us that Jesus was sinless and therefore perfect before God.  The miracle of the incarnation is that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.  As an infant, it is unlikely he did not cry, after all, crying is not a sin.  Jesus had to grow in “wisdom and stature.” Luke 2:52.   He had to learn things and He physically had to grow up into manhood.  He maintained His sinless perfection as He grew, “in favor with God and man.”

Myths that Contradict the Birth of Christ

Well meaning believers and Christ-followers might be guilty of spreading some of the  stereotypes or myths that have already been mentioned.  However, another type of myth denies the reliability of the Scriptures and tries to cast doubt on the miracle of Christ’s birth.  Here are a few such myths:

Jesus was not born of a virgin

People who hold to this view do not believe that a virgin birth is possible.  By denying the Lordship of Christ they somehow think they will not be held accountable for their lives by God, when they die.  Of course the Bible says, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that, the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27

Those who don’t believe in the virgin birth are denying that God is able.  To this God replies: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27 After all, God did create all life and He holds the universe in space.  Is there really anything too difficult for God? 

Jesus was a good moral teacher but not God

It was C.S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia Series, who first laid out the idea that of all the things you can say about Jesus, the one thing you cannot say is that He was a good moral teacher.  Lewis said that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the son of God, or He was either a lunatic or liar.  He either knew He was lying and misleading people or He lied and didn’t know it because He was a mental case.  There are not a lot of options available.  Jesus was who He claimed to be or He wasn’t, and if He wasn’t who He claimed to be, there are only two possibilities.  He was a lunatic and delusional with a messianic complex or He was a charlatan intentionally leading people astray.  So Jesus is either the Lord, who He claims to be or crazy or evil.  Of those three possibilities, none of them give us the opportunity to say He was a good moral teacher. 

Quirinius was not the Governor of Syria when Jesus was supposed to be born

This argument from silence comes up every year by people looking for a way to deny the birth of Jesus.  It is true that Dr. Luke records in his gospel, Luke 2:2 that Quirinius was governor of Syria at the time of Christ’s birth, but in reality, he did not actually become governor until after Herod died.  Obviously Herod was alive at the time of the birth of Christ.  Luke says that the census was the “First” census and later in the book of Acts, chapter 5 verse 37,  Dr. Luke talks about “the Census.”  There is documentation in antiquity that there was a census and it was under Quirinius but it never records the “first” census that Luke states in his account. 

Luke has never been proven to be inaccurate.  He was an excellent historian not only by first century standards, but also today we can trust his accounts.  Scholars have shown that Quirinius had an illustrious career under Caesar and moved up the ladder into more and more important roles as he proved himself.  The scholars maintain that Quirinius was in fact, a governor of Syria when Christ was born and that he was involved with a regular (repeating) census and reporting of taxes back to Rome.  

What all these myths that attempt to discredit the birth of Christ  really do is try to discredit the reliability and veracity of the Bible.  It is very important that we individually study the Scriptures and enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   Dr Luke also recorded the Apostle Peter as saying, “There is salvation is no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12  The question today is whether or not you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  He is not a myth, He said He was, “The Way the Truth and the Life” and the only way to be saved was through Him. John 14:1

If you have not received Christ as your savior and realize that you need to take this step of faith, please contact me or one of the believers in our church so that we may pray for you and support your decision.  If you need a Bible, or would like more information, please contact our church office.

Disciplining Children

Disciplining Children

We are living in a society today in which the discipline of children is largely being neglected or simply ignored.  Many parents seem to be abdicating responsibility for the training and nurturing of their children in the area of self-discipline to the schools or waiting for their sons and daughters to enter military service and get “straightened out.”  Whether you are in a public or more private setting with parents and children, it does not take long to figure out that our families are having trouble.  Children are being disobedient, disrespectful and destructive without consequences, and parents seem unwilling or unable to use teachable moments to train, direct and discipline their children.

Christian parents, if they are not careful, can be sucked into the vortex of societies norms and willingly accept the values and practices of the world instead of God’s design and principles for the family. 

Disciplining children is one of the tasks God has placed on parents.  Here is a key passage regarding God’s expectations of fathers and their role in discipline: 

            5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:5-11 NIV

Children move through life with a view that their earthly father is god.  He is big, he loves, he provides.  As the child matures they learn that their father has a god.  Often they will acknowledge their father’s god as their own.  Later in life, as an adult, the young person will move into the step of making God their Father.  Discipline is at work in each step of the spiritual development.  While this progression is of God’s design, it is delegated to the fathers and parents until God is made Lord of the young person’s life.   

A young person then, naturally moves from parental control to self-control and ultimately to spirit control.  Sadly many of our children do not have the benefit of parenting that leads them to self-control and eventually to spirit empowered behaviors.

The Bible is also written to children.  God even included children in the ten commandments.  The fifth command is to children; “Children honor your father and your mother in the Lord…”   Children learn to honor their parents through the loving consistant examples they give and through the discipline and training which leads to respect and honor. 

Parents are clearly responsible to raise their children and discipline them in the Lord.  When there is permissiveness or abdication of this responsibility, the children, parents, family and society suffers.  

Godly parenting is intentional. There are goals and strategies, there is design.  Dr. James Dobson makes a vivid analogy of this design through the observation of how young sapling trees are grown:  When a sapling is planted, often two posts are driven deep into the ground near the roots.  Then there are cords put around both posts.  The posts help the tree grow straight and tall.  At some point the posts are removed and the tree is strong to grow on its own.  Dobson likens this to training a young person, a mother and a father are the posts and the cords are the nurturing and training that the young person receives.  As the child grows, the cords must be loosened and eventually removed or both the tree and the person will be stunted.

There is a principle in scripture; “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old , he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6 KJV.  This is not a promise, it is a general principle.  Unlike trees, children have their own free will and choice.  At some point the child is ultimately responsible for the choices and decisions they make, but the passage does underscore the importance of early training and consistent nurturing.

When we talk about discipline, a lot of people confuse it with punishment.  Many of us have not been disciplined but punished growing up.  However, discipline and punishment   are very different in many ways:

Discipline is concerned with future behaviors,  Punishment deals with past sins

Discipline is corrective, instructive, Punishment is penalizing and retaliatory.

Discipline is done in love, punishment is often done in anger or dispassionately.

Disciplines goal is changed behavior, punishments goal is retribution.

It is clear that there is a big difference between discipline and punishment.  It is also easy to see why people are confused by the terms and why we need to be careful to discipline our children and avoid the negative aspects of punishment.

Scripture says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Colossians 3:21 NAS  When discipline turns to punishment,  children are exasperated and they are discouraged and despair.  Some of the punishment behaviors are yelling at the child, berating them, not having a set standard of behavior that is agreed upon, being arbitrary, retaliating, hurtful, unkind etc etc..

Too many fathers and mothers exasperate, embitter and provoke their children when they do not give clear guidelines or a consistent system of rewards and discipline.  Fathers and mothers need to be on the same page when it comes to the families system of discipline.  Unfortunately, both husband and wife have often been raised in two very different systems and we tend to revert back to the system with which we are most familiar.   It is vital that parents share the same values and be on the same page with discipline or the system will fail and the children will not feel secure at home. “ A house divided cannot stand.”  Mark 3:25

Do you remember the game: red rover?  In the game hands are locked and the child runs and tries to break through.  This is a great picture of parenting.  Parents need to be in agreement, arms locked tight, to the limits and boundaries.  They need to be on the same page.  When this happens, the child will find strength and security.

It is very important that a system of consistent discipline is maintained in the home.  In the beginning, parents can come up with the system and as the children mature, they can have a part in the development of the system.  The system should include both rewards for right behavior and discipline for overt or unacceptable behavior.  Many times when the children are allowed to participate in the developing of a discipline system, they are harder on themselves than the parents or the authority figure (teacher) would have been. 

Suggestions for developing a discipline system can be found elsewhere, however it is important that chores are not used as disciplinary tokens.  Children should have chores and be responsible members of the family.  Adding chores or putting on more chores will equate chores to discipline in the child’s mind.

The paradox of childhood is that children seek a safe peaceful environment and as such are willing to endure discipline to have it.  Children prefer to be in a classroom or a family where consistent loving discipline is enforced.   Class or home “rules” and standards provide stability and peace.  It is much like a fence surrounding a back yard.  The fence will keep the children in the yard, but it also keeps them safe from external danger.  Our children’s safety and their very lives are dependent on the strength of the “fence” boundaries that we put into place and maintain. 

When we don’t set boundaries or fences around our children we are saying that we do not love them enough to give them safe healthy guidelines.  These are not arbitrary borders but wise, healthy boundaries. 

We have mentioned the trap of falling into the world’s system of parenting and have also suggested that sin and our own fleshly desires work against parents, but there is a third part of this unholy trinity of the world, the flesh and the devil.

We are engaged in a spiritual battle for our children.  “The enemy, the devil”, the Bible tells us “is a roaring lion walking around seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8.  Satan seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  He desperately wants your children.  But not because he loves them.   He wants to steal them, abuse them, defile them, destroy them and kill them.  satan hates the image bearers of the living and true God.  he hates you as a child of God and he hates your children. 

When parents abdicate the spiritual instruction and nurture of their children, they are basically handing their children over to the roaring lion.  Well meaning but misguided parents will say, “We aren’t going to influence our children to accept one religion, they need to make up their own minds when they are old enough to experience different religions.”    

Other parents make sports and school a priority over spiritual instruction and even church attendance.  “We can’t make our son (or daughter) go to church.”  is commonly heard by frustrated pastors and youth leaders.  One youth pastor recently said, “I just want to say to these parents, Why don’t you just hand your children over to satan right now, because that is what he wants and that is what is going to happen if you don’t give proper parental guidance.” 

Ideally the church and the home would work together with God for the growth and development of the children of the faith community.  It really does take more than a village to raise a child.  We need all the help we can get from the village, but we must rely on the work of the Holy Spirit in faith to speak to our children, to minister to them and to protect and lead them into a life of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Christian parents are on the same page and enforce consistent and loving discipline on a regular basis, working together with Godly mentors and sharing life with other parents going through the same experiences, God is honored.  Fortunately, love does cover a multitude of sins.( I Peter 4:8.)

If our children turn out o.k., it is partially because of us and our modeling Christlikeness, and it is also in spite of us, because we are not perfect, we still sin and we make mistakes.  Praying for our kids and lovingly disciplining them for their own good will reap the fruit of righteousness in their lives. Becoming the best disciples of Jesus Christ that we can possibility be and loving our spouses dearly are both very practical steps that will make us better parents and we will directly impact our children’s walk in maturity and faith.

And just about the time you see them growing  up, being responsible,  running errands for you, being obedient and respectful, they leave home as young adults.  They have ceased to be just one of your children, they are now your friends.   Consistent loving discipline has yielded the fruit of a productive young man or woman of God. 

 It is not easy, it is not for the faint hearted, but it is worth it all.   Our kids are worth the effort. 

Praying for Rapture, Preparing for Tribulation

Praying for Rapture, Preparing for Tribulation

The Church of the Living God has for the past 2000 years eagerly looked for the promised return of His Majesty, King Jesus. Spiritual ears have listened for the long awaited trumpet sound that will signal the beginning of the end of all things. Scholars, Skeptics and Spiritual Leaders have searched the Holy Scriptures looking for a clue to the time of Christ’s visible, bodily return. Church history is full of false prophets who have predicted the date of Christ’s return and the Rapture of the church. Dates have been given and dates have passed. Charts of Revelation have been created and used to teach others exactly what to look for and when He will return.

About the only thing a Christian can know for certain is that if someone says they can pinpoint the exact time of the Lord Jesus Christ’s return, that is precisely the time that He is NOT returning. Our Lord was very clear on this point. “No man knows the day nor the hour.’ Matthew 24:36

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.” Matthew 24:36-37 (NASB)

The Bible does give us clues and signs leading to the Lord’s return, but the warning is obvious: Christ’s return to earth is imminent. It may happen at any time.

People who study the Bible are divided into two major views when it comes to the imminent return of Christ and the rapture of the church. These views are the Pre-Tribulational Rapture and the Mid- or Post-Tribulational Rapture. One group believes the Bible teaches that Christ will return before the seven years of tribulation and the other group is equally convinced that Jesus will come back either during the Tribulation or afterward.

Both of these groups are comprised of sincere Christians who believe in the Bible and take the Scriptures seriously and literally. Since the Bible states that no man knows the day or hour, it should not be surprising that well meaning Christians differ in their interpretation of the key end-times Scriptures.

We do know for certain that the coming of the Lord is imminent. It could happen at any time. We know that there are benchmarks that will precede His visible return, and that many scholars and students are pointing to current events and suggesting that the beginning of the end is near.

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” Romans 13:11

Regardless of whether a person is pre, mid or post -trib in their interpretation of the end time Scriptures, there are some practical things that everyone must consider.

Like the men of Issachar, who “knew the times, and knew what to do” we must evaluate the times and know what we are to do.

We are living in unusual times as we look at the situation in the world today. My wife and I were in Egypt in 2010 months prior to the overthrow of the Egyptian government. While we were not aware of the imminent downfall of Mubarak’s regime, we could see signs that something was about to happen.

Today, we see the signs that something is happening on the global stage. Events are falling into place as a warning of the things to come.

Regardless of your eschatology or view of the end times, the closer the tribulation looms, it will become increasingly more difficult to profess Christ and live a Christian life. The question is not when the rapture will happen, but are we ready for the events that will proceed the terrible time known as the “Great Tribulation?”

The teaching of the pre-tribulational rapture of the church has led many Christians to be unprepared for challenging times. Since this view teaches that Christians will not go through the tribulation, the rapture is seen as a great escape from the harm that will come to others. Unfortunately this leaves many people unprepared for the birth pangs of the tribulation.

Like the Christians who have come before us, we pray, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” ( Revelation 22:20 ) Yes we want the Lord to return. But if we are living in the last generation, then we have an awesome responsibility and opportunity.

We are praying for rapture, but we must be preparing for increasing times of difficulty and tribulation.

The coming Global calamity provides the Christian with one of the most incredible witnessing opportunities of the past 2000 years, but we must be ready. We must be able to survive and even thrive during the crash. We must be the salt and light for the end times. Churches and individuals need to get ready. Now is not the time to sit back and wait to be taken out of the world. We have been placed here for such a time as this and we need to be ready.

We do not need to be scared, frightened or fearful, just prepared. Our Lord’s parable of the talents reminds us that if we know the master is returning at any time, then we must be about His business and be ready, so that when He comes back, He will find us faithfully discharging the responsibility He gave us. We are to survive in order to save. We may well be the end time witnesses. God always has a witness.

Dear Christian, the reality today is that things are going to get worse. We must prepare spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We really must understand the times and know what to do.

Signs of the Times

This is what we learn from, our Master and Commander; Jesus Christ the King:

Mathew 24:6-14 NIV 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

There are a number of ways to exegete or interpret this passage to fit a person’s particular viewpoint. You can read all sorts of things into this passage, but you can only get one thing out of it: Things are going to get worse before the end.

Some people think this passage of our Lord’s refers to the first century and it may in part do that, but there is also a second possible fulfillment to this prophecy of the end of the world that He foretold. Like Yogi Berra said, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

· Wars and rumors of wars: Rumors! Propaganda, Threats, but see to it that YOU are not alarmed! (Such things must happen- why? We are in a cosmic struggle for the hearts and souls of men and women boys and girls.) If you don’t understand this, not much else will make any sense. But the end is still to come. The war to end all wars has not happened.

· Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be international struggles- It does not sound like the picture is one where mankind has progressed and gotten better. The Bible presents the opposite picture

· There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (Various places, widespread.) The ancients never heard of the pacific rim ring of fire but they knew what this meant. There is coming a global catastrophe.

· These are the beginning of birth pains. Interesting choice of a word picture. Birthing. Something is taking place that will soon be here, much like a woman in labor, in pain, birthing a child.

· Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. One thing you cannot say about Jesus, he is not neutral. He is either your stepping stone or your stumbling block. This past week the YMCA decided to abbreviate their abbreviation and to be known in the future as The Y. It is interesting to read their spin on this clear move to drop the C from the YMCA. What is patently obvious is that the name of Christ is an embarrassment to this business that started out as a Christian organization.[i]

· At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. because of the increase of wickedness, the love of MOST will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Turning from Christ and the church, walking away from their faith, betraying and hating and the love of most will grow cold. Will you be one of these? Will I? We must each examine ourselves, is your love growing cold? What is the temperature of your faith? Are you hot? Lukewarm? cooling off? You must stand firm to the end to be saved…Does that mean saved from the calamity or saved from your sin? We don’t have time to go into all the ramifications of that statement, but I believe that once you have truly tasted the water, you will never go back to drinking in the sewer. But it is going to take stamina.

· And this gospel. GOOD NEWS will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and THEN the end will come. There is a Christian witness today in every one of the 197 recognized countries of the world. The Bible is being translated into every known tongue and dialect. We are closer to the end then at any time in history.

The doomsday clock is a countdown to Global annihilation. We are currently at 6 minutes to midnight. The world scientists see an end in view, as Christ predicted.

In the end times some people will be very frightened; some will try to fight and others will try to flee. This coping strategy is called Fight or Flight.

Fighting is one possible strategy. These people will be collecting guns and ammunition. They will be building state of the art bomb shelters and seek survival at all costs.

Flight takes many forms, including just denying the possibility of the world getting worse, or the extreme of moving to the wilderness and hunkering in. People with this strategy will be running around terrified and worried all the time. They will be seeking shelter and protection.

There are two fictitious characters which represent these two approaches: Pollyanna and Chicken Little.

Pollyanna: You may remember Haley Mills playing the part of Pollyanna. She loved to say; “Let’s play the glad game.” She would put a positive spin on everything. Optimism is good and has a place, but this extreme is where many Christians find themselves today. “Oh it is going to get better,” or “Oh, Jesus is coming to rapture us out of this sinking ship. I don’t worry, I just try to be happy.”

The other extreme is Chicken Little: He is all about gloom and doom. “The sky is falling , the sky is falling.” There are many today running around like that, not offering hope or solutions, just running around like a chicken ….

The Lord is very clear that neither of these approaches are valid for the Christ follower: In Matthew 24:6 we read;” See to it that you are not alarmed.” We are not to be afraid in the middle of these difficult circumstances. Jesus also said; “My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.” John 14:27

In the old testament we read; Psalm 27:3 KJV “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident.” It is not the circumstances that determine our attitude, it is our faith in Christ. We are to be “faithing” the future.

The third option is the boy scout. His motto is: “Be prepared.” We can have a healthy optimism and a reasonable concern, but we need to be prepared for what Jesus told us was going to take place.

How should we then live? By hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Regardless of where you feel the rapture will take place, things are going to get worse before they get better. We know that everything will work out in the end, and if it’s not working out, it’s not the end.

Matthew 24:6 These things MUST come to pass. It will happen. We do not need to go in fear, but in faith. We are Overcomers and on the winning team. But there is still much to be done. And we must strengthen each other in our faith and witness. Teaching and encouraging and by all means winning some souls to Christ before it is too late for them.

Survival

Surviving to Serve. The Christian is not in this world to seek his or her own comfort. There is a higher calling for the Christ follower. Part of preparing for a time of tribulation or difficulty is planning how to help and serve others. By planning and preparing now, the Christian will be in a unique position, not only to survive but to thrive and to accomplish the work God intended for His church. This generation may well be the witnesses to and for the beginning of the end. The church must be ready for the opportunities that will be present just prior to Christ’s Second Coming.

The following items are given for consideration and planning. Many groups are now in the process of preparing for a time of chaos. There are many websites directed at planning and products for emergency preparation. Some websites will be included in this brochure.

Regardless of your theology, being prepared for an emergency is a good idea. Whether it is a local power outage, a regional disaster or the complete collapse of a nation, we are being warned and called out to be ready.

The Survival rule of Three:

Your safety and survivability requires that you not exceed:

3 seconds of major bleeding

3 minutes without oxygen; asphyxiation, drowning

3 hours without shelter; exposure

3 days without water; dehydration

3 weeks without food; starvation

A good plan is also built around the number 3: Prepare for a three day emergency. Get enough supplies, fuel and food for three days. Once you have made that step, begin your planning for a three week emergency. Then go on to three months and eventually a three year plus plan. Here are some items for your consideration:

Planning: The nuts and bolts of survival. Preparation has to do with planning and is not only the place to begin but it is perhaps the most important aspect of survival.

Defense: With a breakdown of society, rampant fear and the inability of the police or National Guard to keep order, it will become increasingly necessary for families to protect their lives, their neighbors and their survival supplies.

Medical: The response time of medical help may be extended or non existent. Hospitals will be taxed to overwhelm their capacity. Families must be ready for emergency trauma care and the ability to treat first aid situations. Prescription and over the counter medicines may be unavailable. There is also a need for sanitation and personal hygiene concerns.

Shelter: Most survival materials are written for wilderness survival. Of utmost concern is the need for urban survival, the possibility of living in your own home without water, electricity, gas, etc. Also the concern of protecting your shelter in case of fire, flood and other natural or man made disasters.

Water: Filtering and storing potable water is a major concern for which most urban dwellers are not prepared.

Food: Nutrition and health is a key to survival sustainability. Stores may not be able to stock enough food. Bartering and sharing food will be a necessity. We may see the time when a piece of bread could buy a bag of gold.

Quality of Life: Communication, transportation, energy, entertainment. (Bibles for home group studies)

Find others who are also interested in emergency preparedness. Share ideas, encourage and support one another. Make sure your family is fully aware of your preparedness plans. Test your equipment and supplies.

Wal Mart is now selling a wide variety of dehydrated foods in #10 cans. Try some of the food before you have to use it. Attend a survival fair or workshop. Read what others are doing and pray that God would show you what you are to do.

Websites: The following websites are included not to endorse, but as a representative sample of the “Preppy” movement. Visit these sites and then go to the links on each of the sites, those will take you to other links. There are many good and not so good sites encouraging people to get ready for emergencies

The Survival Mom.com, Ready Nutrition.com, SHFT plan.com

“He that testifies of these things says, ‘Surely I come quickly’. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:2

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[i] “We want to be inclusive” they say. I say, How inclusive is dying for the sins of the entire world? They say Christianity is about hate and I say Christianity is about love. They say that there are many religions and ways to get to God, and I say there are many ways to get to Jesus, but only one way to get to God. And I did not make that up. Jesus said, I am THE way THE truth and THE life, no man comes to the Father, except by me. Oh yes, He is either your stepping stone or your stumbling block. (Please hear me, don’t boycott the Y, join it and be salt and light.)

Baptism: Sign, Symbol, Separation

A word about baptism

You have probably heard the expression that “Baptism is the outward expression of the inward change.” In one sense that is very true. Baptism, or being immersed in water, follows a person’s accepting Christ as their Savior.

Jesus is quoted as saying; “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16 NIV. In these verses Jesus explains the sequence. Belief first then baptism. Baptism is linked to believing or to saving faith in Christ. However, Jesus does not say that a person who believes but is not baptized is condemned.

The classic example of a person in the New Testament believing but not being baptized is the thief on the cross who was dying along with Jesus. The Savior promised the believing man, on that very day, he would be with Jesus in Paradise. This man is one of the few “non baptized” exceptions in the Bible. In the book of Acts, which records the beginning of the church, every time a person is converted, baptism follows. The first disciples of Jesus took baptism very seriously.

Both Peter and Paul, writing in the New Testament pointed to an Old Testament example to explain the significance of believer’s baptism.

Peter wrote to the church saying: “After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 3:19-21 NIV)

During the time the ark was being built, Noah, the “preacher of righteousness” was saved by his faith, however, not until the floods came and the old way was destroyed, was Noah and his family separated from the sin and evil of the day. The water of baptism does not cleanse from sin, only the blood of Jesus can do that. Going through the water signifies the separation from the old way of sin and death.

Paul further explains this in his letter to the church in Corinth: “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (I Corinthians 10:1-2 NIV)

Paul reminds the church that the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. They were saved from the angel of death by putting the lamb’s blood on their doorposts and lintels. It was not until Moses led the people through the Red Sea in a symbol of baptism, that they were finally freed from the grip of the pharaoh and the slavery of the old life.

In these two pictures, the apostles give us a rationale for baptism; it is not for salvation, we are saved by grace through faith alone. Baptism separates us from the former life of slavery and sin. We are free to follow Christ, escaping the dominion of sin and satan. Therefore baptism is both the act and the symbol of separation from the old life. Baptism is an important step of obedience for the Christ follower.

When my wife and I were in Japan as missionaries, we would often hear Japanese people say that they believed in Christ but were not yet baptized. For them, baptism was the line of demarcation. Often it meant that they would be disowned by their family and cut out of the family line. It meant that they could no longer honor their ancestors or worship at the family “god shelf.” These Japanese clearly knew the implications of baptism and taking a stand for Christ and, sadly, many could not make that step of discipleship.

Today baptism is a marvelous picture of our lives in Christ. As we are standing in the water we stand in the name of the One who created us; The Father. We are brought into the water and covered by it in identification with the Son who died for us and was buried. Then we come out of the water and are raised in new life in the Spirit. We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In some ways, baptism is like the marriage ceremony. People can enter into the marriage covenant (salvation) and not consummate the marriage immediately (baptism.) Is the person married? Of course, yet it is only in one sense. The fullness of the covenant is shared in the act of marriage and becoming one flesh. Baptism is an important part of the salvation covenant for the Christ follower.

Yes, Baptism is a symbol and a sign of the inward change Christ has brought into the heart that is yielded to Him. However, baptism goes beyond the symbolism and is a very real step of faith that obedience to Christ requires ( if at all humanly possible.) Baptism is not optional for the believer; it is not just a nice thing to do. Baptism sets us apart from the old way and in a very real and tangible way separates us and delivers us from the former kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light and Life in Christ.

Ecoterrorism- The Green Machine

What’s wrong with the green machine? Dr. Mark vonEhrenkrook

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

The “green machine” is a reference to radical environmentalism. Today there is an ideology and philosophy that is taking on religious proportions. In fact, the ecological movement has become a religion of secularism. As a religion, the environmental movement is challenging mainstream Christianity, Western capitalism and even humanism.

The movement brings together a wide variety of different philosophies including Mother earth adherents, anarchists, ecofeminists, animal rights activists, pagans, Wiccans and anti-western protesters. Radical environmentalism encourages the use of methods legal and illegal to sabotage and stop those events and policies that they deem counter to their beliefs.

Groups have included Greenpeace, Earth Liberation Front, Earth First and the Earth Liberation Army to name a few. The groups have grown in number and audacity from tree-hugging sit-ins, tree spiking, and releasing caged animals to ecoterrorism, bombing and “ecotage.” They seek to “monkeywrench” through direct means both the activity and economy of such things as road building, cutting trees, mining and suburban building.

Some people recognize that Radical environmentalism; the green machine, is really a zealous religion that seeks to protect the ecosystem, especially from man’s intrusions.

This movement has also been called, “the green dragon” by conservatives. A counter movement, “Resisting the Green Dragon” focuses on educating Christians to the dangers of extreme ecology. They seek to expose environmentalism’s “false world view, substitute religion, poor science, misguided economics, and dangerous political aims.” Their 12 part series also “demonstrates how environmentalism threatens parents’ ability to pass on the Christian faith to their children, the sanctity of human life, the well-being of everyone but especially of the world’s poorest, and basic human liberties.”

In one lecture from the Resisting the Green Dragon series, entitled, From Captain Planet to Avatar: the Seduction of Our Youth, Michael Farris, the founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association shows how movies, television, the mainstream media and the internet are all being used to indoctrinate children into radical environmental philosophy.

He points out how the movie, Avatar, with the premise that man has destroyed the earth and is now branching out to plunder other planets as well, is a thinly disguised religious film encouraging earth based philosophy and a pantheistic world view. In this religion, mother earth is god and people must serve her and protect her at all costs. We hear terms like the goddess earth and mother nature used to personify the creation and lift it to the status of deity.

The religion of earth seems to be acceptable today in our schools and public institutions. People are indoctrinated and regulated by laws, in the efforts to “Go green” and to save the planet. Even unsuspecting Christians are sucked into the vortex of this false religion in their concern for environmental issues. Most people do not even suspect the underlying hatred for human intervention onto the creation.

The religious fervor of the environmental zealots is further fueled by their science and research. Many will remember the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” that former vice president, Al Gore produced. Even though a judge ruled that there were at least nine errors in the film, Gore did receive an Oscar and the Nobel prize for calling attention to the issue of “global warming.”

Although global warming’s causal relationship to human intervention has been inconclusive, it is still used as a scare tactic today and is also the basis for such national policies as CO2 emissions and tree harvesting. In the end, the bottom line for many radical environmentalists may not be just their hatred for the human race as much as it is their love of money.

As we step back and take a look at the green machine, the religious fervor and the diverse groups that are joining the “church of earth” we notice some trends and similarities. The devaluing of human life over plant and animal life is a degradation of the human life. Zero population growth adherents as well as abortionists and other groups see man as the biggest culprit in such ecological issues as global warming. Man is the problem. One protest signboard read: “Save the planet, kill yourself.” When animals are elevated over man, we see a system that is totally out of control.

Much of this is rooted in evolutionary theory. That the earth produced the first life (Where the earth came from is not considered) and after earth created life, man rose to the status of king of the jungle. Man is no better than pond scum, because that is where he came from. Man has a responsibility to mother nature to leave the smallest footprint of his existence when he leaves.

The roots of this modern movement are solidly fixed in evolutionary theory. In the Darwinian model, humans are no more special than any other fellow animal. It is the earth that births all life, not God. There is almost a hatred for mankind and all the ills of pollution and global warming are a direct cause of man’s “survival of the fittest” urge.

So what should the informed Christian response should be? Here are three, even more inconvenient truths that should shape the eco dialogue among Christians:

Truth #1: The earth is the Lord’s.

A Christ-follower’s motivation for caring for the planet? It belongs to God.

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2 (New International Version)

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 (NIV)

Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. Job 41:11 (NIV)

16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:16

Truth #2: Believers are stewards of God’s creation. A steward is someone entrusted with another’s wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owner’s best interest.

26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1: 26-30

Genesis 2:15 15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it

Jesus: “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” Matthew 25:14 (NIV)

Psalm 8:4-8 (NIV) what is man?

“To rule” frequently carries with it the obligation of being compassionate in that rule and not to exploit or misuse that which you are ruling over.(See Leviticus 25:43, 46, 53)

Truth # 3: Man is eternal, the earth is temporal. One day, it is all going to burn.

Hebrews 12:27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

2 Peter 3:7, 10-13

By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men… 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

Some action steps we need to make as responsible stewards:

1. Be knowledgeable about the philosophy behind the green machine and be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have.

2. Take seriously the responsibility of being God’s steward over the earth and all that it contains.

3. Do your part to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Resources:

As a biblically orthodox Christian organization EEN totally rejects nature worship and pantheism. Nothing is clearer in Scripture: we are to worship only the Creator - never His creation…At the same time that we condemn nature worship, we must not let our zeal to avoid idolatry prevent us from our biblical call to care for all of creation. Indeed, one cannot fully worship the Creator and at the same time destroy His creation, which was brought into being to glorify him. Worshiping the Creator and caring for creation is all part of loving God. They are mutually reinforcing activities. It is actually unbiblical to set one against the other. www.CreationCare.org

We hope “Loving the Least of These” will be a useful tool for the evangelical community in considering how to respond to the biblical mandates to care for creation and for the poor. www.nae.net/lovingtheleastofthese

Dr. Fred Van Dyke, Between Heaven and Earth, Christian Prospectives on Environmental Stewardship.

Richard Gasaway, An Inconvenient Purpose: Linking Godly Stewardship and Alternative Energy.

“Without doubt one of the greatest threats to society and the church today is the multifaceted environmentalist movement. Although its reach is often subtle, there isn’t an aspect of life that it doesn’t seek to force into its own mold.” www.resistingthegreendragon.com/

We destroy speculations and arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought in subjection to Christ. II Cor 10:5

Christmas Bells

As I sit here in front of my computer I am listening to Christmas songs on my Itunes. I just noticed that I have downloaded 221 different Christmas hymns and songs. I really like the music of Christmas as you can probably tell. I have several “favorite” songs, however, one of my most favorite songs is the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His poem, “Christmas Bells” was written in the middle of the Civil War on Christmas day 1863.

Longfellow had lost his wife two years earlier in a tragic fire. He was also burned trying to save her. He was so badly burned he could not attend her funeral and he grew his famous beard to hide the scars on his face, yet he never was able to hide the scars on his heart. (Eighteen years later he was still mourning her death, writing that he was “inwardly bleeding to death.”) He was further devastated when during this particular Christmas season, he was informed that his son Charles had been wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church.

In his pain and despair, and in the middle of a national crisis, this great poet and man of God looked for signs of hope. Initially the sound of the familiar Christmas Bells only added to his pain and confusion. But then, God used these bells to remind him of the true message of Christmas and to give him the Hope, Peace, and Joy he was seeking.

Longfellow will be remembered by such wonderful poems as “The Song of Hiawatha”. “The Children’s Hour” “The Courtship of Miles Standish” and the “Village Blacksmith.” For me, however, I will always treasure this great poem, song and marvelous Christmas message:

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!