Hey! New Christian! Your new life is about relationship, not religion. | Evangelism.net

Hey! New Christian! Your new life is about relationship, not religion. | Evangelism.net

To Read

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
—Matthew 11:28–30

To Consider

For me, religion always came up short. Sometimes I found it confusing and frustrating. I felt I could never be good enough for God to accept me, and I was never sure how good I had to be in order to be good enough. I misunderstood, though, the vast difference between religion and Christ.

In the above verses, Jesus Christ invited those who “labor and are heavy laden” to come to Him. The two major religious factions of Christ’s day laid down an enormous amount of regulations to follow in order to be accepted by God. The religious leaders insisted upon enforcing an endless list of dos and don’ts. One of those regulations even stipulated certain days on which you couldn’t hit a donkey with your whip! You can imagine how confusing, tiring, and frustrating those regulations were.

Christ was passionate that we understand how different His instructions are. The word yoke refers to a wooden frame placed upon the shoulders that makes a burden easier to bear. In the verses above yoke refers to Christ’s instructions on how to live a life pleasing to God. Why is His yoke so different?

First, you’ve been saved through your personal faith in Christ, so you’re not living for Him in order to be accepted by God. You’re living for Him because you’ve already been accepted. Second, you’re living for someone who is “gentle and lowly in heart”—humble, not haughty. That kind of person is easy to follow. Third, while He is teaching you how to live, He’s right there giving you strength. That’s why He exclaimed, “My yoke is easy. My burden is light.”

If you do wrong, He’s sympathetic and understanding, forgiving you and helping you to be stronger next time. Living for Him becomes a delight, not a duty, because living for Him is centered on a relationship, not regulations. Religion can be burdensome. A relationship with Christ is a relief.

To Illustrate

A book called Mushrooms on the Moor contains the story of a believer who knew that at the center of the Christian life was a relationship with the One who had died for him. Eventually, the believer became ill and was confined to bed. A document was brought to him that required his signature. He took a pen and held it for a long moment, signed the document, then fell back upon his pillow, dead. It then became obvious how grateful that believer was for the Savior and how privileged he felt to live for Him. On the paper the believer had written not his own name but the name Jesus—the One he was about to see face to face.

To Meditate

Religion focuses on the regulations you must follow to be accepted by God. The Christian life focuses on your relationship with God, a relationship made possible because, through Christ, He has accepted you.

To Pray

Take a moment to praise God for bringing you into an eternal relationship with the Savior. Give Him thanks that you can now live for Him out of gratitude and delight.

This blog post has been adapted from the book 31 Days to Living as a New Believer.

Bethlehem — home of David and Jesus | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Bethlehem — home of David and Jesus | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Bethlehem — home of David and Jesus

Posted on December 23, 2010 by ferrelljenkins| 2 Comments

A little more than two years ago we wrote about Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus here. We will follow the example of Paul, Peter and Jude to remind our readers of some things we already know (Romans 15;15; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:14; 2 Peter 1:12; Jude 1:5; et al.).

• During the Patriarchal period the town we know as Bethlehem was called Ephrath (Genesis 48:7; 35:9-27).
• Later, as part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, it was the home of Ruth and Boaz and became the birthplace and early home of David (1 Samuel 17:12, 15).
• The town was sometimes called the “city of David” (Luke 2:4, 11), but is most famous as the birthplace of Jesus (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-15; Matthew 2:1-16).

When one visits the Bible lands today he must realize that 2,000 years of history, involving both repeated building and the destruction of what has been built, has left nothing to remind one of the original place where Jesus was born. Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 160) said Joseph “took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village.” Origen (mid-third century) said the cave where Jesus was born was being shown and even the enemies of the faith were talking of it. Jerome, a resident of Bethlehem (A.D. 386-420), tells how the birthplace of Jesus and other places associated with the ministry of Jesus were defiled from the time of Hadrian to the reign of Constantine. The Church of the Nativity now stands at this spot.

This photo shows the exterior of the Church of the Nativity.

Exterior of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

My wife saved a portion of our local paper for me last Sunday. The headline says, “Peace swells Bethlehem tourism.” All of the town’s hotel rooms are booked solid for Christmas. Last year 70,000 visited Bethlehem for Christmas, but the number is expected to be “up strongly” this year.

If you have more interest in learning about the origin of the celebration of Christ, take a look here. A more detailed study of the historical aspects of the celebration is available in PDF here.

This entry was posted in Bible Study, Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Photography, Bible Places, Israel. Bookmark the permalink.

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Searching for Sodom — in the sea and on the land | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Searching for Sodom — in the sea and on the land | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Searching for Sodom — in the sea and on the land

Posted on December 25, 2010 by ferrelljenkins| Leave a comment

The search for the city of Sodom has become as elusive and controversial as the search for Noah’s ark. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible calls attention to the city of Sodom. It is first mentioned in Genesis 10:19; the last reference is in Revelation 11:8. The wickedness and destruction of the city became a symbol of final destruction throughout the Bible. Isaiah spoke concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9 ESV)

The apostle Paul picks us the same theme in Romans 9:29.

The emphasis on Sodom, and the inability to visit a specific site only heightens the curiosity.

Dr. Steven Collins, Dean, College of Archaeology, Trinity Southwest University, thinks that Tall el-Hammam is the site of Sodom. Info about the excavation project may be located here. Other scholars suggest that Tall el-Hammam is the site of Abel-shittim (Numbers 33:49; Shittim, Numbers 25:1), in the plains of Moab. See Rainey and Notley, The Sacred Bridge, 125. The Israelite spies went out from here to view the promised land, especially Jericho (Joshua 2:1).

Tall el-Hammam in the Jordan Valley of Jordan. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Earlier in the month the media reported (here, for example) that a Russian team was planning to begin an underwater exploration of the northeast portion of the Dead Sea — that is, on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea.

In the past it has been common for scholars to suggest that Sodom were located in (or at) the southern end of the Dead Sea at Bab edh-Dhra.

The excavation at Tall el-Hammam is now in progress. Dr. David Graves has been working there for several years. He has also been looking for the Roman site of Livius. I wish to call attention to several things Graves has mentioned recently on his Deus Artefacta blog.

• A video of Dr. Collins setting forth his argument for the location of Sodom and Gomorrah at Tall el-Hammam. Click here.
• The front team for the current season of excavation. Click here.
• Someone from the Russian team was to visit Tall el-Hammam.
• Season Six Begins at Tall el-Hammam video. Click here.
• Gary Byers, Assistant Dig Director, on December 23 reported more details about the Russian proposal. Read the entire report here. It appears that the Russian team is making claims greater than the reality.

The site marked Abel-Shittim on the map below is known today as Tall el-Hammam. You may see a larger map at BibleAtlas.org.

Site of Abel-Shittim in the Jordan Valley. BibleAtlas.org.

I’m not convinced yet, but I’ll continue to watch.

Now It’s Your Turn | Evangelism.net

Now It’s Your Turn | Evangelism.net

Ask, “What are the two times of the year non-Christians tend to think the most about spiritual things?”Most Christians know the answer – Christmas and Easter.

What we overlook is something so simple that we need what Winston Churchill called “the genius to recognize the obvious.” There is one item that has been used for years that should do two things – motivate us to reach non-Christians and help us explain the Gospel to them. That item – Christmas hymns. Let’s look at three of the most common ones sung by Christians and non-Christians alike. Unfortunately, non-Christians often sing the words without realizing their meaning. That is where you and I come in.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Four phrases into that song, what does it say? “God and sinners reconciled.” What an opportunity to say to non-Christians, “Have you ever sung that song?” Do you know what the phrase, “God and sinners reconciled” means? Reconciliation means God has taken those who were His enemies and made it possible for us to be His friends. He did that through the cross. Sin separated us from God. He died as our substitute, taking the punishment we deserved and rose again. Through personal trust in Christ as Savior, the one that song calls the “new born King,” we can live forever with Him. We are His friends instead of His enemies.

Silent Night, Holy Night. Ask many non-Christians if they’ve sung it and they’ll give you the first few lines. They have said to me, “I love that song.” Then ask them have you ever understood the phrase “with the dawn of redeeming grace?” Redeem means “to deliver by the payment of a price.” Grace means “favor we did not deserve.” Christ gave us favor we did not deserve by taking the punishment for our sin and rising again. With the price of our sin paid for, God can give us heaven free. It’s favor we don’t deserve.

Away In A Manger. He came from heaven to earth so we could go from earth to heaven. The last phrase says, “And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.” So here’s the question. What do you have to do to be “fit for heaven?” It’s not what we do; it’s what He’s done. What an opportunity to explain John 19:30, “It is finished.” Finished means “paid in full.” I owed a debt I could not pay. He paid a debt He did not owe. Because he paid my debt in full, through His death and resurrection, I am “fit for heaven” by trusting Christ alone to save me.

Don’t miss your opportunity to use Christmas hymns among non-Christians who are God fearing but not God knowing. Choose any you like and you will find the wording usually gives you an opportunity to do what I just did. The first Christmas, it was the angels who announced,” For there is born to you a Savior.” This Christmas, it’s your turn!

Is there such a thing as absolute truth / universal truth? - Zoecity

Is there such a thing as absolute truth / universal truth? - Zoecity

Source: www.gotquestions.org

In order to understand absolute or universal truth, we must begin by defining truth. Truth, according to the dictionary, is "conformity to fact or actuality; a statement proven to be or accepted as true." Some people would say that there is no true reality, only perceptions and opinions. Others would argue that there must be some absolute reality or truth.

One view says that there are no absolutes that define reality. Those who hold this view believe everything is relative to something else, and thus there can be no actual reality. Because of that, there are ultimately no moral absolutes, no authority for deciding if an action is positive or negative, right or wrong. This view leads to "situational ethics," the belief that what is right or wrong is relative to the situation. There is no right or wrong; therefore, whatever feels or seems right at the time and in that situation is right. Of course, situational ethics leads to a subjective, "whatever feels good" mentality and lifestyle, which has a devastating effect on society and individuals. This is postmodernism, creating a society that regards all values, beliefs, lifestyles, and truth claims as equally valid.

The other view holds that there are indeed absolute realities and standards that define what is true and what is not. Therefore, actions can be determined to be either right or wrong by how they measure up to those absolute standards. If there are no absolutes, no reality, chaos ensues. Take the law of gravity, for instance. If it were not an absolute, we could not be certain we could stand or sit in one place until we decided to move. Or if two plus two did not always equal four, the effects on civilization would be disastrous. Laws of science and physics would be irrelevant, and commerce would be impossible. What a mess that would be! Thankfully, two plus two does equal four. There is absolute truth, and it can be found and understood.

To make the statement that there is no absolute truth is illogical. Yet, today, many people are embracing a cultural relativism that denies any type of absolute truth. A good question to ask people who say, "There is no absolute truth" is this: "Are you absolutely sure of that?" If they say "yes," they have made an absolute statement"which itself implies the existence of absolutes. They are saying that the very fact there is no absolute truth is the one and only absolute truth.

Beside the problem of self-contradiction, there are several other logical problems one must overcome to believe that there are no absolute or universal truths. One is that all humans have limited knowledge and finite minds and, therefore, cannot logically make absolute negative statements. A person cannot logically say, "There is no God" (even though many do so), because, in order to make such a statement, he would need to have absolute knowledge of the entire universe from beginning to end. Since that is impossible, the most anyone can logically say is "With the limited knowledge I have, I do not believe there is a God."

Another problem with the denial of absolute truth/universal truth is that it fails to live up to what we know to be true in our own consciences, our own experiences, and what we see in the real world. If there is no such thing as absolute truth, then there is nothing ultimately right or wrong about anything. What might be "right" for you does not mean it is "right" for me. While on the surface this type of relativism seems to be appealing, what it means is that everybody sets his own rules to live by and does what he thinks is right. Inevitably, one person's sense of right will soon clash with another's. What happens if it is "right" for me to ignore traffic lights, even when they are red? I put many lives at risk. Or I might think it is right to steal from you, and you might think it is not right. Clearly, our standards of right and wrong are in conflict. If there is no absolute truth, no standard of right and wrong that we are all accountable to, then we can never be sure of anything. People would be free to do whatever they want"murder, rape, steal, lie, cheat, etc., and no one could say those things would be wrong. There could be no government, no laws, and no justice, because one could not even say that the majority of the people have the right to make and enforce standards upon the minority. A world without absolutes would be the most horrible world imaginable.

From a spiritual standpoint, this type of relativism results in religious confusion, with no one true religion and no way of having a right relationship with God. All religions would therefore be false because they all make absolute claims regarding the afterlife. It is not uncommon today for people to believe that two diametrically opposed religions could both be equally "true," even though both religions claim to have the only way to heaven or teach two totally opposite "truths." People who do not believe in absolute truth ignore these claims and embrace a more tolerant universalism that teaches all religions are equal and all roads lead to heaven. People who embrace this worldview vehemently oppose evangelical Christians who believe the Bible when it says that Jesus is "the way, and the truth, and the life" and that He is the ultimate manifestation of truth and the only way one can get to heaven (John 14:6).

Tolerance has become the one cardinal virtue of the postmodern society, the one absolute, and, therefore, intolerance is the only evil. Any dogmatic belief"especially a belief in absolute truth"is viewed as intolerance, the ultimate sin. Those who deny absolute truth will often say that it is alright to believe what you want, as long as you do not try to impose your beliefs on others. But this view itself is a belief about what is right and wrong, and those who hold this view most definitely do try to impose it on others. They set up a standard of behavior which they insist others follow, thereby violating the very thing they claim to uphold"another self-contradicting position. Those who hold such a belief simply do not want to be accountable for their actions. If there is absolute truth, then there are absolute standards of right and wrong, and we are accountable to those standards. This accountability is what people are really rejecting when they reject absolute truth.

The denial of absolute truth/universal truth and the cultural relativism that comes with it are the logical result of a society that has embraced the theory of evolution as the explanation for life. If naturalistic evolution is true, then life has no meaning, we have no purpose, and there cannot be any absolute right or wrong. Man is then free to live as he pleases and is accountable to no one for his actions. Yet no matter how much sinful men deny the existence of God and absolute truth, they still will someday stand before Him in judgment. The Bible declares that ""what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities"his eternal power and divine nature"have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:19-22).

Is there any evidence for the existence of absolute truth? Yes. First, there is the human conscience, that certain "something" within us that tells us the world should be a certain way, that some things are right and some are wrong. Our conscience convinces us there is something wrong with suffering, starvation, rape, pain, and evil, and it makes us aware that love, generosity, compassion, and peace are positive things for which we should strive. This is universally true in all cultures in all times. The Bible describes the role of the human conscience in Romans 2:14-16: "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."

The second evidence for the existence of absolute truth is science. Science is simply the pursuit of knowledge, the study of what we know and the quest to know more. Therefore, all scientific study must by necessity be founded upon the belief that there are objective realities existing in the world and these realities can be discovered and proven. Without absolutes, what would there be to study? How could one know that the findings of science are real? In fact, the very laws of science are founded on the existence of absolute truth.

The third evidence for the existence of absolute truth/universal truth is religion. All the religions of the world attempt to give meaning and definition to life. They are born out of mankind's desire for something more than simple existence. Through religion, humans seek God, hope for the future, forgiveness of sins, peace in the midst of struggle, and answers to our deepest questions. Religion is really evidence that mankind is more than just a highly evolved animal. It is evidence of a higher purpose and of the existence of a personal and purposeful Creator who implanted in man the desire to know Him. And if there is indeed a Creator, then He becomes the standard for absolute truth, and it is His authority that establishes that truth.

Fortunately, there is such a Creator, and He has revealed His truth to us through His Word, the Bible. Knowing absolute truth/universal truth is only possible through a personal relationship with the One who claims to be the Truth"Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be the only way, the only truth, the only life and the only path to God (John 14:6). The fact that absolute truth does exist points us to the truth that there is a sovereign God who created the heavens and the earth and who has revealed Himself to us in order that we might know Him personally through His Son Jesus Christ. That is the absolute truth.