By Biblestudycompany.com Ric Joyner
We will state upfront that Christmas is not a biblical holiday. But it is not unbiblical to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should also not equalize Christmas with the advent of our Savior. The Old Testament prophesized over the birth of the Savior to come. The current secular traditions of Santa, with almost God-like qualities and manipulating kids to "further fantasize" a jolly old man who can give all children on earth toys and an "elf on the shelf" that watches how they behave, is unbiblical. Still, some feel it is acceptable to create a myth around Santa Claus while children are young. We disagree. It is always best to be honest with children about Santa. Giving presents at this time of the year is not wrong because the Magi gave Christ's family gifts in worship to the young boy Messiah, who helped the family with the expenses of fleeing to Egypt. Consumerism and greed are wrong and sinful, but only the Holy Spirit can lead you to that truth, and He knows your heart.
Frustration mounts as we approach this time of year in the Christmas season. Screams of "Christmas is pagan" escalate into a crescendo with arguments against Christmas on social media and by some bible teachers. Could this be a veiled attack on the Gospel in the name of "we don't want to be idolators"?
Let's take a look. Please reread these scriptures prayerfully as we begin our biblical study.
Matthew Chapters 1-2 highlights
"30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."
Luke Chapters 1 and 2. Pay attention to what the angels say a couple of times: "Good news," translated as the same word… Gospel. The birth of Christ was good news for Jews because their long-awaited Messiah was finally here, and the prophecy was fulfilled. We write this paper 2,000 years later for Gentiles, grateful that the apostles preached the Gospel to us: Good news: Christ came as a child to break the back of sin and death and allowed us Gentiles an eternal "home" and become children of God! Gentiles are not part of the nation of Israel, but we are part of God's family! (Eph Chap 1-4) We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the Gospel!
Read John 1 for a view from heaven of why Christ came.
"9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the intention of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw His glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
If it is, then are you a pagan for celebrating the Day of Christ's birth? The historical false proof that Christmas is pagan is thrown at you with overwhelming emotional authoritarianism. Is emotionalism based on biblical truth? How about historical facts? We know the origin of Christmas (birth of Christ) is biblical. The story of our Savior starts with His birth because the prophets mentioned He was coming. We suspect the anti-Christmas vehemence is agenda-driven. We ask this question because born-again believing Christians are not worshipping pagan deities by participating in the birth of Christ called Christmas today. I spoke to a Torah-keeping brother who said, "Yes, Christmas is pagan." I asked how that could be, and he shared, "When you put a present under the tree, you are 'bowing' down to the tree." I was stunned. The logic he displayed defied logic. Yeah, no. Worshipping a pagan deity requires one to engage the diety knowingly.
In our research, there were pagan celebrations that started around the time of 274 AD, but they appear to be in response to Christians in Rome celebrating the birth of Christ! We then ask what came first, the "chicken or the egg?" "However, it has also been argued that, on the contrary, Emperor Aurelian, who in 274 instituted the holiday of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, did so partly as an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already important for Christians in Rome.[76]
Is the nearness of a pagan holiday make Christmas pagan? When I sift through the concerns of 'Christmas is pagan,' people, did you know there was a pagan holiday at this time? We will deal with this later, but does that make celebrating the birth of Christ pagan today? Let's ask another question: Is Hanukkah pagan? The answer is no. Yet, Hanukkah is square in the middle of this pagan holiday called Saturnalia. The true church pushed hard against these wicked holidays, and to assume born-again believers were participating in pagan festivals doesn't make much sense since Christians had to live outside of society for several hundred years because of severe persecution.
Calling Christmas pagan because of the nearness of the same period of a pagan holiday would be the same as calling Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Passover pagan. The proximity does not work because a pagan spring festival may happen simultaneously.
We can confidently say that born-again believers would not have observed a pagan holiday and dishonored our Lord Jesus Christ, who rescued us from sin and death. Born-again believers do not participate in pagan rituals today, and Christmas is about the birth of Christ.
Conclusion. We will focus on the birth of Christ currently and not conflate the past to today.
"Certainly today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?" BSC.
Note: In our extensive research, we stumbled upon a Wikipedia article. We usually would bypass Wikipedia as higher education frowns on the use of Wikipedia; however, this article has stood the test of time (2001) and is updated continually, even in 2021. Once you dive into the article, you will see the extent and expanse of the research on Christmas.
"Got you, Biblestudycompany…see, Christmas is pagan". Well, no, and not so fast. This Wikipedia article on Christmas is excellent and thorough for a balanced perspective.
Here are some highlights:
"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass." The word was recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131.[22] Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah," meaning "anointed";[23][24] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.[25]”
"December 25 was the winter solstice date in the Roman calendar.[16][53] A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why this was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's nativity: "Hence it is that He was born on the Day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us chose the shortest Day, yet the one whence Light begins to increase." [54]
We conclude by the historical facts that the Roman Catholic Church did not exist at the beginning of Christian recognition of the birth of Christ.
"The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 313 A.D., which made this new "Christianity" the Roman Empire's official religion. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (Pope) (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period known to man, called the "Dark Ages" (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal."
"And therefore, we should not celebrate the birth of Christ." We would say, "Tell that to the angels engaging the shepherds because heaven celebrated the birth of God's Son!" Luke 2:2-14
"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Note: the words Good News are translated from Greek
Original word: εὐαγγελίζω
Transliteration: euaggelizó
Definition (short): preach
Description (complete): to announce good news
Yep, evangelize during Christmas. There are hurting hearts at this time of the year, and many blindly celebrate a holiday not connected to Christ's birth. Let us help people relate it to Christ, our Savior.
If not Christmas, what should we celebrate instead? We should celebrate Hanukkah to return to our Jewish roots. Hanukkah was not part of the Gospel, and the birth of Christ IS part of the Gospel.
We encourage everyone everywhere to ask God whether one should participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ. We say YES! We can confidently push back on anti-Christmas and anti-birth of Christ people with correct historical and biblical facts.
During this time of the year, people are open to the Gospel for nearly one month. Do we let this opportunity slide through our fingers? In Matthew 28, our commission is to go and make disciples. To make a disciple, we must present the Gospel first. Will we waste our time arguing over the birth of Christ, whether it is pagan or not? To this, we say that people saying Christmas or the celebration of the birth of Christ is pagan are avoiding the Gospel! Why? Who in the spiritual realm attacks the Gospel and wants it destroyed? Satan. Think about this tidbit. Imagine a worldwide focus on Christmas, even in Buddhist countries. Why not present the Gospel at this time of the year? As Paul said, his focus was on getting people reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:18-21)
"15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." The Accuser is bound and determined to use people, even with good intentions, to stop the message of the Gospel of Salvation. We use the word accusation intentionally because people who celebrate traditional Christmas are called pagans. A severe charge but, fortunately, untrue.
God is a God of prophecy. He wants us to know what is coming. He answered His word and has "healing in His wings" to "reconcile us to God." There are no other holy books that contain prophetic words fulfilled!
Every Christmas season is a literal miracle that this holiday (holy Day) is focused worldwide on Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even the Wikipedia article acknowledges this undeniable fact.
Therefore, let us turn aside from the poor handling of scripture and agenda-driven history "facts" and focus on the birth of Christ and sharing the Good news of His coming to rescue us from our sin, thus giving us eternal life without works and fear in the blood of Christ!
What can you and your family do to share the love of Christ with a hurting world this Christmas season? Here is one video that touches our hearts when we watch it.
Feel free to share the resources.
Melton, James. "The Plain Truth about the Roman Catholic Church." biblebelievers.com. Bible Baptist Publications, 1998. https://biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Catholic.html.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.
———. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
William Federer: There is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions
by Amazon.com Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965355748/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QVM4MJF835RK35KMWAHR
Christmas has nothing to do with paganism: Red pen logic
Was December 25 the date of Christ's birth? The Greek Orthodox church thinks so.
Mike Winger on Christmas:
1. Is Christmas PAGAN? In defense of Christmas
3. Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees
4. Alisa Childers on Christmas
5. For the extensive history of Christmas with the discussion of the dates for the birth of Christ, God Became Incarnate James Quiggle by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/149918669X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_AR6NEZ6XB0TPZ5N1VB90
6. The star of Bethlehem is an excellent movie on the astronomical view of the star. https://youtu.be/55VRdLnkvDw
Playlist of videos that will go step by step
Article On how to study the Bible from BSC step by step
Article by Dr. Baruch on how to study the Bible
Article on how numbers play a role in Bible Study
Blog article and podcast on how we learned to study the Bible with Dr. Baruch
See full post & commentsThis prayer is a guide and biblically based. All a person needs to do is cry out to God in their own words. If you are not sure how to pray, please use this as a guide.
To have a relationship with God versus religion, pray this prayer sincerely and in your own words.
Dear Heavenly Father, (Matt. 6:9) I want a relationship with You...not a religion. I come to You and open my heart. (John 3:16) I will be honest and sincere with You. (John 4) I am running my life and need Your help. (Matt. 6:10) I am made in Your image (Gen 1:26, 27), and I won't be happy until I am in a relationship with you. (Gen. 3) Most of my behavior does not please You. (Romans 3:23) I know I am a sinner, so please forgive my sins because of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who came to die for my sins. (John 3:16) His death on the cross is the punishment I should receive, but You were gracious to die in my place through Christ. By faith, I place all of my past, present, and future sins on Christ. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior, and salvation is a gift! I know I cannot earn my way to heaven by being good through good works. (Eph. 2:8) You did this so I can be in a relationship with You on earth and for all eternity. (Romans 10:9-13) And I will forgive those who have sinned or hurt me because you have forgiven me. Take away any bitterness or resentment I carry toward You or other people. (Matt. 6:13-14) Please show and teach me how to live a praiseworthy life on earth to You starting today. (Matt. 6:33, Acts 9 and 10) I ask you to be in my heart, as Paul said in Ephesians 3:17. I know that You love me, Father, and I want to love You and that you have a purpose and plan for my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, because You gave me breath in my lungs and Savior, because you paid my sin debt. Please teach me to pray. (Matt. 6:9) Thank You, Jesus, for saving me to Yourself (Ex. 19:1-8) and making me a new person! (2 Cor. 5:17) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!
Learn to grow at www.biblestudycompany.com, Grace Bible Church, and Christ Community Church.
See full post & comments#Jesus #Yeshua #JesusChrist #bible #biblestudy #Sundayschool
We are looking at what is a disciple. We are having a discussion in our Sunday School class at Christ Community Church of Ocala FL.
For details and handouts go here:
Go to biblestudycompay.com and sign up and join the group.
The video starts at 3:13 thus you will want to rewind it to 0
#Jesus #JesusChrist #GoDislove #Yeshua #whatissuccess #biblicalsuccess
Episode Summary
We all have a frame we look at life through. Even our Christian walk may be affected. Sometimes we have a frame that we are at the center. Let's call this the YouFRAME. This means we fit God into our will. Our wants, needs, and service are around the YouFRAME. But is this the Frame that God approves?
Episode Notes
But is this the Frame that God approves? Adam and Eve had one law or rule which God gave them that was a negative rule. Although God created them to do His will on earth, they chose to sin. What is sin? Choosing our will over God's will. We think we know best. We believe we are a "good person." And the list goes on. Choosing our "frame" over His frame?
Is there a Godly Frame? Or rather a biblical framework to see life through? Yes.
Hint. We are not in the frame! God and His word sit firmly in the BiblicalFRAME.
Our list starts here. Theme-based study.
1. Creator. His world, His rules Gen Chapt 1-3
2. "Minister to Me..." Exodus 28:1
3. Judah/Jews "One who praises God." Gen 29:35
4. "Serve Me." The highest purpose of man Exodus 4:22-24
5. Walk in a manner worthy of the calling Eph 4:1
6. Our purpose 2Cor 5:1-11
7. "Take up your cross daily..." Matthew 16:24-26
8. So we are not deceived, God gave us the Bible and the HS. 1john2:26
When we decided to set our lives and hearts at His feet as a servant then we will take His Word to us and get serious that we are not the center of our lives but the Lord Jesus Christ is the center and we serve Him.
Taking up our cross is placing our will on the cross and going after Him. How can we do that? By submitting to the Holy Spirit as He teaches us away from ungodliness. How do we know what is ungodly? Through His word.
Join us for this special thanksgiving Podcast. We are grateful to you all. Please share, subscribe and comment. It helps us grow.
#Bible #Jesus #JesusChrist #InChrist #inYeshua
Hey everyone, latest podcast/video on Ephesians 1:15 and on. This shows us how to pray to "be in Christ". We need the eyes of our hearts opened. This portion of scripture, like the Lord's prayer, helps us learn to pray effectively. The prayers of Paul are divinely inspired.
Did you know faith is a gift of God? So is our salvation.
We learn prayers from Paul. We are to have the eyes of our hearts opened.
We need a spirit of revelation and wisdom.
This sets us apart for Him. It gives us a heavenly way to view our walk with Christ. Join us for this podcast and video.
#Bible #Biblestudy #Jesus #JesusChrist #biblestudycompany #Ephesians #cancer
Erv's cancer may be back. We are both scared but decide to worship during the news. Our Creator made us with a choice. To choose our will or His will. His will is we totally trust Him with our lives. We do so with worship in the midst of bad news. Worship with us. Grab your psalm and pray with us through this news.
#JW #Jehovah Witness #salvation #Jesus Christ
Recently, I was surprised to get a personal letter in the mail. I did not recognize the name but I was excited nonetheless because I have not seen a handwritten letter in years!
It was from a Jehovah's Witness who was witnessing! Here is the letter.
It was nearly illegible. I read it several times and sent a letter back with the gospel clearly outlined and thanked the person for the letter. I was surprised that within a few days they responded with another letter and a Watch Tower brochure!
I responded and shared more clarity. Here is my letter. You may download the letter here and use it for yourself and change it how you like. If they come to the door you can hand this letter to them.
Please note that JWs do not believe Jesus is God. This is the point of my letter. They only have works-based salvation. They usually cannot articulate the true gospel. 1 Cor 15:1-3
NAME,
Well, I sure was surprised to get your letter! Blessings to you. I am sorry to hear you have Parkinson's. I will pray for you. My point is that your original letter was very hard to read and now I understand why. Your typed letter was very nice. I don't have Parkinson's disease, but my handwriting is not that great. So, typing for me is better. Perhaps consider using the computer for your letters in the future? I appreciated getting it, by the way.
I noticed the WT magazine you gave me makes an apparent distinction between Jehovah the Creator and Christ, His Son. This is problematic for most Christians, as you know. The OT points to Christ, and the Cross causes Christians to look back at our salvation. As I started to read it, the WT mag began where it should with Adam and Eve, but oversimplistic. Adam and Eve sinned, and that sin was projected onto us by our very birth. Adam and Eve started sinlessly. But they chose to sin, which is disobedience to God's will. Thus, the Bible says we are all sinners and therefore need salvation. But here is the problem. Only God is sinless. Christ was sinless. If he was only a man and not 100% God and 100% man, none of us, including Adam, are saved. (a true mystery, but the mystery is unlocked when we see that Eve had the egg and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her thus, Christ could be 100% God and 100% man) Why do I say this? Think through what you have been taught. We were all born into sin. How are we saved if there is no propitiation for our sin? That is a fancy word for God erasing our sin because of what Christ did: pay the sin debt to God we had. If Christ were only a human man, He would not be sinless, making His sacrifice null and void. We are not saved. Thus, if someone is a JW, they are not saved by not believing in Christ as God.
Here is why I can say this from Scripture: Now remember back at the prophecy that God Himself made to Adam and Eve in Gen 3? That a Seed of Eve would be coming: https://jewsforjesus.org/jewish-resources/messianic-prophecy/the-messiah-would-be-the-seed-of-the-woman/
Most theologians would say that the One Who was speaking in the garden was the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because the Gospel of John says in John 1:1 that He is the Word of God in the Greek:
https://biblestudycompany.com/reader/verse?version=interlinear&book=43&chapter=1&verse=1
Notice that this does not match the NWT, which is altered to say that Christ was "a" God to fit the founders' beliefs. Changing scripture to meet an agenda is not good.
Thus, we must always look at the Greek from which the English are derived. God chose the Greek language for the great flexibility to clarify the spoken word to convey a variety of tenses and expressions. The Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, wanted to reach the gentile world for Christ, which God had abandoned at the tower of Babel to go their way. This was correctly stated in the WT you gave me.
Christ was evident to His disciples that He was God. I had a Jehovah witness say that Christ never said He was God. The problem with this comment is the lack of understanding of what the texts noted in the Gospels. I would encourage you to study verses outside of JW teachings, just as I am doing by reading the watchtower you gave me. One hallmark of becoming indoctrinated is only going to the sources we wish rather than being well-rounded. I made it through secular College stronger in my faith even though secular College tried to brainwash me in one world view of evolution vs. creation. Thus, make sure you get info outside of JW sources as well. Make sure that everything you write is from you after you studied, not from others in the JW org. We need to know why we believe what we believe, not just accept what others teach us. The HS is given to us if we are born again (1John 2:26) so that we are not deceived and that no man needs to teach us.
So back to Christ saying He was God. These verses are essential for our salvation.
Jesus said:
"I and the Father are one." John 10:22- https://www.gotquestions.org/I-and-the-Father-are-one.html
I Am… Christ said many times. This was the sacred name of God called Jehovah. Was Christ saying He was Jehovah? Yes, He was. Christ clearly said He was: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life… https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-I-AM-statements.html
"If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." A careful reading of the NT and Paul's writings, especially Paul meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, clearly states Christ is God, and He is the word of God. John 1:1. It is not idolatry, as some JWs claim that God has three attributes, all acting according to His character and will. The Hebrew is plural.
Now to the why of these matters: On page 7 of WT, you gave me, it states in the second paragraph, "Jesus said to please God you must control what we feel…." Matthew 5:28. This is not a correct interpretation. It presumes we are to "learn what pleases God and do it," as the WT continued to say. This is "works-based" salvation. Eph 2 says we are saved by grace alone as a gift of God. The Jews were looking to the Messiah, and Christ was the Messiah. They rejected Christ as God, although He was innocent. Are JWs doing the same thing by rejecting Christ as God? I understand that they want to avoid idolatry; however, Christ is the word of God.
How are we saved? We are to put our faith and trust in His finished work on the Cross. As God, only He could fix Adam's sin, and the Old Testament saints' sins and our sins as well in the future. We trust in the Blood of The Lamb, the pattern of Passover, and salvation from Egypt (blood on the doorposts and sacrifices of the little lambs). If Christ was just a good man, then we do not have salvation or forgiveness of sins. NAME, think of that. And contemplate it.
This Friday evening, we were in Ocala on the square. We were witnessing to people the Good News of Jesus Christ being God and that we are saved by faith in His work on the Cross. We ran into a Muslim who tried to witness to us. But interestingly, he said that: "We worship the Creator…" almost identical to what you said in your letter! What do JWs have in common with Muslims? They do not believe that Jesus is God Almighty. And thus, they need to do "good deeds," as the WT was saying. "Learn what God wants and do it" page 7 second paragraph. This is truly bad news vs. the Gospel which is Good News. If it is about good works, why did God need to die for us? God saved us… we did not save ourselves. And the WT appears to be advocating our works of good deeds rather than faith in Christ. Paul says that these are wages owed to us by God if this was the case, but they are not. Paul said all our works based on trying to gain God's approval to be saved are "filthy rags" to God. But these are religious works from our souls. Who are we? Sinners and we are not God. We need to do what God wants from us, which is to believe in Him... If we are sinners by nature through Adam, how are we to be saved? 1 Cor 15:1-3 says how.
Back to Eve. Remember, God (Christ) gave Adam and Eve a promise. A Seed (singular) was coming. So, Mary was chosen. She had a human egg. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her. The HS is God. And as Creator (Gen 1:2), He created a child with God's sinless nature and had the nature of a man except with no sin. That way, He could offer Himself and do what Adam did not do, which was obeying the will of God (go to the Cross to fix our sin debt, and when Adam broke the law (do not eat of the fruit…), Adam broke fellowship with his Father by not doing God's will. Christ said, "I come to do the will of My Father in Heaven." Why Christ says, "I came to do the will of My Father…" what is Christ saying? That God was His Father! This is another God statement. If He were just a man, he would be like you and me? The text says the Father, Son and Spirit are One. So, Jesus is God. Good thing NAME because if He is not, we are not saved. Disprove me from scripture? But make sure you do it, not other JWs working with you. This letter is solely mine.
So, you can now see the good news of the Gospel. We are sinful. He is not. By faith and trust, we place our sin on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid our sin debt for Adam, the OT saints, and us and continues to intercede for us and the future of people who will be saved. Will you?
As Paul went through the Roman world, He preached this same Gospel. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
So NAME, will you accept the forgiveness of your sin and be born again to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord God? John 3. This is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ, so please read that in the NWT.
Thank you for your letters. It was a pleasure to get yours. I will be praying for your Parkinson's and for your heart to be saved. Let me know what you decide.
May the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Father, and the Holy Spirit open our eyes to Him in our hearts. Eph 1. We need to study the Word of God ourselves and not what others teach us. It is ok to question men. We can go to God and start asking Him questions directly. So please do. And the first question is: "Jehovah, is Jesus Christ God? Will you show me? My salvation is at stake. I love You and do not want to miss anything that You have for me".
Or if you are convinced, He is God, and you can pray a sincere prayer based on scripture: "Lord Jesus, I want to please You. I recognize you are God Almighty and that You chose to die as a sinless person knowing You did not sin, but I am a sinner. I place, by faith, all of my sins on You. You were raised from the dead for my promise of eternal life, a free gift, as Eph 2 says. Will You cause me to be born again to eternal life? Please save me in Jesus's Name".
Place your trust, hope, and sin on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, "all things are made through Him, and He holds all things together." (col) Only God can do that!
NAME, be born again as Christ commanded in John 3, Blessings to you.
Ric and Mary Joyner
4621 SE 33rd place
Ocala, FL 34480
See full post & comments
Erv Puckett was on his third fight of cancer. He was battling pancreatic cancer and was despondent. He lived near me and we would talk and I would ask if I could pray for him as he shuffled along. Notice that I said "was". Yes, Erv is miraculously in remission through prayer and the good Drs.
Watch how Erv grows in his love for Christ, his Savior and the dramatic personality changes that take place. These vidpodcasts should encourage anyone and inspire us all to want to devour the word of God to live praiseworthy to our Creator!
The Secrets of the Voice of God.
Erv Puckett and Ric Joyner Bible Study: Ephesians 1:1-4
Erv Puckett Bible Study Ephesians 1:5-9 WE ARE IN CHRIST!
Erv Puckett Bible Study Ephesians 1: 8-12
See full post & comments#Bible #Biblestudy #Jesus #JesusChrist #biblestudycompany #Ephesians #Ephesiansbiblestudy
We are studying the next part of Ephesians. We learn about,
1. Redemption and what it means. The forgiveness of our trespasses (sins) against God's laws. The good news (Gospel) is that we cannot earn or work our way to a relationship with God. We need a rescue (redemption). Christ did it all.
2. It is through Christ's blood. Christ dying for our sin is how we know God came to earth. He was able to fix Adam's sin, forgive our sin 6,000 years later, and forgive the whole world's sin. Each person has an opportunity to access this forgiveness. All we need is to ask Christ to save us with a sincere heart, as Erv and Ric did.
3. Did you know we have access to knowing God's will? We do! Christ, it says of Christ,
"7 In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8, which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him"
We need to carry these verses about "who" we are in Christ. We are a new creature, and the old has passed away, as Paul says. But why are we knew? What does that mean? It means we are now in Christ, and He gives us the power (grace through His Holy Spirit) to do His will.
But what if we don't want to? Tell Him. Be honest. Have a relationship with the God of the Universe Who died for you and us. Join us for worship and study of God's word. Grab your psalms and join us to give God glory in our study. He deserves it!
#Bible #Bibletudy #Cancer #Jesus #Jesuslovesyou
We worship using Psalms
1. We talk about what it means to be predestined. And we discuss that we are adopted into the family of God.
2. We discuss God's kind intention of His will, which is what we are after as we study the Bible, and what that means for our lives.
3. We talk about the praise and glory of His grace and how that matters. Grace is always moving us away from ungodliness which is toward God's will in our life.
4. We talk about "in Christ", "in the beloved" and what that means for us. We are no longer a part of the world. Yet we live in it. But He lives in us!
5. We get into specifics about redemption, what it means for the Gospel, and our daily lives. Do we understand salvation correctly?
6. He lavished His love, grace, and forgiveness on us and we are still in amazement! We just need to believe in Him. Put our full weight of trust in Him and have the assurance of the things hoped for.
Join us to see how we can live praiseworthy to God. BTW you can use this bible study with a group if you like.
Erv Puckett's testimony https://youtu.be/LkqL4FZLP8E
#Bible #biblestudy #bibleverse
Here is a video presentation by Dr. John Barnett of DTBM.org (Discover The Book Ministry)
These presentations are powerful and true.
HOW EVERYTHING FITS--GOD'S BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME FROM START TO FINISH. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HIS PLANS?
#Bible #Biblestudy #Disciple #Apostle #willofGod #ephesians
Erv is approaching his 1st anniversary after becoming born again. His life has dramatically changed.
The second week we had a Bible Study he said something similar to this: "Ric and Pete, I am stuck at home with my pancreatic cancer. I do not know if I will live long. But how can God use me? How can I share the Gospel with people". Pete and I shared that we should just ask God for the opportunity. Erv, within two or three weeks of salvation, was sharing the Gospel of Christ in a youth prison where he still serves! He was asked to run a nursing Bible study AND has found a home church. Your prayers have helped to put him in remission! God's glory!
Ric and Erv started a bible study that we have been doing all year. We decided to record them so people could enjoy the back and forth and use good bible study principles.
This week we start a study in Ephesians.
We learn about these topics.
1. What is the will of God? How do we find it?
2. What is the difference between an Apostle and Disciple?
3. We talk about what Grace is and what it is not, and why we need to respond to God
4. When Paul talks about Peace, what does he mean. Too often, we just read over verses and don't pause to ask the HS for help in understanding. Peace with God is a giant concept that needs to be understood. Paul sets the stage for understanding all of Ephesians with this simple line. Think: We have Peace with God! The war is over! We have eternal life and much, much more, as Paul will explain!
5. What does "in Christ" mean?
Let's be a community of bible studiers, so we learn to live a life pleasing to God.
His World, His Rules, His Power in us!
Erv's testimony is here: https://youtu.be/LkqL4FZLP8E
Join us for these Bible Studies. Ask questions. Thank you