Saturday, March 16, 2013

Family Devotions is a Good Idea

    Let me post about something very important. That is important if you want to grow as a family as well as a Christian.
    That is the subject of family devotions. It is also known as family altar. 
The family that does devotions together stays together
    But I very much prefer the term family devotions.
    You gather the family together. Start small. Read from God's word, the Bible. Or you can use a devotional.
      Start where you are.
       So we will use the devotional for this discussion. We will use it because it is easy to explain what to do for family devotions.
    Have one person read the scripture passage suggested. Then have the next person read the explanation. Then have the group discuss what is being said. How it applies to their daily existence.
    If there are needs expressed, have someone record these in a journal somewhere. This is so you can refer back to it as time goes on and see how the answer has been developing.
    Don't make it too literary. Just something like, "Mike was mean to me at school today. Guess I have to learn how to forgive him."
     You can pick up supplies to record these needs such as pens and paper from an office supply store such as OfficeDepot.
      Let me know how you are doing.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

A new Pope- Pope Francis I

 Well, the waiting is over. The Roman Catholic Church has a new CEO- I mean-Pope. Pope Francis I is the name he wants. He is Jorge Marco Bergolic of the Argentine. 
  It seems this is the first Latin American Pope. He is of the fellowship of Jesuits.
   This may mean the present Pope will be more doctrinal. The Jesuit order of the Roman Chuch is the order that defends the faith against error.
   Of course that error is according to the misinterpretation of the Roman Church.
   They base their authority on church  ( and even there the term is not the same as a Christian who has a relationship with God, would use) councils and not on the Bible, the writen revealed word of God.
   Therefore their understanding is based on man's not God's revelation.
   Anyway, they now have a new Pope to replace Benedict XVI.
    Only time will tell if they made a good choice.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

God is Sovereign

     First of all.. God is a Supreme Ruler. To be more exact He is The Supreme Ruler. He rules everything.
   God is Sovereign.
   He allows everything. Nothing is out of His control. Not even bad events. Not even illness.
   Do you actually think that there is anything God is not aware of? That there is anything God looks at and says, "Now, where did that come from?"
   This means that even evil in the world is allowed and caused by Him.
   Why?
   God is Sovereign, that's why.
     Even Satan is controled by God and there is nothing Satan can do that first doesn't pass by the permission of God.
   Satan is only a lap dog. A very powerful and evil lap dog. But he is not more powerful than  God.
    Satan is not the sovereign one. Dispite what you think, he is not in control untimely. He is not the one who decides how it will end up.
     I am presently reading a book by Kay Arthur. It will be reviewed in another  blog site  as soon as I am done reading it. It is good and I would recommend it. It is about life's disappointments and how God is not surprised that there are disappointments.
    Yes, God created everything perfect. Yes, He allowed evil to come into the perfect world. Yes, He knows what you are experiencing.
     Yes, God is sovereign.
                                Here is a link to the book at Amazon  for those of you who want to purchase a copy.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Jesus , A Man Of History

 Once again I hear people coming up with that remark Jesus didn't exist. That he is someone made up to explain a belief system that has no validity.
   Well, Jesus is a man of history..
   There is just too much evidence for the historicity of Jesus-- more so than for the historicity of a person called Julius Ceaser.
    Even outside the four gospels we have the accounts of Polycarp, Eusebius, Ignatius, Justin and Origin.
    There were no that far removed from the time of Jesus.
    Tacitus, born A.D. 52-54, writing in the time of Nero refered to a person named Christus who was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.
     Josephus born A.D. 37 wrote "There was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it is lawful to call him a man."
     I will not bore you with more. You get the idea.
    And it was this Jesus who claimed to be the Son of Man ( a reference to the Jewish Messiah)
    Just saying that Jesus is  a man of history
    .For reading on the subject try the book here.