God Talk Archives - A Proud Christian

10 Successful Christian Films that Turned Hollywood’s Head

blogger — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:53:13 +0000

#1 — The Passion of the Christ (2004)

An independently financed, Aramaic-Latin Passion narrative shattered every expectation, setting records for R-rated and independent films. Church leaders treated opening weekend like a pilgrimage; media debates made it unavoidable; word-of-mouth sustained it for months.

Its cultural footprint changed how studios talk to faith audiences—and its planned resurrection sequels keep the conversation alive. Whatever your view of its intensity, Hollywood paid attention: faith isn’t a niche when it’s executed with conviction and scale.

The Story of Jesus in 90 Minutes

blogger — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:32:03 +0000

The story begins in Bethlehem, where Jesus is born to Mary and Joseph in the most humble of surroundings. Angels announce His birth, and shepherds along with wise men gather to honor the newborn Savior. From the very beginning, the film shows how His life was destined to bring hope to the world.

As He grows, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. In that moment, a voice from heaven declares Him as God’s beloved Son, marking the start of His mission on earth. Soon after, He calls ordinary men—fishermen, tax collectors, and others—to become His disciples, teaching them to follow Him and share His message.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus speaks in parables that touch the heart—stories like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, which reveal the depth of God’s love and forgiveness. His words are not only teachings but life-changing truths, inviting people to turn to God. Alongside His words, He performs miracles: healing the sick, opening blind eyes, calming storms, and even raising the dead. These acts show His compassion and divine authority.

However, not everyone welcomes Him. Religious leaders grow threatened by His influence and challenge Him repeatedly. Despite their hostility, Jesus continues to preach boldly, drawing larger crowds who find hope in His message of redemption.

The turning point comes at the Last Supper, where Jesus shares bread and wine with His disciples, explaining that His body and blood would be given for the forgiveness of sins. Soon after, He is betrayed by Judas, arrested, and handed over for trial. Though innocent, He is condemned, mocked, beaten, and crucified on a cross. His death fulfills the prophecy of a Savior who would bear the sins of the world.

Yet, the story does not end there. On the third day, His tomb is found empty. Jesus rises from the dead, appearing to His disciples and proving that death could not hold Him. His resurrection becomes the foundation of Christian faith, offering eternal life to all who believe.

In just 90 minutes, the film captures the entire journey of Jesus—His birth, teachings, sacrifice, and ultimate victory. It is a timeless story of love, forgiveness, and salvation that continues to transform lives even today.

The True Story of the 3 Wise Men in the Bible

blogger — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:14:00 +0000

Why the 3 Wise Men Visited Jesus

They came to Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod to see baby Jesus and worship Him. These important personalities are also referred to as the Magi. The wise men from the east embarked on a two years’ journey before they arrive at Jerusalem.

Why the 3 Wise Men Visited Jesus

The wise men saw a bright star in their country, which signifies the birth of a great king. They decided to trace the country where this king had been born so that ye can worship him.

As they embarked on the journey, they discovered that the great star was leading them on the way, and they decided to follow it. The star led them to Jerusalem, and they lost sight of it. That gave them the understanding that they have reached the domain of the new king. The birth of Jesus had been foretold in the scriptures, but the Magi did not know about that. The ruler of Judea when Jesus was born is King Herod. The Magi quickly located his palace and told him their mission. The king was angry to hear that a new king would share in his glory and authority, but he pretended to be happy for hearing the news from the Magi. He called the scribes to search the scriptures, to find where Jesus would be born. The scribes told him it is Bethlehem in Judea. The king told the Magi to go and worship the new king and report back to him so that he too can go and worship him. King Herod had made up his mind to kill Jesus, but he hid this from the Magi. When the Magi cane out of the palace, they saw the star again which led them to where Jesus was. They were filled with joy when they saw the new king. They worshipped Him and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The actions of the wise men show that they were led by God. They did not just leave their country in the east to come to Jerusalem to visit Jesus. What they did was preordained by God to tell the whole world who Jesus is, and what He has come to the world to do. The gold represents the kingship of Jesus, the frankincense his priesthood, and the myrrh, the fact that He will die and resurrect for our redemption.

Reflection on the Story of the Magi

The celebration of the birth of Jesus is more than a church tradition. The many days of Christmas the world has seen have nothing to do with it. The coming of the Magi from the east was not a coincidence. It was a divine arrangement by God. The star the Magi saw was the type they have never seen before. That was why they could not rest until they located the source of the star. It was not the star of Bethlehem, but the brighter and the morning star. The one that shines in darkness and darkness cannot overcome. They know that the glory of the new king is greater than that of the king of Arabia, the land of their nativity, or any other earthly king. They sacrificed all and braced all odds to ensure that they play their roles in God’s divine plan. Unfortunately, the sight of the wise men visiting King Herod, and their mission, could not jolt the highly religiously scribes of Jerusalem from their spiritual slumber. They knew where and when Jesus would be born, and they were very close to Him. Yet they did not deem it fit to find Him and worship Him. After they told the Magi where to find Jesus Christ, they went back to their religious activities as if nothing had happened. God wants us to be like the Magi. “For He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

The Garden of Gethsemane in The Bible

blogger — Sun, 08 May 2022 11:51:00 +0000

No bible study or Christian teaching will be complete during Easter without the mention of the Garden of Gethsemane. That was where Jesus began His journey to the cross.

The Bible recorded that Jesus always goes there with the disciples to pray. It was a different situation on the eve of his arrest and crucifixion. On that day, Jesus went with Peter, James, and John. They were the three disciples closest to Him. Jesus knew His time has come, hence needed to seek the face of God in prayers, and didn’t need much crowd for that. He left the disciples at a location in the garden and went further to seek a quiet place where He can be alone with God, to pray. He instructed the disciples to pray along with Him though. Unfortunately, the disciples could not pray. Their eyes were heavy with sleep. Jesus came back to meet them sleeping and resting, and He was disappointed. Jesus had to pray alone until He secured the victory that He sought. When Judas brought the Jewish leaders to arrest him, He was ready for them.

Lessons from The Garden of Gethsemane

There are notable lessons God wants us to learn concerning what Jesus did in the garden called Gethsemane. That Jesus prayed throughout His stay in the garden shows to us the importance of prayer. He even told His disciple to join Him, but they fell asleep. It is also noteworthy to say that when Jesus was to start His ministry, He began with 40 days of fasting. Jesus prayed with sorrow and a heavy heart. He was not afraid of death, but He detested the real duty He was about to perform. That is, putting the sin of humanity upon Himself. Jesus had lived all His life without sin. Though He is God, He was a total man when He was on earth. He was tempted but He never sinned. He gave one of His secrets to the disciples in the garden as they were struggling with sleep. He told them; “watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.” For such a personality, to bear the sins of the whole world is a big task. Jesus surrendered to the will of God. We can see this in the words of His prayers. He prayed, “not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42. What a life of total dedication and selflessness? This is what God also wants us to do in our moments of trials, challenges, and difficulties. He wants us to rely on Him completely. God is aware of whatever we are passing through, and He is fully in control. When we allow Him to have His way, He will bring to pass His plans which are always beyond our comprehension. Because Joseph allowed God’s will in his life, and he did not take advantage of Potiphar’s wife, nor seek to help himself in any way, he became the governor of Egypt. For Jesus Christ, God sent an angel to strengthen Him so that He will not become weak. God will always be on the side of those who are striving to do His will. He will not abandon them in their times of difficulty. The Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9. We will always win our battles if we allow God to have His way.

Why Is the Garden of Gethsemane Important?

Gethsemane is located across Kidron valley on the Mount of Olives. The name has been translated to mean oil press, probably because of the many olive trees that are planted there, and also the presence of an oil press. It is not the name nor the location of this garden that makes it popular and important, but what Jesus experienced there. There ‘the son of man’ became a man of sorrow. He was sorrowful to the point of death. There the hands of sinners prevailed over Him because the scriptures must be fulfilled.

How Many Times Did Jesus Pray in The Garden of Gethsemane?

As recorded in Matthew 26:36, and Mark 14:32 Jesus came specifically to the garden to pray, and He prayed three times before He secured the victory that He needed. He prayed the same prayer throughout, Matthew 15:39 – Father if it were possible let this cup pass over me. Jesus used that to show us that whenever we need anything from God we should tarry in prayer until our requests are met. Many times we don’t get an answer to our prayers because we did not tarry long enough. In Daniel 9:1-27, Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days before getting answers to his prayers. God answered him the first day he started the prayer, but the Prince of Persia held back the angel that was bringing it, and he could not reach Daniel. The continual prayer of Daniel made God send a stronger angel who fought off the demon and make way for the first angel to take the answer down to Daniel. Elijah was a man of like passion like us. With prayers, he sealed the heavens for three and half years, and there was no rain. With prayers, he opened the heavens again, and rain fell. Quite a big lesson for us to learn from the prayer life of Jesus, Daniel, Elijah, and other people who conquer their enemies on their knees. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16.

Garden of Gethsemane Bible Verses

Interestingly, all the four gospels in the Bible give the account of Jesus’s prayers and arrest, in the garden of Gethsemane. The passages are; Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-50, Like 22:39-53, John 18:1-12. All of them recorded the same thing; that Jesus came to the garden with three of His disciples. He prayed three times while the disciples were sleeping. John in his record added that God sent an angel to strengthen Him. Eventually, Jesus woke the disciples up and told them that those who would arrest Him are close by. As He was speaking, Judas came with the Jewish religious leaders and soldiers, and he betrayed Him with a kiss. Jesus was taken without a struggle, He rebuked his disciples who tried to fight back, and told them that the scriptures must be fulfilled. Eventually, all His disciples forsook Him and ran. He was cruelly beaten and humiliated, but He despised the shame, endured the cross, died, and rose on the third day.

The Parable of the Sower Bible Verse Explained in Depth!

blogger — Sun, 08 May 2022 10:40:00 +0000

The parable of the sower in the Bible is one of the parables that Jesus used to teach people about the Kingdom of God. A parable is a simple story Jesus used to illustrate and teach spiritual lessons. During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke many parables to fulfill the scriptures which say, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.” Psalm 78:2.

What Is Parable of the Sower Bible Verse

This parable is recorded in the following Bible verses; Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15. It is about a man who went to sow seeds in his field. The field is a big piece of land with different landscapes, and the sower wanted to use the entire area of land. As he sowed, some of the seeds fell on the wayside (First category) where they were exposed to the birds. The birds that had been watching the man sowing quickly came down and devoured them. These seeds did not have any opportunity to grow at all. As the sower continued to sow, (Second Category) some of the seeds fell on the part of the field where there is not much earth but stones. These seeds germinated and grew up as normal plants. But there was not much soil to support them. Because of the heat from the sun, the young plants were losing water faster than their shallow roots could draw water from the ground. They died off in no time. The third category of seeds fell among thorns. They managed to grow up, but there was not much space for them. The competition between them and the already developed thorns was fierce. Eventually, the thorns choked them, and they too died off. The fourth category of seeds which is the last one fell on the good soil. That is the part of the field that does not have stones or thorns. The soil there was rich in nutrients. The seeds germinated and grew big, they brought forth fruits in great numbers, and here the efforts of the sower were greatly rewarded.

4 Types of Soil in The Parable of the Sower

As Jesus illustrated in this story, there were four types of soil found in the field. The first type of soil is the wayside. The second is stony soil. The third is the soil overgrown with thorns. The fourth is good soil. The Bible listed these soil to make us know that the type of soil dictates the results when a sower sowed on his field. It is interesting to know that, the sower sowed the same seed on all the soil types, but the nature of each of them determines what came out of the exercise.

Parable of The Sower Reflection

Neither the disciples nor the people listening to Jesus understood the true meaning of the parable of the sower. The disciples were forced to ask Jesus Christ, why He speaks to people in parables. Their question made Jesus explain the meaning of this parable, and it was astonishing indeed. Jesus told them that the sower is God. The seed is the word of God. The types of soil signify the hearts of men, and what happens when they hear the word of God. The heart represented by the wayside is those who don’t understand the word of God when they hear it. The devil will come and take the word away from their hearts before it could benefit them. The hearts represented by stony ground are those who receive the word of God with joy but did not take time to ponder or meditate on it. They desire in their hearts to do the will of God, but they fail to follow the right steps that will make that possible. When challenges of life hit them because they lack faith in the word of God, the word could not help them to resist the temptation, hence they went back into their sins. The hearts represented by soil overgrown with thorns are those whose hearts are filled with the things of the world. The Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” 1 John 2:15-17. These people are not ready to drop the “idols” in their hearts. They are not ready to surrender all to God. They failed in the end. The soil represented by the good soil is those who are ready for God. They understand the word and receive it. “But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God.” John 1:12.

More Reflection On the Parable of the Sower

God wants us to have the right attitude towards His word. The word carries the full power of God. It is what God uses to guide and teach us His will. Sin will make our hearts improper for the word of God to dwell in. It will be full of thorns, and stones, and fully exposed to all works of darkness. When we repent of our sins, we become children of God. The heart of stone will become the heart of flesh, and the word of God can fully benefit us.

Top 15 megachurches in the world

blogger — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 10:10:00 +0000

If you think huge building capacity, large church attendance, and membership when you hear the term megachurch, you are absolutely right. The Hartford Institute for Religious Research describes a megachurch as any protestant church with a sustained weekly attendance of 2000 persons or more in its worship services counting all adults and children. In this list, we swept through all 7 continents to bring you.

Top 15 megachurches in the world visited by 1000’s daily

1. Yoido Full Gospel Church

The Yoido full gospel church, popularly dubbed the largest megachurch on earth is an answer to the prayers of thousands of believers in South Korea. Affiliated to the Assemblies of God church, it is believed to have over 450,000 members. It is located in the heart of South Korea in the city of Seoul. It was founded by Pastor David Yonggi Cho who is now retired in 1958. The church is blessed with countless testimonies of healing miracles and an awareness of the presence of God. The church is currently headed by Senior Pastor Young Hoon Lee.

What Does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

blogger — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:07:00 +0000

We easily define the fate of people based on what we see them do and sometimes just a general belief we have against others, based on our assessment of their character.

The real story about Judging others –

This reminds me of a time I drew a conclusion on my sister as being insensitive, uncaring, bitter, and generally despicable. This quenched the love I have for her, and it was gradually turning into hatred. I easily join others to judge her mistakes and shortcomings. We always find fault in her, and I really supported every demeaning word thrown at her. I felt she deserves it, and we felt that might help her adjust her attitude of being despicable. Therefore, we kept at it. Fast-forward to the day I had a heart-to-heart talk with her. I realized she has not always been the despicable sister, but a long time when I was still a baby, a traumatic experience had affected her negatively and no one believed her. One of our uncles had tried to have carnal knowledge of her and despite her pleas to our uncle; he went further to abuse her sexually and threatened her never to make it known to anyone. “You are worth little to nothing in the family, and no one will believe you anyway.” True to these words from our uncle, no one believed my sister’s story when she dared the consequences of the threat and spoke up. These left her broken for years, and I realized that her self-esteem was broken from a long time ago. I saw a broken woman trying to get the attention of everyone to value her, and understand her plight, but we were all about her negative attitude without minding knowing what preceded such characters in her. I realized how wrong we have judged her actions, and as Christians, I began to question myself if our reactions and judgment towards my sister are right or wrong. Now, this brought up this question in my mind,

” What does the Bible say about judging others?”

There are many Bible verses about judging others, but I will love to begin with the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8:2-11. The law forbids adultery and anyone caught in the act should be stoned to death. “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10 KJV) In addition, the sixth law says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14 KJV) That means they had justifiable reason to put her to death and that was why she was brought to Jesus, but have you ever asked, “Why it was that only the woman was brought to Jesus, what about the man she was caught in the act with?” This explains why judging others are a form of the opinion of what we see, hear or feel about others. They felt the woman was worthy of death, but the man? He could go free because the woman had seduced him, or maybe they initially had issues with the woman, we would never know. However, the story was an act of criticism against the woman. Coming to Jesus to hear what He would say about their opinion, it brought about an encounter that questioned their judgment. “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7 KJV) One after the other, they all left the scene of the accusation and left only the woman to receive her vindication from every judgment and criticism placed on her by all. Just like every Accuser’s conscience pricked then that day and they could not cast a stone, I see how often some people have judged others based on their assessment and conclusion. They always do this by finding faults in their fellow members. Seeing negativity in their Pastors and Teachers and criticizing the Chorister for singing in a wrong tone. Instrumentalists are not exempt either; they always have something to say against others in the faith and what about others who are not in the faith? They easily criticize them for not being “perfect” like them, and they judge others based on their personality, and lifestyle. We easily make judgments about standards that oppose our benchmark.

Judging others as a Christian

However, as Christians, we need to be careful about our motives for judging others. We do not have an idea what the other person is going through. We do not know why they act the way they do. Likewise, we do not understand their journey, and we do not know their story. Therefore, our general and swift judgment of them is sometimes uncalled-for. We need to ask ourselves sometimes, “How will Jesus react and what would He do to this fellow I’m about to judge based on their actions and motives?” The Bible makes us see that as Christians, we should be of a humble, meek, and lovely heart. We should be ever ready to help others, be respectful of people’s feelings, and be peaceful towards everyone. (Philippians 4:8)

Now we know Judging others from the Bible perspective

Now we see that what the Bible says about judging others actually means we need to imbibe good judgment, use it in fighting for the rights of others, and stand strong as a support system for them. This pleases the Lord to do in us. Before you judge others, know what happened before your presumption. Never run to conclusions, rather, give them the opportunity to air their views. We are to speak the truth in love to each other at all times. (Ephesians 4:15). Be careful about judging others. Those who claim to be godly should gently support those who are struggling and bring them back to the right path. We are to pay careful attention to our works and see if there is a log of wood in our lives that needs to be removed… We are to practice living like Christ and be responsible for our conduct and not the faults of others.

what does the Bible says about judging people’s motives?

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” (Luke 6:37 KJV) Again, we have more Bible verses about judging: “Do not judge by appearance [superficially and arrogantly], but judge fairly and righteously.” (John 7:24 AMP)

“Therefore you have no excuse or justification, every one of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce].” (Romans 2:1 AMP) This shows us that we are not in the position to judge. God is the only one who can judge people and ours are mere assumptions that create strife. Always allow God to be the judge of His creation and He will help you to trust, obey, and commit every inadequacy you see in others to Him. For I read that, we would judge Angels, and if we were to judge Angels, would we judge them based on what we feel and hear? We would rather allow the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, to speak through us. We should start practicing here on Earth. We are meant to walk in the Spirit and when we walk in the Spirit, we would be able to see beyond the surface and bring the right judgment to everything else others seem to condemn.

A worthy example of what the Bible says about judging others

From the point of what we see physically is the experience of Hannah when she went into the temple to pray at Shiloh. In bitterness of spirit, she groaned in whispers to God. She had been childless and everyone around her had used that to spite her. She was tired and wanted a breakthrough. Falling upon her knees in the midst of the noise, Hannah poured out her heart to God in anguish with supplications and tears. Maybe she was the first Eli would ever see in the temple in such a position, but Eli judged Hannah’s actions wrongly by assuming she was drunk with too much wine. (1 Samuel 1:9-16). let us be always mindful of judging others. Let us not be swift to conclusions about the actions and motives we see in others. God’s desire of every Christians is to carry the mind of Christ and exhume His fragrance of love, peace, and understanding of each other’s differences and personalities. We need to give everyone the benefit of doubt. Leave people’s motives up to God, who knows the heart and sees the intent of every human.

Finally, is judging a sin according to the Bible?

Some would think we come up with the assertion not to judge because judging is a sin, but is that really so? Sometimes, some things are not directly stated as sin in the Bible, but a caution to live right with everyone and maintain a right attitude of a godly heritage that we have in Christ. Jesus spoke those words to help us live righteously on the path of faith. He gave a clear view that God does not want people to judge others. We have our limitations as humans, and that is why the scriptures put it to us to avoid judging others based on our assumptions. God calls everyone to love and forgive one another and if we keep judging other actions and motives, we would live in hatred and anger against everyone, which is not Christ-like. Of what essence is it if we would profess Christ and act otherwise as Christ? In Romans 3:23, the Bible noted, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This gives a clearer picture that no human can take the place of judging and condemning others to a certain fate. Therefore, judging others is not a sin, but it does not glorify God and whatever does not bring glory to His name, we should avoid it with all our heart.

Bible verses about judging others

Be careful with your judgment. John 7:24 explains this and in 2Chronicles 19:6-7, we see Jehoshaphat telling some judges to take heed with their judgment. When we take heed of our judgment and become compassionate instead of being judgmental, we shine the light in us, this will bring many to align with God’s love and His will.

“…Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37) I hope from now on, we will always allow the Holy Spirit to help us begin to see judging others as unnecessary and give room to discern what is right. Bring the offense and faults you see in others to God in prayer. Ask God to help them in truth and indeed. Let us confront others with truth, love, respect, and not condemnation

Does someone need to attend church to be spiritual?

blogger — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 09:19:00 +0000

The church plays a vital part in most Christians’ life, and it gives a good feeling in mind and body when visiting the churches. It is an undeniable factor that churches aids in enhancing the spiritual levels of the people. However, there is confusion among most Christians when it comes to the topic of “does someone need to attend church to be spiritual” The answer is definitely not. But on the other hand, the spirituality, teachings of Jesus taught, and takes one much closer to God and digs deeper by attending a Church. A believer can gain a lot of knowledge of God and get disciplined by attending a church that helps them grow more in Christ, and that doesn’t deny one can’t gain understanding or grow spiritually without attending a church.

You are not in the church. You are the Church.

The primary reason I’m meeting with the church is that I’m the church, and it connects with God. You’re not attending mass. The church is you. Just attending the church every week or every day will no way favor you until you accept Christ and follow His words to become spiritual. I agree that becoming a church has much to do with living your life for Christ, expressing the love of God by loving others and sharing your faith with the individual.

When looking into the meaning of the word Church you’ll probably find that none of them falls into “person who attends church”. Essentially, becoming a Christian implies “being a follower of Christ.”

And what does following Christ mean? The Bible is the only way to look to discover the true meanings and walks of life. Several verses are saying the same thing. What happens on the inside is about becoming a true follower of Christ. Jesus was a man like us, and yet He never sinned once.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24. “For this, you were also called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His steps: Who committed no sin.” 1 Peter 2:21-22.

He made it possible for us, because of this, to transcend sin as well. Being a Christian means, I’m walking on this way to conquer the sin I’m tempted to overcome. The outward forms and practices, the appearances we bear before individuals, or becoming a member of a specific church, are not the items that determine what a Christian is.

So then, you might wonder, is it still essential to go to church? As long as I have the Word of God that tells me the life Jesus lived, I can’t be a lonely Christian.

Not a regulation, but rather a need to go in the church

In the Bible, there are no hard and fast guidelines for attending church. The author of Hebrews, however, makes it clear how it should be taken by representatives of the body of Christ.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25.

We need to confess to each other our religion, thereby stirring each other to love and good works!

A true follower of Christ would learn that they need to attend the church, where they receive support and encouragement from those who work to create this body of Christ and fellowship with them.

People who attend church regularly have lower blood pressure and higher immune systems, are less likely than non-churchgoers to consume alcohol and drugs, show lower rates of depression and suicide and are more likely to live longer.

The more they engage, the greater the influence of this the life-extending effect, and even when other variables are accounted for, the effect is observed.

Greater Mental and Physical Health – Benefits of visiting the church

Researchers believe it is probably not only one aspect that produces these benefits for the mind and body while going to church, but a mixture of all of the factors mentioned here, and the way they affect so many different aspects of the life of an individual. Fellow congregants’ supportive social pressure, and also the church-sponsored addiction services, can really aid people to quit smoking or alcohol. It has repeatedly been shown that the form of robust social care offered by the church promotes physical and mental wellbeing.

At church, the discipline gained will carry over into activities such as diet and exercise. Messages of hope and a sense of purpose will raise the spirits of the participants.

It is moreover clear that we can survive spiritually without going to church, but the church plays an integral part in our life transformation more like Christ. We will be a part of the community, helping each other in growing up in Christ.

Hebrews 10:25 “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching”. As the body of Christ, we should not leave the habit of going to church.

Is Sunday the day of rest for Christians

blogger — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 10:43:00 +0000

Understanding Sabbath Today – Is Sunday the day of rest for Christians

One of the ‘Ten Commandments’ is “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy….” In the old days, the Jewish people set aside a day in which they did not work, a day to worship. That used to be on Saturday. Today we worship on Sunday. That was it. Nothing about the real ‘why’ behind the Sabbath or ‘how’ to do Sabbath. Basically, Sabbath was presented as an old idea that translates to ‘going to church on Sunday’ for us today.

Do We Need to Understand Sabbath?

Why is it important to understand this Sabbath issue? To begin with, the theme is found first in the “Ten Commandments,” a brief collection of laws that we claim forms the backbone of our Judeo-Christian ethic and legal system. Commandments, as many preachers (too many, perhaps) have said, “…are not ‘holy suggestions’—they are commandments.” Jesus indicates rather clearly that these commandments are important (Matthew 5.17-20). Remembering or keeping the Sabbath is one of those commandments, so we cannot just dismiss Sabbath as we do so many details of Torah Since the Ten Commandments have been around for so long, they obviously have value. Since they are part of religious life, they are obvious targets for those who wish to separate church and state. How can we understand today these ancient commands especially the call to keep Sabbath and the value they may have for us? Understanding Sabbath in the Old Testament In order to begin to understand the place of Sabbath in the Gospel framework, we should have an understanding of Sabbath in general. The first mention we find of Sabbath in the Bible comes in Exodus 16:22-30. Just after Moses leads the Hebrew people out of Egypt, they come to a time in which they are gathering manna to eat. Moses commands the people to gather enough for two days because “tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord” (16:23). Just a short time later, we find Sabbath in the middle of the Ten Commandments that Moses delivers to the people, recorded in Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days, the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11) Here, the idea of Sabbath is developed a bit more, calling all living beings in a household to cease from work. Indeed, “cessation from work” rather than “rest” was the early understanding of the word —“the idea is not that of relaxation or refreshment, but cessation from activity.” The understanding of the Sabbath is really not developed much more than this in the Old Testament. In Nehemiah 13:15-22, Isaiah 56:1-7, and Ezekiel 20:8-26, we hear about Sabbath the breaking of Sabbath, the desecration of the Sabbath, and calls to return to Sabbath. These passages provide some examples of Sabbath-breaking, especially the passage in Nehemiah. Reading those verses, the problem is that it looks like any other day there is nothing different about it. The actual types of work specifically prohibited in Sabbath law are few: gathering food, plowing and reaping, kindling a fire, and chopping wood. These prohibitions indicate a rural or mobile community. The understanding grows to include the realities of growing urban life no selling, no carrying goods. In the Deuteronomic rendering of the Law (Deut. 5:15), the Israelite is not only to take the Sabbath as a day of rest but also as a day to remember the deliverance from Egypt, in effect, to make Sabbath a sort of mini-Passover. These rather general understandings of Sabbath remained thus until Israel is taken captive in 587BC.At this point due to the captivity, Sabbath begins to become something more, something distinctively Jewish, something debated and examined in detail.

Saturday or Sunday?: Which one to follow

Sabbath Was Made for Man and Not Man for the Sabbath. This verse Jesus spoke in Mark 2:27 is the crux of proof some use for the validity of Sunday worship. Jesus restored the foundation God instituted in the Sabbath. The Old Covenant and Law were dissolved with the inauguration of the Holy Spirit. Sunday “Christian Sabbath” is also unscriptural. As seen above, there is only one place where Sabbath is highlighted after Paul began to focus on the Gentiles. “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” (Colossians 2:16–17). Jesus Christ by died on the cross abolished all the laws and brings everyone under grace (Colossians 2:14). One has to remember that the Sabbath was initially given to the people of Israel and not the church in the New Testament However, the Sabbath was an integral part of Old Testament Law and believers are Christ are free from the bondage of the Law given through Moses (Galatians 4:1-26; Romans 6:14). Following the Sabbath is no necessary for the Christians no matter whether it is Saturday or Sunday. The first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10) celebrates the New Creation, with Christ as our resurrected Head. We are not obligated to follow the Mosaic Sabbath—resting but are now free to follow the risen Christ—serving. Also Read – https://www.aproudchristian.com/2020/05/why-we-go-to-church-on-sunday.html

Christian Religion and the Kingdom of God

blogger — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 10:30:00 +0000

What is the difference between the Christian religion and the Kingdom of God

Christianity is not a religion; it’s all about Jesus and to be his children. The followers of the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). There is the Christian religion possessing different activities; on the other hand, there is the Kingdom of God. What is the key difference between the terms? The main difference is, the Christian religion is a means to an end, whereas the Kingdom of God is the end product.

The Christian community tends to deal with the external Christ. The Kingdom of God is concerned with the re-creation of our personality such that it is Christ who is living in us. The purpose of all the activities of the Christian religion should be to form Christ in the believers. Jesus has given the great commission for every believer of God before his ascension to step out in faith and spread the Good News. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Believers of God who obey this command change their spiritual lives forever! It could be spreading the Good News so that people will be part of eternity in the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom of God

During the ministry of Jesus, He spoke a lot about the Kingdom of God. The first message of Jesus is not only foundational to the New Testament; it foundational to the entire Bible message. From the beginning, God was establishing His Kingdom on earth. God’s plan was to partner with His people to expand His way of life over all the earth (living in a love relationship with Father God in a beautiful garden setting). This is what heaven will ultimately be for us who believe. For now, we live in a fallen world.

One of his most well-known passages found in the Gospel of Mark:

“The time has come,” he said. “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

(Mk 1:15)Repent is not simply sorrow for your sins; the word has the sense of change your thinking. In other words, consider how you are living and decide to change your life.

The Message paraphrase says:

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.” (Mk 1:14–15)

So Jesus didn’t simply come to forgive sins (although a good thing), but to make known the present availability of the Kingdom of God and an invitation to enter into it: not simply when you die but right now in this life. And that is good news because, in a world dominated by violence, war, disasters, political strife, and general negativity, the KOG is a safe place to be because the fruit of the Spirit characterizes it. One can know more about God and his path to the Kingdom are possible through church.

The Kingdom of God vs Church

The Kingdom of God is significant that the Lord Jesus Christ was primarily focusing so much on it throughout His ministry. The first message Jesus taught was “Repent, the Kingdom of God is near”. God has called you to cast a macroscopic-panoramic-Biblical vision for your people that grow them into Kingdom people, not just church people. This in turns pops up a new question, “what’s the primary difference between the church and the Kingdom?” There is no doubt that the Kingdom of heaven is much bigger than the church. Even though the word “church” was uttered from Jesus for the very first time, He framed His ministry in terms of God’s Kingdom breaking into our world, not with a church building.

I’m not drowning or dismissing the church, but the point needs to be very clear. God had a bigger picture for the Kingdom and church is the body of Christ (Eph 5:25), and we need to build it up (Eph 4:11-12)

One thing we need to remember is that even though the church and its activities can fit into the Kingdom of God, you cannot shrink the Kingdom into the church. Whenever we try to shrink the Kingdom of God into the church-box, we end up creating church people, whereas we are supposed to create kingdom people. Both have a huge difference.

Coming and attending church doesn’t guarantee a place in the Kingdom, whereas Kingdom demands several obedience and fruits of spirits which yields a place in the Kingdom. So the church has to train the people towards the Kingdom. The church should not be focusing on earthly things it should be focusing on Godly things and build The Kingdom of God. Matthew 11:12 says “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” It’s never going to be an easy pathway to reach heaven and the church takes the responsibility to bring the bride to Kingdom, and that’s what the church was meant.