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The Search For St. Peter’s Tomb

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

St. Peter’s Basilica in the heart of Vatican City is not only the largest of all the Christian Churches, it is also considered to be the “greatest of all churches of Christendom”. It is regarded among Catholics to be the spot where St. Peter himself was entombed. He was given this honor because he was one of Christ’s apostles and the first Bishop of Rome, making him the first in a long line of papacy.

Peter played a huge part in the formation of the Christian Church after the crucifixion of Christ. Peter made his way to Rome in 64 AD after 30 years of service as spiritual head of this new church. After a time, Peter was executed in an act of martyrdom by Emperor Nero, along with a large number of other supporters of Christ and the new Church. His execution was a crucifixion, but at Peter’s request he was hung with his head down rather than up. Peter did not believe he was worthy to suffer the same death as did Christ.

Peter was buried on Vatican Hill close to the spot on which he was killed. His grave was marked by a single red rock, but years later a shrine was built over this spot. In the 4th century the original St. Peter’s Basilica was constructed over the shrine with St. Peter’s tomb just underneath the altar. Since then, other popes have been buried there, even after the present basilica was built in the 16th century.

Starting in 1939, the Vatican began sending archeological teams beneath the basilica in an effort to locate St. Peter’s tomb and any other items of importance to the church. An entire complex of pagan mausoleums were discovered as well as a number of graves. Also discovered was a structure that was believed to be a monument to mark the spot of St. Peter’s grave. The bones of four men were discovered, among them those of a man between the ages of 60 and 70. This set of remains was removed without the knowledge of the lead archeologist and were stored away from the site where they would be safe until further study could be done.

In 1950 Pope Pious XII was anxious to tell the world about the discoveries that have been made, but with caution. He announced that beyond all doubt the tomb of Saint Peter had been found. While mentioning the additional discovery of a set of remains, the Pope was careful to state that there was no way to prove that these bones were those of St. Peter.

In 1963 Pope Paul VI became pope. He gave permission to the original archeologist who discovered the bones, an old family friend, to begin study on the bones again. He documented his findings in a book called The Remains of Saint Peter published in 1965. It was these findings that prompted Pope Paul in June of 1968 to inform the world that the bones of St. Peter had indeed been found beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.

Robert Mann is a lifelong poet and writer living in California. Mr. Mann is also Senior Editor of the Christian news website http://www.FreeChristianPress.com. Also published at The Search For St. Peter’s Tomb.

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The Bloodguilty Religion Of Christianity

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Examining the act of worship and religious idolatry a gradual changed from temple sacrificial worship to synagogue, church, mosque type of worship occurred slowly throughout generations. The foundations of the current religious worship stems back to the 70 year exile of the Jews in Babylon. From that time, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and all others formed as non-sacrificial religious worship. The context to comprehend is that a measure of truth resides in each religion around the world. Identifying the truth that exists within the dogma and disposing the falsehood is the key to spiritual awareness. Each religion teaches falsehood that breaks the first two commandments: sun, moon, earth, and fertility worship. Christianity directly worships the sun through Christmas and the fertility through Easter.

The main message the Apostle Paul spread and that became firmly established throughout the world is that Jesus Suffered, Died, and ascended from the grave, and that he was Anointed defining as Messiah, which does not mean Savior.
The main purpose for spreading the good news for the message to become firmly established throughout the world. In 323 CE Constantine the Great Christianized Rome and thus formed “Christianity”. From that time on, Christianity becomes bloodguilty from murderous wars through the Crusades and the attachment to Idolatry. The cross and rosary along with mother worship patterned the organization of idolatry and have caused Christianity to pursue an egocentric stench. Worshiping the cross with an image, praying to “the virgin”, idolizing a tree that relates Roman sun worship pertains to ritualistic worship of the Lower Entities.

The cross depicts war, one path crossing the other, such as the german knights cross and many others. Moses taught-Do not make an idol of any form out of anything! The Crusaders wore a red cross during their ravages of murder that symbolizes war-the cross represents two paths crossing. The powers of the darkness along with their deceiving human cohorts generated the cross into a deceptive form of idolatry; the members of Christianity are blinded from this fact. Each religion teaches falsehood that breaks the first two commandments: sun, moon, earth, and fertility worship. Insignificant information exists about the crucifixion that includes a colorful history of nailing people to trees or stakes. The crucifixion was a very popular practice during the first century CE.

The fertilized seed on Easter produces the Sun God for Christmas during the winter solstice. The Romans worshiped the sun god during this time with their greatest celebration on the twenty-fifth. Consequently, Rome adopted their sun god worship into Roman Christianity and made it Christmas. Easter and Christmas are the prime holidays for Christianity. Easter corresponds with fertility and the egg. Throughout history, the rebirth renewal of spring continually predominates the year along with the prime occult sun worshiping date of April Twentieth.

Multitudes of lower entities thrive with the two top original entities that dominate Christianity-Shamash the Sun god and Ishtar the Fertility goddess. Every single branch and denomination of Christianity is under the control and influence of the lower entities, despite the consciousness progression from last hundred years.

Worship that involves singing, bowing, kneeling, rituals, emotional expression outbursts are acts of Idolatry.
The lower entities love war, Christianity became utterly bloodguilty from the wars the organization waged throughout history. Every type of denomination relates to the organization of Christianity, including Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses. Jehovah Witnesses Idolize the Watchtower organization and “worship the watchtower”, Mormons worship their temple and the ideology of their false prophets. Religion is based on control, guilt, fear, and shame. The worldwide Christian organization is bloodguilty and worship the lower entities. Multitudes of lower entities thrive with the two top original entities that dominate Christianity-Shamash the Sun god and Ishtar the Fertility goddess. Every single branch and denomination of Christianity is under the control and influence of the lower entities, despite the consciousness progression from last hundred years.

The lower entities thrives on control through repression concerning normal human sexual nature; all religion views sex as taboo that creates emotional baggage of shame and guilt. Many church leaders experience deeply hidden issues, mostly with young boys. The papacy conceals the crimes within the Vatican while innocent children are scarred for life.

Inner emotional attachment prevents an individual from surrendering their religion and to deprogram the deception that is ingrained into people generation to generation. Most individuals deeply believe their religion is the “truth”. Mainstream Christianity, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses including all religious cults reside within a totalitarian mentality. Each individual life path may create strong personal experiences that convinced people that their religion is true; there is a measure of truth within each religion. Strong personal experiences have a two fold purpose, first, The Divine Source draws the person into religion for the purpose of cultivating faith. Second, the lower entities will attempt to cause strong emotional attachments; religion is the prime road block to a higher level of consciousness because of the Idolatry.

Free yourself by surrendering your fear and leave your religion. Continue to study all scripture and pray until Jesus, the Anointed King and Master of righteousness, revels himself and directs your path. Dedicate yourself to the Almighty Divine Source through his Son Jesus without any type of religion or dogma in between. Try to identify Divine direction within your life.

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The History Of Christianity

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

The vastest religion is known as Christianity. Although the are various forms of Christianity however they are all entirely called as Christians for they praise the God and follow similar teachings. The Christianity as originated on the time Christ was born. The entire Christians follow the teaching of Christ that was born between 7 and 4 BCE. He was sentence to death bf the Roman. Christians identified Christ as the son of God. They believe also the he is God and the send person in the Trinity called as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The entire history of Jews is can be found in the Old Testament. It was stated on there that nation alone, the immense realities of the occurrence and unity of God, His beneficial ruling of His creations and their duties on Him. The duties that He bestowed on them were conserved unspoiled amidst general corruption. The early world was awarded to Pantheism and creature-worship. After that, the world was given to the Israelites and was headed by the prophets. For some of the Baptist they foreshadowed as bigger and more general revelation.

With regards to the essential of Christianity, during those early years, it was much fleeting and outstanding. It was not accessible full grown to the world, however it was left to improve base with the forces and possibilities that were rooted in it from the start by its founder. It is not an issue to find in primitive Christianity traits that did not survive after they had offered their purpose. The natural causes and the different events that happen is always under the Divine guidance, which is commonly resulting to Christianity taking form that would best safeguard its solidity and competence. During the apostolic times that, supreme power as to morals and faith was given to the twelve representatives of Christ and they are called the apostles. Every one was entitled to proclaim and unfailingly infer His teaching.

The Divine purpose of Christianity is divided in three parts, the Universe Religion, Noticeably to Established Religion and Perfect Religion. The Christianity is created for the entire world. It was compromised to Abraham and to his nation. It was also showed by Christ the reason why he came on earth. The universality of Christian when it comes to time and space was also informed by Christ. Christianity is an ideal religion because of Christ’s own means of teaching, through his teaching he was able to explains how this religion is absolutely great. With the lost of imperfections that are scattered, yet God created earth perfectly for How entire creatures.

Christianity is a religion that acquires great story. If you are a Christian it is very important that you have knowledge of its origin in order for you love more the religion. Be means of history as well you may know your obligations as a Christian, Christianity is not a religion only but it is also a guide on how you should live life that God expects you to do.

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Christianity And Christians

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Speaking about Christians and not discussing the doctrines of Christianity becomes an obscure task. The reason for this obscurity is that without Christianity to support them, Christians would not even exist. The very term, Christian, comes from the religion of Christianity and means Christ-like. For those wondering how far back the existence of Christians can be dated, it is worth noting here that there are mentions of Christians in the New Testament Acts 11:26. While originally, the term Christian was used only to describe the followers of Christianity; these days, anything simply associated with Christianity is called as Christian – a Christian restaurant, a Christian shop, a Christian label and so on. Almost 75 percent population in North America consider themselves to be Christians. This clearly signifies that religion Christianity makes for one of the most widely spread and recognized religions in the world.

According to a study conducted, several variations and differences between the Christians and their beliefs have been noticed. According to this survey, these beliefs and practices can be divided into five major segments. While for two segments, spiritual growth does not depend on attending churches every Sunday or in a regular manner, others are more precise in their practices. Mentioned below is the complete layout of the Christian population based on the practice and beliefs:

According to the survey it was found that only 19 percent of the North American population would fall under the category of active Christians. These people attend the church regularly and are firm believers in Jesus Christ, bible and the supremacy of the church. The next 20 percent of the population are of the belief that more than church, it is belief in god and Jesus Christ that matters. Such followers fall under the category of professing Christians. Another 16 percent of the population has accepted complete supremacy of the church and church authorities. Most of these people call themselves as Roman Catholics, Episcopalian, orthodox or Lutheran. The largest segment of the population, comprising of up to 24 percent of population, fall under the category of private Christians. These people while are not regular church goers or bible readers, they still do believe in god and bible. They also believe in performing good deeds. Lastly, the cultural Christians, who do not believe in the religion and the importance of Jesus Christ for salvation, while they still call themselves as Christians.

Considering the vast majority of population being Christians in North America, there is presence of thousands of faith groups in the nation. Some of the most famous of these groups are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Roman Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Eastern Orthodox churches, Christian Science, Unification Church etc. To add to this list, several other faith groups fall under categories of conservative, liberal, progressive and mainline. The matter of fact is that all the groups mentioned above and many more are working towards the same end – belief in Christianity and spreading the wonders. Nevertheless, they consider only their own group members as true Christians.

Aside from the religion groups and cults explained above, there’s an enormous population of US citizens who’ve not associated themselves with any specific cult and yet refer to themselves as to be Christians. With such vastness and variety, Christianity survives and makes for one of the most dominant faiths on earth.

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A History Of The Baptist Church

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

As a Protestant denomination, Baptists can trace their history to a seventeenth-century congregation of English Puritan separatists who had taken refuge in Holland. A former Anglican clergyman became convinced in 1609 that only adult believers should be baptized. John Smyth baptized himself, then a group of his followers. After Smyth left his own church, Thomas Helwys led the congregation back to England, where it became the first permanent Baptist church on English soil.

About thirty years later, another Baptist group arose and split off from a Puritan Independent congregation. Unlike the first group of Baptists, which often are compared to moderate Calvinists and called, “General Baptists,” the new group was more strict in their Calvinism and were called, “Particular Baptists.” This latter group believed in baptism through immersion, a practice later followed by all Baptists.

Particular Baptist churches were founded in Rhode Island in 1639, marking Baptist beginnings in America. The creation of the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1707 furthered the church cause. The influence of this association extended from Rhode Island to South Carolina. However, during this time, Baptists became less Calvinist and more evangelistic and pietistic. This cause was deepened further by the Great Awakening revival during the eighteenth century.

Former New England Congregationalists split from their church around this time to follow Shubal Stearns to Sandy Creek, North Carolina in 1755. He had developed a following large enough to develop the Sandy Creek Association with boundaries that extended from Virginia into South Carolina within three years. The Separates, as they were known, merged with Regular or Calvinist Baptists to spread both community and religion into the west to Kentucky and beyond in 1787.

1814 marked the last time that Baptists achieved any type of recognized overall national organization in the U.S., when the “General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions” was established. Baptists were split over the slavery issue by 1845, and that was when the Southern Baptist Convention was developed. Over sixteen million members who worship in over 42,000 U.S. churches comprises this organization today. While this association remains the largest Baptist group, many other Baptist associations also exist.

The Baptist religion is represented by a wide range of practice and belief systems, but a small set of principles distinguish them as one body:

1. Baptists stress the authority of the Bible, seeking to follow the New Testament as their guide in matters of faith and practice. Some members hold to the Bible as being verbally inspired by God, while others understand the Bible in the light of historical and critical study. 2. Baptists practice baptism of believers only, insisting that the one to be baptized be mature enough to understand and confess belief in salvation through personal faith in Jesus Christ. 3. Baptists believe in a “gathered” church. churches are organized congregationally, with each church independent of all others. They all affirm that Christ is the true head of each local church, which is therefore autonomous under Him; however, they also affirm the associational principle, by which the independent congregations of similar faith and order form associations and national conventions for mutual support and inspiration, for mission and evangelistic work. 4. Baptists have put considerable emphasis on the Reformation doctrine of “the priesthood of all believers.” They have provided prominent place to laymen and laywomen in the life of the church. 5. Baptists historically have believed strongly in religious liberty and in the separation of church and state. Today, however, while Baptists believe that church should be under the authority of the Bible only and resist governmental control of churches, many churches have become involved with politics through elections, holding political office and through advocacy of religious agendas.

The “Baptist Acrostic Backronym” helps to summarize Baptist beliefs as follows:

B – Biblical authority (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) A – Autonomy of the local church (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 6:1-3) P – Priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5-9; 1 Timothy 5) T – Two ordinances (believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper) (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Cor. 11:23-32) I – Individual soul liberty (Romans 14:5-12) S – Separation of Church and State (Matthew 22:15-22) T – Two offices of the church (pastor-elder and deacon) (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1-2)

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Assemblies Of God Church

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

This definition is focused on the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America (AGUSA, or AG). AGUSA is a Pentecostal Christian denomination that was founded in 1914 during the meeting of Pentecostal ministers at Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In 1897, AG founders were licensed Caucasian ministers within the Church of God in Christ, now the largest African-American Pentecostal body in the U.S. Their affiliation, thanks to the Jim Crow era racial climate, with the Church of God in Christ was short-lived. The white members who wanted to manage a split from the Church of God in Christ, yet retain a fellowship, felt compelled to form a new organization, because the excitement of that church was infectious.

AG formation in 1914 at the Hot Springs meeting followed a doctrinal debate (taken from AG official Web site):

“Almost immediately, leaders were faced with a doctrinal dispute – whether to abandon traditional Trinitarian theology in favor of a modal monarchical view of the godhead (also called the “New Issue” or Oneness theology). In 1916 the General Council approved a Statement of Fundamental Truths, which affirmed Trinitarian orthodoxy.”

The debate allowed AG to organize to promote unity and doctrinal stability, establish legal standing, coordinate the mission enterprise, and establish a ministerial training school. From the beginning, evangelism and missions were central to the AG identity. In 2007, AG claimed 2,836174 adherents in 12,311 churches with 33,622 ministers and the General Council supported 2,691 foreign missionaries and associates working with the broader World Assemblies of God Fellowship, whose adherents numbered more than 57 million.

Currently, the Assemblies of God USA and Assemblies of God organizations around the world comprise the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination with some 51 million members and adherents.

The Assemblies of God describes itself as a Protestant fellowship, Trinitarian (God exists in three persons) and evangelical. But, the core belief behind AG churches is its Pentecostal belief, and AG remains true to its original full gospel foundation. This belief includes speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Other accepted manifestations include messages in tongues with interpretations, prophecies, word of knowledge and the “complete offering of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit as indicated in the Bible.”

Outside the doctrine, the AG mission includes four goals:

1. Evangelize the lost. 2. Worship God. 3. Disciple believers. 4. Demonstrate God’s love through Compassion.

AGUSA also is committed to the following core values:

1. Passionately proclaim, at home and abroad, by word and deed Jesus as Savior, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon Coming King. 2. Strategically invest in the next generation 3. Vigorously plant new churches 4. Skillfully resource our Fellowship 5. Fervently pray for God’s favor and help as we serve Him with pure hearts and noble purpose

The Web site, iVALUE, which concentrates on “Salvation, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Divine Healing and the Second Coming of Christ” also provides four core values. The site is geared toward AG ministers, leaders and laity who want to learn more about this denomination’s core beliefs as Christians.

ASUGA maintains nineteen endorsed Bible colleges, universities, and a seminary in the United States. The Assemblies of God national headquarters is located in Springfield, Missouri. An administration building, the Gospel Publishing House, and the International Distribution Center are included in the headquarters. The printing arm of the church, The Gospel Publishing House, turns out more than twelve tons of gospel literature each day.

The AG is a member of four national and international Christian organizations including: National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA), Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF) and World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF).

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A Praying Power Journal

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Although Christians feel as if they do not pray enough, they do realize the power of prayer. Praying power is an awesome power and just getting into the habit of regular prayer is a power unto itself. You may be encouraged to pray more and to pray often for certain people or for certain goals, by keeping a prayer journal.

Praying Power

Thanking God for his blessings is a great way to exercise your praying power. While many of us save prayer for asking for things, mature Christians set aside prayer time to simply communicate with God and to thank Him for all that He has done for them. When we set aside time to simply communicate with God and not ask for anything in particular, it is a powerful improvement in our relationship with Him.

Many people feel His Word, the Bible, is a way God and His Son communicate with us, and that we pray in order to communicate with them. Others set aside prayer for request, praying for health or wealth or whatever the need is at any given time. However, when you keep a prayer journal, you are reminded to expand your prayer life to include others besides yourself and you are reminded that prayer isn’t just about asking for things.

One of God’s wishes is for us to take the time to pray. Even Jesus prayed to God when he could have just spoken to him. Maybe it was for our example that Jesus got away by himself to pray to the Father but if that is correct, it is an example worth putting to good use.

Keeping a prayer journal is an excellent way to keep track of our prayers and the progress. It also helps remind us what we have prayed for on previous days. It really is fascinating to look back and see how our prayers were answered. Many Christians are even shocked months later to look at the things they prayed for. This often happens because as our prayer life improves, so does our maturity in the faith. Still, it is a great exercise to use to grow in our relationship with the Father and the Son.

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About The Methodist Church

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

About as mainstream and Main Street as a denomination can be in the United States today, the Methodist church, in its early days in England, was considered extreme and its leaders radical.

The first Methodists, led by John Wesley, George Whitefield and others, started out merely to reform the Church of England, but wound up riding the wave of a movement. It began with a group of students at Oxford between 1729 and 1735 and slowly spread outward.

From A Brief history of the Methodist Denomination, by Mary Fairchild:

“The beginning of Methodism as a popular movement began in 1738, when both of the Wesley brothers, influenced by contact with the Moravians, undertook evangelistic preaching with an emphasis on conversion and holiness. Though both Wesley brothers were ordained ministers of the Church of England, they were barred from speaking in most of its pulpits because of their evangelistic methods. They preached in homes, farm houses, barns, open fields, and wherever they found an audience.

“Wesley did not set out to create a new church, but instead began several small faith-restoration groups within the Anglican church called the “United Societies.” Soon however, Methodism spread and eventually became its own separate religion when the first conference was held in 1744.

“George Whitefield (1714-1770) was a minister in the Church of England and also one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. Some believe that he more than John Wesley is the founder of Methodism. He is famous for his part in the Great Awakening movement in America. As a follower of John Calvin, Whitefield parted ways with Wesley over the doctrine of predestination.”

Inclusiveness is one thing that characterized Methodism (so called because of their advocacy of “rule” and “method” in their teachings). Whitefield traveled across the English countryside preaching in open-air venues to anyone who would listen, in particular. His style was a forerunner of 20th-century spellbinders like Billy Sunday.

Whitefield later came to America to ignite the Great Awakening with his robust oratory.

As for core doctrine, however, there was no appreciable difference between Methodists and the older church from which they sprung. Methodists believed in the trinity, the virgin birth, the resurrection, and the necessity for grace from God to achieve salvation (as opposed to good works).

Christians could hardly argue with Wesley’s three precepts of Methodism:

1. Shun evil and avoid partaking in wicked deeds at all costs,
2. Perform kind acts as much as possible, and
3. Abide by the edicts of God the Almighty Father.

Whitefield finally convinced Wesley that it was not disrespecting God to preach outside of a church. In time, however, Wesley would follow the path of Arminianism, while Whitefield gravitated toward Calvinism.

The staid Church of England, which regarded Methodists as fanatics, frowned upon both of those paths.

Finding a ready reception along the early frontier, soon after Methodism began to bubble in England, itinerant preachers came to America. Because Methodism was preacher-oriented, the best and most dynamic of those tended to accumulate their own followings.

Because Methodism was preacher-oriented, the best and most dynamic of those tended to accumulate their own followings. Consequently, Methodism began to splinter, both in England and in the colonies.

From 1817 to 1843 the Second Great Awakening in America took place, rekindling zeal for Methodism and other Protestant denominations. However, coinciding with that was a debate inside the Methodist church about slavery, which John Wesley had adamantly opposed. Slaveholders, eventually, were ejected from membership.

Usually, Methodists reaffirm their covenant with God in a Covenant service to begin the New Year. Wrote John Singleton in The Roots of Methodism:

“On many occasions, Wesley urged that an opportunity be provided for Methodists to make, or renew, their “covenant” with God. His first formal covenant service was held in 1755 at the French Church (borrowed for the occasion to accommodate large numbers), situated in the Spitalfields area of east London.”

This is what Wesley wrote in his journal about the event:

“I mentioned to the congregation another means of increasing serious religion which had been frequently practiced by our forefathers, namely, the joining in a covenant to serve God with all our heart and with all our soul. I explained this for several mornings, and on Friday, many of us kept a fast to the Lord, beseeching him to give us wisdom and strength, to make a promise unto the Lord our God and keep it.

“On Monday…I explained once more the nature of such an engagement and the manner of doing it acceptably to God.

“At six in the evening we met for that purpose. After I had recited the tenor of the covenant proposed, all those who desired to give testimony of their entrance into this covenant stood up, to the number of about 1,800 persons. Such a night I scarce ever saw before. Surely the fruit of it shall remain forever.”

The historic covenant service took place in the building, which still stands in Spitalfields.

Founded in 1968, the United Methodist Church is the primary Methodist representative in the United States. The Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church are other groups that trace their origins back to John Welsey.

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Messianic Judaism

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

A hybrid religious movement, Messianic Judaism combines Judaism and Christianity. This belief system and those who follow it believe in the divinity of Jesus, whom they call Yeshua. However, just as Jesus was a Jew, they also cling to the rituals and restrictions of the Jewish Shabbat.

Mainstream Judaism has rejected this movement, but it is accepted, to a large degree, by Christians. Often, a belief in Jesus as Savior is considered the dividing line between Jews and Christians, and Messianic Jews qualify as Christians under that criteria. The Supreme Court of Israel even has so ruled, in a case involving the Law of Return.

However, one major difference is that while Christians believe adherence to the Bible is the path to heaven, Messianic Jews continue to focus on the Torah, as well as observing Jewish holidays and dietary requirements.

The synagogue Baruch Ha Shem, is a typical statement of belief from one Messianic Jewish congregation:

“The Jewishness of biblical faith in Messiah Yeshua is expressed at Baruch Ha Shem through Torah reading, observance of the Biblical feast and fast days, teaching of Scripture from a Jewish perspective. Messianic praise music and Davidic dance. We seek to explore the Jewish roots of our faith and to foster a loving sensitivity to the Jewish people. Our desire is to daily seek first the kingdom, of G-d and His righteousness, and to share our faith with all men in a culturally sensitive way.

“BHS provides an environment where believers can be edified and encouraged in Messianic belief as well as equipped to do the work to which we have been called: first, to be a light to a lost world, and also to bring a message of reconciliation to the Church so that both Jew and Gentile may know the spiritual reality of being one in the Messiah.”

The Messianic Judaism movement, interestingly, began not in the Holy Land, but in England. Founded in London in the mid-1800s, the first Hebrew-Christian congregation was called Beni Abraham. In 1866, the Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain came about, soon spreading to several European countries and the United States. The International Hebrew-Christian Alliance took root in America in 1915.

In 1973, at the urging of HCAA president Martin Chernoff, the name was changed to the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. According to David Raush, who has written a book on Messianic Judaism, the name change “represented an evolution in the thought processes and religious and philosophical outlook toward a more fervent expression of Jewish identity.”

Some Messianic Jews from America wound up moving to Israel, creating their own village outside of Jerusalem.

Although they are drawn to the Torah, Messianic Judaism adherents also believe that the Old Testament was divinely inspired. Hence, they consider Jesus Christ to be a fulfillment of Old Testament predictions — unlike mainstream Jews, who are still waiting for the Messiah to arrive.

An evangelical side to Messianic Judaism also exists, although it tends to be more muted than that of Christianity or Islam. This quote, from “The Basics of Messianic Judaism” is typical:

“Since Messianic Judaism is Jewish, it deems all Jewish people as its siblings. Also, since Christianity professes the Jewish Messiah as their Savior, Messianic Judaism deems all faithful Gentiles as its siblings (and no longer to be pagan Gentiles). This does not mean Messianic Judaism agrees with all the doctrines, traditions, customs or practices of either traditional Judaism or Christianity. We believe it would be the best and is ultimately necessary for all Jewish people to know their Messiah Yeshua, but we do not believe that God has called any Jewish person to become Gentile or Western Christian in custom. Rather, we believe it would be best and is ultimately necessary for Christianity to remove its pagan influences and return to the roots of Judaism, that is, to return to the way of Yeshua as He walked by example and set forth in His entire Word.”

The movement is growing, albeit slowly. A survey in 2003 listed 400 Messianic Jewish congregations worldwide and around 150 in the United States.

Like their estranged Jewish “siblings,” most Messianic Jews do not observe Christmas.

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Our Omnipresent God

Friday, March 19th, 2010

We read in the Bible (Psalm 139) that God is omnipresent. He is literally everywhere that we could possibly go. The Psalm says that He fills all of the universe. At any moment and any place, God is there. Isn’t that amazing?! It’s hard to comprehend or to understand, but there is nowhere that we can go where God is not present.

Later, in Colossians we read that not only is God present everywhere in the universe, He is also present even in the smallest particle of matter. This goes even further to show His presence everywhere within His creation. We cannot find a place of a thing that does not have God’s presence.

There is no way the human mind can fully comprehend the fact that our God can be present everywhere at the same time. As humans, we are limited in both time and space, but God is not. Although I do not really understand how it is possible, I know that it is true.

Any time I call on Him, He hears my cry – and He does the same for each of His children. Someone once said, “When thousands of Christians are praying privately around the world at the same time, each one can be sure that he is receiving God’s undivided attention.”

At times when you feel alone, be assured that God is there. He stands beside you; He sees and knows all that you are going through. You are not alone. You are not forsaken. God is there. Let that be your courage, comfort and joy.

Father, thank you so very much for always being with me, regardless of the circumstance. Thank you that no matter where I go or how far I stray, I can know that You are right there. I love you and trust that Your presence will be a comforting factor throughout all of the situations that I face.

Dr. Ann Shorb is a professional counselor with CCES in Hanover, PA. She serves local clients through face-to-face counseling in the office, and others throughout the US can receive phone counseling. She provides a variety of services including pre-marital counseling and marriage counseling.

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