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Reading: Acts 17:22-28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28)   A number of cross-cultural weddings takes place in our country now. There are ardent advocates for both sides of the argument. Does the Bible say anything on this? The Bible does not discourage cross-cultural marriages directly or indirectly. The only thing it speaks against is a believer in Christ marrying an unbeliever (2 Cor 6:14,15). Abraham's plea with his servant not to go to the Canaanites to find a bride for his son was not because of the cross-cultural factor. He did not want Isaac to return to the land from where God had called him out (Gen 24:1-19). God got angry with Miriam and Aaron who spoke against the cross-cultural marriage of Moses (Num 12:1,9). Joseph's wife was a non-Hebrew (Gen 41:45). Personally, while I am not against cross-cultural marriages, I am not advocating them either. Even when the bride and groom are...

Various theories on the location of hell have been put forward. A traditional view is that hell is in the center of the earth. Others propose that hell is located in outer space in a black hole. In the Old Testament, the word translated “hell” is Sheol; in the New Testament, it’s Hades (meaning “unseen”) and Gehenna (“the Valley of Hinnom”). Sheol is also translated as “pit” and “grave.” Both Sheol and Hades refer to a temporary abode of the dead before judgment (Psalm 9:17; Revelation 1:18). Gehenna refers to an eternal state of punishment for the wicked dead (Mark 9:43). The idea that hell is below us, perhaps in the center of the earth, comes from passages such as Luke 10:15: “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell” (KJV). Also, in 1 Samuel 28:13-15, the medium of Endor sees the spirit of Samuel “coming up out of the ground.” We should note, however, that neither of these passages is concerned with the geographic location of hell. Capernaum’s...

The phrase "forgive and forget" is not found in the Bible. However, there are numerous scriptures commanding us to “forgive one another” (Matthew 6:14; Ephesians 4:32). A Christian who does not forgive can reap bitterness and the loss of eternal rewards (Hebrews 12:14-15; 2 John 1:8). Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to forgive. This frees the forgiving one from the past. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not change (Matthew 5:44). Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but if not, the one wronged should still make known his decision to forgive. In one sense, it is impossible to truly forget sins that have been committed against us. We cannot selectively "delete" events from our memory. The Bible states that God does not "remember" our wickedness (Hebrews 8:12). God is all-knowing. God knows that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)...

There is no Hebrew or Greek word used in the Bible that precisely refers to sex before marriage. The Bible undeniably condemns adultery and sexual immorality, but is sex before marriage considered sexually immoral? According to 1 Corinthians 7:2, “yes” is the clear answer: “But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.” In this verse, Paul states that marriage is the “cure” for sexual immorality. First Corinthians 7:2 is essentially saying that, because people cannot control themselves and so many are having immoral sex outside of marriage, people should get married. Then they can fulfill their passions in a moral way. Since 1 Corinthians 7:2 clearly includes sex before marriage in the definition of sexual immorality, all of the Bible verses that condemn sexual immorality as being sinful also condemn sex before marriage as sinful. Sex before marriage is included in the biblical definition of sexual immorality. There are nume...

There are several very important differences between Catholics and Protestants. While there have been some attempts over the last several years to find common ground between the two groups, the fact is that the differences remain, and they are just as important today as they were at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Following is brief summary of some of the more important differences. One of the first major differences between Catholicism and Protestantism is the issue of the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the sole source of God’s special revelation to mankind, and as such it teaches us all that is necessary for our salvation from sin. Protestants view the Bible as the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. This belief is commonly referred to as “Sola Scriptura” and is one of the “Five Solas” (sola being Latin for “alone”) that came out of the Protestant Reformation as summaries of some of the importa...

The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven, a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture. Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term “heaven” to describe three different “realms”—the sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Although the terms are not specifically biblical, these are commonly known as the terrestrial, telestial, and celestial heavens. Paul was saying that God took him to the “celestial” heavens, as ...

Does God show mercy to those who are mentally retarded, challenged, disabled, or handicapped. Do mentally ill people go to heaven The Bible does not specifically say whether or not mentally ill people go to heaven. However, there is some biblical evidence that anyone who is not able to make a decision for salvation is covered by Christ’s death. This is similar to how it is commonly believed that children are automatically taken to heaven when they die until they reach the point in which they are able to make a decision for or against Christ. David had a child die, and he comforted himself with the thought, “Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). David knew that he would see his child in heaven one day. From that statement, we can assume that babies and young children were, by God's grace, covered for salvation by Christ’s death. We can postulate from this that mentally retarded people are covered by this principle as well. T...

Bible say about infant baptism There is much confusion about baptism in the various Christian denominations. However, this is not a result of the Bible presenting a confusing message on baptism. The Bible is abundantly clear of what baptism is, who it is for, and what it accomplishes. In the Bible, only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized - as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience after faith in Christ. It is a proclamation of faith in Christ, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. With this in view, infant baptism is not a Biblical practice. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. An infant cannot make a conscious decision to obey Christ. An infant cannot understand what water baptism symbolizes. The Bible does not record any infants being baptized. Infant baptism is the origin of the sp...

GAYATRI MANTRA   Gayatri mantra has been  bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma.This mantra has also been  termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.  Ombhur bhuvah  swah  Tat savitur varenyam  Bhargo devasya dheemahi  Dhiyo yo nah  prachodayat  The literal meaning of the mantra is:  O God! You are  Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty. You are all Light. You are all  Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this  Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your  light. You guide our intellect in the right direction. The mantra,  however, has a great scientific import too, which somehow got lost in the  literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our  Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000  million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system...

The following is a list of the most well known. Book of the Law (Deuteronomy 31:26) – “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.” The Bible is described as a book of laws, laws which are not meant to enslave us or stifle our relationship with God and life on earth, but laws which are meant to strengthen our relationship with God and enhance our lives. Gospel (Romans 1:16) – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”. The Bible reveals to us the gospel, the good news, about the Lord Jesus Christ and that through God’s Son, our sins are forgiven and we are granted salvation. Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2) – “The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” The Bible is a collection of sacred writings which are holy as they are made authoritative by God, who is its topic and inspiration. ...

Pentecost Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church. John the Baptist prophesied of the first Pentecost when Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus confirmed this prophecy with the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in John 14:26. He showed Himself to these men after His death on the cross and His resurrection, giving convincing proofs that He was alive. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit, from whom they would receive power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:3-8). After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, the men returned to Jerusalem and joined together in prayer in an upper room. On the Day of Pentecost, just as promised, the sound of a violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were given the power of communication, which Peter used to beg...

While Jesus very likely spoke Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, Aramaic was likely the language Jesus spoke the most. The Gospels record Jesus speaking numerous Aramaic words: talitha koum (Mark 5:41); ephphatha (Mark 7:34); eloi eloi lama sabachthani (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34); abba (Mark 14:36). Historians, archaeologists, and cultural anthropologists are almost universally agreed that Aramaic was the common/colloquial language in Israel during Jesus’ time. Aramaic was very similar to Hebrew, but with many words/phrases that were borrowed from other languages/cultures, especially Babylonian. Hebrew was spoken primarily only by the scribes, teachers of the law, Pharisees, and Sadducees, the “religious elite.” Hebrew was likely often read in the synagogues, so most people were probably able to speak and understand some Hebrew. Since Greek was the language of the Romans, who had power over Israel during Jesus’ time, Greek was the language of the political class and anyone who wanted to do ...

Not going to hell is easier than you think. Some people believe they have to obey the Ten Commandments for their entire lives to not go to hell. Some people believe they must observe certain rites and rituals in order to not go to hell. Some people believe there is no way we can know for sure whether or not we will go to hell. None of these views are correct. The Bible is very clear on how a person can avoid going to hell after death. The Bible describes hell as a terrifying and horrible place. Hell is described as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), and “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Revelation 20:10 describes hell as a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Obviously, hell is a place we should avoid. Why does hell even exist, and why does God send some people there? The Bible te...

Paul is very clear when he tells us, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2 NIV). In spite of how we might try to twist the Scriptures, as Christians we have a God-directed responsibility to obey the laws that our government has established (unless the laws contradict God's Word). We also need to ask ourselves what kind of example we are to the people who know we are Christians and who we are trying to reach with the gospel of Christ. How many times have we seen someone speeding by us, only to notice the fish or some other Christian symbol on their bumper? This definitely sends the wrong message.  It’s interesting how some try to justify their actions even though we know they’...

The concept of taming the tongue is found in James 3 where God declares, through the Apostle James, that “no one can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). This lengthy discussion about the tongue is both convicting and illuminating. Among the things this chapter reveals about the tongue: it is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts (v. 5); it is a fire and a world of evil that defiles the whole person (v. 6); it is set on fire by hell (v. 6); it is an unrestrain-able evil and full of deadly poison (v. 7). Is it any wonder, then, that God declares that taming the tongue is impossible? When Adam sinned God imputed that sin to mankind, so whether or not we want to believe it, every human being is born with a wicked heart and an evil sin nature (Romans 3:10-18). Lurking within each of us are varying degrees of hatred, bitterness, jealousy and pride, and the tongue takes hold of these and other destructive tendencies and strikes out, often with a push from Satan. We see this every...

Near Death Experience Meets Jesus ( Watch Video)

No other Name but Jesus - Hindu Brahmin woman's testimony http://meetlordkids.blogspot.com/

The Bible does not specifically talk to us about whether or not flirting is wrong, so what we should do is examine the definition of flirting. According to Merriam-Webster, flirting is "a) to behave amorously without serious intent, or b) to show superficial or casual interest or liking." It is synonymous with the word trifle, which is something of little value. The next thing we should examine is what people are usually trying to accomplish when they flirt. Are they trying to get attention from others, whether it is negative or positive? Are they attempting to show sexual interest or attraction? Do they see it as “innocent fun,” even if they or the other person is involved with someone else, even married? Having casual contact with someone while purposely entertaining sexual undertones can be dangerous for us spiritually. Although most people believe that as long as nothing physical takes place, what goes on in our minds is irrelevant, the Bible tells us otherwise. “But I ...

When trying to decide what, if any, Christian imagery is appropriate to place in our homes, a good place to begin is the Ten Commandments. When God first gave His law to mankind, He began with Himself, a statement of who He is: “the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2), and a warning that we are to have no other God but Him. He immediately followed that by forbidding the making of any image of anything “in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below” (Exodus 20:4), for the purpose of worshiping or bowing down to it. The fascinating thing about the history of the Jewish people is that they disobeyed this commandment more than any other. Again and again, they made idols to represent God and worshipped them, beginning with the creation of the golden calf at the very moment God was writing the Ten Commandments on tablets for Moses (Exodus 32)! Idol worship not only drew the Israelite s away from the true and living God, it led to all man...

True religion is neither rules-based nor ritual-based. True religion is a relationship with God. Two things that all religions hold are that humanity is somehow separated from God and needs to be reconciled to Him. False religion seeks to solve this problem by observing rules and rituals. True religion solves the problem by recognizing that only God could rectify the separation, and that He has done so. True religion recognizes the following: We have all sinned and are therefore separated from God (Romans 3:23). If not rectified, the just penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God after death (Romans 6:23). God came to us in the Person of Jesus Christ and died in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve, and rose from the dead to demonstrate that His death was a sufficient sacrifice (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21). If we receive Jesus as the Savior, trusting His death as the full payment for our sins, we are forgiven, saved, redeemed,...