According to one ancient writer who quotes from tradition, it was Peter who contributed the first sentence - "I believe in God the Father Almighty"; John added - "Maker of heaven and earth"; James - "And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord"; Andrew - "Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary"; Philip - "Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified dead and buried"; Thomas - "He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead"; Bartholomew - "He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty"; Matthew - "From whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." The other clauses were contributed by James (son of Alpheus), Simon Zelotes, Jude and Matthias. It should be remembered, however, that neither Luke nor any ecclesiastical writer before the fifth century makes mention of an assembly of the apostles to formulate a creed, and the early fathers never claimed that the apostles framed it. Its date and the circumstances of its origin are uncertain.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
The Choir In Gold
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| "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God..." Acts 16:25 |
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| "After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." Mark 14:16 |
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| "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to out God, Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:3 |
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| "I will sing to the Lord all my life, I will sing praise to my God as long as I live" Psalm 104:33 |
The Choir In Green
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| "You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments." Amos 6:5 |
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| "Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem, For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem." |
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| "My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast, I will sing and make music." Psalm 57:7 |
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| "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty: Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations..." Revelation 15: 3-4 |
The Choir In Wine
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| "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms" James 5:13 |
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| "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:7 |
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| "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands." Psalms 100:1 |
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| "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." Psalms 149:1 |
Monday, May 14, 2018
The Choir In Navy
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| "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the LORD..." Ephesians 5:19 |
Description Of Illustration: choir, sheet music, hymns, singing, group chorus, navy choir robes, scriptures about choirs, singing, lips, faces Sunday morning choir
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| "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea." Exodus 15:1 |
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| He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters, in the assembly I will sing your praises." Hebrews 2:12 |
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| "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I whom you have delivered." Psalm 71:23 |
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Is Being Tempted a Sin?
The sin does not consist in the temptation itself, but in inviting it, or yielding to it. Jesus himself was tempted "in all things as we are; yet without sin." Doubtless Satan, in the passage to which you refer, knew that Jesus had been fasting and so tried to tempt him to turn stones into bread. Again, believing that the desire for worldly power might influence him, he tried to tempt him by offering him the dominion of the whole earth, but again failed. It is not strictly correct to say that one cannot be tempted unless he has wrong desires. The tempter is always ready with his lures; but, if we rebuke our own desires and repel the temptation, asking divine strength to do this, the danger will pass. After conversion comes regeneration, and we are enabled to overcome sin. We may still be conscious of a struggle within, but we get strength to stand firm against it. The truly converted man is no longer the slave or bondman of sin, but is kept day by day from its power ever again having dominion over him.
- A Temptation Like No Other
- Temptation Is Not the Same as Sin
- Why we are still tempted after giving our lives to Christ
- Is There Good in Temptation?
"Remind Me, Dear Lord" sung by
Alison Krauss and the Cox Family
Is Trouble Sent As a Punishment?
The Bible does not teach that all trouble comes from God as a punishment. It recognizes the fact that trouble is in the world, and, while it has some very definite things to say about it it does not attempt to give a complete solution of the whole problem. Hebrews 12:5-11 declares that God does in some instances, discipline or "chasten," those whom he loves, but this could hardly be called punishment. (See also Deu. 8:5; Ps. 94:12; John 15:2.) Sometimes, however, calamity is a definite punishment, as in many cases during the history of Israel - and particularly in their exile. The book of Job is a beautiful explanation of a form of suffering which has the double purpose of disciplining the soul and glorifying God. Nothing can bring such credit to God as the demonstration made by a soul that trusts and praises him in the midst of misfortune. Paul and the other apostles glorified in their opportunities to suffer for Jesus' sake. They rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer shame in his name" (Acts 5:41). They felt that he had borne so much for them that they wanted to bear something for him. The Bible nowhere encourages people to dodge suffering; it exhorts them to bear it, while at the same time it exhorts them to lessen the sufferings of others, and help them bear their woes. See: James 1 12-5 ; I Pet. 4:12-19 and Gal. 6:2.
When and Why Was the Sabbath Changed to the First Day of the Week?
There is no command recorded, and probably none was given to change, but the change was made in celebration of Christ's rising from the dead. At the first great council of the Church, when the question was discussed whether the Gentile converts should be required to obey the Jewish law, it was decided that only four observances should be required of them. (See Acts 15.) The observance of the Jewish Sabbath was not one of the four, and the Gentile Christians do not appear to have ever kept it. The Rabbis had made it ridiculous by a host of absurd regulations about what a man might, or might not, do on that day. Christ was frequently accused of breaking the Sabbath. The Jewish observance was most vexatious and onerous, and the Apostles very wisely did not attempt to bring the Gentiles under the bondage. The writings of the early Fathers show that very early in the Christian era, if not in Apostolic times, the first day of the week was uniformly the day of religious meeting and abstinence from secular labor, thus celebrating the new Creation as the Jewish Sabbath celebrated the old; Several incidental allusions in the Acts show that even in Apostolic times, the custom was prevalent. But we do not observe Sunday as the Sabbath. It is seldom a day of rest to the earnest Christian, but of holy activity in his Master's service.
Isn't Everyday Mother's Day?
Description of the illustration: baby in a highchair, funny infant cap, old-fashioned baby, old postcard, Victorian baby, old photograph, text "Isn't Everyday Mother's Day?"
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Nothing can replace a mother...
Description of the illustration: mother duck with her ducklings swimming, water, pond or fountain, animals, text "Nothing can replace a Mother"
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Monday, May 7, 2018
Does God Hear the Prayer of the Wicked?
We have precedent for such a belief. A striking example is that of Manasseh (II Chron. 33:18). A greater sinner than he it would be difficult to imagine. We can understand prayers of sinners for temporal blessings being unheard; "their sacrifice" and perhaps their prayers, too, "are an abomination" (Prov. 15 :8); but when the sinner cries to God for pardon and for help to quit his sins, he is surely heard. God does not mock the wicked man when he bids him "seek the Lord." Let the wicked forsake his way and return, for he will abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:6, 7). God heard the prayers of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:7-10). The way of approach to God is by repentance and that God gives (Acts 5:31). When the wicked man prays for that, he gets it; then God forgives him and he is in a position to ask for and receive all other blessings. compiled by A. T. Seiker
David establishes his kingdom...
Description of the Illustration: drawing of a mosaic, King David at his harp, crown, text, "All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, "Look, we are your very flesh and blood! In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.
The LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you will
rule over Israel.'" When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David
made an agreement with them in Hebron before the LORD. They designated
David as king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in
Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites
who lived in the land. The Jebusites said to David, "You cannot invade
this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying,
'David cannot invade this place!'" But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the city of David)." 2 Samuel 5:1-7
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Saturday, May 5, 2018
Does God Regard Our "Little Things" in Prayer?
Christ assumes toward all his followers the attitude of a friend. He said to his disciples: "Henceforth I call you not servants, but I have called you friends." We "work together" with him as friend with friend; our interests are identical with his and his with ours. On this basis it is perfectly rational to believe that he will give us all the help we need in the work we are trying to do for him. Christ certainly knows all about all the "little things" that come into our lives; also he will allow nothing to happen which will spoil or seriously hinder our work. Paul believed that Satan was trying to hamper him; in one place he says definitely that Satan hindered him, really prevented him from getting where he wanted to go (I Thess. 2:18). The right attitude is to ask God to further our tasks and then heroically and patiently keep at them. We must remember, too, that a certain amount of hardship and suffering is really necessary to develop the most stalwart Christian character. (See Heb. 12:1-11 ; II Tim. 2:3; Heb. 11, etc.) The Christian must beware of praying selfishly. A brave soldier would hardly pray for fair weather, except as it would aid the battle. We may certainly pray for strength; and the joy will come as we forget self in loving and serving the Master. But we should not forget that when God in his wisdom gave us eyes to see, a tongue to speak, a brain to think and reason to discriminate and guide us in our judgment, he meant these faculties to be of service. He gives us the fertile soil, but we must do the plowing and the planting. Faith in God does not imply that we should look to him to do for us what he has made us capable of doing for ourselves. When we do our part, then we can reach out the hand of faith and grasp his leading hand, which will carry us through in all we cannot do for ourselves. compiled by A. T. Seiker
A Greyscale Drawing of Luther
Description of the illustration: hand drawing, Martin Luther, medallion shaped, portrait, scholar, monk, priest, father, Bible transcriber and author, transparent background
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A Blue Nativity
Description of the illustration: Mary, baby Jesus, the ox and the ass, wisemen and shepherds, stars and shelter, Christmas holly, rose window, stained glass, transparent background
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Friday, May 4, 2018
"Shalom"
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| Portrait of Christ taken from a selected area of a larger work. |
Description of the illustration: painting of Jesus by Kathy Grimm, text "Shalom", portrait of Christ in oil paints, Shalom means "Peace", "Shalom" is one of the sacred names of God, Jesus came in peace and gave his life as a ransom for many...
Shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם shalom; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.
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"How deep the Father's love for us"
by AustinStoneWorship
Knock and the door will be opened...
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in gold and blue |
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in white and blue |
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| "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NIV) in greyscle |
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Judas Betrays Christ
Description of the illustration: black and white illustration, Jewish priesthood, ceremonial robes, temple, scroll, Judas betrays Jesus to the Sanhedrin
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Joseph's Coat
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| Above is the entire Psalm 124 and illustration of Joseph's brothers dipping his coat into ram's blood. The ram is used in the scriptures to depict a "scapegoat" |
Description of Illustration: Joseph's Coat, Joseph's brothers, the bloody ram, deception, prophecy, foreshadowing of things to come, tribes of Israel, alone in the desert, saved for a journey to Egypt, God was always with him
In the Bible, a scapegoat is an animal which is ritually burdened with the sins of others then driven away. The concept first appears in Leviticus, in which a goat is designated to be cast into the desert to carry away the sins of the community.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel.— Leviticus 16:8, Jewish Publication Society (1917)
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| "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;" Genesis 37:31 (KJV) |
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Thursday, May 3, 2018
Was John the Baptist Elijah?
The statement in the affirmative is made a number of times in the New Testament. (See Matt. 11:14, 17 no-12; Mark 9 :12, 13. See also Mai. 4:15.) But some of the ablest commentators hold that we must interpret the connection figuratively, and that there is no reason for believing that this means any more than that he was the new Elijah of his time, a rugged prophet, like Elijah in temperament, habits and speech, unafraid even of kings. He himself said distinctly that he was not Elijah (John 1:21). The sense in which the expression was used is made clear in Luke 1:117: "He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah." In the narrative of Elijah's appearance at the transfiguration there is no suggestion that he was John the Baptist, whom all the men present had known and seen, and who had only recently died. One of the things that distinguishes the philosophy of the Bible from that of uninspired teachings is that it never confuses or obscures personal identity. Each soul has a distinct personality, which can never be merged or changed into another.
Lamb of God Rose Window
Description of Illustration:
This rose window depicts an Agnus Dei at it's center and then surrounds
Him with the grape clusters and church buildings, multi-colored
illustration, Christian flag
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Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
Will God Give Us Anything We Ask For?
In John 14:14 (which should be read in connection with its surroundings), Jesus was speaking (in the discourse at table after the Supper) of the way, the truth, and the life, and of how his disciples might render acceptable service for the advancement of God's kingdom on earth. He was about to leave them and he gave them the assurance that they would be endowed with power, after his departure, to do the works that he had done. Verse 14 gave them the assurance of his continuous intercession and that their prayers would be heard and answered. He had already told them that they should seek first the kingdom and all things would be added unto them. This verse also shows his divine equality, in the words "I will do it." Our own prayers should be, as far as we are able to make them so, in line with God's will. There are many of us who may ask for things that would be for our own harm; but if we "seek first the kingdom," we have then the assurance that he will care for all our other needs, supply our wants, comfort our sorrows, relieve our hardships and take us safely through the difficult places of life. We have a right to ask for these, if we have acquired this right by belief on the Son of God and by acting in accordance with the divine will. See John 14:12.
King Solomon Makes Sacrifices
Description of the illustration: black and white illustration, Jewish priesthood, ceremonial robes, temple, incense, Solomon
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John the Baptist's Place in Prophecy?
"Who was the last prophet of the old dispensation?" John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Christ, and so may be considered the last prophet of the old dispensation. Christ said: "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John" (Matt. 2 :13). Otherwise, if you regard him as belonging to an intermediate dispensation, the last would be the prophet called Malachi, the writer of the last book in the Old Testament. It is not certain that Malachi was his name, as the word may be translated, "My messenger."
Abraham's Sacrifice
Description of the illustration:
black and white drawings by kathy grimm, drawn from West African
sculptures carved by Cornelio and Gabriel, Isaac follows his father into the mountains, Abraham believes God wishes him to sacrifice his son, God will prevent this and provide a ram. God tests Abraham's loyalty...
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possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject
folks.Was the Prohibition Against Eating Pork Ever Revoked?
At what is known as the "first church council described in Acts 15, the decision was definitely made that Gentile Christians were not to be compelled to keep the Jewish ceremonial law. The council sent a letter to the new converts setting them free from all these ceremonial requirements. This was the great burden of Paul's preaching, namely, that we are saved not by keeping the law of Moses but by faith in Christ. Circumcision was the sign of submission to the Mosaic law, and Paul, greatly to the displeasure of the Jews, taught that this was not necessary. The vision of Peter (Acts 10:9-16) while given for the purpose of making him willing to associate intimately with Gentiles, seems also to teach definitely that the Old Testament distinction between clean and unclean meats is no longer in force.
A Baptistery from Luton Church
Description of the illustration: church interiors, architecture, baptistery, inside the church, sacraments, baptism
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Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Charity Fundraiser Notices
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| text reads, "Jumble Sale!" |
Description of the illustration: mother looks through the newspapers for sales, baby hitting a clock with a hammer, cartoons, 5 texts meaning the same thing using different words, for a church rummage sale, announce your church tag sale in a newsletter, email, or hard copy
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| text reads, "Rummage Sale!" |
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| text reads, "Second Hand Goods!" |
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| text reads, "Tag Sale!" |
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| text reads, "White Elephant!" |
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Greek Orthodox Clergy
Description of the illustration: clerical robes, priests, crosses, church leaders in eastern orthodox church, staff, icon, alter, beards, holy men
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Why Should We Agree with Our Adversary Quickly?
The passage is a part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matt., 5th chapter. Jesus had been speaking about quarrels between brothers, and urging reconciliation of such differences in the spirit of love, before coming to the throne of grace. Then (verse 25) he diverges to the question of lawsuits, which were common then as now, and advises his hearers to keep out of the hands of the law and to escape its penalties by settling their disputes between themselves. But he went further than this, for his language pointed to a higher tribunal, to which all must come for judgment and where condemnation awaits them which can only be escaped by their repentance and acceptance of divine mercy.
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