by: Mashubi Rochell
At this very special and momentous time in the Earth's history, many people are awakening spiritually and coming to realize the vast potentials and gifts of living a life in harmony with spirit. An evolutionary shift is happening, and as more people awaken, the momentum of spiritual growth for all of humanity accelerates as well.
One of the most challenging aspects of spiritual life comes when it comes time to live the spiritual realizations that we've had, in our day to day realities. As we are confronted with the daily tasks, choices, opportunities and challenges of life, many obstacles can appear, seemingly out of nowhere. These obstacles can create discouragement or even despair, especially in those who are new to the spiritual path and who may not have a full understanding of what is happening.
At this specific time in history, there are momentous changes happening on the Earth, both physically and vibrationally. Greater levels of spiritual light are manifesting both in the energy body of the Earth and also physically. The higher vibrations of light are having a transformative effect on physical matter and on our bodies, and are creating a process of purification that is happening both globally and on an individual level.
The process of purification is a gift from God that heals all wounds and reveals all that has been in need of healing that was previously hidden. We are seeing this effect in global events that reveal what was previously hidden, and that expose patterns, thoughts and actions of negativity that were previously entrenched and intractable. As these wounds are exposed, greater consciousness and light can be brought to them, which opens new possibilities and pathways for healing.
Because this process of purification is so active on the Earth right now, there is a massive and dynamic interplay between energies of light and energies of darkness. These are like spiritual weather patterns that affect all of us the Earth. At the ultimate spiritual levels of reality, these energies are One, and in the physically manifested universe they exist as polarities which originally allowed the individuated human consciousness to develop. Humankind developed a sense of "I" as separate from the whole, and now that this development has reached its maximum potential, and at the present time there is a shift now happening that will allow humanity to begin to experience ourselves as One with All even as we are "I".
This very dynamic interplay of energies is creating great emotional intensity for many people, and is also affecting both individual and collective consciousness. The effect is similar to feeling waves of energy that wash through one's body, mind and emotions. Some waves are sudden and unexpected, and can create a momentary feeling of being toppled by them.
As people are awakening spiritually and coming to an understanding of how thought creates reality, they can feel dismayed to see and feel such difficulties in their daily life. It may be helpful to realize that your own individual life is connected with a much larger event that is happening right now on the Earth, and that some of what you may be experiencing is related to this larger process. By anchoring your consciousness in God's love, light and goodness, it becomes possible to pass through the current turbulence without feeling overwhelmed.
This current energy configuration is also creating some challenges related to the process of manifestation. There is a phenomenon called the resistance of matter to light which you may have experienced when you have attempted to take steps towards manifesting a light filled intention. You may have received strong inner guidance related to a specific path, direction or project that your heart called you to. You could feel the light, the love and the goodness of this guidance. Then, as you take steps towards making this guidance a reality, suddenly all manner of difficulties appear. It feels exactly the opposite of "flow", and many who experience this begin to feel that they have some kind of problem with manifestation ... that their inner belief structures or emotional issues are preventing this flow.
It is always helpful to look within and examine your beliefs, emotions and thought patterns, but these may not be the only cause of the challenges you are facing. The phenomenon of the resistance of matter to light may be operating, within the dynamic interplay of energies that is happening right now on the Earth. This is a passing phenomenon, and will no longer be operational once the presence of God's light has manifested in a more completely on the Earth and within physical matter.
What this requires of us at the present moment is patience, and a willingness to persevere and to continue to focus on our light filled goals and intentions without succumbing to despair. A sense of humor helps as well, to lighten the energy and move beyond the frustrations that can occur in this current atmosphere. Most importantly, it helps to find ways to be able to feel God's love, light and peace upholding you even in the midst of the storms. A regular spiritual practice, daily health practices that bring nourishment to your body, and a loving spiritual community can support you in moving more fully into the new dimensions of spiritual light that are unfolding for us all at this time.
What Is The Purpose For Your Life?
by: Annagail Lynes
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
Question: What is my purpose?
Answer: God has a purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) He wouldn't have created you otherwise. Rest assured that if you are living, God has a purpose for you.
God had an assignment in mind when He created you (Jeremiah 1:5). He fashioned you with the exact combination of personality traits, talents and abilities to accomplish that purpose. You are the only one who can do it exactly as God intended.
You can refuse to do your destiny. God will find someone else to do it, but that person won’t do it as well as you would. You have the exact skills. Someone else would have to improvise.
It's like buying the perfect dress and having it ruined. Something happened to it. Perhaps it was lost at the cleaners or something spilled on it.
Then you go to the store and find a similar dress--maybe it has a bow in the back or it's not the right color or length. It's an okay dress, but it is not the same as the one that you had.
You are the perfect dress, shoes or baseball glove. You are first grade. Top of the line. Your purpose, your destiny, is tailor-made for you, and you are tailor-made for it.
Until you find your purpose and begin fulfilling it, you will never truly be happy. Maybe you think you are content at a job you have been working at for fifteen years because you don’t think you can do better. Perhaps you decided that you had no options but to be content muddling through day after day with no goals and dreams, just living from paycheck to paycheck.
Will you continue to wander around, believing that because you are a mother or a blue-collar worker, that you cannot fulfill the dreams you have in your heart? Or the plan God has for your life?
You make excuses. You are too old. You are too young. You are female. You are male. You are too emotional. You are too detached.
God isn't interested in your excuses. He is interested in your willingness to believe His plan for your life. He is interested in teaching and leading you through the Holy Spirit. He is not looking for a perfect vessel only a willing one.
How do you find God’s plan for your life?
What did you dream of as a kid? I find that the dreams you dream as a kid, the things you play about as a child, reveal something about your purpose.
I used to play teacher. I'd line my dolls up and play school. I had a chalkboard on my toy chest and an old health textbook that one of my teachers gave me.
I love to teach as much as I love to write. I once tutored a woman in a computer course I knew nothing about. I only had a manual and God to help me...and she received an "A" in the class.
What do you dream about? What have you dreamed about doing for years? What would you do if you had no limits? No fear? No money issues? No restrictions? What would you do? What would you accomplish?
What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What are your deepest desires? These may be clues into what God wants you to do with your life.
Do you remember the movie Sister Act II: Back In The Habit? Whoopi Goldberg's character Deloris Van Cartier AKA Sister Mary Clarence told Rita Watson, one of the students the Sister taught in music class, "If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl."
What is that thing with you? Is it writing? Praying? Preaching? Teaching? Practicing law? Practicing medicine? Ballet? Then that is what you are supposed to do.
If you are a Born-again Christian (Romans 10:9-10), God has planted His dreams inside your heart. These are dreams that stay with you day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.
What do you do when you believe you have a dream from God, but you aren't completely sure?
The best thing to do is pray. Get quiet before God and discuss the dream with Him. If you have the evidence of speaking in tongues, pray that way at this time. Then listen for God to speak.
The Bible says in Psalms 37:4 when you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart. The more you delight yourself in the Lord, the more He will exchange your desires for His.
If when you pray and listen to God, the desire to do that thing becomes stronger, more often than not, it is God.
If, however, the desire wanes, or you start feeling anxiety or dread, toward it, it is not God.
The Bible tells you in Colossians 3:15 (AMP) to let the Peace of God be the umpire of your heart. If you continue to pray and feel peace about the situation, that's God. If you don't, then it’s not.
Some things that look right to you, or are real good things, are not God's best for you. Or it could just not be the right timing. Delay doesn't always mean denial.
Continue to seek God concerning His plans for your life. You have to get His Word on it.
You can have a man or woman of God tell you what you should do. They may even say they heard from God on it. If you don't get it from God Himself, though, you will always wonder if that person really heard from God.
Go to the Source. Have God confirm or deny what that person has said.
God has a plan for you. A glorious plan for your life. Be willing to let Him accomplish it through you.
Seek His plan for your life today (Matthew 6:33). Then He can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
Question: What is my purpose?
Answer: God has a purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) He wouldn't have created you otherwise. Rest assured that if you are living, God has a purpose for you.
God had an assignment in mind when He created you (Jeremiah 1:5). He fashioned you with the exact combination of personality traits, talents and abilities to accomplish that purpose. You are the only one who can do it exactly as God intended.
You can refuse to do your destiny. God will find someone else to do it, but that person won’t do it as well as you would. You have the exact skills. Someone else would have to improvise.
It's like buying the perfect dress and having it ruined. Something happened to it. Perhaps it was lost at the cleaners or something spilled on it.
Then you go to the store and find a similar dress--maybe it has a bow in the back or it's not the right color or length. It's an okay dress, but it is not the same as the one that you had.
You are the perfect dress, shoes or baseball glove. You are first grade. Top of the line. Your purpose, your destiny, is tailor-made for you, and you are tailor-made for it.
Until you find your purpose and begin fulfilling it, you will never truly be happy. Maybe you think you are content at a job you have been working at for fifteen years because you don’t think you can do better. Perhaps you decided that you had no options but to be content muddling through day after day with no goals and dreams, just living from paycheck to paycheck.
Will you continue to wander around, believing that because you are a mother or a blue-collar worker, that you cannot fulfill the dreams you have in your heart? Or the plan God has for your life?
You make excuses. You are too old. You are too young. You are female. You are male. You are too emotional. You are too detached.
God isn't interested in your excuses. He is interested in your willingness to believe His plan for your life. He is interested in teaching and leading you through the Holy Spirit. He is not looking for a perfect vessel only a willing one.
How do you find God’s plan for your life?
What did you dream of as a kid? I find that the dreams you dream as a kid, the things you play about as a child, reveal something about your purpose.
I used to play teacher. I'd line my dolls up and play school. I had a chalkboard on my toy chest and an old health textbook that one of my teachers gave me.
I love to teach as much as I love to write. I once tutored a woman in a computer course I knew nothing about. I only had a manual and God to help me...and she received an "A" in the class.
What do you dream about? What have you dreamed about doing for years? What would you do if you had no limits? No fear? No money issues? No restrictions? What would you do? What would you accomplish?
What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What are your deepest desires? These may be clues into what God wants you to do with your life.
Do you remember the movie Sister Act II: Back In The Habit? Whoopi Goldberg's character Deloris Van Cartier AKA Sister Mary Clarence told Rita Watson, one of the students the Sister taught in music class, "If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl."
What is that thing with you? Is it writing? Praying? Preaching? Teaching? Practicing law? Practicing medicine? Ballet? Then that is what you are supposed to do.
If you are a Born-again Christian (Romans 10:9-10), God has planted His dreams inside your heart. These are dreams that stay with you day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.
What do you do when you believe you have a dream from God, but you aren't completely sure?
The best thing to do is pray. Get quiet before God and discuss the dream with Him. If you have the evidence of speaking in tongues, pray that way at this time. Then listen for God to speak.
The Bible says in Psalms 37:4 when you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart. The more you delight yourself in the Lord, the more He will exchange your desires for His.
If when you pray and listen to God, the desire to do that thing becomes stronger, more often than not, it is God.
If, however, the desire wanes, or you start feeling anxiety or dread, toward it, it is not God.
The Bible tells you in Colossians 3:15 (AMP) to let the Peace of God be the umpire of your heart. If you continue to pray and feel peace about the situation, that's God. If you don't, then it’s not.
Some things that look right to you, or are real good things, are not God's best for you. Or it could just not be the right timing. Delay doesn't always mean denial.
Continue to seek God concerning His plans for your life. You have to get His Word on it.
You can have a man or woman of God tell you what you should do. They may even say they heard from God on it. If you don't get it from God Himself, though, you will always wonder if that person really heard from God.
Go to the Source. Have God confirm or deny what that person has said.
God has a plan for you. A glorious plan for your life. Be willing to let Him accomplish it through you.
Seek His plan for your life today (Matthew 6:33). Then He can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
Islam 101- Who is Allah?
by: Laura Cosse'
One of the greatest misunderstandings of Islam in the west today is the perception of whom or what is Allah. Many people think that Allah is the “Muslim God”, as if He were a separate entity from the “Christian God”. In fact, Allah is the standard word for God amongst all Arabic speakers; Muslims, Christians and Jews. If you pick up an Arabic version of the Bible you will find the name Allah used for God. Surprised?
Islam teaches that there is only one God, the same God that has revealed himself since the beginning of time to various prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Islam teaches that the cycle of humanity is something like this: God reveals himself to a prophet who then goes forth and preaches to his people, most of the people reject that prophet while a small number, usually the poor and downtrodden, will faithfully follow that prophet throughout his life. When the prophet dies there will be a group of people that continues to follow him, but slowly, over a period of generations, the information that the prophet taught will be lost or changed by mankind. Eventually, God sends another prophet to confirm the message that was brought before him and to bring people back to the straight path. Muslims believe that Muhammad (PBUH) was the final prophet to be sent forth by God to mankind, the seal of prophethood.
Perhaps the most important concept of God in Islam is the concept of Tawhid, which refers to the oneness of Allah. The greatest sin is to associate partners in the worship of God, this is called shirk in Arabic. God is only one, but that is not like the number one which can be divided into smaller parts, such as the trinity, but one and indivisible.
God describes himself in varying, subtle ways throughout the Qur’an, leaving the reader with no clear concept of what exactly He is. Even the pronoun that God uses for himself in the Qur’an is constantly changing, sometimes it is the “royal we”, sometimes it is “I” and at still other times it is the third person “He”. This is meant to leave the reader with no clear concept of God in their mind. In fact, God says in the Qur’an that He does not resemble any of His creations which is, of course, a major difference from Christianity. The fact that God is the supreme creator and doesn’t resemble any of his creations, means that any image you might come up with in your mind of what God is or looks like is false, because the mind itself is a creation.
However, we can get an understanding of who Allah is by his attributes. In the Qur’an Allah gives 99 names to himself, each of which is one of His divine attributes. Those names are, in English: The compassionate, The merciful, The sovereign, The holy one who is free from all blemishes, The source of all peace, The giver of peace, The giver of protection, The mighty, The overpowering Lord, The self-glorious, The creator, The one who gives life, The fashioner of shapes, The exceedingly forgiving, The one who has control over all things, The giver of all things, The sustainer and provider, The remover of difficulties and giver of decisions, The all-knowing, The straightener of sustenance, The extender of sustenance, The one who humbles and lowers, The exalter, The giver of honor, The giver of dishonor, The all-hearing, The all-seeing, The maker of immutable judgment, The just, The knower of innermost secrets, The all-knowing, The clement, The great, The forgiving, The highly grateful, The most high, The infinite, The protector, The giver of sustenance and strength, The reckoner, The one with exalted position, The benevolent, The caretaker, The answerer of prayers, The lenient, The wise, The most loving, The venerable, The resurrector of the dead, The omnipresent, The truth, The provident, The almighty, The invincible, The patron, The praiseworthy, The keeper of counts, The originator, The one who has the power to create again, The giver of life, The giver of death, The everlasting, The sustainer of life, The all-perfect, The all-excellent, The one unequalled, The one free from want, The all-powerful, The source of all power, The one who causes advancement, The one who retards, The first, The last, The obvious, The latent, The one who exercises responsibility over all things, The one far above the attributes of the entire creation, The beneficent, The oft-returning, The one who takes retribution, The one who pardons, The king, The possessor of sovereignty, The majestic and benevolent, The most just, The assembler, The free from need, The supplier of needs to others, The hinderer, The one who can cause loss, The one who confers benefits, The light, The one who gives guidance, The devisor, The eternal, The one who remains alive after everyone and everything dies, The one who loves virtue and piety and The most forbearing.
That is Allah, the one true God.
One of the greatest misunderstandings of Islam in the west today is the perception of whom or what is Allah. Many people think that Allah is the “Muslim God”, as if He were a separate entity from the “Christian God”. In fact, Allah is the standard word for God amongst all Arabic speakers; Muslims, Christians and Jews. If you pick up an Arabic version of the Bible you will find the name Allah used for God. Surprised?
Islam teaches that there is only one God, the same God that has revealed himself since the beginning of time to various prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Islam teaches that the cycle of humanity is something like this: God reveals himself to a prophet who then goes forth and preaches to his people, most of the people reject that prophet while a small number, usually the poor and downtrodden, will faithfully follow that prophet throughout his life. When the prophet dies there will be a group of people that continues to follow him, but slowly, over a period of generations, the information that the prophet taught will be lost or changed by mankind. Eventually, God sends another prophet to confirm the message that was brought before him and to bring people back to the straight path. Muslims believe that Muhammad (PBUH) was the final prophet to be sent forth by God to mankind, the seal of prophethood.
Perhaps the most important concept of God in Islam is the concept of Tawhid, which refers to the oneness of Allah. The greatest sin is to associate partners in the worship of God, this is called shirk in Arabic. God is only one, but that is not like the number one which can be divided into smaller parts, such as the trinity, but one and indivisible.
God describes himself in varying, subtle ways throughout the Qur’an, leaving the reader with no clear concept of what exactly He is. Even the pronoun that God uses for himself in the Qur’an is constantly changing, sometimes it is the “royal we”, sometimes it is “I” and at still other times it is the third person “He”. This is meant to leave the reader with no clear concept of God in their mind. In fact, God says in the Qur’an that He does not resemble any of His creations which is, of course, a major difference from Christianity. The fact that God is the supreme creator and doesn’t resemble any of his creations, means that any image you might come up with in your mind of what God is or looks like is false, because the mind itself is a creation.
However, we can get an understanding of who Allah is by his attributes. In the Qur’an Allah gives 99 names to himself, each of which is one of His divine attributes. Those names are, in English: The compassionate, The merciful, The sovereign, The holy one who is free from all blemishes, The source of all peace, The giver of peace, The giver of protection, The mighty, The overpowering Lord, The self-glorious, The creator, The one who gives life, The fashioner of shapes, The exceedingly forgiving, The one who has control over all things, The giver of all things, The sustainer and provider, The remover of difficulties and giver of decisions, The all-knowing, The straightener of sustenance, The extender of sustenance, The one who humbles and lowers, The exalter, The giver of honor, The giver of dishonor, The all-hearing, The all-seeing, The maker of immutable judgment, The just, The knower of innermost secrets, The all-knowing, The clement, The great, The forgiving, The highly grateful, The most high, The infinite, The protector, The giver of sustenance and strength, The reckoner, The one with exalted position, The benevolent, The caretaker, The answerer of prayers, The lenient, The wise, The most loving, The venerable, The resurrector of the dead, The omnipresent, The truth, The provident, The almighty, The invincible, The patron, The praiseworthy, The keeper of counts, The originator, The one who has the power to create again, The giver of life, The giver of death, The everlasting, The sustainer of life, The all-perfect, The all-excellent, The one unequalled, The one free from want, The all-powerful, The source of all power, The one who causes advancement, The one who retards, The first, The last, The obvious, The latent, The one who exercises responsibility over all things, The one far above the attributes of the entire creation, The beneficent, The oft-returning, The one who takes retribution, The one who pardons, The king, The possessor of sovereignty, The majestic and benevolent, The most just, The assembler, The free from need, The supplier of needs to others, The hinderer, The one who can cause loss, The one who confers benefits, The light, The one who gives guidance, The devisor, The eternal, The one who remains alive after everyone and everything dies, The one who loves virtue and piety and The most forbearing.
That is Allah, the one true God.
Islam 101- What is Islam?
by: Laura Cosse'
This short article is the first in a seven part series called Islam 101. As the name indicates, this series of articles is meant to, Insha Allah, give a brief, succinct overview of some of the basic beliefs of Islam.
So what exactly is Islam? The name itself comes from the root word “salam” which means “peace” in Arabic. “Islam” actually means “submission”, which is understood as submission of the human being’s will to the will of God. So, a complete definition for the word Islam would be “submission to God in order to obtain peace.” And a Muslim, coming from that same root word s-l-m, is a person who submits himself to God in order to obtain peace.
How do we submit ourselves to God? The answer is that it is not easy, it is extremely difficult. To submit yourself to God means putting your own natural human desires on the back shelf when they conflict with God’s desires. It means caring more about the next life than this one. It means desiring the intangible good of the hereafter more than the material things of this world. It means conquering our inner pride, loving the things that God loves and hating the things that He hates. It’s a tall order for a mere human.
Islam is more than just a religion that one should think about once a week; Islam is an entire way of life. Islam gives guidance for every aspect of a person’s life, including what food to eat, what clothes to wear, and how to act as a mother, father, brother, sister and member of society in general. It’s all inclusive, or at least it should be. If all people perfectly submitted their wills to God’s we would have a near utopian society.
Human beings need structure in their lives, which is observable in day to day activities. There are 5 pillars of Islam which provide that crucial structure to a person’s life. These 5 pillars are the foundation of an individual’s religion, without them there can be no Islam, but they are only the bare minimum requirements.
The first is the shahada, or the declaration of faith. It is when a person says and believes that there is no deity worth of any type of worship except for God, and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is the prayer which should be performed a minimum of 5 times each day. The third is zakat which can be thought of as a tax to feed the poor and purify your money. The fourth is fasting for the entire month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset each day. Last but not least, the fifth is the hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The hajj should be performed at least once in a person’s life if they are able.
There is so much more that can be said on this topic, but we will leave it here until next time. Thank you for reading and God bless!
This short article is the first in a seven part series called Islam 101. As the name indicates, this series of articles is meant to, Insha Allah, give a brief, succinct overview of some of the basic beliefs of Islam.
So what exactly is Islam? The name itself comes from the root word “salam” which means “peace” in Arabic. “Islam” actually means “submission”, which is understood as submission of the human being’s will to the will of God. So, a complete definition for the word Islam would be “submission to God in order to obtain peace.” And a Muslim, coming from that same root word s-l-m, is a person who submits himself to God in order to obtain peace.
How do we submit ourselves to God? The answer is that it is not easy, it is extremely difficult. To submit yourself to God means putting your own natural human desires on the back shelf when they conflict with God’s desires. It means caring more about the next life than this one. It means desiring the intangible good of the hereafter more than the material things of this world. It means conquering our inner pride, loving the things that God loves and hating the things that He hates. It’s a tall order for a mere human.
Islam is more than just a religion that one should think about once a week; Islam is an entire way of life. Islam gives guidance for every aspect of a person’s life, including what food to eat, what clothes to wear, and how to act as a mother, father, brother, sister and member of society in general. It’s all inclusive, or at least it should be. If all people perfectly submitted their wills to God’s we would have a near utopian society.
Human beings need structure in their lives, which is observable in day to day activities. There are 5 pillars of Islam which provide that crucial structure to a person’s life. These 5 pillars are the foundation of an individual’s religion, without them there can be no Islam, but they are only the bare minimum requirements.
The first is the shahada, or the declaration of faith. It is when a person says and believes that there is no deity worth of any type of worship except for God, and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is the prayer which should be performed a minimum of 5 times each day. The third is zakat which can be thought of as a tax to feed the poor and purify your money. The fourth is fasting for the entire month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset each day. Last but not least, the fifth is the hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The hajj should be performed at least once in a person’s life if they are able.
There is so much more that can be said on this topic, but we will leave it here until next time. Thank you for reading and God bless!
Creating Hope
by: Cory L. Kemp
The Christmas season is upon us and with these days of holiday preparation come certain expectations and memories that are as integral to our celebrations as traditional foods and decorations. Cherishing each moment, and the rich blend created among many moments, makes each year special, adding to the oral history passed through generations of friends and family gathering together over time. Evergreen trees brought into our homes, cookie exchanges, Advent wreathes, carol singing, last minute gift shopping and squeezing extra guests in at the table and into spare bedrooms are all part of the fun. Little of this is accomplished without some grumbling and frustration, but that is part of the season too. Life doesn't stop, even for this most miraculous time of year.
For many of us this is first and foremost a season of miracles. The Christian tradition holds that the birth of the Christ Child, Jesus, fulfilled the prophecy that God would send a Messiah to deliver and redeem the people of Israel. The ordinary way in which Jesus arrived still doesn't appear very miraculous, but somehow, in its simplicity, still carries awe and reverence even today. How Jesus of Nazareth carried out his life mission measures as a humble existence at best. He was possessed of absolutely no material wealth, never traveled very far from his hometown and constantly relied on the kindness of strangers for his most basic needs. Despite what appears to be a rather nondescript life that ended in a horribly brutal death, Jesus' message of God's love, forgiveness and hope extended to include all those who would choose Him to be included in their lives.
But hearing a good bit of, "Bah, humbug!" spirit around me with the Christmas season barely begun, I am inclined to believe that a whole lot of people have lost touch with their sense of the miraculous and of hope itself. More so, I am seeing that even more people don't have a desire to welcome hope into their lives. There are certainly always good reasons not to hope. The world is filled with hatred, evil and just a general mean-spiritedness that overwhelms even the most joyful souls. Hopelessness is a heavy burden to carry and a difficult one to lay down once we have become accustomed to its weight. Hopelessness curves our spines and twists our souls into believing that there is nothing else for us. Hopelessness, if we let it, becomes our faith, and we lose our hearts in the bargain.
You see, for as many reasons as there are not to hope, there is always the best reason of all to hope, and that is that we can. Hope, like anything thing else is a choice, a decision or a series of decisions made throughout our lives. Hope is actively believing that something can happen when logic says that it won't. Hope doesn't exist in a vacuum, but resides in the will and the hearts of those yearning for more and knowing that it can be. Hope isn't for the faint of heart, but for those strong enough to have a vision of what they want and know it can come to be. They can then focus their attention on making that happen. In this sense hope is a form a prayer, a preparatory step of longing toward the reality of what isn't quite tangible.
I love this time of year because even among all the extra shopping, parties, stresses and strains we put ourselves through, we still have this opportunity to reflect back on the Christmas story of Jesus' birth, remember the ages of hope and expectation the preceded that simple moment that changed history and consider how it has changed us. How we live and interact with one another is still the same as then. We still gather as friends and family to share our lives, share stories and live with hope, yearning for what can be. Although we are surrounded by twinkling lights and sparkling ornaments, we are also nestled beneath the same starry night that helped lead some weary travelers to a small stable in the middle of nowhere to a newborn and his befuddled parents.
How did they know that this small baby was the person they sought? And even if he was, how old would he be before he assumed any kind of leadership role as king of his people? Perhaps that is what hope is most about, seeing the miraculous in the most ordinary of circumstances and trusting in its power to transform lives, and sometimes, even the world.
The Christmas season is upon us and with these days of holiday preparation come certain expectations and memories that are as integral to our celebrations as traditional foods and decorations. Cherishing each moment, and the rich blend created among many moments, makes each year special, adding to the oral history passed through generations of friends and family gathering together over time. Evergreen trees brought into our homes, cookie exchanges, Advent wreathes, carol singing, last minute gift shopping and squeezing extra guests in at the table and into spare bedrooms are all part of the fun. Little of this is accomplished without some grumbling and frustration, but that is part of the season too. Life doesn't stop, even for this most miraculous time of year.
For many of us this is first and foremost a season of miracles. The Christian tradition holds that the birth of the Christ Child, Jesus, fulfilled the prophecy that God would send a Messiah to deliver and redeem the people of Israel. The ordinary way in which Jesus arrived still doesn't appear very miraculous, but somehow, in its simplicity, still carries awe and reverence even today. How Jesus of Nazareth carried out his life mission measures as a humble existence at best. He was possessed of absolutely no material wealth, never traveled very far from his hometown and constantly relied on the kindness of strangers for his most basic needs. Despite what appears to be a rather nondescript life that ended in a horribly brutal death, Jesus' message of God's love, forgiveness and hope extended to include all those who would choose Him to be included in their lives.
But hearing a good bit of, "Bah, humbug!" spirit around me with the Christmas season barely begun, I am inclined to believe that a whole lot of people have lost touch with their sense of the miraculous and of hope itself. More so, I am seeing that even more people don't have a desire to welcome hope into their lives. There are certainly always good reasons not to hope. The world is filled with hatred, evil and just a general mean-spiritedness that overwhelms even the most joyful souls. Hopelessness is a heavy burden to carry and a difficult one to lay down once we have become accustomed to its weight. Hopelessness curves our spines and twists our souls into believing that there is nothing else for us. Hopelessness, if we let it, becomes our faith, and we lose our hearts in the bargain.
You see, for as many reasons as there are not to hope, there is always the best reason of all to hope, and that is that we can. Hope, like anything thing else is a choice, a decision or a series of decisions made throughout our lives. Hope is actively believing that something can happen when logic says that it won't. Hope doesn't exist in a vacuum, but resides in the will and the hearts of those yearning for more and knowing that it can be. Hope isn't for the faint of heart, but for those strong enough to have a vision of what they want and know it can come to be. They can then focus their attention on making that happen. In this sense hope is a form a prayer, a preparatory step of longing toward the reality of what isn't quite tangible.
I love this time of year because even among all the extra shopping, parties, stresses and strains we put ourselves through, we still have this opportunity to reflect back on the Christmas story of Jesus' birth, remember the ages of hope and expectation the preceded that simple moment that changed history and consider how it has changed us. How we live and interact with one another is still the same as then. We still gather as friends and family to share our lives, share stories and live with hope, yearning for what can be. Although we are surrounded by twinkling lights and sparkling ornaments, we are also nestled beneath the same starry night that helped lead some weary travelers to a small stable in the middle of nowhere to a newborn and his befuddled parents.
How did they know that this small baby was the person they sought? And even if he was, how old would he be before he assumed any kind of leadership role as king of his people? Perhaps that is what hope is most about, seeing the miraculous in the most ordinary of circumstances and trusting in its power to transform lives, and sometimes, even the world.
What Is The Meaning Of Life?
by: Donald Yates
An excerpt from, “Why Take a Boat When You Can Walk On Water”?
Throughout time, man has struggled with his own destiny. Where, in the scheme of things does man fit in? What is the human condition and is man accountable for his own conditional state? Is there a God that administers man’s fate? Can man be successful in love and business and still have an intimate relationship with God? Should man be uplifted to the world? Is mankind enslaved to evil? There are so many questions that plagues the mind of man. I remember as a child I used to feel like an orphan, lost and forgotten. I had a wonderful father, mother and two sisters, yet I felt as if I were alone in a foreign place. I would lie on the lawn at night and stare at the heavens, thinking, why am I here, where did I come from, what is my purpose? .As a childish mind would have it, I simply couldn’t see the reasoning behind my being. I felt God had abandon me, and I could not restore our relationship. Over time, I quit seeking God and became infatuated with the world. Even as the world became my reality the question was still in the back of my mind. I could not keep from wondering why and who I was. An awareness began to creep into my mind that added to the feeling of not belonging to the world. I will attempt to stay on course and tell you how I was enlightened and how my experiences may shed some light on you in your search for God. It is my best intention to convey some insight of reason through our shared position in God’s purpose
Please, LORD, Make The Confusion Go Away!
This text is an account of a confused boy turning into a wayward man and his struggle with his own condition and God’s involvement in it. Apparently, there are many questions that go unanswered simply because people do not ask or fear asking the questions in the first place. They fear rejection from their peers and worse they fear the answers to their questions because they don’t want to know their true condition. They see themselves as something, that in most cases, they are not. Sick is sick no matter if you know it or not. You can’t make it go away, so you may as well face it and work on getting well.
But as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 29
Our relationship to God’s creation is a mystery in our eyes, and God wants it that way because if everything were known, there would be no faith. People simply can’t understand that they are as much a part of the creation as dirt itself. Truly, mankind couldn’t take the full measure of God’s revelation that’s one reason why God protects people from knowing the creation. The fact is; we see hear and feel in narrow ranges. Most colors and sounds are outside of our range of experience. If man could hear and see everything, then God Himself would be revealed, and God said no man hath seen me. He is beyond our comprehension and we are humbled at His presence and fear his mighty power. Even lowly angles instill fear in man when they come into his presence.
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. Mark 4:11
Ephesians 3:2 if, indeed, ye did hear of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given to me in regard to you, 3 that by revelation He made known to me the secret, according as I wrote before in few words 4 in regard to which ye are able, reading it, to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit
Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
THE NEVER ENDING CREATION
“And the Creation is Everlasting. “
Gen 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
God, being timeless, is reveling Himself in his creation. If the creation is an unveiling of God, then, it has to be timeless also. Ever changing, but nevertheless timeless.
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14
So, if physical man in his limitations, and short duration, is to have an eternal relationship with an eternal God, and God with man, certain protocols must be followed. I will attempt to uncover some of the mysteries that God has placed upon mankind and perhaps help some people understand those protocols better.
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Romans 16:25
God reveals His mysteries to man in accordance to man’s level of acceptance and willingness to participate with Him and His character. As I have said before, it is not within the comprehension of man to understand that which is outside his physical reality. Man can only function within the limits placed on him by God. God encompasses all things while man, on the other hand, only experiences what God allows within man’s domain.
Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:
The ability of man to adapted to God’s nature unfolds in his effort to demonstrate his created likeness of God. Kept in darkness, exposed to light, and left to contemplate his own destiny, has left man to his own explorations and resolve. Has Satan turned man’s mind inward in a attempt to mask God’s wrath or is it a matter of man’s arrogance which is part of his own divine nature? The fact is, Satan cannot turn man away from God. Man has to make the decision.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie :12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
So, God will give the unrighteous over to his/her own delusions. The thing is, if you chase a rabbet long enough you will catch him. If you turn away from God long enough, He will let you go. Now, that’s just plain sad.
Who is Man, and why was he created in the first place?
And God created man, in His own image and after His own kind. As an extension of Himself like Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Notice, He said, “Let us make man in Our image after our likeness.” This means God made man in accordance to His own nature as an image of His nature. He wasn’t just talking about a mirror image, but man was to have depth in the characteristics of His total being. When Jesus said,’ if you hath seen me, ye have also seen my Father’ was he speaking on our behalf also? If God is the creation He is also the creature and physically known then by its’ image.
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Ps 144:3 Jehovah, what is man that Thou knowest him? Son of man, that Thou esteemest him?
Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
But why did God make man?
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
So, God created the universe and everything in it, for His own pleasure. In doing so, He wanted a creature to converse with. He created an extension of Himself so He may experience man’s consciousness as he went about replenishing the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. But, why go through all this trouble? Why not make man like the lesser creatures, docile and submissive?
Revelation 4:1Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created,
Ah, so there you have it again, man was created for God’s own pleasure, and to share with God as He went about revealing Himself. Ah Ha! Now it’s starting to make since. What an honor! Helping God to experience His revealing of Himself, WOW! God gave man certain responsibilities and duties so man could develop in complementing His design. God does not need man in His ultimate plan but in order to experience His own handiwork, He elected to actively take part within His creation by making a creature of Himself, like Himself and for Himself. And why man? Because it pleasures Him to do so.
Man (Adam) chose to turn away from God’s instruction in the garden and God’s pleasure turned into disappointment. Adam took a probability and validated its reality For thousands of years man has endured tribulation because of one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience and man’s turning toward self before God.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
It seems sin was only a probability but was not active until Adam willfully disobeyed God.
So, here mankind is, caught in the sins of their forefathers. And, while trying to reconcile to God for the transgressions of their forefathers, they become mired down in their own disobediences.
While this writing is directed at how far man can go in his relationships, responsibility and abilities . . . it also must deal with opposing issues as well. The question of Christian’s success in worldly matters will come to view later.
God, Creation, Man, Principals and other orders all become intertwined in a net of laws and dispositions in a foundation of actuality. Where Man fits into God’s creation will a focus as we study the driving forces that involve man within the world. Does mankind simply choose to exhibit God through religion, or is religion man’s attempt at regulating self? The early church and to an extent present day churches, use religion to keep man under control. In the early Church, the fear of God kept people subdued, now God is portrayed as Love and man, goes willingly toward his/her own destruction.
Even though Christian’s were given the promise of God and Jesus sealed our fate with his blood, many look to the false promises of the world for satisfaction. The world is the reality of preference because it has been accepted as mankind’s awareness. When a Christian accepts the world as their provider, they also accept the possibility of the evil that it possesses. Evil is no more than a concept until allowed by man. Man is the only creature that can bring the principle of evil into force. Satan cannot bring evil onto man and God won’t. Man has to be the contributor to his own fate.
Earth is that part of creation that is within man’s power and under his dominion. But, it still belongs to God, is under God’s laws and is a gift to man. Earth was not given to Satan, it was entrusted to mankind as its’ caretaker. Satan only reveals principles of evil upon a earthly realm. Heaven, on the other hand, is that part of creation that exclusively belongs to God and only He has dominion over it. Man is invited into it only after he has made reconciliation to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Man is not capable of entering Heaven on his own, he must show repentance to Jesus Christ and be born as a new person in Jesus, to be accepted, then upon physical death he/she can be resurrected into Heaven.
In Conclusion
Creation responds to the will of God alone. The world cannot find its purpose within itself. This makes a relationship between God and the world essential because all things find their reality in God. God equips all there is, and the world acknowledges His presence in their freely receiving of it. The world centers in God, not because it is illusory, but because it was created as a relationship for God’s pleasure. God is revealing Himself by projecting Himself through His creation, and mankind is an intricate part of His design.
An excerpt from, “Why Take a Boat When You Can Walk On Water”?
Throughout time, man has struggled with his own destiny. Where, in the scheme of things does man fit in? What is the human condition and is man accountable for his own conditional state? Is there a God that administers man’s fate? Can man be successful in love and business and still have an intimate relationship with God? Should man be uplifted to the world? Is mankind enslaved to evil? There are so many questions that plagues the mind of man. I remember as a child I used to feel like an orphan, lost and forgotten. I had a wonderful father, mother and two sisters, yet I felt as if I were alone in a foreign place. I would lie on the lawn at night and stare at the heavens, thinking, why am I here, where did I come from, what is my purpose? .As a childish mind would have it, I simply couldn’t see the reasoning behind my being. I felt God had abandon me, and I could not restore our relationship. Over time, I quit seeking God and became infatuated with the world. Even as the world became my reality the question was still in the back of my mind. I could not keep from wondering why and who I was. An awareness began to creep into my mind that added to the feeling of not belonging to the world. I will attempt to stay on course and tell you how I was enlightened and how my experiences may shed some light on you in your search for God. It is my best intention to convey some insight of reason through our shared position in God’s purpose
Please, LORD, Make The Confusion Go Away!
This text is an account of a confused boy turning into a wayward man and his struggle with his own condition and God’s involvement in it. Apparently, there are many questions that go unanswered simply because people do not ask or fear asking the questions in the first place. They fear rejection from their peers and worse they fear the answers to their questions because they don’t want to know their true condition. They see themselves as something, that in most cases, they are not. Sick is sick no matter if you know it or not. You can’t make it go away, so you may as well face it and work on getting well.
But as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 29
Our relationship to God’s creation is a mystery in our eyes, and God wants it that way because if everything were known, there would be no faith. People simply can’t understand that they are as much a part of the creation as dirt itself. Truly, mankind couldn’t take the full measure of God’s revelation that’s one reason why God protects people from knowing the creation. The fact is; we see hear and feel in narrow ranges. Most colors and sounds are outside of our range of experience. If man could hear and see everything, then God Himself would be revealed, and God said no man hath seen me. He is beyond our comprehension and we are humbled at His presence and fear his mighty power. Even lowly angles instill fear in man when they come into his presence.
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. Mark 4:11
Ephesians 3:2 if, indeed, ye did hear of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given to me in regard to you, 3 that by revelation He made known to me the secret, according as I wrote before in few words 4 in regard to which ye are able, reading it, to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit
Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
THE NEVER ENDING CREATION
“And the Creation is Everlasting. “
Gen 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
God, being timeless, is reveling Himself in his creation. If the creation is an unveiling of God, then, it has to be timeless also. Ever changing, but nevertheless timeless.
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14
So, if physical man in his limitations, and short duration, is to have an eternal relationship with an eternal God, and God with man, certain protocols must be followed. I will attempt to uncover some of the mysteries that God has placed upon mankind and perhaps help some people understand those protocols better.
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Romans 16:25
God reveals His mysteries to man in accordance to man’s level of acceptance and willingness to participate with Him and His character. As I have said before, it is not within the comprehension of man to understand that which is outside his physical reality. Man can only function within the limits placed on him by God. God encompasses all things while man, on the other hand, only experiences what God allows within man’s domain.
Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:
The ability of man to adapted to God’s nature unfolds in his effort to demonstrate his created likeness of God. Kept in darkness, exposed to light, and left to contemplate his own destiny, has left man to his own explorations and resolve. Has Satan turned man’s mind inward in a attempt to mask God’s wrath or is it a matter of man’s arrogance which is part of his own divine nature? The fact is, Satan cannot turn man away from God. Man has to make the decision.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie :12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
So, God will give the unrighteous over to his/her own delusions. The thing is, if you chase a rabbet long enough you will catch him. If you turn away from God long enough, He will let you go. Now, that’s just plain sad.
Who is Man, and why was he created in the first place?
And God created man, in His own image and after His own kind. As an extension of Himself like Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Notice, He said, “Let us make man in Our image after our likeness.” This means God made man in accordance to His own nature as an image of His nature. He wasn’t just talking about a mirror image, but man was to have depth in the characteristics of His total being. When Jesus said,’ if you hath seen me, ye have also seen my Father’ was he speaking on our behalf also? If God is the creation He is also the creature and physically known then by its’ image.
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Ps 144:3 Jehovah, what is man that Thou knowest him? Son of man, that Thou esteemest him?
Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
But why did God make man?
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
So, God created the universe and everything in it, for His own pleasure. In doing so, He wanted a creature to converse with. He created an extension of Himself so He may experience man’s consciousness as he went about replenishing the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. But, why go through all this trouble? Why not make man like the lesser creatures, docile and submissive?
Revelation 4:1Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created,
Ah, so there you have it again, man was created for God’s own pleasure, and to share with God as He went about revealing Himself. Ah Ha! Now it’s starting to make since. What an honor! Helping God to experience His revealing of Himself, WOW! God gave man certain responsibilities and duties so man could develop in complementing His design. God does not need man in His ultimate plan but in order to experience His own handiwork, He elected to actively take part within His creation by making a creature of Himself, like Himself and for Himself. And why man? Because it pleasures Him to do so.
Man (Adam) chose to turn away from God’s instruction in the garden and God’s pleasure turned into disappointment. Adam took a probability and validated its reality For thousands of years man has endured tribulation because of one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience and man’s turning toward self before God.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
It seems sin was only a probability but was not active until Adam willfully disobeyed God.
So, here mankind is, caught in the sins of their forefathers. And, while trying to reconcile to God for the transgressions of their forefathers, they become mired down in their own disobediences.
While this writing is directed at how far man can go in his relationships, responsibility and abilities . . . it also must deal with opposing issues as well. The question of Christian’s success in worldly matters will come to view later.
God, Creation, Man, Principals and other orders all become intertwined in a net of laws and dispositions in a foundation of actuality. Where Man fits into God’s creation will a focus as we study the driving forces that involve man within the world. Does mankind simply choose to exhibit God through religion, or is religion man’s attempt at regulating self? The early church and to an extent present day churches, use religion to keep man under control. In the early Church, the fear of God kept people subdued, now God is portrayed as Love and man, goes willingly toward his/her own destruction.
Even though Christian’s were given the promise of God and Jesus sealed our fate with his blood, many look to the false promises of the world for satisfaction. The world is the reality of preference because it has been accepted as mankind’s awareness. When a Christian accepts the world as their provider, they also accept the possibility of the evil that it possesses. Evil is no more than a concept until allowed by man. Man is the only creature that can bring the principle of evil into force. Satan cannot bring evil onto man and God won’t. Man has to be the contributor to his own fate.
Earth is that part of creation that is within man’s power and under his dominion. But, it still belongs to God, is under God’s laws and is a gift to man. Earth was not given to Satan, it was entrusted to mankind as its’ caretaker. Satan only reveals principles of evil upon a earthly realm. Heaven, on the other hand, is that part of creation that exclusively belongs to God and only He has dominion over it. Man is invited into it only after he has made reconciliation to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Man is not capable of entering Heaven on his own, he must show repentance to Jesus Christ and be born as a new person in Jesus, to be accepted, then upon physical death he/she can be resurrected into Heaven.
In Conclusion
Creation responds to the will of God alone. The world cannot find its purpose within itself. This makes a relationship between God and the world essential because all things find their reality in God. God equips all there is, and the world acknowledges His presence in their freely receiving of it. The world centers in God, not because it is illusory, but because it was created as a relationship for God’s pleasure. God is revealing Himself by projecting Himself through His creation, and mankind is an intricate part of His design.
An Insight Into Passover
by: Wesley Berry, AAF
Each Jewish holiday is a lesson in life. What is the unique lesson of Passover? Freedom. It's the type of freedom that has given the Jewish people it's power to survive and to thrive. It's not a freedom of the body as much as a freedom of the spirit. And this freedom is available at Passover-time to help you achieve whatever you want. A person with true freedom knows no bounds, and can achieve whatever they wish. They are free to change themselves and change the world!
On Sukkot, the holiday of joy, the Jewish people focus on the need to increase their joy. On Rosh Hashana, they commit to working on goals. On Yom Kippur, they focus on a sense of regret and a returning to where they should be. On Passover, the holiday of freedom, everyone thinks they are free and gives thanks for that freedom.
The challenge of Passover is to appreciate that this may not be true.
The holiday of Passover marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation. The story of the Jewish nation is one of individuals who became a family, who became a people. The great individuals who laid the spiritual foundation of Jewish people hood were Abraham and Sarah, their son and daughter-in-law Isaac and Rebecca, and their son and daughters-in-law Jacob, Rachel and Leah.
>From Jacob, Rachel and Leah came a family of 70 people who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt, this family grew and prospered to such an extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat to their Egyptian hosts. Respect and admiration turned to contempt, and finally to an organized program of enslavement and oppression. After 210 years, and a series of unheeded warnings by Moses to Pharaoh which resulted in the Ten Plagues, God liberated a nation which had grown from the original family of 70 people. Seven weeks later this newly conceived nation received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Slavery takes many forms; not all shackles are made of iron. Once slavery becomes a way of life, the slave may even become unaware of his own servitude. Passover is a "virtual reality experience" in freedom---and the Haggadah is the guidebook. It assists each Jew in unearthing his own "slavery". The Seder is a seminar on how to be truly free, and on Passover night they re-enact the transformation of leaving Egypt and slavery, and moving on to freedom.
Out of the original events of Passover emerged the greatest and longest standing empire of the world. Not an empire of space, but an empire of thought--Jewish thought. The story of Passover is the story of the beginnings of the Jewish people, a people that set out to form a "new world order" with a new morality and new concepts of life.
Experiences come through two vehicles: Experiences of the body, and experiences of the mind. Passover is a "mind" holiday. We have to become free--not from a physical oppressor, but from a spiritual, mental one. Ideas may enslave us. Pressures, self-imposed limits--all these are in our mind. To be free of them, we must first understand them. But first we must become aware of those things that enslave us on a "subconscious" level.
The Haggadah is the story of the birth of the Jews as a people. It deals primarily with the events in Egypt which led from slavery to liberation, though it also spans the entire period from Abraham to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. One could say that the Haggadah is the national birth certificate as well as the Declaration of Independence for the Jewish people. More than just a historical document, it also speaks of the ideals and values which constitute the essence of their national consciousness and identity.
The word "haggadic" means to tell, or to relate. The Haggadah is a vivid narrative which is set in the context of a parent-child dialogue. Passover, with the Haggadah as its focus, tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you stand for.
The message inherent in the Haggadah is that Jewish identity and continuity hinge on encouraging children to ask questions--and being prepared as parents to provide sensitive and substantive answers. In Judaism, being learned, knowledgeable, and wise is not only a goal, it is a prerequisite.
Passover celebrates this history. The first 2 nights of the 8 day holiday are celebrated with lavish meals called Seders. The Passover Seder is a special Jewish ritual which takes place on the first evening of Passover in Israel, and on the first and second evenings of Passover in the Jewish diaspora. The next ones will be on Monday night April 2 and Tuesday night April 3, 2007. Incorporating the holiday meal, the Seder relives the enslavement and subsequent Exodus of the Children of Israel from Ancient Egypt through the words of the Haggadah, the drinking of Four Cups of Wine, the eating of matzot, and the eating of and reference to symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.
The Seder is considered an integral aspect of Jewish faith and identity. As the Haggadah--which contains the complete Seder service--explains, without the Exodus, the Jews would still be slaves to the Egyptian Pharaoh and would never have realized their role as a nation. Therefore this is an occasion for much praise and thanksgiving to God. It is considered a mitzvah (commandment) to embellish one's retelling of the Exodus on this night. Often the Seder lasts into the early hours of the morning of the next day, as participants continue to learn Torah and talk about the events of the night and sing special Passover songs included in the Haggadah.
Unlike other public holiday observances that are traditionally held in the synagogue, the Seder is specifically designed to be conducted by a family at home, with or without guests. The words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from parent to child, and from one generation to the next.
There are a number of foods eaten during the ritual Seder family meal partaken on the first two nights of Passover. Family customs may vary the items served at the Seder, but the following food items traditionally appear on the Seder plate:
Matzoh: Three unleavened matzohs are placed within the folds of a napkin as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, leaving no time for dough to rise. Two are consumed during the service, and one (the Aftkomen), is spirited away and hidden during the ceremony to be later found as a prize.
Maror: Bitter herbs, usually horseradish or romaine lettuce, used to symbolize the bitterness of slavery.
Charoses: A mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, as a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves.
Beitzah: A roasted egg, as a symbol of life and the perpetuation of existence.
Karpas: A vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, representing hope and redemption; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed.
Zeroah: Traditionally a piece of roasted lamb shankbone, symbolizing the paschal sacrificial offering.
Wine: Four glasses of wine are consumed during the service to represent the four-fold promise of redemption, with a special glass left for Elijah the prophet.
As Passover approaches, remember friends and family with a beautiful centerpiece for the Seder table. Fresh flowers add elegance to any gathering and are sure to enhance the special times that are shared during this holy time.
Be sure to contact your favorite flower shop to order your Passover flowers or plants early. If you would like to send a gift of food, your florist will be able to make a wonderful gift basket filled with kosher delights to help you and your friends celebrate the holiday.
Whether you are setting your own special Seder table or going to the home of friends or a family member, be sure to remember to stop by your favorite florist for lots of great holiday gift ideas.
Each Jewish holiday is a lesson in life. What is the unique lesson of Passover? Freedom. It's the type of freedom that has given the Jewish people it's power to survive and to thrive. It's not a freedom of the body as much as a freedom of the spirit. And this freedom is available at Passover-time to help you achieve whatever you want. A person with true freedom knows no bounds, and can achieve whatever they wish. They are free to change themselves and change the world!
On Sukkot, the holiday of joy, the Jewish people focus on the need to increase their joy. On Rosh Hashana, they commit to working on goals. On Yom Kippur, they focus on a sense of regret and a returning to where they should be. On Passover, the holiday of freedom, everyone thinks they are free and gives thanks for that freedom.
The challenge of Passover is to appreciate that this may not be true.
The holiday of Passover marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation. The story of the Jewish nation is one of individuals who became a family, who became a people. The great individuals who laid the spiritual foundation of Jewish people hood were Abraham and Sarah, their son and daughter-in-law Isaac and Rebecca, and their son and daughters-in-law Jacob, Rachel and Leah.
>From Jacob, Rachel and Leah came a family of 70 people who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt, this family grew and prospered to such an extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat to their Egyptian hosts. Respect and admiration turned to contempt, and finally to an organized program of enslavement and oppression. After 210 years, and a series of unheeded warnings by Moses to Pharaoh which resulted in the Ten Plagues, God liberated a nation which had grown from the original family of 70 people. Seven weeks later this newly conceived nation received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Slavery takes many forms; not all shackles are made of iron. Once slavery becomes a way of life, the slave may even become unaware of his own servitude. Passover is a "virtual reality experience" in freedom---and the Haggadah is the guidebook. It assists each Jew in unearthing his own "slavery". The Seder is a seminar on how to be truly free, and on Passover night they re-enact the transformation of leaving Egypt and slavery, and moving on to freedom.
Out of the original events of Passover emerged the greatest and longest standing empire of the world. Not an empire of space, but an empire of thought--Jewish thought. The story of Passover is the story of the beginnings of the Jewish people, a people that set out to form a "new world order" with a new morality and new concepts of life.
Experiences come through two vehicles: Experiences of the body, and experiences of the mind. Passover is a "mind" holiday. We have to become free--not from a physical oppressor, but from a spiritual, mental one. Ideas may enslave us. Pressures, self-imposed limits--all these are in our mind. To be free of them, we must first understand them. But first we must become aware of those things that enslave us on a "subconscious" level.
The Haggadah is the story of the birth of the Jews as a people. It deals primarily with the events in Egypt which led from slavery to liberation, though it also spans the entire period from Abraham to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. One could say that the Haggadah is the national birth certificate as well as the Declaration of Independence for the Jewish people. More than just a historical document, it also speaks of the ideals and values which constitute the essence of their national consciousness and identity.
The word "haggadic" means to tell, or to relate. The Haggadah is a vivid narrative which is set in the context of a parent-child dialogue. Passover, with the Haggadah as its focus, tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you stand for.
The message inherent in the Haggadah is that Jewish identity and continuity hinge on encouraging children to ask questions--and being prepared as parents to provide sensitive and substantive answers. In Judaism, being learned, knowledgeable, and wise is not only a goal, it is a prerequisite.
Passover celebrates this history. The first 2 nights of the 8 day holiday are celebrated with lavish meals called Seders. The Passover Seder is a special Jewish ritual which takes place on the first evening of Passover in Israel, and on the first and second evenings of Passover in the Jewish diaspora. The next ones will be on Monday night April 2 and Tuesday night April 3, 2007. Incorporating the holiday meal, the Seder relives the enslavement and subsequent Exodus of the Children of Israel from Ancient Egypt through the words of the Haggadah, the drinking of Four Cups of Wine, the eating of matzot, and the eating of and reference to symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.
The Seder is considered an integral aspect of Jewish faith and identity. As the Haggadah--which contains the complete Seder service--explains, without the Exodus, the Jews would still be slaves to the Egyptian Pharaoh and would never have realized their role as a nation. Therefore this is an occasion for much praise and thanksgiving to God. It is considered a mitzvah (commandment) to embellish one's retelling of the Exodus on this night. Often the Seder lasts into the early hours of the morning of the next day, as participants continue to learn Torah and talk about the events of the night and sing special Passover songs included in the Haggadah.
Unlike other public holiday observances that are traditionally held in the synagogue, the Seder is specifically designed to be conducted by a family at home, with or without guests. The words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from parent to child, and from one generation to the next.
There are a number of foods eaten during the ritual Seder family meal partaken on the first two nights of Passover. Family customs may vary the items served at the Seder, but the following food items traditionally appear on the Seder plate:
Matzoh: Three unleavened matzohs are placed within the folds of a napkin as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, leaving no time for dough to rise. Two are consumed during the service, and one (the Aftkomen), is spirited away and hidden during the ceremony to be later found as a prize.
Maror: Bitter herbs, usually horseradish or romaine lettuce, used to symbolize the bitterness of slavery.
Charoses: A mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, as a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves.
Beitzah: A roasted egg, as a symbol of life and the perpetuation of existence.
Karpas: A vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, representing hope and redemption; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed.
Zeroah: Traditionally a piece of roasted lamb shankbone, symbolizing the paschal sacrificial offering.
Wine: Four glasses of wine are consumed during the service to represent the four-fold promise of redemption, with a special glass left for Elijah the prophet.
As Passover approaches, remember friends and family with a beautiful centerpiece for the Seder table. Fresh flowers add elegance to any gathering and are sure to enhance the special times that are shared during this holy time.
Be sure to contact your favorite flower shop to order your Passover flowers or plants early. If you would like to send a gift of food, your florist will be able to make a wonderful gift basket filled with kosher delights to help you and your friends celebrate the holiday.
Whether you are setting your own special Seder table or going to the home of friends or a family member, be sure to remember to stop by your favorite florist for lots of great holiday gift ideas.
5 Hanukkah Quotes to Celebrate an Amazing Religious Holiday
by: Noel Jameson
It's that time of year and what better way to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah than with some inspiring and uplifting Hanukkah quotes? Miracles are in short supply, and a jug of oil refilling itself for eight days is something to remember for eternity. Whether it's your favorite holiday of the year or you're not fully sure what it's all about, these 5 Hanukkah quotes are the perfect way to get into this wonderful Jewish holiday.
1. "They celebrated it for eight days with gladness like Sukkot and recalled how a little while before, during Sukkot, they had been wandering in the mountains and caverns like wild animals.So carrying lulavs ...they offered hymns of praise to God who had brought to pass the purification of His own place." ~ II Maccabees 10. 6-7
2. "The miracle, of course, was not that the oil for the sacred light - in a little cruse - lasted as long as they say; but that the courage of the Maccabees lasted to this day:let that nourish my flickering spirit. ~ Charles Reznikoff
3. "In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it "Hanukkah" and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Hanukkah!" or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'" ~ Dave Barry
4. "The lights of the Hanukkah menorah that we kindle in our homes are a reminder both of the Menorah in the Temple in Jerusalem and the light that shines brightly within each one of us. For as it says in Proverbs 20:27 -- The candle of God is the soul of man." ~ Libi Astair
5. "At this time of year, when the sun is most hidden, the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the rays of hope and light. Indeed, the physical darkness of this time of year can be a metaphor for the darkness that often envelopes us at times of illness and loss of a loved one, when the world sometimes feels dark and cold. At such times, we yearn for the sun, and the light and warmth that it provides. Often, it is through simple and unrecognized miracles that we are able to feel the warmth of hope and light." ~ Rabbi Rafael Goldstein
Miracles, celebration, triumph -- they are all a part of the Hanukkah tradition. This year as we celebrate the Hanukkah season, let's remember the true spirit of the holiday with these five Hanukkah quotes.
It's that time of year and what better way to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah than with some inspiring and uplifting Hanukkah quotes? Miracles are in short supply, and a jug of oil refilling itself for eight days is something to remember for eternity. Whether it's your favorite holiday of the year or you're not fully sure what it's all about, these 5 Hanukkah quotes are the perfect way to get into this wonderful Jewish holiday.
1. "They celebrated it for eight days with gladness like Sukkot and recalled how a little while before, during Sukkot, they had been wandering in the mountains and caverns like wild animals.So carrying lulavs ...they offered hymns of praise to God who had brought to pass the purification of His own place." ~ II Maccabees 10. 6-7
2. "The miracle, of course, was not that the oil for the sacred light - in a little cruse - lasted as long as they say; but that the courage of the Maccabees lasted to this day:let that nourish my flickering spirit. ~ Charles Reznikoff
3. "In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it "Hanukkah" and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Hanukkah!" or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'" ~ Dave Barry
4. "The lights of the Hanukkah menorah that we kindle in our homes are a reminder both of the Menorah in the Temple in Jerusalem and the light that shines brightly within each one of us. For as it says in Proverbs 20:27 -- The candle of God is the soul of man." ~ Libi Astair
5. "At this time of year, when the sun is most hidden, the holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the rays of hope and light. Indeed, the physical darkness of this time of year can be a metaphor for the darkness that often envelopes us at times of illness and loss of a loved one, when the world sometimes feels dark and cold. At such times, we yearn for the sun, and the light and warmth that it provides. Often, it is through simple and unrecognized miracles that we are able to feel the warmth of hope and light." ~ Rabbi Rafael Goldstein
Miracles, celebration, triumph -- they are all a part of the Hanukkah tradition. This year as we celebrate the Hanukkah season, let's remember the true spirit of the holiday with these five Hanukkah quotes.
Seven Questions to Ask Yourself When You're Planning a Bible Lesson
by: Glenn Brooke
Instead of thinking of yourself as a teacher, think of yourself as a learning session designer.
The objective of any Bible study, lesson, or devotional time is to help people grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are six questions that will help you think about how to design the opportunity to maximize the potential to learn:
* How do you set up the room?
* What questions generate more learning?
* How can you use illustrations to give people something tangible or memorable, and increase retention?
* What kind of handout materials will improve interaction and sustain attention?
* How can you set up the timing of the parts of the lesson or study so people don't get distracted or bored or overwhelmed?
* How can you inspire them to do pre- or post- work to learn more on their own?
Why do I recommend you work through these questions? Because often when we think about ourselves as the teacher we get too focused on -- you guessed it -- ourselves. Thinking about how to best to design a learning session puts our focus where it needs to be -- on the students.
Now for the seventh question:
All of us who are humbling studying and praying to put together lessons tailored for our students at this time have to wrestle with the question: "How much do I try to cover in this lesson?"
There's no hard and fast answer, because it depends enormously on the students and the setting. If you are working with a group of mature Christians who are accustomed to good group discussion for 2 hours and have prepared for the class -- you can probably pack a lot in. If you have a 10 minute devotion opportunity with Jr. High students during the half-time of the SuperBowl, you'd best keep it simple and relevant.
There is a principle, however, that I think all Bible teachers should keep in mind: Keep 'em hungry for more.
Prepare for less content, with such quality and clarity, that leaves them feeling that you could have shared more with the class. Their retention will be much higher, and they will look forward to future classes. You can invite them to dive deeper on a topic on their own (and give them a starter to do this outside of class -- put suggested reading or questions to consider on your handout). During the class time, leave space and time for the Holy Spirit to work.
Mark Twain famously wrote a long letter to an acquaintance, closing with comments like this: "I'm sorry I have written you such a long letter. I did not have time to compose a shorter one." It takes some effort, dear teachers, to pare down your lessons to the best stuff. This means that you can't share every great insight the Lord has given you, or show off the depth of your knowledge about this Bible passage.
But this isn't about you, it's about your students, and glorifying God. Teaching to change lives means giving your students content set up to maximize their retention and comprehension.
Your answers to these seven questions will really help you, and your students will praise God!
Instead of thinking of yourself as a teacher, think of yourself as a learning session designer.
The objective of any Bible study, lesson, or devotional time is to help people grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are six questions that will help you think about how to design the opportunity to maximize the potential to learn:
* How do you set up the room?
* What questions generate more learning?
* How can you use illustrations to give people something tangible or memorable, and increase retention?
* What kind of handout materials will improve interaction and sustain attention?
* How can you set up the timing of the parts of the lesson or study so people don't get distracted or bored or overwhelmed?
* How can you inspire them to do pre- or post- work to learn more on their own?
Why do I recommend you work through these questions? Because often when we think about ourselves as the teacher we get too focused on -- you guessed it -- ourselves. Thinking about how to best to design a learning session puts our focus where it needs to be -- on the students.
Now for the seventh question:
All of us who are humbling studying and praying to put together lessons tailored for our students at this time have to wrestle with the question: "How much do I try to cover in this lesson?"
There's no hard and fast answer, because it depends enormously on the students and the setting. If you are working with a group of mature Christians who are accustomed to good group discussion for 2 hours and have prepared for the class -- you can probably pack a lot in. If you have a 10 minute devotion opportunity with Jr. High students during the half-time of the SuperBowl, you'd best keep it simple and relevant.
There is a principle, however, that I think all Bible teachers should keep in mind: Keep 'em hungry for more.
Prepare for less content, with such quality and clarity, that leaves them feeling that you could have shared more with the class. Their retention will be much higher, and they will look forward to future classes. You can invite them to dive deeper on a topic on their own (and give them a starter to do this outside of class -- put suggested reading or questions to consider on your handout). During the class time, leave space and time for the Holy Spirit to work.
Mark Twain famously wrote a long letter to an acquaintance, closing with comments like this: "I'm sorry I have written you such a long letter. I did not have time to compose a shorter one." It takes some effort, dear teachers, to pare down your lessons to the best stuff. This means that you can't share every great insight the Lord has given you, or show off the depth of your knowledge about this Bible passage.
But this isn't about you, it's about your students, and glorifying God. Teaching to change lives means giving your students content set up to maximize their retention and comprehension.
Your answers to these seven questions will really help you, and your students will praise God!
Guide to Shopping For Quality Church Furniture
by: Graciella Chairman
Church furniture is available in different styles and shapes and one of the salient points is that you can even get them for a competitive price. There was a time when furniture for a church was simple and had almost no design at all. But today, things have changed and church furnishings like altars, pulpits, podiums, lecterns, Prie Dieu kneelers, communion tables and even confessional screens are available in variety of styles and finishing.
Depending on your requirement and budget, you can look for new as well as used church furniture for decoration of fellowship halls and sanctuaries. You can even work out a fitting theme for the furnishings and add a contemporary, gothic, traditional or medieval touch to it. You can even buy used church furnishings and remodel them according to the requirements of the church. This will help you to save most of the congregation money also.
The question is where can you find church furnishings that will suit your requirement and your budget? There are different styles of church furniture available but the question again is where should you look for them? Some of the old churches have furniture with the traditional look. The traditional furnishings will include cushioned seats, wooden pews, and kneelers. The furnishings in a modern church are quite different though and will consist of individual chairs that make up a row.
The first place to look for church furniture is at a church that is expected to close down. The advantage is that you can get used church furnishings from that church and upgrade their look and feel at a low cost. This is the most cost effective method of purchasing furniture for your church.
The second option is the Internet. If you search for church furniture, then you will find 8,780,000 web pages and most of them are online stores. You can find new as well as used furnishings over the internet. For example: you will find one of the websites selling used 9’ long pews at $80 each and 17’ long pews for $100. Some other websites will sell you an entire package of pews, pulpit, book rack and flower stands.
One of the important pieces of church furniture is the chairs. You can choose from old and new chairs, multiple colors, cushioned or wooden, with or without handle etc. If a church has a larger area of worship then theater-style seating will be most appropriate. There are specific online stores who deal with buying of chairs in bulk or for theater style seating. There are other stores who specialize in pew designs especially for congregations. There are others who will offer you a discount for exchanging your old furniture for new.
If the church doesn’t have a high budget then it can also buy used church furniture from other churches. Most of the churches selling their furniture sell it in bulk. You will be able to find 9’ 6” long pews for $125 each; 10’ long pews with small damages for $75; 14’ 6” long pews for $100 each if you pick in bulk; 12’ 3/8" long pews for $125 each and you will find similar bargains over the internet.
Some of the online companies or manufacturers also offer the option of customizing church furniture. You can make modification in fabrics used, dimension of the chair, altar, pulpit, pews etc, colors and much more. The furniture can also be modified to meet the various requirements of different religious denominations. Some of the online manufacturers provide good discount if you make a purchase online. The items are shipped and the shipping charges vary depending on the dimension, weight and location.
So practically speaking there are various options purchasing church furniture over the internet. You can just browse through multiple companies and get price quotes as well as catalogues and then choose the one that fits your budget and is able to deliver according to your requirement within a specified time frame. Mostly, small churches have a small budget and their requirement is smaller too. So they can purchase used church furnishings at a low cost and then spend a little in upgrading them.
Whether it is a big or a small church, church furniture is a necessity. You can always start with the seating or chairs first and then go on to other furnishings. The truth is that you will be able to find most of the church furnishings over the internet and all this will be available at a competitive price. All you need to do is get started!
Church furniture is available in different styles and shapes and one of the salient points is that you can even get them for a competitive price. There was a time when furniture for a church was simple and had almost no design at all. But today, things have changed and church furnishings like altars, pulpits, podiums, lecterns, Prie Dieu kneelers, communion tables and even confessional screens are available in variety of styles and finishing.
Depending on your requirement and budget, you can look for new as well as used church furniture for decoration of fellowship halls and sanctuaries. You can even work out a fitting theme for the furnishings and add a contemporary, gothic, traditional or medieval touch to it. You can even buy used church furnishings and remodel them according to the requirements of the church. This will help you to save most of the congregation money also.
The question is where can you find church furnishings that will suit your requirement and your budget? There are different styles of church furniture available but the question again is where should you look for them? Some of the old churches have furniture with the traditional look. The traditional furnishings will include cushioned seats, wooden pews, and kneelers. The furnishings in a modern church are quite different though and will consist of individual chairs that make up a row.
The first place to look for church furniture is at a church that is expected to close down. The advantage is that you can get used church furnishings from that church and upgrade their look and feel at a low cost. This is the most cost effective method of purchasing furniture for your church.
The second option is the Internet. If you search for church furniture, then you will find 8,780,000 web pages and most of them are online stores. You can find new as well as used furnishings over the internet. For example: you will find one of the websites selling used 9’ long pews at $80 each and 17’ long pews for $100. Some other websites will sell you an entire package of pews, pulpit, book rack and flower stands.
One of the important pieces of church furniture is the chairs. You can choose from old and new chairs, multiple colors, cushioned or wooden, with or without handle etc. If a church has a larger area of worship then theater-style seating will be most appropriate. There are specific online stores who deal with buying of chairs in bulk or for theater style seating. There are other stores who specialize in pew designs especially for congregations. There are others who will offer you a discount for exchanging your old furniture for new.
If the church doesn’t have a high budget then it can also buy used church furniture from other churches. Most of the churches selling their furniture sell it in bulk. You will be able to find 9’ 6” long pews for $125 each; 10’ long pews with small damages for $75; 14’ 6” long pews for $100 each if you pick in bulk; 12’ 3/8" long pews for $125 each and you will find similar bargains over the internet.
Some of the online companies or manufacturers also offer the option of customizing church furniture. You can make modification in fabrics used, dimension of the chair, altar, pulpit, pews etc, colors and much more. The furniture can also be modified to meet the various requirements of different religious denominations. Some of the online manufacturers provide good discount if you make a purchase online. The items are shipped and the shipping charges vary depending on the dimension, weight and location.
So practically speaking there are various options purchasing church furniture over the internet. You can just browse through multiple companies and get price quotes as well as catalogues and then choose the one that fits your budget and is able to deliver according to your requirement within a specified time frame. Mostly, small churches have a small budget and their requirement is smaller too. So they can purchase used church furnishings at a low cost and then spend a little in upgrading them.
Whether it is a big or a small church, church furniture is a necessity. You can always start with the seating or chairs first and then go on to other furnishings. The truth is that you will be able to find most of the church furnishings over the internet and all this will be available at a competitive price. All you need to do is get started!
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