December 1, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
On Christmas morning in 1863 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sat at the bedside of his son Charlie in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Charlie, a young lieutenant in the Union Army, had been seriously injured in a battle during the Civil War. As a writer, Longfellow did the only thing he knew to do at such a time of personal and national despair. He began writing a poem which would be later set to music. Longfellow wrote the words of the famous Christmas Carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The irony of that moment was striking. The sound of the happy and beautiful Christmas bells was in direct contrast to the pain and misery of his wounded son and the tragedy of an ugly war between the states. The young men of the North fighting ...
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December 1, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
9 Christmas Legends and the Truths from the Bible
1. The Bible Says That Jesus Was Born On December 25th
It’s the age-old question, “Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday?” The answer is that we really don’t know when His actual birthday was. The Bible doesn’t tell us an exact date. So, it begs the question, “How did Christmas land on December 25th”? Some historians believe that it was a Christian reaction to a Roman pagan holiday, while others believe the date is a response to the traditional date of Jesus’ crucifixion in March. Honestly, we don’t really know when Jesus was born, however, two things are certain – Jesus was born of a virgin, and the Bible doesn’t give us ...
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December 1, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
In Greek mythology, the god Atlas is one of the Titans, a band of gods with superhuman strength and size. The ship Titanic, a massive ocean liner supposedly unsinkable, was named after the Titans. I digress, back to Atlas. Atlas lost his position when he was overthrown by the chief Greek god, Zeus, and compelled to carry the heavens on his shoulders. Atlas is always pictured as a man stooped over with an enormous boulder on his shoulders. The weight of the heavens is staggering and Atlas can barely carry it.
Why am I writing about Greek mythology and Atlas? There are many walking among us with what I call the Atlas Complex. They seem to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. The problems in their lives are so heavy that ...
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December 1, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
Fear is a powerful force in our lives. It causes us to lie, deny, become passive when we should be active, grow silent when we should speak up. Fear is powerful! Is all fear bad? No. God gave us the emotion to protect us from danger. When facing a lion we should be afraid. Fear is a “survival instinct.” Having said that, most of our fear is self-protective fear. It is sinful fear.
Let me focus on several of the sinful manifestations of fear. Take lying. Why do people lie? What motivates them? Fear of consequences if the truth were known. Why do people shift blame onto others? Fear of what might happen to them if they own what they’ve done or said. Why do couples refuse to back down in an argument? Fear of looking weak or ...
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December 1, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
The Millennium
Introduction
We have covered a lot of ground in this End Times series! We have looked at the events happening on earth before, during, and after the Great Tribulation. We have looked at events happening in heaven during the Great Tribulation. Now, following the Battle of Armageddon we are back on earth with our King, Jesus Christ, and ready to rule with Him for 1000 years. It will be a rule of absolute peace and tranquility. The lion will lie down with the lamb and a little child will play with vipers. Let’s learn more about this idyllic time on earth.
I. What is the Millennium and what are its characteristics?
- Millennium comes from two Latin words – “mille” meaning 1,000 and “annum&...
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