McRoy's thesis is that Easter, name and celebration, was not pagan in origin. The assertion of pagan origin of the name is largely based on the English and German names for the celebration.
A husband promises to love and to cherish his wife, but would he keep this promise if his wife was unfaithful? Not so with Christ, who, like Hosea, kept his promise, even to an adulterous Bride: he "loved the church and gave himself up for her."
All mankind – not only Christians – have a personal relationship with God. One group is in a relationship of grace and mercy, while the other group is in a relationship of wrath and judgment.
In Joshua 24:15, what choices were Joshua presenting to Israel when he told them, "Choose this day whom you will serve. . ."
A friend, pastor of an evangelical church in Baclaran, Parañaque, Metro Manila, received a comment on his blog from a devotee of the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran. The comment has echoes of the evangelical mindset of big numbers and budgets as indicators of success and God's blessing.
This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is why we have joy at Christmas. This is why we could say with David, “My heart shall rejoice in your salvation!†This is why the angels in heaven rejoiced at the birth of Christ, because his birth was “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.â€
Tens of thousands of people in the Metro Manila area and several provinces suffered in the onslaught of record rainfall from Storm Ketsana. God has encouraging words for them as well as those of us who were not affected much by the storm. Psalm 46 is one chapter that assures and quiets our souls, especially in times of great distress such as this.
When the focus of The Beatitudes becomes "you" instead of Christ and his kingdom, it merely becomes a moral lesson no different from all other religions that teach salvation by good works--helping the poor and those who grieve and are oppressed, being humble and honest, and promoting peace among people.
A couple of years ago on Reformation Day, October 31, 2007, I wrote an article about John Calvin's treatise "On the Necessity of Reforming the Church," in which I discussed his views on the public worship of God in the church. Here it is...
"Jesus in MY heart, MY being born again, MY moral transformation, what happens inside of ME, MY sanctification, MY experience." This "gospel" is that of the medieval Roman church.
Numbers 11 and John 6 show us that Jesus as our Mediator is better than Moses the mediator between God and Israel. Unlike Moses, even in his darkest hour, Christ did not grumble against God about the rebellious people he was saving. Instead, he prayed for their salvation and for God to be with them.
When we are fully obedient to God’s word in our pilgrimage, and when we invite others to join us, God promised to bring us together to our Promised Land, a place that will be for us a "resting place" (Numbers 10:11-36).
