Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Rome does it again!!

Well I think I have just read it all, It seems that an Italian court will rule on weather Jesus ever existed or not! Read it on Yahoo News.
Now Among other questions that I am going to ask, How is it that MAN can make a ruling against or for the fact that JESUS ever walked on this earth?
So I have been on the "net" looking for what I could find , and it indeed seems that there was
to my understanding, documents from Roman history that mention the "Chrestus or Christus",
and talk about his crucifiction by Pontias Pilate. Also the "Flames of Rome" use this reference as a factual account.
I did say Roman History, Italy, Rome, HMMM...
So I sit here and I know what I've read about 1st century persecution and I wonder if it could return today?
Are we as modern day" Free Christians" going to start seeing persecution for our beliefs?
There are still parts of the world that you will be killed for Christian beliefs?
Can't you almost feel the change and if you are paying reel close attention to our society, you can see the fight between good and evil daily.
Are we going to turn into an "Atheistic Society" where we are no longer free to speak/teach our beliefs?
In my lifetime? Don't know. In Adam's? Maybe.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Subtle Coincidences?

O.K , so I'm finished with the book and thinking about all of the terrible things that happened to early followers of Christ, thrown to the starved lions, wild dogs, bears, beheaded, stretched until they are pulled in two, and those are just a few physical things that happened to them. Oh did I mention set on FIRE and Crucified!
There was also the discrimination of not being able to trade your goods and services to provide for your family.
The Roman Empire told you what you would do, who you would follow and how you would do it!
And if it "felt good" ehh go ahead and do it!
So I'm thinking do the punishments fit the crime? If you lived in the barbaric first century they do, but if you live in the 21st century?
Between the 1st and 21st centuries punishments for crimes have lightened somewhat, there are still some parts of the world where Christians today are still murdered and to be a follower of Christ is a very dangerous thing to do.
So you say, but we live in America we don't have that stuff here!
Lets look...
1st century.."There is not 1 supreme God.
21st century..."We were not created by intelligent design, it was evolution".

1st century..You can have any God you want, but this Christ, a man, is not the savior of our world.
21st century...You can have any God you want..But do not teach us or our kids about your God or Christ, its not Scientific.

1st century..Ohh your a Christian, You people are not good for the Empire!
21st century...Ohh your a Christian, You people are trying to run the World!

1st century..You can't talk about God and Christ here or you will die!
21st century...You can't talk about Religion here it makes people uncomfortable, so take this a your verbal warning next time it will be a write up!

There are Probably more examples I could give but you get the point, I hope.
Although we live in different times in History, the punishment isn't the same but The "Empire" still doesn't want to hear about your God, OUR GOD!!Christianity is Stronger than ever, but I also see Proponents to Christianity getting stronger and more verbal also.
If Paul had the media coverage of today he would have been ecstatic,I believe he wanted to be prosecuted By the Roman Empire not only to have Christianity recognized by the Empire as a Valid Religion, but for the "MEDIA" he would get, which was the best way to spread the word in those times.
So what I hope is that by reading this you start HEARING what is going on around you,
We have an Awesome opportunity that those of the fist century did not,
and If we become like Paul and have the Excitement he had, just think of what we could do!!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Thinking out loud

I am really into this book we are using in bible class to read while studying the book of Acts,
its called The Flames Of Rome, if you don't have a copy, dude get one.
The Chapter that I read on how Christianity started and how hard it was for those disciples to spread the word was very intriguing, it told of Pauls house arrest in Rome for two years, and told of Christians meeting in houses to worship and spread the word, I cant put it down!
It tells of the very beginning of Christianity and how People were being beheaded because of a
new religious cult that wasn't approved by Rome.
This Book takes you back to the first century!

So Here we are today, we can freely for the most part, speak, worship, pray, etc.. Without getting beheaded, But do we have the same passion as those 2000 years ago?
I think we as a Church at Newsong are going in the right direction as are many other Churches, Praise God!
But If we didn't have the freedom, like those of the first century, would we still be Passionate about our religion?
Even to Death?
Thank you Pastor Hawkins for opening my mind with this exciting book!
Thank you God for Pastor Hawkins!