Was Jesus a Christian? Part 1

The answer to the question presented may at first seem obvious. However, upon closer scrutiny, a problem becomes apparent. There is a difference between how Jesus worshipped God and how the modern Christian church worships God. These differences in practice should cause the contemporary church to examine its methods and beliefs. If Christianity centers it faith and practice upon the teachings of Jesus Christ, should it not resemble its leader? Moreover, a consideration of the religion of the Jewish carpenter from Nazareth confronts us with a most unsettling question: Is Jesus Christ the founder of Christianity? If He isn’t, then who is? In an effort to direct the inquirer, this paper addresses five differences between the religious practices of Jesus of Nazareth and the modern church. The reader should be prepared to examine his “Christianity” in light of the principles and practices of the Jewish rabbi called Jesus.

The first difference is that while the contemporary church worships God on Sunday, Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. Luke 4:16 says: And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read…. (Emphasis supplied) (RSV) In fact, many if not most of the miracles performed by Jesus were done on the Sabbath. In comparison, the modern day church believes that the day of worship was changed from the Sabbath to Sunday. One online Christian resource explains:
Still others Christians would say that we no longer observe the Jewish sabbath, but worship instead on Sunday, a distinctively Christian holy day. They argue that the early church very soon began meeting on Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Jesus, which took place on the first day of the week.
It is not the purpose of this work to explore the reason for the change or the timing of the change as there are many resources available for those who seek to know the historical truth. It is sufficient to state that according to Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, the day of worship began to change around A.D. 115. The point is that Jesus did not worship on the first day of the week; He worshipped God on the Sabbath.

Spiritual Warfare 3

In part 3 of the Spiritual Warfare Series, Pastor Jenkins reviews three pieces of armor from Ephesians 6: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of peace. Learn the connection between the three pieces and how to use them in spiritual battle. A foundation is laid for the difference between logos and rhema. This message is the foundation for understanding the armor of God.

GETTING BACK to 'CLASSIC' CHRISTIANITY

-by J. Lee Grady.

We need voices from the past—like Andrew Murray, Corrie Ten
Boom and Charles Spurgeon—to help us find our way to the
future.

During a visit with my parents in Georgia, two of my daughters
asked if they could listen to a tape recording my father made in
1962 when I was only 4 years old. So my dad rummaged through
some drawers and found the old reel-to-reel tape, which was
amazingly still intact. Then he went to the garage and found the
old Realistic tape player that no one in the family had used since
the Nixon administration.

To our surprise the scratchy tape actually played without breaking,
and my girls laughed when they heard me—in a babyish Southern
drawl—describing a Florida vacation and a fishing trip with my
grandfather. After my "interview," it switched to an older recording
made in 1956. It included a conversation with my dad's mother,
who died before I was born.

It was eerie to hear her voice. I'd never heard it before yet it
sounded hauntingly familiar. After that brief segment of the tape
ended we listened to comments from my other three grandparents
—all of whom died in the 1960s or 1970s. Their voices unearthed
long-buried but fond memories.

These sounds from the past reminded me of some other distant
voices I have been listening to recently. They are the voices of
dead Christians—writers of classic books and songs that we are
close to forgetting today.

Their names are probably somewhat familiar to you. Jonathan
Edwards. John Wesley. Charles Finney. Catherine Booth.
Andrew Murray. Evans Roberts. Charles Spurgeon. Fanny
Crosby. E.M. Bounds. Watchman Nee. A.W. Tozer. William
Seymour. A.B. Simpson. Corrie Ten Boom. Leonard Ravenhill.
Fuchsia Pickett.

All of them could be labeled revivalists. All challenged the
Christians of their generation to embrace repentance and humility.
They understood a realm of spiritual maturity and a depth of
character that few of us today even aspire to obtain.

When I read their words I feel much the same way I did after
hearing my grandparents' voices on that old tape. I feel as if I am
tapping into a realm of spirituality that is on the verge of extinction.

What was the secret of these great Christians who left their
legacies buried in their books? They considered humility,
selflessness and sacrifice the crowning virtues of the Christian
journey. They called the church to die to selfishness, greed and
ambition. They knew what it means to carry a "burden" for lost
souls. They saw the glories of the kingdom and demanded total
surrender. They challenged God's people to pursue obedience—
even if obedience hurts.

Even their hymns reflected a level of consecration that is foreign in
worship today. They sang often of the cross and its wonder. Their
worship focused on the blood and its power. They sang words of
heart-piercing conviction: "My richest gain I count but loss / And
pour contempt on all my pride / Forbid it Lord that I should boast /
Save in the death of Christ, My God."

In so many churches today the cross is not mentioned. The blood
is avoided because we don't want to offend visitors. And worship
is often a canned performance that involves plenty of rhythm and
orchestration but little or no substance. We can produce noise,
but often there is no heart ... and certainly no tears.

In the books Christians buy today you will find little mention of
brokenness. We are not interested in a life that might require
suffering, patience, purging or the discipline of the Lord. We
want our blessings ... and we want them now! So we look for
the Christian brand of spiritualized self-help that is quick and
painless.

We're running on empty. We think we are sophisticated, but like
the Laodiceans we are actually poor, blind and naked. We need
to return to our first love but we don't know where to begin the
journey.

These voices from the past will help point the way. I've found
myself drawn to reading books by Ravenhill, Ten Boom, Murray
and Spurgeon in recent days. I've even pulled out an old hymnal
and rediscovered the richness of songs that I had thrown out
years ago—because I thought anything old couldn't possibly
maintain a fresh anointing.

I realize now that I must dig for this buried treasure. We will never
effectively reach our generation if we don't reclaim the humility,
the brokenness, the consecration and the travail that our spiritual
forefathers considered normal Christianity.

Where Did Michael Jackson Go When He Died?

This is an excellent video of Ray Comfort from The Way of the Masters as he takes to the streets to talk about the death of Michael Jackson.

Spiritual Warfare 2

In Part 2 of the Spiritual Warfare series, Pastor Jenkins teaches the four Greek words that reveal the true nature of redemption. Ephesians 2:6 tells us that we are seated with Christ. Learn what this seating means and how it affects Spiritual Warfare. In addition, a brief explanation of God's covenant with Abram is explained as a further basis of your authority over demons. Listen and be prepared for battle!

God Still Cares For His Children

One afternoon we were walking on Jaffa Road, the main street of modern Jerusalem, just returning from visiting the homes of some of our Arab believers. We were passing through the busiest section of the city and the street was packed with people, all Jews, when suddenly I remembered that we intended to do a bit of shopping but had already passed the particular locality. Mrs. Fried suggested that we turn back and attend to it, but I thought that the matter was of very little importance and could be taken care of next day, and so I suggested that we continue homeward, since it was close to supper time.

We walked only a few steps when I was strangely pressed to return, after all, and attend to the shopping. We turned back and had walked in the opposite direction only about a hundred feet when back of us we heard the most terrific explosion that seemed to be right beside us, but actually was about two hundred feet away. A bomb had been thrown, probably from a passing car, into the midst of the crowd. Next day we went to the scene, and, as far as we were able to calculate, had we failed to turn back at the time we did, we would have been at the very spot where the explosion took place! -- Sunday School Times

A REMARKABLE ANSWER TO PRAYER

Mr. Jay Gould once left his eastern home for a trip across the continent. In the western part of Texas the train he was traveling on was halted for a few hours at a little town to make needed repairs on the engine. Mr. Gould, to pass the time, walked up the village street, and found a sale going on, and the auctioneer calling out, "Fourteen hundred and seventy-five dollars." He inquired of a man what was being sold, and was told that it was a new church that the contracting builder had a claim on for the work. Mr. Gould, to help the sale, offered fifteen hundred dollars, which the auctioneer called a few times without a raise, and the church was sold to Mr. Gould at his bid.

Three gray-haired old men standing near watched the proceedings of the transfer and, going up to Mr. Gould, not knowing who he was asked him what he intended to do with the church he had just bought. "What is it to you what I do with it? It is mine now, to keep or to give away," said the millionaire. One of the men said: "This is what it is to us: We three men are trustees of that church house and were sent here to see and then report what disposal was made of it; and in the church, at this present moment, the entire congregation, with the presiding elders and preachers, are down on their knees before the God of Heaven, asking Him to Divinely interfere in some way to save our church, so that it may not be lost to us. That is what it is to our people."

Jay Gould gave the people their church.

The lesson is to never give up, stay in prayer, and have faith in God's care for His children.