Thursday, June 18, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Sugar skulls
The origin of sugar skulls goes all the way back to a time when the skull was a predominant figure in Mesoamerican societies (1500 B.C. until 1521 A.D.) in various depictions. One depiction was tzompantli, which was a wooden rack where the skulls of prisoners of war and human sacrifices were displayed. The tzompantli could also be an altar depicting the journey to the spiritual world. These civilizations believed in spiritual life after death. The skulls were offered to the god of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli. They were then assured safe passage to the underworld. Aztec mythology says that he ruled Mictlan, which is the lowest northernmost point in the underworld. It is not uncommon to find sugar skulls made with Mictlantecuhtlis face on them.
When the Spanish brought their religion, the traditions were then lost. Part of them was kept alive by maintaining the figure of a skull in a piece of candy-colored and decorated.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Lawn jockey
TODAY'S HISTORY LESSON: THE BLACK LAWN JOCKEY (footman).
These days people don't know the real meaning behind these statues, so they vandalize them, & THINK of them as racist, etc. The history of the black 'footman' with a lantern is the exact opposite. Its meaning signified that the home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. These were largely a northern thing, and weren't commonly found in the South until after WWII when northerners moved there and brought this custom with them. The clothing of the statue was also coded. A striped jockey's shirt meant that this was a place to swap horses, while a footman in a tailed coat meant overnight lodging and/or food, and a blue sailor's waist coat meant the homeowner could take you to a port and get you on a ship to Canada. Later, these came back into popularity after WWII, and they were again coded. Mostly to show that the white homeowners supported early civil rights efforts, and were NOT Klan members, etc. These statues are something we should be proud of because they led a lot of our ancestors to their freedom and they also represent the bravery and support of the homeowner's that risked their homes, themselves, & their families for the struggle of freedom and equality.
These days people don't know the real meaning behind these statues, so they vandalize them, & THINK of them as racist, etc. The history of the black 'footman' with a lantern is the exact opposite. Its meaning signified that the home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. These were largely a northern thing, and weren't commonly found in the South until after WWII when northerners moved there and brought this custom with them. The clothing of the statue was also coded. A striped jockey's shirt meant that this was a place to swap horses, while a footman in a tailed coat meant overnight lodging and/or food, and a blue sailor's waist coat meant the homeowner could take you to a port and get you on a ship to Canada. Later, these came back into popularity after WWII, and they were again coded. Mostly to show that the white homeowners supported early civil rights efforts, and were NOT Klan members, etc. These statues are something we should be proud of because they led a lot of our ancestors to their freedom and they also represent the bravery and support of the homeowner's that risked their homes, themselves, & their families for the struggle of freedom and equality.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Sin nature, soul, salvation, repentance
To answer your first question: God gave Adam and Eve a choice to serve God willingly or to reject Him. In Genesis 2:17 God made it clear that Adam and Eve were not to eat the fruit of the tree or they would surely die. Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, this caused Adam’s sin nature and death to be passed down through all generations since.
The answer to your second question is yes, the soul is immortal and Hell is real (Psalm 22:26; 23:6; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:46 and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Daniel 12:2 tells us that “And many of them who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt”.
You also asked why we repent if Christ saves us. 1st John 1:9 says ” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Though believers are forgiven at the point of salvation, there is also an ongoing sense in which believers need to confess sin and experience forgiveness and cleansing. Cleansing was an important part of the Mosaic Law, mentioned some 14 times in the book of Leviticus alone. It was the goal of those who brought a sacrifice to the Lord in the tabernacle and temple.
When we have an argument with others, it creates a barrier to fellowship. Since a barrier between us and God will always be our fault, our need for confession is important for our relationship to God. You should not wait to repent. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says (For he saith. I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation). Repentance is making a complete change toward God. That is not earning salvation. That is changing your mind about your eternal destination. You cannot be saved if you do not repent. The only time it is too late to be forgiven of your sins is when you reach the point of death (Hebrews 9:27).
You asked if it was possible to sell your soul. There is nothing in the Bible that implies a person can sell their soul. There is nothing in the Bible that even implies that it is possible to bargain with the Devil.
God or family
Matthew 10:37 says, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
We cannot side with our family against God. It is not important to be in total agreement with the family, but it is important to be in agreement with God.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Prayer and frustration
God understands our emotions because He gave them to us. The Bible tells us to rejoice and pray without ceasing because that pleases God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV). Romans 8:26-27 tells us that the Spirit helps us with our weaknesses because we do not know how to pray as we should. We are to always pray. We all must learn to pray in faith for the things God has promised. Receive by faith whatever God gives be it a yes or no answer. If you do this frustration will change to trust.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Monday, June 8, 2020
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Tgnorance of the Bible
Romans 1:20 says that there is no excuse for not believing in God’s existence: the invisible qualities of God are “clearly seen” in creation. Micah 6:8 also counters our claims of ignorance: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” If ignorance does not excuse sin, then feigned ignorance is even worse.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Monday, June 1, 2020
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Judges
The Israelites simply didn't have the willingness or desire to obey God's commands. Disobeying God comes naturally for mankind (Romans 8:7). Now let me explain their situation.
The generation that had wandered in the wilderness for forty years had all died. The new generation was brought to the plains of Moab. There Moses taught them the same things he had taught their parents. He then turned over his role of leader to Joshua. In the book of Judges 2:11-12 it tells us that the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forsook the God of their fathers and followed the gods of the people who lived around them. Apparently what happened was in just a few decades they had neglected to train their children up in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6).
Moses had told the parents to continually teach the children the story about their redemption, the miracles God performed, and the contents of God's covenant with them (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). Each generation needed to be reminded over, and over of God's faithfulness so that it would not fade from their memory.
Tragically, that happened. The nation served God in Joshua and Caleb’s generation and in the generation of the elders who led the nation after Joshua died. Then “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (2:7-10). The result was a series of sins. Cycles of sin, judgment, cries for help, and deliverance.
Whenever they were oppressed by enemies, the Israelites repented and cried out to God, who would faithfully raise up a judge, or defender, to defeat their oppressors and restore peace. Then the enticements of their pagan neighbors grew too strong and the conviction of their fading memories drew too weak and they sinned again. These cycles of sin-oppression-repentance-deliverance formed a downward spiral in which the Israelites become increasingly corrupt and more like the Canaanites.
Monday, May 25, 2020
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