What is Christianity?
Christianity is about God reaching out his hand in friendship to mankind. Christians believe that the whole world and everything in it was created by God. God is a personal being, a living God who is three, yet one: Father, Son and Spirit, just as we human beings have body, mind and soul! (see the Trinity).
The Bible says God created people in his image, to love him. Yet every person has rebelled against God and sinned. Yet instead of turning his back on us, God became a man, Jesus, who most scholars believe was born about the year 4 BC and lived among us. He taught a message of love throughout Palestine but public opinion turned against him and he was executed as a young man.
He died because of us - the death that we should have died. He was crucified on a cross, but he rose from the dead, and now calls us to trust him, to love him and to repent of our rebellion. If we do this, then we our relationship with God becomes restored and we will live forever with God.
Many non-Christians may think that being a Christian is about belonging to a particular church or following a certain set of rule. Most Christians however would agree that at its root, being a Christian means to be in a living relationship with Jesus.
Who is God?
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Devotion Of The Day
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Public domain open bible
July, 8 - Daily Devotions
July Scripture Portion for Bible Commentary : Psalms 103 - Isaiah 27 including the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs
Psalms 135, 136, 138, and 139 are Psalms of thanksgiving. Psalm 135 is a song of praise for God's wonderful works in nature and in history. A nation that is now cleansed and converted worships God in this Psalm. The call to worship is found in verses 1-4; adoration to Him who controls nature in verses 5-7; adoration to Him who redeemed the nation and set it in Palestine in verses 8-18; and adoration to Him who is above all Gods and therefore worthy of all worship in verses 19-21.
Psalm 136 seems to be an extension of Psalm 135 and is continuing praise to Almighty God. Also, it is called a Hallel Psalm, which means it was sung at the opening of the Passover and was a favorite Temple song.
One of the great themes of the Bible is the mercy of God. In Psalm 136 alone the Word "mercy" is found 26 times, one time for each verse. Perhaps it would be helpful for us to distinguish between mercy and grace. They are not one and the same. One is negative and one is positive. One keeps us from hell, and the other assures us of heaven. Mercy is not getting what you deserve (hell and judgment), while grace is getting that which you do not deserve (heaven and God's blessing).
In Psalm 137 the Jewish captives hung their harps on the trees beside a river near Babylon and sat down and wept. They had been captured by the enemy for their disobedience. But even in captivity they would trust that God's mercy would not forsake them. And they would not be let down.
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