Articles About God And Basic Christian Beliefs

 

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen—not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else." -- C. S. Lewis

Sharing The Good News
As followers of Jesus Christ, we proclaim the gospel—we announce the good news of what Christ has done for all humanity. But the gospel is not just words to pronounce—it also involves practical application in our lives. When we accept the gospel of grace, it affects the way we think and the way we live.

Death
If Christianity is simply about this physical life and then we die to never exist again, then it doesn’t matter what we do or how we live or what we believe. But there is a resurrection, and this is an essential part of the Christian faith. Let’s look at the significance of this doctrine—not just for the future, but for day-to-day living, as well. It is relevant every day of our lives.

The Biblical Books Of Poetry
The book of Psalms can be one of the most effective tools in building your relationship with God. If you feel your prayer life is in decline, read the Psalms. They are the emotional outpourings of people in a host of different situations. They are "a treasury of experiences accumulated by generations of people who lived in the region where the cradle of our own civilization stood." Reading their prayers can help your rejuvenate your prayer life.

America
Many have sung "God Bless America." But have they stopped to consider how God blesses America? What are the truly good things that God has given America? Does God bless America by giving us more money and goods, so that we can trust in money and goods? Does he bless us with luxuries that distract us from thinking about the purpose of life?

Pentecost
The disciples knew they had work to do and a mission to fulfill, and they knew they needed help in getting it done. They would face dangers, intellectual challenges, and personal weakness. For decades of dedication, they needed more than adrenaline — they needed the Holy Spirit. This is commemorated yearly in the Christian calendar with the day of Pentecost.

The WCG Story
As the president of the Worldwide Church of God, I am writing to tell you a story of God’s grace and the transformation that took place in our church. It is a transformation that can be characterized as moving from darkness to the light of God’s truth.

The Four Gospels
At the heart of Christianity is the person and work of Jesus Christ. So we would expect the Christian Scriptures to include an account of Jesus' life. But why do we have four -- the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Isn't this redundant? 

Faith
Abraham is one of the outstanding individuals of the Old Testament. God spoke to him personally, visited him in his home and even considered him a friend. Abraham loved God, obeyed him, and was even willing to sacrifice his son for him. Abraham is a biblical superhero, deserving a place in the Old Testament Hall of Fame. But are his experiences something you can relate to?

Tragedies
Scripture tells us that God can be trusted to take good care of those who put their faith in him. But the Bible makes no bones about the fact that it takes faith, because the actual path of human life, even for the faithful, as we know so well, is regularly fraught with trouble, trial and pain.

The Resurrection of Jesus
Christians, Jews, and atheists agree that Jesus was crucified and buried. The crucial belief for Christianity is that he was also resurrected — as evidence that he is the Son of God, the teacher of truth, the door and the way of salvation, the firstfruits of the resurrection. Here is the evidence for his resurrection.

The Crucifixion of Christ
Why did the Messiah have to die?  The resurrection, attested by hundreds who saw him alive, proved that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But one thing still did not make sense — why did the Messiah have to die? Surely his death proved he was not righteous. Surely God would not allow his appointed leader to be falsely accused, slandered, ridiculed and finally killed by the Romans! Of what value is a leader who dies?

Prophecy
Are we in the last days? Yes, and we have been for almost 2,000 years. The last days were already here in the first century (Acts 2:16-17). "In these last days," we are told in Hebrews 1:2, "God has spoken to us by his Son." "The last days" began with Jesus Christ!

Salvation
Nothing is more certain about life than death. One day, we receive the sobering news that a loved one has died. We are reminded that we, too, will die—tomorrow, next year or in half a century. The fear of death has driven some people, such as the explorer Ponce de Leon, to search for some fabled but non-existent fountain of youth. But the grim reaper will not be denied. Death comes to everyone. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there really were some grand purpose for human life? A purpose that includes eternal life?

The Church
Each Christian must believe, make decisions about how to live and decide what to believe. But the New Testament is clear that we are not merely individuals -- we are part of a body. The church is optional in the same sense that responsibility is optional -- God lets us choose what to do, but that does not mean that all choices are equally helpful for us, or that all are equally within God's will. Do Christians need teachers? Theentire New Testament is evidence that we do.

Is It Really True?
Most historians agree that the early disciples believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. Although at Jesus' death they were dejected and fearful, they were soon dramatically different: They risked their lives repeatedly to preach about Jesus. Of course, people sometimes give their lives for erroneous ideas — but only if they believe they are true. Then, we can consider how dozens of disciples could come to such a conviction. Perhaps the first possibility we could consider is that Jesus didn't really die...

The Gospel
Almost 2,000 years ago, a Jewish carpenter began to preach. He was popular with some people, but he made others angry. Officials said he was a threat to national security, and they arranged for his death. His only weapon was his message. Bad people liked it, but "good" people didn't. He said it was about love—so why did anyone hate it? What was the message that got Jesus killed?

The Bible
Most Americans have a Bible, but many have never read it. Perhaps they started to read it, but gave up after reading a few chapters. Why? Maybe because the Bible seems to be such an intimidating book. It even looks difficult to read, with its hundreds of pages and names that are hard to pronounce. This makes it seem dignified, but imposing and not very "user-friendly."

Money
I regularly receive offers for credit cards. The offers tell me I am "pre-approved." Some letters encourage me to take a second mortgage on my home. Other advertisements encourage me to buy various products and services. "Easy credit" is available. "Free gift for applying." "Buy now, pay later." "Instant approval." "Take up to three years to pay."

When a loved one dies
A series of articles on grief and how to help people in grief.

The Church
Most Christians are in small churches. Though megachurches usually get more attention, small churches are the backbone of Christianity. People are more likely to come to faith in a small church than in a megachurch. Small churches are not confined to small towns -- they are found in the biggest cities, too. Some are dying, but others are thriving, and God is doing a remarkable work through them.

The Teachings of Jesus
Jesus taught about the kingdom of God — but what did he say about it? When we are studying something as important as the central message of Jesus Christ, it is not safe to make assumptions. First-century Jews had various assumptions about what the Messiah would do, but Jesus did not act the way they wanted him to. Their assumptions about the king were wrong, and their assumptions about the kingdom were wrong, too. They wanted the Messiah to bring a physical kingdom, but Jesus brought something different.

The Early History of Isreal
Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan: Although Joshua is speaking of military battles and geographic territory, we can apply the principles by which God worked there to the spiritual battles we face and the spiritual territory we have yet to possess...

The Birth of Jesus
A reason to hope No one would have guessed that the "illegitimate" baby was the answer to the nation’s hopes. A baby can’t do anything, can’t teach anyone, can’t help anyone, and can’t save anyone. But a baby has potential. There is hope for us, too, when we become children of God.

Women In The Bible
Deborah was a prophetess and a judge, and in both roles she spoke the word of God. God can raise up stones to do his work, and if he needed a man to do it, he could raise up a man. But in this case he chose to work through a woman, showing that there is no theological reason that God can't use a woman to speak on his behalf, or to have a woman lead his people.

Events In The Life Of Jesus
Jesus was born in the normal way, grew in the normal way, got hungry and thirsty and tired, ate and drank and slept. He looked normal, talked in ordinary language, and walked in the normal way. He had emotions like compassion, surprise, sorrow and apprehension.

He was a human — but he was such an extraordinary human that, after he ascended to heaven, some people claimed he was not human after all. So, what sort of person was he? The Christian faith centers on Jesus Christ. We need to understand what kind of person he is.

Church History
"We must look at the whole past and not just those parts that make us feel good," argues an American historian. These words challenge many Christians to broaden their approach to early church history. Many of us hold ideas and assumptions about the early Christian centuries that are incomplete and often oversimplified.

Christian Life
Our relationship with God is based on faith, not a list of rules. It is a personal loyalty to God, a loyalty that leads us to obey, but a loyalty that always looks directly to God, not to a list of rules as a gauge of our relationship. We never boast of obedience, nor despair of falling short.

Thanksgiving
By modern standards, the Pilgrims were deep in poverty — but they were rich in gratitude. The previous winter, more than half of them had died from bad weather, hunger and illness. Now they faced another winter. But the Pilgrims were not shaken in faith. They were thankful for the life they had.

The Spirit World
Halloween falls on October 31st, the eve of All Saints Day, which is observed by some Christian churches. However, the modern celebration of Halloween is not generally thought of as a Christian time of worship. The day does have religious significance for some people, particularly wiccans and druids. For some people, Halloween or some of its elements may have a non-Christian religious meaning. For most children, however, there is no religious significance involved in either the day itself or in such elements as pumpkins or costumes.

Youth Ministry
For the first year and a half of Jesus’ ministry, it seems that his primary focus was on building relationships—helping the disciples know and love him more and helping them know and love one another more. Jesus advanced this strategy by providing environments in which such loving relationships would grow and thrive. This is an effective strategy for youth ministry.

Evangelism
As followers of Jesus Christ, we proclaim the gospel—we announce the good news of what Christ has done for all humanity. But the gospel is not just words to pronounce—it also involves practical application in our lives.

Bible Study
Perhaps you want to read the Bible, despite its difficulties, because you have heard that it can tell you more about the God who made you and who loves you. It can tell you about Jesus, your Savior, and what he did and taught. There's treasure hidden somewhere in this book, but you aren't quite sure how to go about finding it.

Bible Prophecy
The "beasts" of Revelation 13, Revelation - book of cosmic symbols, Will Christ return?, Who is the "antichrist"?, The millennium.

Science & faith
Since the beginning of the 20th century, scientists have been exploring an entirely new way of looking at the world and the universe. Their discoveries have raised challenging new questions for those who do not believe in God -- and especially for those who do.

The Teachings of Jesus
Jesus often preached about the kingdom of God -- but what did he say about it? Did he describe peace and prosperity, health and wealth, law and order? Did he get into details of governmental organization?

Christians & The Law Of Moses
Acts 15 describes the most important meeting the early church had. The future of the church was at stake -- was it to be a Jewish group, or would it allow gentiles? If gentiles could enter the church without following Jewish laws, the church would attract more gentiles, and eventually gentiles would be the majority. The church would no longer be a sect of Judaism, but a distinct faith. Let's see how the council of Jerusalem developed.

Building stronger families
a series of articles. 

Jesus
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" The question confronts us, too: Who is this man? What authority does he have? Why should we trust him? The Christian faith centers on Jesus Christ. We need to understand what kind of person he is. 

Prayer
Some people make prayer sound like a duty, as a work that faithful Christians must perform. Some make it sound like we ought to pray three times a day, or rise before dawn, following the example of this or that famous person. I think Christians should pray not as a duty, but out of need. To put it simply, we need help, and God can give it. 

God
Our most basic religious belief is that God exists. By the capitalized word "God," we mean the God described in the Bible: a good and powerful spirit being who created all things, who cares about us, who cares about what we do, who is involved in our lives, and who offers us an eternity with his goodness. Humans cannot understand God in totality, but we can have a solid beginning point for understanding who God is and what God is doing in our lives. Let's focus on the qualities of God that a new believer, for example, might find most helpful.

The Gospel
Wherever the gospel is preached, this story must be told, too, said Jesus. What this woman did is an essential part of the story of Jesus. It is important because it shows in a practical way what the gospel actually is.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Three-fold meaning of the Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is a reminder of what Jesus did in the past, a symbol of our present relationship with him, and a promise of what he will do in the future.

A Beginners Guide To Christianity

The Gospel Really is Good News
Many people are convinced that all deceased humans who did not profess Christ before death, are in hell at this very moment, being hideously tortured in unimaginable agony.

Using Christmas to teach children about Jesus
Wise parents capitalize on teachable moments in the lives of their children. One such moment comes around each December as Christmas dominates community, school and family life for most people in North America. Though we may object to the commercialism of much of these Christmas celebrations, we can take advantage of this annual opportunity to help children learn about the miracle of Jesus' birth.

In his name
"Whatever you ask in my name," Jesus said, "I will do it" (John 14:13). Some people seem to think that Jesus is giving us a blank check-we can ask for anything at all, and he will sign his name to it and pass it along to the Father, and it will be done-guaranteed. However, we all know that this doesn't work-and it's a good thing it doesn't! If God had to answer every request he was given in the name of Jesus, the world would be driven by the whims of well-meaning but foolish people. So what did Jesus mean?

God told me to...
How can we know whether God is leading us toward a particular decision, or whether it is just something we want to do for our own reasons?

Put on the armore of God
Christianity is a life and death struggle for eternal stakes. But we are promised victory.

Did You Kill Jesus Christ?
"I lay down my life.... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."