News from The Kingdom

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

A famous British judge, known for his strong belief in God, sometimes encountered people who said they didn’t believe in God. He always asked them to describe the god they didn’t believe in. After listening to their reply, he would tell them that he did not believe in the god they had just described either.

How few truly know and understand God today! In the words of one theologian, “Modern men often search for God in vain.” (more…)

Gerard and Patricia Del Re explain the evolution of Dec. 25 becoming an official Roman celebration: “Saturnalia and the kalends [new moon] were the [pagan] celebrations most familiar to early Christians, December 17-24 and January 1-3, but the tradition of celebrating December 25 as Christ’s birthday came to the Romans from Persia. Mithra, the Persian god of light and sacred contracts, was born out of a rock on December 25. Rome was famous for its flirtations with strange gods and cults, and in the third century [274] the unchristian emperor Aurelian established the festival of Dies Invicti Solis, the Day of the Invincible Sun, on December 25. (more…)

Most of us have been brought up with the traditional Christmas story—you know, the one about Jesus being born on Christmas day in a stable in Bethlehem with the shepherds and three wise men looking on as depicted in countless manger scenes. However, the biblical accounts of Jesus Christ’s birth present some surprising differences from popular ideas and traditions. (more…)