Decoding A Christmas Carol

Decoding A
Christmas Carol

The 12 days of Christmas mentioned in the carol by this name refer to the 12 days of feasting and celebration originally designated in the sixth century as a time to commemorate the incarnation of Christ. The 12-day period began on December 25 and ended January 5.

The carol dates to the 16th century when Roman Catholics were experiencing religious persecution in England. From 1558 until 1829 it was illegal for them to practice or express their faith in any form in public.

In fact, to be caught in public with any material about the Christian faith brought imprisonment and death. Out of this intense persecution, "The 12 Days of Christmas" emerged as a kind of coded message affirming belief in Christ and in the Bible.

Each of the 12 days represents some important aspect of the Christian faith that the disciple was to learn and adhere to. Below is the hidden meaning behind this clever Christmas carol.

First day: The "partridge in a pear tree" represents the birth of Christ on Christmas day. Christ is portrayed as a partridge because of the instinctual habit of mother partridges to pretend to be injured in order to decoy predators away from their helpless young.

Second day: "Two turtle doves" refers to the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Third day: "Three French hens" stands for the three virtues written about in 1 Corinthians 13:13: faith, hope and love.

Forth day: "Four calling birds" symbolizes the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Fifth day: "Five golden rings" points to the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Sixth day: "Six geese a-laying" stands for the six days of creation and the affirmation that almighty God is the creator and sustainer of all things.

Seventh day: "Seven swans a-swimming" represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Romans 11: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving and generosity, leadership, and compassion and mercy.

Eighth day: "Eight maids a-milking" stands for the eight beatitudes Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5), each beginning with "Blessed are": (1) the poor in spirit; (2) those who mourn; (3) the meek; (4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; (5) the merciful; (6) the pure in heart; (7) the peacemakers; and (8) those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

Ninth day: "Nine ladies dancing" represents the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Tenth day: "Ten lords a-leaping" symbolize the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).

Eleventh day: "Eleven pipers piping" refers to the 11 faithful disciples. Because Judas Iscariot, the 12th disciple, betrayed Jesus, he is not included among the faithful.

Twelfth day: "Twelve drummers drumming" emphasizes the 12 doctrinal points of the Apostles’ Creed, which outlines the core beliefs of the Christian faith.

3 Steps To Salvation

3 Steps To Salvation

It is a Christian’s duty to lead non-Christians to our Lord Jesus, but people do not and can not save anyone. It is the work of the Holy Spirit which saves lost souls. These 3 steps are a guide on how to lead non-Christians to the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus, so they may become saved children of God and enjoy the Christian life and an eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom.

STEP ONE

Use questions that determine where God is working in their life as:
1) Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2) To you, who is Jesus?
3) Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell?
4) If you died right now, where would you go? If heaven, why?
5) If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?
6) May I share some scriptures with you?
If they say "YES", open the Bible.
If they say "NO", do nothing.

STEP TWO

Let the Holy Spirit speak to them through the scripture in the Bible. Ask them to read each verse aloud. Then ask them "What does this say to you?" If they can not answer sufficiently, ask them to read it aloud again. Keep having them read it aloud until the Holy Spirit convicts them to understand.
1) John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
2) Romans 3:23 - "All have sinned"; Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death"
3) Luke 13:3 - "... unless you repent, you too will all perish."
4) 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - "Christ died for our sins ... He was buried, and ... He rose again ... ."
5) John 1:12 - "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name"; Acts 16:31 - "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved"
6) Revelation 3:20a - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him ... ." (Try not to discuss, but let them think through the readings.)

STEP THREE

Close with key questions which get them to admit their sin and their need for a savior:
1) Are you a sinner?
2) Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
3) Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
4) Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus Christ?
5) Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart?

After you ask this final question, Be Silent and Pray. If they say "NO", ask why and discuss their concerns. If they say "YES", ask them to repeat a prayer of salvation after you. Say it slow, pausing, giving them time to repeat each section. Pray something like: "God, I know that I am a sinner, and I know that my sin must be paid for. Jesus, I accept Your death on the cross as payment for my sin. Please forgive me of all my sin. Please come into my heart and save me. I give You my life and ask you to be my personal Lord and Savior. Take me to heaven to be with you when I die. Help me to live for You until that time. Thank You, Lord Jesus for saving me. Amen."

Now say, "Congratulations, if you truly meant what you just said, then Jesus Christ has just saved you." If possible, keep in touch with this person. Invite them to learn more about Jesus. Offer to answer questions to help them grow spiritually. Get them a Bible to read and suggest that they read the book of John first. Guide them to attend church and to pray every day. Lastly pray for them.

Only God can Form a Basis for Truth

Only God can Form a Basis for Truth
By Bruce Malone

If ultimate truth exists, this truth must have a basis outside of human opinion. If we are creations, then there is a Creator. If we have a Creator, He has authority over us as an author has the ultimate authority to interpret his own writing. Finite human opinion can never create absolute truth. An enormous number of opinions can never add up to absolute truth. Only a source of moral truth which is outside of ourselves can provide a sufficient basis for morality. Absolute truth can only exist if an ultimate being (God) exists. Therefore, as belief in a Creator declines, belief in absolute truth also declines. The two are irrevocably connected. This is one reason Jesus emphasized that he is "the Truth."1 The texts do not imply that he knew, told, or revealed the truth. Rather, Jesus explicitly stated that he literally is truth. The history of mankind is the history of how humans have responded to God as the source of absolute truth.

The primary reason we see such a concerted effort to remove all references of God from public life is not to protect the constitution of the United States. God is under attack to undermine His authority as the absolute source of truth upon which our government was founded.

Whenever God’s word, the Bible, is rejected as the absolute source of truth, people’s opinions become their own source of absolute truth. This is why ‘tolerance’ has become the most valued and treasured virtue within society. This is not the tolerance which considers and values the opinions of others as those opinions are weighted against an absolute standard. This new ‘tolerance’ demands that everyone’s morals be considered of equal validity and that no absolute truth exists.

The new tolerance sounds kind and compassionate, but really just trades one absolute belief (that God exists and has revealed the moral order of the universe through the Bible) with another absolute (that man can set his own rules of right and wrong). Furthermore, this new "tolerance" mercilessly persecutes anyone who would dare suggest that someone may be wrong or sinful.

Our government and legal system were based on the absolute moral truth defined by the one who claimed to literally be "the truth". This foundation produced a nation of the greatest economic and social freedom in the history of the world. The other current absolute belief, that every opinion is of equal value and equally true, has its justification in evolution and produced such social disasters as Communism, Marxism, Fascism, and Nazi Germany.

The whole idea that multiple truths can coexist is totally flawed logic. Truth, by definition, means that other possibilities are not true! Whenever Biblical truths and morals are rejected, an oppressive government must step in to enforce some other set of arbitrary standards.

1 The Bible, John 14:6; John 18:37; John 5:33; John 1:14

A complete set of articles examining science and reality from a Christian perspective can be found at SearchfortheTruth.org and in the book Search for the Truth by Bruce Malone.

Spiritual Green Card

SPIRITUAL GREEN CARD
VISA FOR
TEMPORARY RESIDENCE
IN
THIS WORLD

Name ____________________
Homeland - Heaven
Nationality of Homeland - Christians
Closest Relative - Father: God
Contact Person - Jesus Christ
Reason for Stay - Ambassador for Christ
Length of Stay - Until Physical Death or
When Jesus Christ Returns for Me

What Is Grace?

WHAT IS GRACE?

Let's say that someone did you very wrong, making you very angry. You decided to kill this person and so you did. You are caught and there is no doubt that you are guilty of murder. You go before the judge for sentencing. He tells you that the price, or punishment, for such a crime is death. So for justice you should go to prison then eventually die by execution. But the judge decides to give you mercy by allowing you to serve time, the rest of your life on earth, in a comfortable minimum-security prison. Then he decides to make one last offer to you. He tells you that he himself will pay for your crime. You will be able to live a free life if you will just accept his payment as payment in full for your crime and you will do your best to avoid any future crime. You will also have to believe in him and trust that his payment will save you. So the judge agrees to give his life to pay for your crime. You do not deserve it but he takes the death penalty for you. He died so you could be free. This is grace!


Justice is "getting what you deserve."
Mercy is "not getting what you deserve."
Grace is "getting what you do not deserve."


This is what Jesus Christ, our judge and savior, did for you and me. Since we all are sinners, we have all broken God's laws, we deserve justice to pay for our sins. The price for sin, any sin, is death - physical death which separates us from life on earth and spiritual death which separates us from our relationship with God in heaven. Although God hates sin, He gives each of us mercy. He keeps giving us another chance and lets us live awhile longer. All of our sins are against God's will and none of us deserve to live because of our sins against God. But due to God's grace He will forgive us if we worship Him and accept the gift of His Son - Jesus Christ. It was God's plan to send Jesus to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and Jesus willingly gave His life in order to pay for our sins. His gruesome death was a sacrifice for our sins. The spilt blood of a perfect sinless holy individual was the only sufficient substitute for us. He substituted Himself for the payment of our sins so we would not have to pay the price of our own sins. Therefore we would not have to endure everlasting spiritual death - eternal separation from God. Those who do not accept Jesus will eventually be judged by Jesus after their physical death. Since they never truly accepted Jesus' sacrificial payment for their sins, they will have to pay for their sins on their own. They will have to endure separation from God forever in hell.

Although God will forgive us of our sins, we often still have to live with the consequences of our sins. We will all eventually experience physical death too, but we believers will no longer have to worry about eternal spiritual death. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...(see John 3:16) to die in our place. All you have to do to be saved from hell (eternal separation from God) is truly believe in God and Jesus with all your heart, mind and soul, believe Jesus died for you to pay the penalty for your sins, believe that Jesus conquered death by being resurrected then ascended into heaven and is living today, then ask Jesus for forgiveness of your past sins, and repent of your sins (pledge to stop your sinning). This is what it takes to become a true Christian. Although Christians try not to sin, we are all human and will occasionally sin from time to time. Our desire to do sinful things lessens as we grow in our spiritual maturity. We will only experience sinless perfection after we are raised from the dead (as Jesus was) and allowed to live with Jesus in heaven. Until then, we must live with our imperfections and learn to accept God's love, mercy and grace.

Common Christian Beliefs

COMMON CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

This article is a compilation of different affirmations of faith typical of the beliefs of most Christians. The affirmations used here are from parts of "The Nicene Creed", "The Apostles’ Creed" and "A Statement of Faith of the Korean Methodist Church."

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen, creator and sustainer of all things, Father of all nations, the source of all goodness and beauty, all truth and love.

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, our Lord, true God from true God, Light from Light, begotten, not made, God manifest in the flesh, of one Being with the Father, through Him all things were made. He is our teacher, example, and Redeemer, the Savior of the world. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven and became truly human (fully human, yet fully God), by being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. For our sake He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell to the dead. On the third day He rose from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who is God present with us for guidance, for comfort, and for strength, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in the one holy catholic (universal) church, those who are united in the living Lord for the purpose of worship and service, and we believe in the communion of saints.

We acknowledge baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and believe in the life of love and prayer, and in grace equal to every need.

We believe in the Word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments as the sufficient rule both of faith and of practice.

We believe in the reign of God as the divine will realized in human society, and in the family of God, where we are all brothers and sisters.

We believe in the resurrection of the body from the dead, in the final triumph of righteousness, and in the new world to come and our life everlasting.

By far this is not all that Christians believe, but it is a good summary. To get a more complete understanding of what a Christian is to believe, read the Holy Bible - especially the New Testament.

What Is A True Christian?

What Is A True Christian?

To be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ and His teachings. Jesus Christ came to earth to teach mankind what the true character of God is, to teach us how to live a good moral and ethical life, and to be a perfect example of how we should live. The Christian instruction manual is the Holy Bible. The New Testament in the Holy Bible concentrates on the life, lessons and example of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the Church and early Christians. The Old Testament tells us about the history of mankind and the Hebrew nation (God’s chosen people) and their struggles with their relationship with God. True Christians love God and develop a personal relationship with Him, and accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life as well as their Savior.

God loves us more than we can imagine and He wants us to love Him back. Forcing us to love Him would not be true love, so He gave mankind "Free Will" so each of us could decide whether or not we wanted to develop a loving relationship with Him. We ultimately have one main purpose in life and that is "to prepare for eternity." If you want to live in hell (cut off from God and His love forever), then live however you please. If you want to live in God’s heavenly kingdom (dwelling with God and His love forever) you must learn to love and respect God. It is not enough to just say that you love or believe in God, for God knows what is truly in your heart. You must "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:36-37). If you truly love God you will want to keep His commandments and show love and respect for Him and other people. Christians show their love for God when they willingly help others. People should be able to tell that Christians love God, not by their words but by their actions. We show God our love for Him through our worship of Him, our prayers to Him (through Jesus Christ), our relationship with Him and our loving our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:38-39). If we, as Christians, truly love God, we will ultimately dwell with Him forever in His heavenly kingdom.

God has loved mankind ever since He created man. John 3:16 even states that "God so loved the world (mankind) that He gave us His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) ... ." God willingly gave up His Son to sinful mankind. His Son willingly gave Himself over to mankind knowing that He would endure a horrific, excruciatingly painful and lengthy sacrificial death. He did this in order for Christians to be able to develop an everlasting relationship with God. God desires that all humans would want to develop such a relationship with Him (2 Peter 3:9). Through His grace and mercifully, forgiving character all humans are offered this gift of an eternal relationship with Him, but the only way to the Father (God) is through (faith in) the Son (Christ)(John 14:6). God has a strong desire for each Christian to build a strong, loving, lasting relationship with Him. The more we communicate and spend time with someone, the better we get to know them. Peter said that we are to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), so look for opportunities through out each day to talk with God. My daughter once told me "You know, if God is always with us, it is rude not to talk with Him." Praying and meditating on His words (found throughout the Holy Bible) are good ways to communicate with God.

True Christians will want God’s will for their life instead of their own will, and they will want Jesus Christ to be their Lord as well as their Savior. They will want Jesus Christ to be in charge of every aspect of their life. They will confess and repent of their sins, which means they will be sorry for and turn away from practicing evil and sinful acts and thoughts. They will want to be good and do good things for other people. So if you want to be a true Christian, tell Jesus Christ about it through prayer to Him (talking to Him silently or aloud). Then confess to Him your sins (wrong thoughts and actions), ask for His forgiveness, and repent of (try your best to stop doing) your sins. Tell Him that you accept His sacrificial death for your sins so you may develop a close relationship with Him. Ask Him to be your Lord and ask for His Holy Spirit to come upon you to dwell with you and guide your every thought and decision and action. Begin sharing your faith with other believers and continue studying God’s Word - The Holy Bible. (To learn more about Jesus Christ, His teachings and His example, begin reading the New Testament - especially the forth book - the book of "John")