From the first time Christian children settle into Sunday school classrooms, an image of Jesus Christ is etched into their minds. In North America he is most often depicted as being taller than his disciples, lean, with long, flowing, light brown hair, fair skin and light-colored eyes. Familiar though this image may be, it is inherently flawed. A person with these features and physical bearing would have looked very different from everyone else in the region where Jesus lived and ministered. Surely the authors of the Bible would have mentioned so stark a contrast. On the contrary, according to the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion, Judas Iscariot had to indicate to the soldiers whom Jesus was because they could not tell him apart from his disciples. Further clouding the question of what Jesus looked like is the simple fact that nowhere in the New Testament is Jesus described, nor have any drawings of him ever been uncovered. There is the additional problem of having neither a skeleton nor other bodily remains to probe for DNA. In the absence of evidence, our images of Jesus have been left to the imagination of artists. The influences of the artists’ cultures and traditions can be profound, observes Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi, associate professor of world Christianity at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta. “While Western imagery is dominant, in other parts of the world he is often shown as black, Arab or Hispanic.” And so the fundamental question remains: What did Jesus look like?

An answer has emerged from an exciting new field of science: forensic anthropology. Using methods similar to those police have developed to solve crimes, British scientists, assisted by Israeli archeologists, have re-created what they believe is the most accurate image of the most famous face in human history.

The Body As Evidence

An outgrowth of physical anthropology, forensic anthropology uses cultural and archeological data as well as the physical and biological sciences to study different groups of people, explains A. Midori Albert, a professor who teaches forensic anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Experts in this highly specialized field require a working knowledge of genetics, and human growth and development. In their research they also draw from the fields of primatology, paleoanthropology (the study of primate and human evolution) and human osteology (the study of the skeleton). Even seemingly distant fields like nutrition, dentistry and climate adaptation play a role in this type of investigation.

While forensic anthropology is usually used to solve crimes, Richard Neave, a medical artist retired from The University of Manchester in England, realized it also could shed light on the appearance of Jesus. The co-author of Making Faces: Using Forensic And Archaeological Evidence, Neave had ventured in controversial areas before. Over the past two decades, he had reconstructed dozens of famous faces, including Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, and King Midas of Phrygia. If anyone could create an accurate portrait of Jesus, it would be Neave.

Reconstructing Jesus

Matthew’s description of the events in Gethsemane offers an obvious clue to the face of Jesus. It is clear that his features were typical of Galilean Semites of his era. And so the first step for Neave and his research team was to acquire skulls from near Jerusalem, the region where Jesus lived and preached. Semite skulls of this type had previously been found by Israeli archeology experts, who shared them with Neave.

With three well-preserved specimens from the time of Jesus in hand, Neave used computerized tomography to create X-ray “slices” of the skulls, thus revealing minute details about each one’s structure. Special computer programs then evaluated reams of information about known measurements of the thickness of soft tissue at key areas on human faces. This made it possible to re-create the muscles and skin overlying a representative Semite skull.

The entire process was accomplished using software that verified the results with anthropological data. From this data, the researchers built a digital 3D reconstruction of the face. Next, they created a cast of the skull. Layers of clay matching the thickness of facial tissues specified by the computer program were then applied, along with simulated skin. The nose, lips and eyelids were then modeled to follow the shape determined by the underlying muscles.

A Matter Of Style

Two key factors could not be determined from the skull–Jesus’s hair and coloration. To fill in these parts of the picture, Neave’s team turned to drawings found at various archeological sites, dated to the first century. Drawn before the Bible was compiled, they held crucial clues that enabled the researchers to determine that Jesus had dark rather than light-colored eyes. They also pointed out that in keeping with Jewish tradition, he was bearded as well.

It was the Bible, however, that resolved the question of the length of Jesus’s hair. While most religious artists have put long hair on Christ, most biblical scholars believe that it was probably short with tight curls. This assumption, however, contradicted what many believe to be the most authentic depiction: the face seen in the image on the famous–some say infamous–Shroud of Turin. The shroud is believed by many to be the cloth in which Jesus’s body was wrapped after his death. Although there is a difference of opinion as to whether the shroud is genuine, it clearly depicts a figure with long hair. Those who criticize the shroud’s legitimacy point to 1 Corinthians, one of the many New Testament books the apostle Paul is credited with writing. In one chapter he mentions having seen Jesus–then later describes long hair on a man as disgraceful. Would Paul have written “If a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him” if Jesus Christ had had long hair? For Neave and his team this settled the issue. Jesus, as drawings from the first century depict, would have had short hair, appropriate to men of the time.

The historic record also resolved the issue of Jesus’s height. From an analysis of skeletal remains, archeologists had firmly established that the average build of a Semite male at the time of Jesus was 5 ft. 1 in., with an average weight of about 110 pounds. Since Jesus worked outdoors as a carpenter until he was about 30 years old, it is reasonable to assume he was more muscular and physically fit than westernized portraits suggest. His face was probably weather-beaten, which would have made him appear older, as well.

The Changing Faces of Jesus

11th century:Stained glass from Wissembourg, France (Photograph by Giraudon/Art Resource, NY)	12th century:Sculpture, Church of Saint Nectaire (Photograph by Roger Viollet/Getty)	13th century:Byzantine mosaic, San Marco, Venice (Photograph by Scala/Art Resource, NY)
14th century:Macedonian painting on wood by John Mitropolitian (Photograph by Giraudon/Art Resource, NY)	16th century:Renaissance painting by Titian (Photograph by Giraudon/Art Resource, NY)	20th century:Jeffrey Hunter in MGM film “King of Kings” (Photograph by Doc Pele/Retina)
11th century:Painting, “Black Jesus Blesses the Children” by Joe Cauchi” (Photograph by Superstock)

An Accurate Portrait

For those accustomed to traditional Sunday school portraits of Jesus, the sculpture of the dark and swarthy Middle Eastern man that emerges from Neave’s laboratory is a reminder of the roots of their faith. “The fact that he probably looked a great deal more like a darker-skinned Semite than westerners are used to seeing him pictured is a reminder of his universality,” says Charles D. Hackett, director of Episcopal studies at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. “And [it is] a reminder of our tendency to sinfully appropriate him in the service of our cultural values.”

Neave emphasizes that his re-creation is simply that of an adult man who lived in the same place and at the same time as Jesus. As might well be expected, not everyone agrees. Forensic depictions are not an exact science, cautions Alison Galloway, professor of anthropology at the University of California in Santa Cruz. The details in a face follow the soft tissue above the muscle, and it is here where forensic artists differ widely in technique. Galloway points out that some artists pay more attention to the subtle differences in such details as the distance between the bottom of the nose and the mouth. And the most recognizable features of the face–the folds of the eyes, structure of the nose and shape of the mouth–are left to the artist. “In some cases the resemblance between the reconstruction and the actual individual can be uncanny,” says Galloway. “But in others there may be more resemblance with the other work of the same artist.” Despite this reservation, she reaches one conclusion that is inescapable to almost everyone who has ever seen Neave’s Jesus. “This is probably a lot closer to the truth than the work of many great masters.”

By Trevin Wax

“Bible study won’t change your life.”

OK, I admit to indulging in a bit of overstatement to shock you into recognizing what should be obvious: just because you know the Bible doesn’t mean the Word will bear fruit in your life. It is possible to know the Scriptures, read the Scriptures, revere the Scriptures, and study the Scriptures and miss the point entirely.

Take the liberal scholar who knows the Greek New Testament better than most orthodox pastors. He can quote whole sections of the Bible in its original languages. Definitions of biblical words tumble out of his mouth as he effortlessly places everything in historical context. And yet he does not believe in the Jesus he reads about in the pages of the Bible. Sure, he is endlessly fascinated by the communities that gave us such an interesting artifact of study. But to him, his job is to immerse himself into a world of fables and dreams. The Bible is an epic story with no bearing on reality today.

Or take the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day who were steeped in the rich traditions of their people’s history. The leaders knew the Scriptures backwards and forwards, yet they had missed the signs pointing to the most important chapter in the Story that God was writing – the chapter that had been foreshadowed by the prophets and Bible writers for thousands of years. That’s why Jesus could say: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life!” (John 5:39-40). He doesn’t condemn them for their meticulous knowledge of the Old Testament. He mourns the fact that they’ve missed the point of it all.

Even today, it’s possible to get so wrapped up in searching the Scriptures that we miss what God is trying to teach us. Consider would-be prophets who scour over the prophecies of Revelation trying to pull out clues and codes about the European Union or the next major ecological catastrophe. Caught up in the thrill, the writers lose sight of Revelation’s main purpose: to unveil Jesus!

Others get bogged down in theological discussions (Calvinism vs. Arminianism, anyone?) until they eventually start coming to the Scriptures to look for more ammunition for their next debate. The Bible quietly gets twisted into a divine reference book designed to uphold a beloved system of theology instead of God’s divine revelation designed to shine light on a glorious Savior.

And then there’s the common type of Bible study that begins with us at the center and brings God into our world to address our already-defined needs and problems. We look at the Bible as a book of divine instruction, a manual for succeeding in life, or a map for making sure we get to heaven when we die.

These ways of studying the Scripture will not result in life transformation. Why? Because they’re missing something. Better put, they’re missing Someone. 

Bible study alone is not what transforms your life. Jesus transforms your life. Of course, He does this through His written Word to us. So we must affirm that life change doesn’t happen apart from God’s Word. But the reason God’s Word changes our life is not because of our personal study but because in the Scriptures we are introduced to Jesus, the Author. That’s why every page ought to be written in red, as every section is breathed out by our King and points us to Him.

It’s possible to amass great amounts of biblical knowledge, to impress people with your mastery of Bible trivia, to creatively apply the Bible in ways that seem so down to earth and practical, to dot your theological i’s and cross your exegetical t’s – and still miss Jesus. Scary, isn’t it?

That’s why it’s not enough to be “Bible-believing” or “Word-centered,” because, after all, the Bible we believe and the Word we proclaim is itself Christ-centered.

The purpose of our Bible study is to know God and make Him known. The Bible unveils Jesus Christ as the focal point of human history. All creation exists by Him, through Him, to Him, and for Him. Our Bible study should exist for Him too. That’s the only kind of Bible study that will change your life.

How shall we understand the Santa Claus phenomenon? Is it pure paganism foisted upon an unsuspecting populace? Is Santa Satan in disguise (there is after all, the same letters in both names, as some guardians of all that is good remind us). Or is Santa a Christian after all, since he really is St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop of the fourth century? So which is it? Is Santa Claus harmless or hellspawn or something in between? Though knowing his origin can’t decide all these questions, it still is an important point of departure.

Actually, the truth of the matter is that the modern Santa Claus is a conglomeration of sources, a legendary being that has evolved over the years. Along the way, pre-Christian legends, the story of St. Nicholas, Dutch immigrants to America, Washington Irving, Clement Moore, Thomas Nast, and the Coca-Cola company, all made their contributions.

The Saint Nicholas Connection

It is well known that the name “Santa Claus” comes to us by way of the Dutch “Sinter Klaas,” which in turn, was a form of Saint Nicholas. Our modern Santa Claus took his name from the Christian Saint Nicholas so we need to begin with a look at this Christian bishop of the fourth century.

Throughout history Nicholas of Myra (d. 350) has been one of the most beloved saints even apart from the Santa Claus context. In fact, George McKnight claims that both in the eastern and western Church, Nicholas is “the object of extreme veneration, to a degree unequaled in the case of any other saint.”1 The first historical record of his veneration is the fact that the emperor Justinian built a church in his honor in Constantinople around the year 540. Nicholas is the patron saint of entire nations, including Greece, Russia, Sicily, and Lorraine, and many cities throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, and Italy. He is also patron saint of children, bakers, merchants, and mariners.

Ironically, very little factual information is actually known about this most popular saint. In the words of Weiser,

there is scarcely any definite historical fact known about him except that he was bishop of Myra in Asia Minor; that he was cast into exile and prison during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian and released by Constantine the Great; that he died in Myra about 350, and in the year 1087 his body was brought by Italian merchants from Myra to the city of Bari in Italy, where his relics are still preserved and venerated in the church of San Nicola.2

The Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6 has been observed with great enthusiasm throughout Medieval Europe over the centuries. This enthusiasm was due to the many legends that had grown up around Nicholas: that he had distributed gifts to the poor at night through their windows, had fasted while a baby, had helped dowerless maidens, saved a city from famine, had aided a ship in distress, etc.3

Because of the gift-giving legends associated with Nicholas, it was held (especially in Belgium and Holland) that on the Eve the Feast of Nicholas, the bishop himself would come from heaven and visit children in their homes, giving gifts to those who had been good. Nicholas, decked out in full ecclesiastical garb (bishop’s vestments, with miter and crozier), would arrive on a flying gray horse (or white donkey, depending on the custom). In some variations of the legend, he was accompanied by Black Peter, an elf whose job was to punish children who had been bad.

It is held by some scholars that the legends of Nicholas as gift-giver drew in part from pagan, preChristian sources. For example, the Teutonic god of the air, Odin, would ride through the air on a gray horse (named Sleipnir) each Autumn – so did Nicholas; Odin had a long white beard – so did Nicholas; a sheaf of grain was left in the field for Odin’s horse – children left a wisp of straw in their shoes for Nicholas.4 Others claim that attributes of the Germanic god Thor, the god of thunder, were transferred to Nicholas. Thor was supposedly elderly and heavy with a long white beard; he road through the air in a chariot drawn by two white goats (called Cracker and Gnasher); he dressed in red; his palace was in the “northland;” he was friendly and cheerful; he would come down the chimney into his element, the fire.5 No definitive correlation has ever been found between the “visit of St. Nicholas” and pagan gods such as Odin and Thor. However the similarity is striking and some relationship seems likely.6

After the Reformations of the sixteenth century the Feast of St. Nicholas was abolished in many countries. Throughout northern Germany, for example, the Protestants encouraged veneration of the Christkindl (Christ-child) instead, who, it was said, brought gifts to children on Christmas Eve. As an example of this, a Protestant Pastor of the seventeenth century complains about parents who put presents in their children’s beds, telling them that St. Nicholas has brought them. This is a bad custom, he says, “because it points children to the saint, while yet we know that not St. Nicholas but the holy Christ Child gives us all good things for body and soul, and He alone it is whom we ought to call upon.”7 Despite this new emphasis, the Nicholas legends prevailed in many places, especially among the Dutch.

Santa Claus in America

When the Dutch established their colony of New Amsterdam in America in the seventeenth century, they brought with them the traditional “visit” from Sinter Klaas (St. Nicholas) on the eve of Dec. 5. Weiser thinks that when the English later took over the colony and renamed it New York, the English children began longing to have a kindly “Sinter Klaas” of their own that would bring them gifts. But because the English Protestants did not observe saints days, the Sinter Klaas visit was moved to Christmas Eve and observed then.8

Author Washington Irving (1789-1853), most famous for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” is important for the information he gives us on the Dutch version of Sinter Klaas in the early nineteenth century. Washington’s 1809 work “The History of New York (also called the “Knickerbocker History”) was a satire on the transplanted customs of the Dutch of New York city. The “History” contained several references to the legend of St. Nicholas as observed by the Dutch. The St. Nicholas described by Irving was an old man in dark robes who arrived on a flying horse on the Eve of St. Nicholas to give gifts to children.

In his Folklore on the American Land,9 Duncan Emrich tells us of the next evidence we have of the American evolution of Santa Claus. It is a little know poem, “The Children’s Friend,” first published in 1821. The poem went beyond what Irving had written, mentioning for the first time a flying sleigh and a reindeer. The poem begins:

Old Santeclaus with much delight
His reindeer drives this frosty night.
O’er chimney tops, and tracks of snow,
To bring his yearly gifts to you…

There is universal consensus that the person most responsible for shaping the American version of Santa Claus is Dr. Clement Clark Moore, a theology and classics professor at Union Seminary. What did Moore do to earn this honor? He wrote a simple poem for his children in 1822 entitled, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” that begins with the now famous words,

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In the hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

There is a legend that Moore wrote this poem on Christmas Eve, 1822, during a carriage ride to his home in Greenwich Village and that the inspiration for the St. Nicholas in his story was the jolly Dutchman driving the carriage. Closer to the truth is the observation of Emrich that Moore was probably inspired by Irving’s Knickerbocker History and “The Children’s Friend,” which he almost certainly would have read. Specifically Irving’s description of Dutchmen in his story was Moore’s inspiration for St. Nick, claims Emrich. It must also be said that it is possible that Moore was familiar with the stories about Odin or Thor that were mentioned above.

In any case, in describing St. Nicholas, Moore went beyond anything that had ever been said yet. It was Moore who increased the number of reindeer to eight and gave us their names. It was he who explicitly described Santa going up and down the chimney leaving toys in stockings hung by the fireplace. Moore’s St. Nick was “chubby and plumpa right jolly old elf;” he carried a bundle of toys on his back; “he had eyes that twinkled, dimples that were merry, cheeks like roses, a broad face, and a little round belly.” It’s interesting that Moore’s Santa was also a small elf who flew in a “miniature sleigh” pulled by eight “tiny” reindeer.

The poem wasn’t published until a year later, and that secretly, without Moore’s consent. He didn’t think it worthy of publishing. Many others did, however, as it was an overnight sensation. Only 15 years later did he permit it to be included in a volume of collected works.

It was Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast, that gave us the picture of Santa Claus, now so common. Nast, the “father of American political cartooning,” drew more than 2200 cartoons for Harper’s Weekly from 1862 through 1886. Many of these were of Santa Claus at Christmas time. Before Nast, St. Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock (as he had been pictured in the first edition of Moore’s poem). Nast was clearly inspired by Moore’s 1823 poem, but he also added additional features to the Santa Claus evolution, such as Santa’s home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of all the good and bad children of the world.

Believe it or not, the Coca-Cola company also contributed to the modern Santa Claus. Beginning in 1931 and for 35 years, Coke ran advertisements that featured a human-size Santa (not elf-size) drinking Coke. These ads contributed much to the modern image of Santa Claus (and the drinking of coke!).

Conclusion

When conclusions are drawn about the origin of Santa Claus, extreme statements should be avoided. This short article has shown that the modern Santa Claus has been shaped by many factors and is a conglomeration of myths and legends. I feel compelled, however, to make several observations.

First, it is absolutely inaccurate to claim that “Santa Claus is a Christian” or that “Santa Claus is St. Nicholas.” Though it is true that the historical St. Nicholas was a Christian man, the preceding has shown that the modern Santa Claus has nothing to do with Nicholas of Myra, other than his name. The modern Santa Claus has been greatly influenced by the custom of “the visit of St. Nicholas,” in which the saint would show up on the eve of his Feast Day to give gifts to children. But the custom of his “visit” is certainly not based on the historical man; rather it is based on legends attached to him, and it is possibly based on preChristian myths (about Odin, Thor, etc.). It is also a rather silly and misleading argument to state that “Nicholas was generous and Santa Claus is generous, so the same spirit permeates both.” Right!

Second, it is also absolutely inaccurate to claim that “Santa Claus is pagan” without any further explanation. We need to be clear what we mean by “pagan.” If by “pagan” we mean “non-Christian” then the statement is accurate in the sense that I gave in the paragraph above. However, because “pagan” has such a pejorative sense to it, I prefer to say that “Santa Claus is a fairy tale” along the lines of the tooth fairy – which leads to my next point.

Third, the real problem that Christians should have with Santa Claus is that he has been associated with Christmas. When we survey the history of the evolution of Santa Claus, the critical point occurred, in my opinion, when the St. Nicholas visit was transferred from Dec. 6 to Dec. 25. Christians would have no major problem with a make-believe custom about St. Nicholas bringing gifts on his own day. Christians do (or at least should) have a major problem with moving the St. Nicholas thing to Christmas and, even worse, calling it Christmas!

Put simply, do the Santa Claus thing to your heart’s content, but don’t call it Christmas! For Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior, nothing more and nothing less. Christians are rightly offended when the Santa Claus fairy tale is called Christmas instead. A good and practical solution would be to move the Santa Claus holiday back to its traditional date of Dec. 6. But of course, it is highly unlikely that this will happen.

Perhaps Christians should celebrate Christ’s birth at another time of the year – especially since we do not know the date he was actually born. January 6 is an improvement, but it is still too close to the Santa Claus fest, in my opinion. Again, I won’t hold my breath waiting for this to happen!

Ultimately it is impossible, of course, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ without competition from other festivals and observances – no matter what date is picked. This is the reason why I have stated that the main problem is not the competing festivals (e.g., Santa Claus) themselves; the main problem is calling the competing festivals “Christmas.” Our message to the world should be, “Santa Claus, in and of itself, can be a fun custom. Just don’t call it Christmas!”

Taking Jesus Out of Christmas

To those of you who are in touch with your local and world news channels, I am sure you have all heard by now how the secular forces in our country are attacking the true meaning of Christmas.

These secular forces are trying to literally replace the term “merry Christmas” with “happy holidays.” They are trying to re-name our traditional Christmas tree as the “holiday tree.” They are trying to take out the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from the manger scenes.

President Bush himself has taken out the term “merry Christmas” from his yearly standard Christmas card that he sends out in an attempt to try and be politically correct. Many of our major department and retail stores have also replaced the term “merry Christmas” with “happy holidays” for fear of offending the minority in our country if they are not Christians.

In the last poll I saw taken, it has been estimated that 80-85% of the people in our country still consider themselves to be Christians. We are thus looking at 15-20% of our population either being atheists, agnostics, or of another faith and religion.

In an effort to try and appease and not offend this small minority, many in the political, academic, and social fields are literally trying to take out the true meaning of Christmas – the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our fallen world. And surprisingly, many liberal Christians are now falling into this secular camp.

I have seen many of them on the local news and cable talk shows. They are telling the rest of us conservative, traditional-minded Christians that we are getting too upset over nothing, that we should be willing to completely separate Church from state, that we are too thin-skinned, and that we need to go along with this secular agenda and take our faith and belief right out of any kind of public arena.

As a result of this dark-side attack, many Christians have risen up and have done battle with the secular forces trying to remove Christianity from the public square. We have been successful in some of the court battles, along with some of the battles against some of the schools who are also trying to remove every tenet of Christianity from their classes.

For those of you who do not know what the word “secular” means, Webster’s Dictionary describes this word as follows:

“Worldly, profane, heathen. Relating to worldly things as distinguished from things relating to church and religion; not sacred or religious, temporal.”

Another term that you will often hear is the phrase “secular humanism.” Webster’s Dictionary describes this term as follows:

“Humanism that systematically opposes the introduction of religious ideas or standards into the functions of the state, especially into public education. A system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship.”

Remember this word. You will be seeing a lot more of this demonic movement in the coming years.

Per the series of articles I have done on all the end time events that will be occurring before Jesus returns to us in His second coming, one of the heavier signs that will be occurring will be the moral disintegration of many people from all walks of life.

The Bible tells us that in the latter days many people will become lovers of self, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, slanderers, brutal, without self-control, headstrong and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. The Bible also tells us that some of these people will be falling for “doctrines of demons.”

There is no doubt in my mind that the secular agenda and their basic philosophy is a demonic doctrine straight from the pit of hell itself. Not only do they not believe in God, but they also want to try and take Him right out of any kind of public arena – even if they are considered to be in the minority! You thus have liberal judges, teachers, professors, and politicians who are doing everything they can to try and remove God from all of the public areas of our life.

Many of our children have literally lost their faith in the Lord by the time they have graduated from some of these liberal secular colleges. If that child has not been raised up with a good, solid, Christian upbringing, they will become very easy prey for some of these demonic professors who are teaching them that man does not need a God to answer to, and that man and science can eventually solve all the world’s problems.

What you will find real funny in all of this is that these secular forces are not attacking any of the other false religious beliefs that are in the world today. They are not attacking any of their holidays or trying to take any of their system of beliefs out of our public arenas.

The reason for this is that all of these other false religions are not considered a main threat to them and their beliefs. Christianity is the only faith and religion that will draw a major battle line in the sand and call out things for the way they really are. Christianity is the only faith that will call man out for what he really is – a wretched sinner in need of a personal Savior.

Secularists do not want to be told that they are all sinners. They do not want to be told they need God’s grace and mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ in order to receive redemption and a pardon for their sins and their sinful states. They do not want to be told what they can and cannot do.

They want total freedom of expression and they do not want to have to answer to a real live, living, God for the moral decisions they want to make with their own lives. In other words, they do not want any moral absolutes dictating how they should be living in this life.

This is why you are seeing such a fierce and relentless attack on Christianity in every area they think they can get away with. With us now approaching what I believe are the latter years as told to us in the Bible, I am afraid that not only is the secular movement not going to be going away anytime soon, but it will only be getting stronger in the coming years, eventually leading up to a real live Antichrist who will literally be ruling this entire world for the last 7 years on this earth.

If a real live Antichrist is really coming to rule this entire world, then you can bet that an antichrist spirit will start to invade the entire world to help prepare and set up for his coming. And this is exactly what you are starting to see. This is why some of these secular movements are getting much more bold and aggressive with some of the things they are now doing.

You now have an atheist who is trying to take out the term “in God we trust” off our national currency. This man has now filed the appropriate actions with the Supreme Court in an attempt to try and do this. Many secular teachers are trying to keep our children from reading and bringing their Bibles into the schools. They are also trying to stop any type of prayer groups from forming inside the schools.

The battle lines are now really being drawn between God’s people and the rest of the unbelieving world. Now, more than ever, God will be looking for anointed soldiers to do battle against some of these demonic, secular groups that have now launched a full scale attack against Christianity. I am sure many of you have felt a righteous wrath and indignation rise up out of your spirits when you started seeing and hearing about these latest attacks on Christmas and what these secularists are now trying to do.

Per some of the articles we have in our Spiritual Warfare section, I really believe God will be looking to raise up more anointed soldiers in the coming years to go into combat for Him to engage with the dark side forces that will only be getting stronger and bolder in the coming years.

Right now, God has many good, solid, anointed soldiers in all of the major fields and walks in our life. We have good, solid, Christian men and women in the field of politics, the court systems, the teaching professions and the media. Some of these men and women have been instrumental in getting a lot of this secular activity either defeated or at least stalled to some degree.

But the battle is now on and it will only be intensifying in the coming years. This latest attack against Christmas is just another torpedo shot that we are going to have to deal with. With this secular force being more in the minority rather than the majority in this country, this means we can still win some of these battles if there is enough of a public outcry from the believing majority. You can write, email, or call your local senators, congressmen, school officials, and local stores and chains to voice your opinions on all of these kinds of hot issues.

Look how far the homosexual movement has been able to advance its cause and movement with all of their protests and public outcries. They have literally been able to get their entire movement accepted by many in our country as normal acceptable behavior. The squeaky wheel still gets the grease – and we can all do the same with some of the secular demonic activity that has now invaded us right in the heart of where we all live and work at.

To those Christians who consider themselves liberal, and who are siding with some of these secular agendas in trying to remove Jesus and everything that He stands for not only out of Christmas, but out of the rest of our public areas as well – I will leave you with two bone chilling verses from our Bible that perfectly describes what is going on with all of this.

Our Bible tells us that we have to be representatives and ambassadors for Jesus, that we are to carry His light and testimony, and that we are not to be ashamed to testify on His behalf to the rest of the world.

President Bush had a major window to do all of this by keeping the merry Christmas in his Christmas card, but he buckled under the secular and political pressure to try and be politically correct. As a result, he lost a golden opportunity to show the rest of the world how strong his faith really was in his Lord and Savior. This is why the Bible tells us that our faith will be considered “dead” without any good works to back it up.

As I stated at the top of this article, now, more than ever, God is drawing a major battle line in the sand. He is asking each and every Christian to take a strong stand and decide which side of the line they are going to stand on.

You can either choose to totally dedicate your life and way of living to the Lord, or you can choose to take a stand with the world in general and walk and live with how they want you to live in this life. This is why the Lord has told us in His Word that we will literally become His enemy if we choose the world and the ways of the world over Him and how He wants us to live in this life.

To those liberal-minded Christians who think that God and Jesus will not be offended if they work with some of these secular forces in trying to remove Him from Christmas and some of our other public arenas – look very, very closely at the specific wording of these two verses that I will now leave you with.

1. “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)
2. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

You can really tell by the way the Lord is wording these two verses, that He is looking for intense, passionate, on-fire people who will serve and follow Him. He is not looking for weak, impotent, wishy-washy Christians who will cave into political and social pressures to deny Him in any way, shape, or form.

The first verse perfectly describes what is going on in our battle with the secular forces in this world. By attempting to take out Jesus’ name from the very holiday that is attempting to celebrate His glorious birth into our world in the first place – you are literally denying Him before other men and the world in general!

And then look what it says next – that if you deny Him before other men – then He will deny you before His Father in heaven. Is Jesus implying a possible loss of your salvation if you get too close and too friendly with the ways of the world by the way He has worded this verse?

Jesus is definitely talking about Christians in this verse. Jesus cannot deny you unless He already knows you. And Jesus cannot know you unless you have already been saved through His name and blood. Judge for yourself if He is talking about a possible loss of your salvation if He is going to deny you before His Father.

The second verse then completes what I feel is really going on in the spiritual realm for the battle of our souls. Jesus says that He will then spew you out of His mouth if He finds that you are too lukewarm in your own personal relationship with Him.

Again, I believe Jesus is referring direct to Christians in this verse. Before Jesus can spew you out of His mouth – you have to be in His mouth to begin with – and you cannot get on the inside of Jesus to be considered in His mouth unless you are saved and born again.

The Bible tells us that once we receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of our conversions with Jesus – that we now have Jesus literally living on the inside of us since we now have His Holy Spirit residing on the inside of us. It is by, in, and through the Holy Spirit that Jesus now lives in us and we now live in Him.

As a result of this inside connection to Jesus that we now have established through the Holy Spirit, this second verse is now telling us that it is possible to literally get spewed right out of His mouth. Again, does this mean a possible loss of your salvation by the way He has worded this verse?

I have always felt that these two particular verses are two of the most bone-chilling verses in all of the Bible for all Christians. God is not mincing any words with what He is trying to convey in the meaning of these two verses.

Any liberal Christian who is actively involved in working with some of these secular forces in trying to remove God and Jesus in any way from some of these public areas is treading on extremely dangerous grounds with the Lord.

The Bible tells us that we are not to take the light that we already have in Jesus and attempt to hide it underneath the table. Again, this whole scenario of trying to take God and Jesus out of our public squares is doing exactly that. Every Christian who is in an office or place that can do battle with this kind of political and social pressure should be doing everything they can to stand up and fight against this kind of personal attack against our Lord and Savior.

Remember, God will be judging you on how well you work for Him in this life – not how well you work for the world.

If you cave into any of this political and social pressure, God may end up judging you as someone who ended up becoming more of a friend to the world than becoming a true and loyal friend to Him. And the Bible has already told us that those who end up becoming more friendly with the world than to God will be considered to be His enemy when all is finally said and done.

Remember what Joshua has said – choose this day as to who you will serve. Jesus has already told us that we cannot serve both Him and mammon, which means wealth and riches. You cannot serve both God and this world. You have to make a choice as to whose side you are going to stand on.

If these kinds of hot issues do nothing else, at least it causes all of us to examine where we are really at in our own personal relationship with the Lord, and how far each of us will go to defend our faith in Him. For some that are right in the middle of these kinds of debates in their work environment, these types of battles will be serving as real tests from our Lord as to whose side they are going to choose to stand on.

Will you stand up and fight for your personal Lord and Savior, or will you deny Him before other people and the world in general by allowing these secular forces to try and remove Him from every public area of our life?

“Will the Real Christians Please Stand Up?”

AUTHOR: Larry Bluford

What has happened to the Body of Christ? 20 years ago I remember Christians always being out telling the Good News about Jesus the Christ. Now it seem the only place to hear about Jesus is in the Church. Should we be surprised? The Word says in Matthew 9:37 that “The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.” That was over 2000 years ago and here we are today the harvest is greater than it’s ever been and the laborers are invisible. Why is it that we have gotten so lazy at a time where evangelism is so crucial? Is it laziness or is it that we just don’t care. Have we become a selfish people? These are desperate times! Do we not see what is going on in the world!? We are at the end times or am I the only one seeing this? Christ is coming back sooner than you think! For you not to be concerned about the lost one would have to question their Salvation. “You did not get saved to sit you got saved to serve!!” (WORDsmith) You didn’t get saved for you! You got saved so Christ could use you to duplicate what happened in your life but instead you come to church on Sunday feeling that you fulfilled your “Christian Duty”. I’m sorry to break it to you but Christ did not die so you can go to church! Will the real Christian please stand up?

Some Christian rappers feel they are doing outreach through their music. Yet when I hear their music all I hear is a lie! They throw a Jesus here and there in between how big their rims are, how big their house is and how much money they are making. Talking about your rims does nothing but point someone to the chrome NOT the THRONE. I hear them talking about how much they hit the streets and reach out to the lost. Do you really? This is supposed to be truth music? So why do we lie? Why do we talk about material things as if it is a sign we have been blessed by God? I know some of the poorest people who are the richest people in the world. I know a lot of millionaires that don’t care nothing about God yet so many of you boast about your possessions as if it shows you are blessed and if you have nothing you are cursed! Jesus lived poor as well as His family. I’m just so sick of this watered down Christianity! In the world we would call a so called gangsta rappin’ about stuff he doesn’t really do a “Studio Gangster”. It’s no different in the kingdom. If you are talking about how much you be on the streets and doing so much for the kingdom you are a studio Christian. How many of you if your mic was taken your ministry would disappear? How many of you so called Christians are quick to show up to an event IF you are performing but if not you are missing in action. Man what has happen to us? Will the real Christian please stand up?

Who am I to be saying “will the real Christian please stand up?” right? I am not anyone. But God has been showing me stuff in the Body and it sickens me. So many of you chasing the mic and the stage, the spotlight are going to be surprised on that day when God says “Get away from Me I never knew you!” In Matthew 7:21 Christ says, “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven…” Their response in verse 22 was “Lord we prophesied in your Name and cast out demons…” Christ simply told them to depart from me…I never knew you! You see all through the Gospels Christ tells us that Salvation is through grace alone. Yet they used “WORKS” as their defense and by their own defense they convicted themselves. Salvation cannot be earned. So many of you will say the same. “Lord I rocked shows for you, I sold over 50,000 albums in Your Name.” You will hear the same, get away from me I never knew you!

We are waiting for the people to come to the church but a lot of them aren’t coming to the church because they are fed up with the church. We have become so phony that they don’t want to have anything to do with us. We have become more concerned about selling CD’s than saving souls. So concerned about booking events instead of reaching to the lost. We have become so concerned about getting our name out there instead of getting Christ’s Name out there. It’s sad! How do I know because I am out there in these streets and this is the feedback I am getting from the people. They too are wondering when will the real Christians stand up!?

A few months ago I seen two young men, witnessed to them I asked them if they wanted to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and they boys asked me “What’s that?” I could NOT believe they had no idea what I was talking about. In America! Are you serious?!

“IF THE HEART OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED, IT’S GONNA TAKE JESUS! HE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN CHANGE THE HEART OF A YOUNG PERSON. BUT THE ONLY WAY THEY ARE GOING TO KNOW ABOUT JESUS IS BY PEOPLE THAT KNOW JESUS. BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS GO TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. HOW CAN THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER? IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. IF WE WANT MURDER TO STOP IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO BRING THE GOSPEL TO MURDERERS. IF WE WANT DRUGS TO STOP IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO BRING THE GOSPEL TO DRUG DEALERS! IF WE WANT PROSTITUTION TO STOP IN OUR COMMUNITIES SOMEBODY HAS TO TELL THE PROSTITUTE THAT JESUS IS REAL!!!!” (Pastor Mustafah) Will the real Christians please stand up?

That was a very powerful proclamation made by Minister Mustafah of B.A.S.I.C. Ministries in Oakland. Every time I hear that I get riled up in my spirit. See the problem is we go from church to church doing these shows but 90% of the time the drug dealer, prostitutes and murderers aren’t there. They aren’t stepping foot into the church so when you rapping in the church it’s like just having a worship service brah. You just preaching to the choir. How are we going to get the Gospel to those who need it? We MUST go to them because they ARE NOT coming to us and this is what frustrates me with the Body. Do they not know what’s going on in the hood? Do they not know that people are dying lost eternally because we aren’t taking the time to tend to the lost. “Those who are well are not in need of a physician, but those who are sick…for I (Christ) did not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:12,13 Will the real Christians please stand up?

Saints, I’m not bashing the shows, CD sales etc. I do know that the music ministry is effective, but what happens when the music stops? We are going to church to church and doing shows which in my opinion is preaching to the choir. Christ was in the hood y’all, He wasn’t in the synagogs and the palaces. Doing show in the church is great but we have a greater commission and so many have lost sight of that. We don’t need a mic to witness the Gospel, nor a stage or a crowd. Do what you do but we gotta step our game up! We need help out here on these streets saints. They are truly sick on these streets y’all and they truly NEED THE GOSPEL. They don’t need preaching at, they need to see some people to show them the Gospel through their actions. The Gospels is a LOVE STORY and these people are tired of hearing people preach at them. They want to see some people show them genuine love, care and concern. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel…” Romans 10:15 Will the real Christians please stand up?

You don’t have to join my evangelism team. You don’t have to go to rough neighborhoods to be considered reaching the lost. There are lost folks at your job, at the grocery store, library all over. You have absolutely no excuse! Street evangelism is not just in the hood. Street evangelism is anywhere that is outside of your home or church. If people at your job don’t know you are a Christian, something is terribly wrong. This means you have conformed to the ways of the world and so much so they can’t tell any difference between you and them. We must step it up y’all. Satan is stepping up his tactics and the church is pulling back. Y’all scared? Trying not to upset Satan? Are you lazy or just don’t care? What is it? I don’t understand. This is the 4th quarter and it’s the 2min warning and we are down 3 touchdowns. Get in the game, get out of the pews, off the stage and get your hands dirty. Christ is depending on YOU! Will the real Christians please stand up?

In closing let me say this, or should I say let me end this on the Word of God. I don’t want folks thinking I think I am super saved or perfect because I hit the streets. My passion is to the streets because I know what it’s like out there and the big misconception that is out there as far as where the church stands. I know how they are looking at the Church because I once looked at the church the same way. I looked at the church as a people that where only concerned with their own. But now that I am part of the church, I am finding out I was right. Most of us are only concerned about our own. We are fake and only talk, judgmental and show love to our own. As I hit these streets this is what I am hearing. So before the stones leave your hands let me leave you with this verse. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Pressing on Toward the Goal. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:10-14 Will the real Christians please, please stand up?

I’m not perfect, far from it. I’m not better than the next person, I’m nothing but dirt. God has softened my hard heart and gave me the compassion to reach out to the streets. I wrote this to give yall the message from the streets. We gotta step our CHRIST-like game up. We must hit the concrete for Christ to show the community that our cause and concern is to show them that we care. Christ died for the very people you ignore and walk over. A lot of us act like we been saved since the womb. Don’t forget you was born into sin. You was born an enemy of God. Now you got it together you have no concern with Christ’s concern. Examine yourself to see if you are even in the faith

Larry D. Bluford, Jr.

Aka

L.B. of Operation T.H.U.G.S.(The Harvest Unit Gathering Souls)

Website: www.operationthugs.org

Email: operationthugs@yahoo.com

AUTHOR: KEVIN PROBST

One of the most difficult questions to answer in apologetics and Christian theology is, “Can a person lose his salvation?” For some it’s an issue of semantics. The word ‘lose’ indicates having misplaced something. It is not unusual for me to misplace my keys or the remote control but it is utterly ridiculous to entertain the idea that one might lose (misplace) their salvation. Can you imagine going into work one day and hearing a colleague say, “I’ve misplace my salvation, will you help me find it.” In that sense, of course, salvation cannot be ‘lost’.

We tend to emphasize salvation, or being born again, as a one time, crisis event. There is a sort of “cheap grace” idea that all that is necessary to assure eternity with God is to mentally assent to the idea that Christ is the Messiah and he did die on the cross and was resurrected for the salvation of mankind. If you ‘believe’ this you are in. Those who promote this shallow idea seem to be ignorant of the fact that how one behaves is determined by what one believes. Cheap grace is mental assent without any radical change in behavior. Genuine belief would change behavior. Those who follow this deception love to say, “Christ saved me for all the sins I committed, am committing and will commit. Therefore, it doesn’t really matter what I do, I’m saved.” The Apostle Paul condemned such heresy with strong words, “Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? God forbid!” (Romans 6:1-2)

Most Christians would agree that God has given man a gift of free will. Our salvation is determined by what God wills (sovereignty) and what man chooses (free will). God’s plan is simple to understand: He wants to save sinners, make them into saints and then populate a new world. It is a sort of reverse creation. The first time he made the world and populated it with people. This time he is making the people to populate a new world. God doesn’t make a saint instantaneously, it is a process. A person can step on the road to salvation in an instant but then he is granted many opportunities to progress along the way.

Many look at salvation as an arbitrary experience God forces upon certain pre-destined souls. Others believe men cooperate with God for salvation by choosing to answer his call. If we are free to enter into salvation why are we not free to leave? This isn’t like Hotel California:

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
’relax,’ said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!

It seems contrary to the nature of God to slam and lock the door once we enter. It may be possible for man to retain the ability to leave but it doesn’t seem probable. Why would anyone choose to leave heaven to live in hell? Why would anyone choose death rather than life, misery rather than serenity?

There are three stages of salvation: Justification is when the soul is set free from the penalty of sin. Sanctification is when the soul is set free from the power of sin and glorification is when the soul is set free from the possibility of sin. Justification is available to any who will confess their sins and abandon a sinful lifestyle. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) We enter the door of sanctification the moment we willingly consecrate our lives to Christ and we submit ourselves to a long, and sometimes tedious, process of becoming more and more like Jesus. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” (John 17:17) Justification and sanctification are pre-requisites for the final stage of salvation called glorification when our salvation is finally complete. This stage comes after the death of the body when the soul is transported beyond the reach of temptation and sin for all of eternity. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him…” (1 John 1:3)

Salvation is not complete until we have been glorified. When one boldly declares he cannot lose his salvation must we not ask, “How can you declare you cannot lose something you have not yet attained?” I am not yet ready to declare “Once saved, always saved” but when I cross the bar or when Christ appears to whisk away his own, in that day I will shout it to from the mountain at the top of my lungs, “I am once saved, always saved.”

I believe that “he who has started a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6) But God, through an act of love, seems to have tempered his own sovereignty by gifting man with free will. Christians are certainly eternally secure but this security is conditional. It could be disrupted by the sovereignty of God or the free will God has given man. Can a man lose his salvation? I don’t think so “for I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38) Paul goes on to list all the things that are incapable of separating us from God’s love. But, Paul does not include ourselves in that list. Can a man choose to become an apostate? The Bible seems to indicate that a man can choose to walk away from God. There are at least 80 passages of scripture in the New Testament that teach that the process of salvation can be interrupted, delayed or stopped altogether.

Jude 21 says, “Keep yourselves in God’s love” and verse 24 says, “He is able to keep you”. Doesn’t this indicate a conditional relationship? He will keep us if we will determine to be kept.

Jesus declared himself to be the true vine. The dead (unfruitful) branches are cut away and destroyed. The fruitful branches are pruned so they will produce even more fruit. “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:4)
Christ warns against the prevalent teaching of ‘cheap grace’. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. But a fearful expectation of judgment.” (Hebrews 10:26-17) There is a terrifying judgment for those who received knowledge of the way but broke away and chose to live in continuous, deliberate sin.

Peter says, “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them” (1 Peter 2:20) He is saying that they are worse off who have entered the way and then departed from it. This is contradictory for those who argue that we might continue to live a sinful lifestyle and still be rewarded eternal life. If they received eternal life how are they worse off?

In conclusion, I would question the idea that we cannot walk away from God because it seems to make God inconsistent. Either he has gifted us with free will or he has not. But I would argue strongly that it is very unlikely that a man would choose to walk away from God if he were truly, genuinely saved. Maybe a more accurate statement would be not so much, “Once Saved Always Saved” but “If Saved Always Saved.”