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Angels From the Bible.

No figures in the Bible are as wonderful as the Christmas angels. The Christmas angels are described as messengers of god. The word angels are Greek in origin and means messenger or one who is sent. Angels are supposed to be immortal spirits. It is said that angels live in Heaven and are thought to be intermediaries of God and humans. Angels are thought to be our link to the kingdom of heaven. The concept of angels with a human body and angel wings began in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament of Christianity. The New Testament says they rejoice when people on earth are sorry for their sins.

Christian Angels.

Christianity has developed the most elaborate doctrines about angels. Christianity recognizes an order of beings in which they rank above humans beings but under God. In the Bible nine ranks of angels have been counted. Seraphim angles and Cherubim angels are thought to be the highest order of angels. The Archangel is a chief angel or a leader among the angels. Saint Michael is known as an Archangel. Guardian angels or angel guardians represent a comforting presence for all of us.

Christian doctrine regarding angels reached full development during the A.D. 1100’s and 1200’s, especially in the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He believed that they were necessary to fill the gap between God and mankind. Aquinas taught that countless numbers of angels existed and that they were immortal. Saint Thomas Aquinas believed angels knew everything except what depended on human choice and what was known only to God. Angel pictures are traditionally pictures that portray angels with human bodies and wings. Poets and artists have portrayed the angel with wings as symbols of innocence or virtue. They also symbolize purity, peace and love.

The Christmas Angels.

The heavenly angels play an important role in the Christmas celebration. It is said that they brought us news of peace through the coming of the Christ child, an angel gift from God for all people on earth. Gabriel is the heavenly angel of Christmas that brought this news to Mary. Gabriel revealed to Mary that she would have a son. An angel also visited Joseph. The angel told Joseph of the upcoming birth of the Christ child. The angel also asked him not to be afraid to marry Mary. A story tells us that God gave a small group of tiny angels a special assignment to watch over this couple on their journey to Bethlehem. These angels were pretty new, and still learning angel ways.

The small angels took their jobs very seriously. Mary and Joseph were guided over rugged pathways at the beginning of a cold winter. The angels did everything they could to prepare the way for Mary and Joseph. But even the tiny angel’s best efforts were of no avail when it came to finding shelter for the two in the crowded town. The tiny angels sang sweetly and used their collective efforts on behalf of Mary and Joseph but in the end, the couple was forced to occupy make shift lodgings in the stable of a Bethlehem inn keeper.

As the night stillness settled over the land, an exciting moment came to pass inside the inns stable. The tiny Christmas angels assigned to care for the young couple flew closer to earth than ever before to observe the miracle birth of Christ. The fastest angel of the group swept over the stable, catching sight of the newborn child through the stable’s shabby, patched roof. And in an instant, the angels’ mission became clear: The little band of angels had been chosen by God to herald the birth of Christ! With great excitement and joy, the leading angel of the band broke into a glorious song that flowed out into the heavens and swirled around the clouds. It was a song of thanksgiving for all mankind to share. Their melody was heard to all the ends of the earth.

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The cross is a sacred emblem of the Christian faith. It has a deep and sacred meaning for the Christian world. It is a symbol of redemption, signifying Christ’s death on the cross for man’s sins.

The cross was rarely seen during the first three centuries of Christianity. Descriptions of the cross are found in Christian writings from the early 2nd century on. The cross first became prominent in Christianity during the 3rd Century.

The cross is often shown in different shapes, sizes and styles. It may be used in personal jewelry or on top of church buildings. Crosses are a prominent feature in Christian cemeteries, either carved on gravestones or as sculptures. The cross has been used daily since before Christ. It has been used in performing sacred acts of the Church such as the sacrament. Crosses were put up to mark the graves of heroes, kings and bishops during the Middle Ages. They were often set up in market places. In some ceremonies, members of the clergy and worshipers trace the shape of a cross with a hand or certain fingers. A cross on a staff is carried in processions. Churches and cathedrals were often built with the floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross.

Various Christian groups have adopted different styles of crosses. The Latin cross is supposed to be the kind of cross on which Jesus died. It has a long upright pole and crosspiece fastened to it near the top. The Greek cross, or The Cross of Saint George, has four arms of the same length. This cross is also used with the cross of Saint Andrew to form the British Union Jack. In this flag, the Cross of Saint George stands for England, and the Cross of Saint Andrew stands for Scotland. The Maltese cross has eight sharp points. It was the emblem of a certain order of knights of the Middle Ages.

For the first 300 years after the death of Christ, Christians, fearing persecution by the hostile Roman government, rarely displayed the cross in public. During the early middle Ages, Christian artists made crosses as symbols of the Christian belief in the Resurrection of Christ. Many of these portrayed Christ wearing priestly clothes and a royal crown. Later the sufferings of Jesus were emphasized in crucifixes. A crucifix is a cross with an image of the dying Christ.

The crucifixion of Jesus caused Christians to regard the cross with reverence. Since apostolic times the cross has had a prominent place in Christianity. Early Christians prayed with their arms extended to represent Christ on the cross and the use of the sign of the cross can be traced back to the 3rd century. The earliest references to the use of the crucifix were made by writers of the 6th century.

Cross Information

The Latin cross is supposed to be the kind on which Jesus died. It has a long upright pole and a crosspiece fastened to it near the top. It has a shorter horizontal bar intersecting a longer vertical bar above the mid point.

The Greek cross has four arms of the same length. Another name for the Greek cross is the Cross of Saint George.

The Maltese cross has eight sharp points. It was used by a certain order of knights of the Middle Ages as their emblem.

Several flags have crosses, including all the nations of Scandinavia, whose crosses are known as Scandinavian crosses and many nations in the Southern Hemisphere, which incorporate the Southern Cross. The Flag of Switzerland since the 17th century has displayed an equilateral cross in a square, the Red Cross emblem was based on the Swiss flag. The flag of Georgia displays four Jerusalem crosses on the background of St George cross.

The Crux, or Southern Cross, is a cross shaped constellation in the Southern Hemisphere.

The tallest cross, which stands 500 feet tall, is part of Francisco Franco’s monumental “Valley of the Fallen”, in Spain.

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On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took time to spend with his apostles for the Passover meal. During this time with them he, revealed the Sacrament of Communion which he told each of us to do in memory of him. The took both bread and wine blessed it and said that it IS his body and blood and ask, his followers do the same. Thou the ages, Catholics everywhere do just as Jesus Commanded and receive Eucharist at mass. For many Catholics its arguable is the most important sacrament

The additional significance is that the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper became the new Seder replacing the Passover ritual. It was the New Covenant that the Lord had made with his people.

Steeped in a long history each Spring children, usually around age 7, receive the Sacrament of Communion for the first time. From that point forward parents, up until their child is old enough themselves, are encouraged to take their child to receive Communion as often as possible.

For a child to receive Communion for the first time, the child must be baptized. If the child is over the age of 4 but has not been baptized the child may be placed in the children’s RCIA program at which point the child would receive the Sacrament of Communion but also they would receive Baptism as well as confirmation. This is a very common thing for families who do not have their child baptized as infant. In the first century however the baptisms were celebrated with adults and it was not changed to baptizing infants until the 15th century.

As every Catholic Boy and Girl knows First Holy Communion is a big even in their lives. In the more modern times it has become a time for celebration, Communion Dresses, and parties. Usually on this day the family and the godparents gather with the child to celebrate.

Parishes have started making First Communion more prominent in the community as well. In the past you had the choice to enroll your child to celebrate their first communion as a group. They would hold the mass at an off time, usually Saturday afternoon and family and friends of the communicants were in attendance. If you wanted to make your First Communion individually you could do that and would do it as part of the Sunday Mass. But in the last 15 years that has changed and moving to pulling the ceremony to one of the Sunday morning masses . Depending on how many children there are making their First Holy Communion, they may make the event into several Sundays. In this way the entire community or parish can be involved in what is an important day in each of these children’s lives.

With the new traditions, First Holy Communion Sundays become large celebration days within each parish community. Often a professional photographer is also hired which makes for lasting memories. For First Communion Gifts, often a picture frame is a good way to make lasting memories. It is a day so profound in each of our children’s life’s it will often be long remembered and held dear

Faith-full has a full line of First Communion. And a full line of First Communion Gifts

Palm Sunday is Christian observance which is celebrated around the world, though many Christian denominations. In 1970 the Roman Catholic Church changed the formal name of Palm Sunday to Passion Sunday, from the Second Sunday of the Passion. However it was very confusing because the Second Passion Sunday was assigned to the 5th Sunday in Lent. So they again changed ti to Palm Sunday of our Lord’s Passion.

Now know as Palm Sunday, Roman Catholic Churches as well their Protestant brethren , have the palms being bless in a few different ways. First is the congregation gather outside the church with their unblessed palm in hand. The priest starts the service with the palms being sprinkled with holy water most often using an aspergillum, which most Catholics will recognize as the vessel used while holy water is dispersed on a crowd. The Priest walks though the crowd as the congregation holds up their palms so that they may be bless. After the opening part of the service is completed the congregation processes inside usually in song, by way of reenacting Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, where the Jews sang the Psalm 118 and threw palms on the ground making Jesus’ path more comfortable. In the Lutheran church, the service is very close to the Catholic Service minus the holy water.

The entry procession may vary for each religion. The procession may consist of the Priest or Minister. The choir may also be part of the procession. The children of the parish are often in the procession as well and there may also be the entire congregation gathered outside as well. In India the procession is a little different there they cover the sanctuary with marigolds and the congregation processes though the church.

At the end, all the left over palms are saved and burned the following year as part of the the Ash Wednesday service. The Roman Catholics do consider the palms to be sacramentals or object that are set apart and blessed within the church. They are treated with same reverence any blessed item would be treated with. Other uniform items thought the church are the blood red vestments and d

Easter Sunday is the most important day in all of Christianity. It is the cornerstone of all Christ-based churches because it is the celebration of the day that Jesus concord death and rose from the death. It is also a season within the Catholic Church that goes from Easter Sunday to Pentecost. This is the day that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is often said to have passed over death. This is a reference that is Jewish in root. Passover is one of the high days within the Jewish faith. Passover is the story from Exodus that the Jews were told to with specificity how to paint their door frames with lambs blood. By doing this the Lord passed over those homes and did not kill the oldest son in that household. In the New Testament Jesus fled to Egypt to avoid Herod and his edict that said to kill all the first born males in the house holds so that kill the King of Kings, or Jesus.

Easter Sunday can fall anytime between Late March and Late April and was assigned this time frame in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, when it was said that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday and there for Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday. It was further decided that this would take place on the first Sunday after a full moon after the Vernal Equinox or March the 22nd. Since 325 a.d, Easter has been celebrated in this way.

The Easter season follows the 40 days of Lent which is the period of penance that preceding Easter Sunday. Lent runs right though Palm Sunday which is the day of Jesus Triumphant return into Jerusalem .

The bridge between the end of Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week. This includes the Easter Tritium, which is the Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. According to the Synopic Gospels of Matthew Mark and Luke, They all tell the story of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the Jews laying palms in the road for the Lord to walk on. They then move on to the preparation for the Passover meal which was actually Holy Thursday, and the meal which Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Communion or Eucharist. Good Friday also has references in the Gospels to Passover where Pilates asks if the Jews wanted Jesus released as part of the Passover custom. As we know the crowed picked the thief Barabbas. This lead to what is called the Passion of Our Lord, his torture, his crucifixion and ultimately his death. And because of Passover and the Sabbath, Jesus was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Aramathea and left until they could come back after the Sabbath and prepare the body for proper burial. This was Holy Saturday which lead into the Passover of the Lord, into Easter Sunday, which the Lord passed from Death into Life.

This is where the Easter season starts. The eight days immediately after Easter, or the Octave of Easter continues the Easter story in the gospels, which carries us though the Easter Season which will end at Pentecost.

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The Catholic Church, since its inception, has always believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the form o the Eucharist. As a child celebrates their first communion, they too are about to take part in this honored tradition. The Eucharist is the one sacrament that is representative or Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection. The Mass is the vehicle that gives us this special presence.

The teaching that communion was the presence of Jesus and not a symbol goes back the to the council of Trent, which said that the when the bread and wine are consecrated, the whole substance of the bread is transformed into the Body of the Lord. Additionally the same is the whole substance of the wine is transformed into the Precious Blood. When the point in the mass comes and the host is consecrated the church calls this change the transubstantiation. It requires the recipient to have a great faith where as it transcends our human understanding of how this change was made, the mystery of the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The simplest way to explain the concept of real presence is the Eucharist really is the Real Jesus. There are no qualifiers. Catholics do not believe it is a symbol of Jesus. There was a period in time when the belief of Real Presence was threatened. The first occurrence was in the Middle Ages, when some of the French Theologians expressed doubt in the Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Berengarius of Tours claimed that it was not possible to change the substance of the bread and wine and denied that Christ’s body was on the altar. He based his argument on the pure fact that Jesus could not be present on Earth prior to the Last Judgment.

Pope Gregory VII demanded that Berengarius to agree with the profession of that that was the outline of faith. The fundamental belief was that without question Jesus was present on the altar. Pope Gregory went on to say that the words are not clearer. That reality means that it is actually Christ in the Eucharist. He said it was “the same Christ that was conceived in Nazareth, Born in Bethlehem, died and rose from the dead at Jerusalem and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. It is also the same Christ that “will call us when we pass out of time into eternity. It is the same Christ who will appear at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead. It is the Christ who is the Omega of the universe and the goal of human destiny,” Pope Gregory concluded. He ended this crisis of faith and Berengarius died in 1088.

The second time this crisis came forth was at the time of the Protestant Reformation. There were similar claims that Berengarian made in the early middle ages. This time the Church used the Council of Trent to reinforce that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

As children wear their communion ties and first communion dresses, there is a great history that long substantiates the basic principle they should have been taught in the communion preparation class, that Jesus is truly present

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Christian Counseling

Christian counseling has to be a calling. If you feel you are called into this field or this type of ministry it is recommended you enroll in some Christian counseling courses. Especially if you feel your gift may be in Christian debt counseling. If you are on the other end of the spectrum and you are considering seeking counsel it is equally advisable to research the background of the various Christian counseling that is available to you whether you locate it online, in your neighborhood or through your church.

Christian Counseling is a God Giving Gift

Many pastors and others in the clergy believe that counseling is a gift from God. I am sure most Christians would agree with that statement. Even though that may be true, it is still advisable to receive some education in this area. Having a license, degree or other type of certification lends credibility to your chosen career. It would also provide insights into various situational problems and human behavior.

Education and Certification

In the Old Testament men were required to be anointed and ordained into ministerial leadership. In Leviticus chapter eight it describes the ordination of Aaron and his sons by Moses.

“The Lord said to Moses , ‘Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.’ Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

This chapter goes on to describe in detail the whole ceremony required before these men could be considered as priests. In the same way a person desiring to serve in ministry today needs to be acknowledged as an ordained servant, anointed by the Lord, whatever area of ministry he may be serving in. Moses and his sons had earned their education in human behavior during the many years they traveled together after leaving Egypt. Likewise the Christian counselor today needs to earn his or her degree and be certified.

Christian Counseling Debt

If you are interested in offering Christian debt counseling you should have a financial background to better advise those coming to you for counseling. It is helpful if you have work experience in finances in the secular business arena or focused on economics while in college.

You may be seeking advice and it has been a huge step for you to take. You don’t want to waste precious time and further increase your debt, with someone who may not be able to truly help. If you are seeking this type of advice get recommendations from friends, colleagues or more importantly, from your home church.

Verify Backgrounds and Experience

It is a blessing to have individuals that are obeying the Lord’s calling by helping their fellow Christians in whatever area they may need counsel. It is also vitally important to get your education from a reliable, accredited Christian college. If you are seeking advice from a professional Christian counselor please verify that your counselor has received their certification through a qualified and accredited Christian counseling course and how experienced they are in the Christian counseling field.

Find the latest information on Christian counseling visit Christian Counseling Debt as well as Christian Counseling Course.

Children and grownups all over the world are enthralled and captivated by the challenges and exploits of inspiring heroes, children, people, kings that are faithfully brought to life through the power and creativity of animation.

So, is the idea of an Animated Kid’s Bible so far fetched?

Not really when you consider that animation is the most artistic and highest form of illustration that exists in these contemporary times. Furthermore illustration has been part of telling the story of the Bible to children since mankind has been able to document images.

Children love to be told stories, give them crayons and they will create pictures, play them a song and they will sing and dance to it, tell them a story and they will listen. Animated Children’s Bible stories are just one step further in the evolution of telling this story which began with Gutenberg’s publication of the Bible in 1450. Even that primitive book was elaborately illustrated with beautiful figures, flora and fauna.

There are many illustrated Bibles in existence and this includes everything from the etched woodcuts that decorated the pages of early Bibles to the illustrated children’s favorite known as the Lion’s Bible to the very controversial Japanese graphic novel known as the Manga Bible. The very first illustrated bible comic came from DC comics. DC Comics and Spire books also put out full cartoon versions of the Bible in the 1940s and 1950s. Like these Bible comics which are collected and respected by many enthusiasts as being genuine works of art, the Animated Kids Bible serves to dish up the moral lessons that our children need to learn while at the same time delivering timeless tales of courage, faith and endurance such as the tales of Noah, Abraham, John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.

Whether we like it or not it is cartoons, graphic novels and animations that are grabbing our children’s attention nowadays.

The success of animation by big time graphic novelists such as Frank Miller (who did the film noir called Sin City in 2005 and the story of Sparta called 300 in 2006) are certainly inspiring Christian animators as most graphic novels and animated films take the form of morality tales. This is exactly why the stories in the Bible so well suit the graphic animation format. Like a graphic novel most tales told in the Bible are morality tales with messages that warn us “not to go there” unless we end up like the tale’s protagonist.

Furthermore the Bible contains some pretty spectacular scenarios that would put even James Cameron, Stanley Kubrick and Quentin Tarantino to shame. There is probably no creation story as incredible as the book of Genesis nor is there an apocalypse film on the market as powerful as the book of Revelation.

Don’t get the idea that the Animated Kid’s Bible is anything like Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. These DVD videos are state of the art biblical animation in 3D-CGI and are exactly like the animation you see in major blockbuster films.

The Animated Kids Bible satisfies the imagination of children and encourages their education, with thrilling adventure stories from the bible, brought excitingly to life in language that children today can understand.

To preview go to http://www.thekidsbible.com

Tom Broadbridge is President of ‘The Kids Bible Company LLC’ a media & entertainment company that produces ‘The Animated Kid’s Bible’ DVD Collectibles. To find out more, view a trailer, check FAQ’s or character gallery — go now to http://www.thekidsbible.com

True biblical fasting requires prayer. You can pray without fasting but you can’t fast -God’s way – without prayer. If you’ve decided to fast, here are a couple things to keep in mind:

1. Numerous times in the New Testament, Jesus talked about fasting. He always said “when,” not “if” you fast. It is something Jesus expects from Christians. Although fasting should come from your heart’s desire, at first it may seem like a chore. That’s okay. Tithing isn’t always easy, either. But your obedience means more to God than your sacrifice. Like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it will become.

2. If you struggle with bulimia or anorexia or any other condition where it is imperative that you eat regularly, you should never participate in a full fast. There are other options, as indicated below.

3. Fasting is not manipulation. You may be fasting to hear God more clearly or to receive an answer to a specific prayer, but you cannot fast God into doing something for you. God is always concerned about the condition of our hearts more than He is about giving us what we want.

4. Unless you hear differently from God on this issue, don’t think you need to be on your knees for the full fasting period. God understands that you have a family, a job and daily activities. Fasting and prayer can be done around these things. Again, it is an issue of the heart.

5. You will get hungry! Headaches, fatigue, and general loss of energy are all natural parts of a fast. This is your body reminding you that you’re not giving it what it wants most. But, unless you have a condition like one mentioned above, you will get through it – even though your mind will tell you otherwise.

Here are the four most common forms of fasting:

1. Twenty-Four Hour Fast – This is the most normal and convenient fast today. It takes place from sun-down to sun-set the following evening. Jewish tradition was to eat a full meal in the late afternoon and then fast until dinnertime the next day. You may want to eat a large early dinner and spend an hour with God after dinner, asking Him to bless your fasting time. Waking up the next morning knowing you will be able to eat that evening makes dealing with the hunger pains a little easier to bear.

While most people drink only water throughout their fast, natural fruit juices are another option. Some people also choose to eat only fruits and vegetables during their fast, although this form is usually implemented during a longer fast (like a three-day or longer). If caffeine is a major factor, you may choose to allow for morning coffee to eliminate headaches.

2. One Meal Per Day – This is recommended for those who are new to fasting or who have a condition that doesn’t allow for a full, twenty-four-hour fast. Try eliminating one meal per day and replacing it with prayer time.

3. Food-Specific Fast – This form of fasting is traditionally practiced by Catholics during Lent. Whether it’s chocolate, sugar, chips, red meat, soda, or candy, this type of fast is a great disciplinary exercise as well as an excellent way to surrender a desire to God. Use the time you would spend eating that particular food studying God’s Word and listening for His voice.

4. A Complete (or Radical) Fast – Going without food and water for any period of time can be a health risk. The Bible talks about a few people who abstained from both food and water, including Ezra, Daniel, Esther, and Paul. But these cases were rare and extreme. If you do choose to partake in a radical fast, do so only with clear direction from the Holy Spirit.

Fasting is a form of worship and obedience. The benefits are many. See the following scriptures for further study on fasting:

2 Chronicles 20:3

Matthew 9:14

Matthew 6:16

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