Singing the Songs of Jesus: Revisiting the Psalms

Singing the Songs of Jesus by pastor Michael Lefebvre is a book that delivers on its promise to help the church to revisit the Psalms. Modern day evangelicals often ask "what would Jesus do?" More to the point, what did Jesus do? During the days of His incarnation, Jesus worshiped His Father, the God of Israel. One of the ways God is worshiped is through songs of praise. What songs did Jesus sing, when He worshiped the Father? The answer to this question is one of the tasks the author takes on in this book.

Pastor Lefebvre draws attention to Biblical material that is often passed over when studying the history of Israel relating to worship. At every point in the history of redemption, Israel's leaders sang songs before God and the people. The significance of this is often overlooked. Pastor Lefebvre does a remarkable job in chronically how king David was directed by God to oversee the task of creating a song book for the people of Israel to be used in worship. This involved writing songs, overseeing other composers such as Asaph, organizing choirs and musicians. After David, Solomon continued the task of completing Israel's song book.

The preeminence of the king in Israel's worship of God was an important practice. Not only did David direct the people singing songs in worship, this pattern applies to David's Greater Son, who is the Lord. Jesus is our King seated at the right hand of the Father. The apostle Paul, makes the statement that during worship we are seated with Christ in heaven, specifically; "and made us sit together in heavenly places" Ephesians 2:6. Jesus our King is enthroned at the Father's right hand, and we, through our union with Him, are led in heavenly worship by the King Jesus; "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee" Hebrews 2:12.

The author makes the case that Jesus, our Kingly choirmaster in the heavenly, leads us in singing praises to the Father. Pastor Lefebvre succeeds not only showing that the Psalms are profitable for doctrine, they testify of Christ. They are in fact, the song book Jesus used to worship the Father. The Psalms were composed for Jesus as our perfect King and song leader.

In this brilliant work, Michael Lefebvre calls the church to once again to sing the songs of Jesus. If the church heeds this call, it will be blessed indeed. It should be the heart's desire of every believer to conform to Christ in all of our thoughts and deeds. Surely, this must also involve conforming in how we worship. Hence, the primary song book for the church should be the "Songs of Jesus." The aim of this book is to restore the songs composed for Jesus to their rightful place in His Church. This edifying book should be in the home of everyone who calls themselves Reformed.

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Prophet muhammad

Fourteen centuries ago a man named Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Mother Mary was a pious virgin, when she gave birth to Jesus. He said that Jesus had been born miraculously without any male intervention. And he shut the mouthes of many of those, who used to abuse Mother Mary. It is because of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that around one and a half billion Muslims around the world respect, love and revere Jesus Christ. In fact Islam makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus. A Muslim can not be a Muslim unless he believes in Jesus Christ

The miraculous birth of Jesus is a compulsory article of the Muslim faith and every Muslim has to believe in it, in order to be a Muslim. Muslims believe in his miracles. Qur'an mentions the miracle of Jesus as a young kid, when he gave life to birds that he had made out of clay, with God's permission. But if one checks the New Testament he would not find this miracle mentioned there. A few days ago while doing a research concerning the Bible, I came across some scriptures that the early Christians included in the Bible and called them the word of God, but the church did not include these scriptures in the New Testament. One of these scriptures is the Gospel of Infancy, which is about the childhood of Jesus Christ. This Gospel of Infancy and the Holy Qur'an contain this miracle, but the Bible does not.

Muslims also believe that he gave life to the dead with God's permission and healed those born blind and lepers. We believe in his second coming. It is astonishing that the Qur'an tries to defend Jesus against objectionable things mentioned about him in the Bible. For instance, The Bible says that Jesus Christ never called Mother Mary as "Mother or Mom", but rather called her "you woman!" This is highly objectionable because this is the same language that he uses for a prostitute in the Bible, "you woman!" Astonishingly the Qur'an in turn defends Jesus and says that he was obedient and respectful to his mother and would never say anything as such to his mother.

So astonishing as it maybe, Islam is the only Non Christian faith, which holds Jesus Christ in such high prestige and reverence and makes it an article of faith for its followers to believe in Jesus Christ. The major difference of opinion among Christians and Muslims is that some Christians believe that Jesus Christ claimed divinity and was God. While Muslims believe that he was a mighty messenger of God and never claimed to be God.

So Muslims believe that so many good things about Jesus only because Muhammad (peace be upon him) said so, not that Bible thumpers convinced them. Now the Bible thumpers are making serious efforts to convince Muslims that Jesus is God. They use a wide range of tactics for this purpose from common arguments that Jesus did not have a father so he should be God or that Jesus gave life to the dead that is why he is God. But these arguments have so far failed in front of Muslims, as even Adam did not have parents and even Moses gave life to his dead staff and made it a serpent. The Bible thumpers even get handy with the Qur'an. They quote verses from the Qur'an and tell Muslims that Jesus is "Kalimatullah, the word of Allah" and "Ruhullah, the Spirit of Allah". But the Muslims come forward with the argument that even John, the Baptist is referred to as "Kalimatullah, word of God" in the Qur'an. The Qur'an also says that Allah breathed into Adam of his spirit and also breathed of it into the whole mankind.

Efforts are also being made on the Muslim side as well to convince Christians that Jesus was not God, but is a messenger of God. Muslims use common arguments such as how can Jesus be God and also die for your sins, when God is Eternal? But Christians make some efforts to prove that death is of two types, spiritual death and physical death. While other Christians try to prove how Jesus has a dual nature. Muslims even get handy with the Bible. For instance, this post " Is Jesus God? " claims that Jesus Christ did not claim divinity anywhere in the Bible. It also makes an effort to answer the several Biblical verses quoted by Christians to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ.

So the major difference of opinion between Muslims and Christians is the divinity of Jesus Christ and both are trying to convince the other to accept their point of view. It is a healthy discussion and is surely going to continue for a long time.

Liaqat Qazi is a student of Islam and Comparative Religions, who runs a blog called Peacebook, where he discusses issues about all major World Religions. He also discusses the most controversial issues about Islam and other religions in a logical way, with proof from the religious scriptures.

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The Jesus Scandals

What made you come and look at this review? Did you anticipate another book refuting the crucifixion or other such notorious events surrounding Jesus? Let me assure you that this book is not about that at all. If anything, this particular nonfiction work is about the curious things Jesus said and did. We may not understand how some of the topics fit under the auspices of the word scandal until you read what David is placing before you and I as food for thought.

Within the pages of this short book you will laugh, think, rethink, and maybe learn something new. The contents are divided into three parts: Scandals in Jesus' life, Scandals among Jesus' friends, and finally Scandals in Jesus' teaching. We forget that Jesus' friends, disciples, family, and others also went through various experiences because of who Jesus was and is. As you read through the short chapters, perhaps you will allow your views to be expanded as David expounds on the Scriptures. He brings the culture of then and now into an understanding of what Jesus taught and how we are to be changed by it today.

When life gets hectic or even in quiet times, we tend to forget that life isn't always the same for others around us. When we read the Bible, it may be that we read it with a particular viewpoint that does or maybe it doesn't coincide with what Jesus actually taught or did. There are some issues raised that have a different conclusion when history is brought into the picture. In other chapters, the Body of Christ is exhorted again to pay attention and heed the Master's commands.

The author hopes that the book will be used to begin conversations with anyone the Lord brings across our path in life. David brings clarity to some parts of Scripture that have been unfortunately not understood completely or not at all. David never writes with a know-it-all style, but a very real down to earth, easy style that helps the reader think about what is being presented.

This is perhaps one book you might want to leave in various rooms of your home to be read with a little or a lot of time available. I found myself at times, laughing at something written, other times agreeing, and occasionally not agreeing with the conclusions. The Jesus Scandals is a great book to encourage conversations with others, but not for the sake of creating arguments. I appreciate the ideas, thoughts, and scholarly help contained in the small book and I hope you do too.

My rating is 4 stars out of 5.

Follow me on twitter @lcjohnson1988 or on my website: http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/

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My Sermon on the Mount

On March 20, 2006, I bid goodbye to the sixty ecumenical Christian Internationals I had been traveling throughout the West Bank with to spend two nights on the Mount of Beatitudes in Israel. This awe inspiring site sits above the shimmering Sea of the Galilee where Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount. After the nine day Sabeel Reality Tour in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, I needed to be alone and silent. But, I ended up delivering my own Sermon on the Mount. Four Franciscan Sisters, one each from Syria, Jordan, Malta and Italy care for the shrine and the pilgrim guests at the Hospice Center where I spent two nights and a day of silent reflection of all I had witnessed the previous nine days. At dinner a Catholic Pentecostal from Scotland introduced himself and asked me why I was there and what church I was from. I responded I have Irish Roman Catholic, Polish Jew, Russian Orthodox and Episcopal roots but that my rock is The Beatitudes. He looked even more perplexed when I told him I came to the Mount of Beatitudes to decompress and reflect after nine days in Occupied Territory. I asked him if he were aware of the work of Sabeel, a Palestinian founded organization that promotes a theology of liberation based on justice, peace, non-violence and reconciliation for all, regardless of faith path or nationality. He sternly admonished me, 'God gave this land to the Jews! The Bible never mentions Palestine, and that is that! God gave this land to the Jews and that is that!' I responded just as fervently that the Palestinian Christians are the descendants of those who first followed Christ and they have been denied inalienable human rights by the Israeli government. I told him the Christians in the Holy Land have shrunk from 20% of the total population to less than 1.3% since 1948 and if things don't change soon, there will be no Christian witness in the land where Christ promised it is the peacemakers who are the children of God. He sputtered, 'But the Jews have suffered! God gave this land to the Jews and that is that!' I responded, 'Yes, the Holocaust happened because good people did nothing for far too long, and now the oppressed have become the oppressors. In the 21st century good people are unaware, ignoring or are in total denial about the injustice in the Holy Land. And what about all the Hebrew prophets, such as Micah who reminded the Hebrews of what God requires: To be just, to be merciful and to walk humbly with your Lord.' I could NOT shut up although I knew that Scotsman was trying to get away-he also looked a bit terrified! But, I was on a tear and barely took a breath as I tell him that instead of staying in Israel for his entire visit, he should go and witness life in the occupied territories; to go and see the effects of The Wall on his spirit and see what it has done to the Palestinian economy. I tell him he should go and tour some of the 57 year old refugee camps and see the ruins of all the uncompensated home demolitions. I bring it on home by telling him that I also doubt that God was ever in the real estate business! His eyes had bugged out and his mouth had dropped open while the torrent of words flowed out of me. When I finally finish delivering my sermon, he stammered, 'But there is suffering everywhere!' I responded swiftly, 'Yes there is suffering everywhere and Christ always stood up for the poor and the oppressed. And he told us what ever we do or do not do for the least and the outcast; we do it or do not do it unto God.' He shook his head and turned and quickly walked away and never looked my way again. Nobody else spoke to me the rest of that evening or the next day. All I kept hearing within was Luke 23:34: 'Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' A new Zogby International poll found that 31% of those surveyed in the national poll strongly believe or somewhat believe in the ideas behind Christian Zionism, defined as 'the belief that Jews must have all of the promised land, including all of Jerusalem, to facilitate the second coming of the messiah.' A CNN/Time poll showed that 59% of the American public believes the prophecies contained in the Book of Revelations will come true. The fastest growing cult in the USA-and perhaps also in Scotland-is the cult of Christian Zionism. What is Christian Zionism? Christian Zionism is an extremist Christian fundamentalist movement which supports the claims of those who believe that the State of Israel should take control of all of the land currently disputed between Palestinians and Israelis. It views the creation and expansion of the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy toward the second coming of Jesus. Christian Zionism is a two hundred year old theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel. The Christian Zionist program provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ's love and justice today. What is the Christian Zionist connection with the Holy Land ? Believing that God fights on the side of Israel, Christian Zionists call for unqualified support for the most extreme political positions related to the Holy Land. Christian Zionist spokes persons have attributed Hurricane Katrina to God's wrath over our failure to stop Israel from pulling out of Gaza. They consistently oppose any moves towards a solution to the conflict which would validate the political aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis. Who Supports Christian Zionism? Christian Zionism has significant support within American Protestant fundamentalists, who number between 10 and 20 million. Its reach is broad, by virtue of its favorite themes related to the 'End Times' and an Israel-fixated Christian media. Christian Zionism is both a 'movement' and a way of interpreting current events. Its focus is on Israel and the Middle East, as much an ideology as a 'movement.' Its promoters share many beliefs but are not organized through any one institution. Throughout history Christians have at times twisted scripture to justify violence: for the Crusades, for Anti-Semitism, and for slavery. Too often the church has been slow to respond to these biblical distortions with disastrous results. Although the Christian Zionists motives are couched in terms of compassion toward the Jewish people based on a literal reading of scripture the political agenda of territorial expansion advocated by Christian Zionists has given rise to injustice against Palestinians and added fuel to the fire of conflict in the Middle East. The GOOD NEWS is that some mainstream churches have spoken out against this inherently anti-Semitic theology. What follows are but a few words from some of those who have. Presbyterian Church USA, in July 2004 during the National General Assembly meeting stated: 'Christian Zionism promotes a theology that justifies grievous violations of basic rights of people who are also made in the image of God, and is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.' In June 2004, the Reformed Church in America at their Annual National Synod issued an Historical Analysis and Critique which stated, 'Jesus, picking up seminal themes from the Hebrew scriptures, preached and lived a message of reconciliation.' In July 2003, the United Church of Christ's General Synod offered an Alternative Voice to Christian Zionism and affirmed, 'We believe that the tenets of Christian Zionism neither reflect the intention of the teachings of Jesus and the prophets, nor promote peace in the Middle East, and respectfully recommend...an alternative voice to this theology.' The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America during its June 2005 Chicago Metropolitan Synod issued a Resolution to Encourage the Study of Christian Zionism which states that 'the movement of Christian Zionism based on these biblical interpretations seeks to influence U.S. policy toward Israel in a manner that would arguably facilitate mistreatment of Palestinians, continued occupation of the land, opposition to a two-state solution, and exclusive Israeli control of Jerusalem.' The United Methodist Church in June 2005 held a Conference On Unwrapping the Rapture warned that 'every household should give prayerful consideration as to how God will actually judge us for our silence about and complicity in the crushing of the Palestinian people.' In 2004, the Diocese of Chicago's Episcopal Church confronted Christian Zionism and reminded the flock that, 'A partial response to Christian Zionism would be to say that we read Scripture in light of [Jesus'] two great commandments - to love God and our neighbor.' All Christians would do well to remember, that in that war ravaged land we call Holy, Christ delivered his Sermon on The Mount which promised, 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.' Matthew 5:9

About Author: Eileen is a retired RN, activist, author, poet, reporter and editor for the WAWA Blog: http://www.wearewideawake.org She returns to the West Bank in November 2006 and will be reporting on WAWA.

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How Christian news enable a better life

Christian news is a lot different from the usual news that reaches us through various media. What makes it different is the message of Christianity that lies within it. But the news is not just for Christians or not all about Christianity or Bible. The articles are also meant for audience all over the world. News contains a wide variety of topics ranging from everyday living to world politics. The Christian newspaper serves the purpose of preserving the principles that was taught by Christ with his life. This is to make people realize how much it is needed to make a difference in this world full of greed, through service to all mankind.

For example, an article in news website focused on welfare program for earthquake victims in Hatai. Program is planned for a long period to provide material and spiritual support to the poor victims. Another news item in an online Christian newspaper talks about efforts of Jews in Israel to protect the Christians in the land against being targeted from Muslim terrorists. There also have been articles related to the issue and law of gay marriages and relationships. So the article and the news items include local and international affairs and messages based on Christian themes.

Christian websites are also a space for people to seek guidance and counseling for various issues in life. The Christian missionaries and experts in different fields are very much ready to help you out from the biting problems that you face in daily life. Christian communities could keep constant contact with you through these sites. The experiences that you have had while living a fruitful life can be shared with others through news so that they can also get the similar blessings in their own lives.

Christian newspaper is one way to constantly open people's eyes to the issues that the world is facing today. You can join hands with any Christian organization engaged in welfare activities through websites and then engage yourself in social welfare. You can also give your views on any topic that you feel others should know about, by submitting your articles, blog posts or comments. Since a chief aim of news is to fight against the growing international tensions and social evils, most of the articles have contents which have the potential to fight against these. Overall, the most important theme of loving the neighbor like oneself and like the God drives the Christian newspaper forward, to make people realize the importance of changing this world into a heavenly home.

About Author: Visit GoodNews to know current news regarding Christian community or Christian faith.

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Birth Pangs of a Third Awakening

After Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's recent remarks at the U.N., during which he referred to President Bush as 'the devil,' and then held up and recommended Noam Chomsky's, 'Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance' he told reporters, 'The people of the United States should read this ... instead of the watching Superman movies.' And they are, for as of last Thursday afternoon, 'Hegemony or Survival,' [published in 2003] leaped into the top 10 on Amazon, and it had been ranked 20,664 the day before. Could this be the beginning of the birth pangs of a Third Awakening? Could Chavez's book plug be the spark to ignite we the people to begin the painful questioning and confronting of our leaders about the real reasons why some people in the world hate us? Not long ago, Pat Robertson called for the assassination of Chavez, a most un-Christ like statement. Christ taught that God was already within every human heart and the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' was always meant to be taken literally. The illogic and irony of fundamentalism that knits together disparate, obscure and vague biblical passages into literal predictions of future events, while ignoring and defying clear commands is painful for thinking Christians, and Robertson has never spoken for them. According to a recent poll for the German Marshall Fund reported that 57% of Europeans regard American leadership in world affairs 'undesirable' and not just because of Iraq. Europeans worry that Bush's foreign policy is too influenced by religion, and that 'America is undergoing a religious revival...evangelical Protestantism and hard-line Catholicism are growing rapidly while 'cool' mainline versions of Christianity are declining...It is also true that Mr. Bush frequently uses religious rhetoric when talking of foreign affairs...he sees the 'war on terror' as a 'confrontation between good and evil' and remarked, 'It seems to me there's a Third Awakening'. [The Economist] While Robertson does Christ no favors by claiming to be a follower, the people of America are also subjected to the likes of Lt-General William Boykin, deputy under-secretary of defense for intelligence, who toured the country telling Christian groups that radical Muslims hate America, 'because we're a Christian nation and the enemy is a guy named Satan.' If we really were a Christian nation, there would be no manufacturing of WMD and the poor would be housed and fed. The Christian values that Christ taught is not the heresy Boykin preaches, for whom would Jesus bomb? No one. We live in a nation with a media that allows the most limited and divisive of Christians a voice and little press is given to the likes of Senator Brownback who has led the fight against genocide in Darfur and Mrs. and Pastor Rick Warren, on their focusing on the AIDS epidemic in Africa. The media has become a stronger influence in shaping American's views on foreign policy than the true tenants of religion in the 21st century. What we have in America today, is a lot of religion about Jesus, but NOT the religion Christ taught. What Christ taught that shocked his world was that God was already within, so one is to be just and merciful to all, and that would lead to working for peaceful resolutions, even to the point of returning violence with compassion. This Christian welcomes the birth pangs of a Third Awakening, and another reformation. The pain begins when we look within at the evil that runs through our own hearts. A third awakening would promote a theology of liberation that puts an end to the hijacking of people's faith by politicians with their theologies of empire building and global dominance and the cult of Christian empire builders that are indigenous to America. This cult embraces a modern theological and political movement of the most extreme ideological positions of Jewish Zionism. 'The Christian Zionist program provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ's love and justice today...Christian Zionist doctrines [are] false teaching's that corrupt the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation... the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral preemptive borders and domination over Palestine, inevitably leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world... Rather than condemn the world to the doom of Armageddon we call upon everyone to liberate themselves from the ideologies of militarism and occupation. Instead, let [us] pursue the healing of the nations!'- Religious Leaders' Statement on Christian Zionism In every classroom in America the World Map shows the United States in the very center. American Christianity also predisposes many to look at themselves as special, and that leads to thinking that our way of life must be maintained; even by war, and there is nothing Christian about that! Americans have remained silent for too long and have allowed the hijacking of religion to be used for political gain. Politicians never have-and never can deliver peace and security, they must be led by the people who are the ones who must choose on a daily basis to be peaceful and neighborly. 'The fierce urgency of now' [MLK, Jr.] should compel all thinking Christians and church denominations to move beyond their man-created differences. The time is now to break the silence and speak boldly for the need of reconciliation between the families of Father Abraham in the fight against terrorism, which is also a spiritual battle. Anyone who can target and murder an innocent has allowed evil to rule them and only by people of good will pursuing justice and in support of nonviolence can we hope to change hearts and minds. A Third Awakening will affirm that all people are created in the image of God and all are called to honor the dignity of every human being and to respect the others inalienable human right to freedom. A Third Awakening would unite us in the rejection of all attempts to subvert and fragment the unity of the human family and to oppose every narrow world view and ideology that privilege one people at the expense of another. No enduring peace, no security, and no reconciliation is even possible without the foundation of justice. Justice requires mercy and is always nonviolent. 'It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. It isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.'-Eleanor Roosevelt By standing on the side of justice, we open ourselves up to the hard work of peace, and working for peace is what Christ promised makes one a child of God.

About Author: Eileen is a retired RN, activist, author, poet, reporter and editor of http://www.wearewideawake.org Her first novel is available through her Homepage.

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