what is the church

What is the Church?

  In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Church is translated from the Greek word ekklesia, meaning a called-out assembly. The church of God is a congregation, made up of all kinds of people on earth, called out from the world through …

View The Full Post

should christians celebrate kwanza

Should Christians Celebrate Kwanzaa?

  Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1, created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga (formerly Ronald Everett). The holiday draws from African rituals and black national ideology to create the seven principles of Kwanza, called the Nguzo Saba. Among these principles are racial and national unity, self-determination, and faith …

View The Full Post

was jesus born in a barn

Was Jesus Born in a Barn?

  Luke 2:7 says, “Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.” This one verse is why we think of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem at the last minute, being turned away by …

View The Full Post

did christmas start as pagan holiday

Is Christmas Pagan?

  Is Christmas a pagan holiday? No, it’s a Christian holiday, a celebration of the birth of Christ! If that wasn’t what Christmas was about, our secular culture wouldn’t be so afraid of the name Christ-mas. But didn’t Christmas start out as a pagan holiday? Probably not. There have been many pagan festivals around the …

View The Full Post