|
|
|
Windmill Ministries - Newsletter - February 2008 Welcome to Windmill Ministries' February 2008 newsletter, our once-a-month update about our Christian evidences ministry, recent apologetic discoveries, answers to asked questions, books, an inspirational story or poem and so on. It remains a great privilege
and blessing to share about the convincing and convicting evidences
God has given us for the truth of His Word and His Son, Jesus
Christ. We are humbled and honored to be able and allowed to share
about this through our website, book and messages in churches and
youthgroups. | |
|
Recent news |
Prepared to Answer |
|
"Prepared to
Answer"
|
|
|
Apologetics: Jesus' resurrection:
|
|
For more articles like this see the resource center | |
|
The gospels mention that Jesus had other brothers and sisters,
including a man named James. While Jesus was alive, this James did not
believe in Jesus, however he later becomes the leader of the early
Christian church in After the miraculous conception of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had other children as well. The gospels report that Jesus had at least four brothers and some sisters: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us?” (Matthew 13:55, also Mark 6:3). And the gospels also record, that while Jesus was alive, his brothers did not believe in Him: “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5). The Scriptures do not sugarcoat this. The lack of belief by James and the other brothers is corroborated by the absolute silence about them in the gospels. None of the accounts of Jesus’ ministry mentions them in any role. However, after the
resurrection, in the earliest years of Christianity, James, the brother of
Jesus, became a significant player in the movement. In Galatians 1:19,
Paul explicitly identified him as one of the only two individuals he met
with during his 37 AD trip to Later on Paul also gives an important clue as to why James became a Christian. In the early resurrection creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul writes that Jesus also appeared to James: “Then he appeared to James”(1 Corinthians 15:7). One can argue which James this is (lack of surnames in Bible times can occasionally be quite confusing). However, the context makes it clear, that this is not James the son of Zebedee (the brother of John) or the other apostle James, James the son of Alphaeus (as they are mentioned as part of the apostle group before). Therefore this must be James, the Lord’s brother. Subsequently, in
Acts 12:17 and 15:13 this same James is recognized after the resurrection
as a leader of the church in An important, non-Biblical confirmation comes to us from Josephus : “Ananus…assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, …, he delivered them to be stoned.” This passage does not only confirm that James was the brother of Jesus, it also mentions that he was martyred for his faith by stoning (around 57 AD). All in all, it is a well-founded conclusion that James, the brother of Jesus – like Paul – made a remarkable conversion from a non-believer during the lifetime of Jesus to a leader in the earliest years of the Christian movement and was ultimately stoned for his faith. Although the personal appearance of the risen Jesus to His brother James is reported only once in the New Testament, this reported encounter is part of the powerful early resurrection creed dated back to only a few years after the resurrection. And one can wonder: What could have ever happened to James that could have converted him to a believer apart from the appearance of the resurrected Christ? James knew Jesus while He was alive and certainly knew about His teachings and even Jesus’ miracles. None of this, however, convinced him, so what could the apostles have said to convince this man? Logically, only a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus, as mentioned by Paul, would explain his 180-degree change in beliefs and actions. Therefore James' conversion is another confirmation of the historical reliability of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. | |
|
Repentance |
Inspiration and worship |
|
“Godly
sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but
worldly sorrow brings
death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) |
Dear Lord, We gather here this day To bring you praise and glory Lord, I long for you to come and stay To stay and to accept my simple story |
|
|
It is the story of my longing heart The longing of finding you in this place Dear Lord, what is it that keeps us still apart Even when I come to bring to you my praise? |
|
Is it because I drifted so far from your will? Or is it my selfishness that you detest? Then Lord, let my voice be still And help me to give my life the rest
The rest I need to hear you speak to me And to listen to Your voice The rest to read how you want my life to be Because it is only you I want to hear and see So again in Your presence I will rejoice. |
I pray Dear Lord, please draw near to me And break my hardened heart Then take my life and let it be Sealed in Your hands and never be from You apart Amen. |
|
| |
|
Last of all, but all important... | |
|
We need your support and prayers
to: |
We would be encouraged to hear from you at our mailing address or e-mail (see below). If you need (more) copies of Prepared to Answer - you can also just e-mail us, we'll gladly send you more to share with others! |
|
Windmill Ministries * PO Box
1253 * Port Hadlock, WA 98339, USA Windmill Ministries is a Christian apologetics ministry that equips believers and challenges skeptics through the sharing of evidences for the foundations of the Christian faith. If you do not want to receive these newsletters - please just reply with "remove" | |
| Windmill
Ministries - Christian Apologetics - Evidences for Christianity Home Christian Apologetics - Sitemap - About Us - Support Us - Contact Us - Copyright - Resources |
