Sunday, January 27, 2013

Christianity; What is it?

     Christianity was the religion that I was born into, and I honestly believe in it with all of my heart. I have gone to church all of my life and was saved when I was 6. So I never really had the chance to 'find myself' and say "Okay, this is definitely what I want." Instead my parents were watching Billy Graham on TV one night and the invitation was at the end I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Since then I have grown so much that there is no way I could write everything down that I would like to. But being a Christian and being born again has changed me in so many different ways.
     If you don't know what Christianity is, here is the short version: Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary and her fiance`, Joseph. His whole life he taught the word of God. When he was in his 30's he was crucified for his teachings. 3 days later, he rose again and ascended into heaven where he lives with his heavenly father, God. So, Christianity is the faith that Jesus did rise again and is living in heaven. The book that we live by is called the bible, which I'm sure you all have heard of even if Christianity is not your religion.
     While Jesus was on earth, he picked 12 men to be his disciples (followers) to help preach the word of God. These men helped write the bible. The 4 gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the beginning of the New Testament) are the history of his miracles and also the lives of his disciples. In the bible he gave us 10 Commandments to live by:

  1. You shall have no other gods before me.
  2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 
  3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
  6. You shall not murder.
  7. You shall not commit adultery.
  8. You shall not steal.
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  10. You shall not covet.
     These commandments are not easy for anyone to live by, in fact, they are impossible. You may say, "What? Then how am I supposed to go to heaven?" God's standards are so high that even wanting to kill someone is considered murder in his eyes. If you have ever watched the movie, "Fireproof" then you would have heard this somewhere else before. (If you haven't watched this movie, I highly recommend it!) When you believe that Jesus did rise from the dead, then you pray to the Lord that you do and he will save your soul and you will go to heaven. That is the only way that you can go to heaven. This is a lot to take in for anyone at once, so if you have any questions, then just ask! I'll be happy to answer them!