Paul the Apostle Knew His Friends: TITUS

Titus was a Grecian convert. Luke does not mention him by name in the Book of Acts, but Paul confirms him as a “partner and fellow helper”. Titus accompanied Paul and Barnabas on a trip to Jerusalem. Unable to go for himself, Paul sent Titus to work with the congregation in Corinth, and then bring back news about their well-being and spiritual health. He brought back a good report and refreshed the weary Apostle's spirit. Several years later, Paul would leave Titus behind in Crete to build up the Church there.

Image credit: Magic Studio AI art Generator

The relationship between Paul and Titus was much like to his association with Timothy. The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus have been grouped together and referred to as Pastoral Epistles. Both men were directed to ordain elders to oversee the flock of God, warned about false teachers, told to maintain good works, the purity of the Church, and especially ensure their own personal morality and blameless reputation as godly men.

The last reference to this young preacher is Paul's mention of him in a letter to Timothy (whom he had left in Ephesus) that Titus was headed to Dalmatia (conquered by the Romans A.D. 12; today a region of Croatia, Yugoslavia).

Excerpt of content first published at Paul and Friends | HubPages

From #Jerusalem to #Antioch: The Gospel Across Cultures by Jerome Crowe CP https://t.co/LWSgQ4JDld #Christianity #religion #Bible #ancientrome #society and #culture “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." pic.twitter.com/ijwQpBEE8A

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) February 21, 2020

Paul the Apostle Knew His Friends: TIMOTHY (or TIMOTHEUS)

Timothy was called Paul's son in the gospel.  Timothy's mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois) were devout Jews who taught him the Jewish scriptures from a child. All three of them were converted to Christianity. This young man traveled with Paul to places where he was sent by Paul – such as Berea, Macedonia, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Philippi – to evangelize, preach, teach, comfort, and assure the believers to press on and not falter. Paul was retracing his steps and revisiting Lystra in Lycaonia when he and Timothy crossed paths. The first time he was in this small city was with Barnabas. On this second trip, Timothy joined Paul's company.

Image credit: Magic Studio AI art Generator

Paul commended his young companion as follows (paraphrased): “We have the same mind. He does not seek his own. He has served with me in the gospel and has the same boldness to as I do to defend the faith. His love and care for all the churches is genuine.”

While in prison in Rome, awaiting execution, the Apostle wrote to Timothy instructing him to persevere and continue the Lord's work without him.

Excerpt of content first published at Paul and Friends | HubPages

From #Jerusalem to #Antioch: The Gospel Across Cultures by Jerome Crowe CP https://t.co/LWSgQ4JDld #Christianity #religion #Bible #ancientrome #society and #culture “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." pic.twitter.com/ijwQpBEE8A

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) February 21, 2020

Paul the Apostle Knew His Friends: LUKE (or LUCAS)

The name Lucas means “light-giving”. Very appropriate since he authored a two-part work – the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles – both written to shed light on the life of Christ and the establishment of His Church.

Image credit: AI art Generated – DeviantArt

His first appearance, historically, is in Troas. Details about his conversion are unknown. Details regarding his faithfulness are made plain in the New Testament scriptures. Luke traveled with the Apostle during his second (from Troas to Philippi), third (from Philippi to Jerusalem) and final (from Jerusalem to Rome) missionary journeys. In addition, during one of Paul's imprisonments, Luke dutifully remained close by. Luke was an educated man; writer, historian, and physician by profession. Paul speaks of him with great affection as the “beloved physician”.

Excerpt of content first published at Paul and Friends | HubPages

From #Jerusalem to #Antioch: The Gospel Across Cultures by Jerome Crowe CP https://t.co/LWSgQ4JDld #Christianity #religion #Bible #ancientrome #society and #culture “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." pic.twitter.com/ijwQpBEE8A

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) February 21, 2020

Paul the Apostle Knew His Friends: BARNABAS

Barnabas was Paul's champion. While others may have doubted the sincerity of the Apostle's conversion, Barnabas sought Paul out. When he found him in Tarsus, he encouraged him to become a fellow laborer and convinced others that he could be an invaluable help with the missionary efforts.

Image credit: AI Generated - DeviantArt

“The disciples were called Christians* first in Antioch.” (Acts 11: 26) Barnabas and Paul traveled together to Antioch in Syria to strengthen the community of believers already there. The zealous teamwork of these two men proved very successful. Though the Church began, A.D. 33, in Jerusalem, from Antioch the “good news” would spread to all the major cities in the Roman Empire, including Rome.

Before becoming a Christian, Barnabas was a Jew; a Levite from the island of Cyprus, whose name was Joseph (Joses). He was called “son of consolation (or encouragement)” by the disciples because he had a gift for motivating those who were discouraged to remain focused, steadfast, and faithful. So committed was he that he sold his property and donated the proceeds to help the poor and needy. His act of generosity spurred others on to perform similar good works.

* Greek: Christianoi: “devotees of the Anointed One.

Excerpt of content first published at Paul and Friends | HubPages

From #Jerusalem to #Antioch: The Gospel Across Cultures by Jerome Crowe CP https://t.co/LWSgQ4JDld #Christianity #religion #Bible #ancientrome #society and #culture “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." pic.twitter.com/ijwQpBEE8A

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) February 21, 2020

With Politics You Can Compromise, With Religion There is No Compromise

My friend, Barbara Radisavljevic, publishes many thought-provoking articles on Medium.com and her article "The Blind, the Elephant, and the Truth" provoked these thoughts. I approached the matter from my understanding as a believer in Jesus Christ.

RE: politics and religion.

My late husband used to say: With politics you can compromise. With religion, there is no compromise. You can't serve 2 masters. You can't dispute the teachings of Jesus because He said His words will judge you in The Last Day. You can share His truth. But His words are not up for debate.

RE: different backgrounds, cultures, and families.

God made the family unit. As for the different backgrounds and cultures, I believe that after God confused the languages, mankind developed those. If mankind had retained the knowledge of the one true God in their minds (which the Bible says they did not do), the cultures would aligned with the will of God and there would no problem. However, the different backgrounds and cultures that existed throughout history and exists to this day and will likely exist until Christ comes again … exist because a nation has decided on their “version of truth”.

Jesus does not recognize different backgrounds and cultures, or families. That's why He told His followers to go into all the world. He also said that His Truth might divide families. Nevertheless, the Good News is for everybody! The Message never changes. It's the same message preached to everyone. It's the people who accept the gospel who get “transformed”. They are born again and their mind gets renewed. They have a new way to walk and talk. They live for Christ. In choosing Christ they might have to forsake background, culture, or family. But if they follow Christ, He said that he will never forsake them.

RE: Can we trust our observations?

NO! “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.”

RE: How do you know whose word to trust?

We can trust The Word. The Apostle John wrote in his epistle that we can KNOW this.

RE: Censorship is not the answer.

Of course it's not. How long has mankind been trying to censor the Bible?

RE: If Americans are to unite?

What do you mean IF? We are united. We just don't agree with each other. LOL. You don't think we're united? Did you see what happened to US after 9/11? In those crowds of people, could you tell who was a Democrat or a Republican?

BOTTOM LINE?

Nowhere in the teachings of Jesus Christ did He ever say that we needed to AGREE about politics. There's politics and there's your faith. Your faith trumps everything! We don't have to agree on anything in order for God's will to be done. The Judge of all the earth will always do the right thing.

But … I have to say … at least in America, we can have lively spirited discussions about politics that can go on and on and on and on and on … and we could never AGREE. But we are FREE to speak our minds in this country. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Source

Travel Destinations: Where to Stop While You're Searching for the Holy Grail

As with many of the world religions and faiths, myths arise about them which are not found in the teachings or the doctrine. But because many people have a fascination with ancient relics and think they might supernatural powers, people go hunting for them. 

Are you familiar with the myth of the Holy Grail? The Holy Grail is supposedly the cup which was used by Jesus at His Last Supper before His death by crucifixion. It is said that Jesus drank from this cup and also passed it to the apostles and the drank from it. This began the Christian tradition known as “The Lord's Supper” or some also call it “Holy Communion”. This myth started about 8 centuries ago and it has persisted. People want to find it!

Depiction of King Arthur's knights seeing a vision of the Holy Grailgathered 

at the Round Table. Evrard d'Espinques/Public Domain.

To this day nobody has found it and even if they did, I am not sure how they would prove it's the real thing. But that doesn't stop people from searching. Even if they never find it, there are six (6) interesting places that they can visit along the way.

1. Holy Chalice of Valencia Chapel, Valencia, Spain

2. Monastery of San Juan de la Peña. Atlas Obscura user philoursmars.

3. Chalice Well at Glastonbury. Rbe2057/CC BY-SA 4.0.

4. Château de Montségur, Montségur, France

5. Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin, Scotland

6. Western Wall Tunnel, Jerusalem, Israel

REFERENCE:  6 Stops on the Hunt for the Holy Grail 

Historical Places : Sea of Galilee

Almost everybody has heard of the Sea of Galilee; especially Christians. It would be no surprise if most people who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ have this place on their list of dream travel destinations.  Some of the apostles were fishermen by occupation and they made their living by fishing in the Sea of Galilee. 

But would you believe it? In 2010, fishing was banned in the Sea of Galilee. The Israeli government stated that chronic over-fishing had severely depleted stocks. The ban was to be in effect for 2 years. 

In 2013, they dumped several thousand fish into the lake. The type of fish were tilapia and silver carp which were expected to increase the lake’s biodiversity and clear its waters of toxins. In 2020 it was reported that the lake (sea) had dried up because of a drought; and then it swelled up because the drought was followed by wet winters. Per a report dated April 15, 2022, Israel was going to give the Sea of Galilee an “extreme makeover” by filling the lake with excess output from desalination plants.

Image credit: Fishing in the Sea of Galilee | Israel Inside Out 

It's a technicality but the Sea of Galilee is not really a sea. It's a lake; a freshwater lake. Israel's largest freshwater lake to be precise.  It is also known by the following alternate names:

• Lake Tiberias
• Sea of Tiberias
• Lake of Gennesaret
• Lake Kinneret
• The Kinneret

FUN FACT: In ancient times. there were three (3) types of fish mainly caught by fishermen: sardines; barbels; and musht or tilapia (the 'Galilean tilapia' is known today as “St. Peter’s Fish”).

It's 2022. Fishing is being allowed in the Sea of Galilee. The original St. Peter’s fish in the Sea of Galilee cannot be found anymore. However, there are 18 species of fish indigenous in the Sea, which includes tilapia, sardine, and catfish.

Bible Study: 7 Major Themes of the Book of Revelation

The overall theme of Revelation is TIME. 

The number 7 was used often in Revelation. There are more than 7 themes in Revelation, however these are the major themes.

1) Crown of life (Rev 2:10)

The saints who remain faithful until the end will receive a “crown of life”.

2) War in heaven (Rev 12:7)

The “war in heaven” is a spiritual war for our souls.  Satan does not want the faithful to be saved.

3) Lamb of God (Rev 5:12) is the Alpha and Omega ( Rev 21:6 )

The “Lamb of God” is Jesus Who was “slain”.  Jesus died for us.  He has the power over TIME.  The “Alpha and Omega” means He is the beginning and the end of TIME.

4) The Harvest   (Rev 14:15)

The “Harvest” is the final day when all on earth will be judged for their works; whether they were faithful or unfaithful.

5) A new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1)

The earth and heaven we now know will be destroyed.  A “new heaven” and a “new earth” will be the new home for the faithful.

6) Tree of life (Rev 22:2)

Jesus promised us eternal life.  The leaves on the “tree of life” are for healing.  Whoever eats of the tree can live forever.  But they have to be in heaven because that’s where the tree is.  Only the faithful will be in heaven.

7) JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! (Rev 22:12)

The faithful are in the church of Christ.  The church is the “bride of Christ”.  Jesus promised He would come again for His bride.  The church will be glad when Jesus comes!

(Image credit: The map of the 7 churches was found at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Seven churches of Asia.)

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If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:

The Major Themes of Genesis

The Book of Exodus

The Book of Numbers

Book of Deuteronomy

Original Source

The Book of Revelation in Art

https://foxmarksatx.tumblr.com/post/651751591768096768/the-woman-and-the-dragon-revelation-1214

https://foxmarksatx.tumblr.com/post/651751638924673024/the-seven-eyed-seven-horned-lamb-from-the-book-of

Who Was Moses? He Was Called Friend of God

Moses, Friend of God:  "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."

Moses - the name means "drawn from the water" ~ he was the son of Amram and Jochebed (Exo 2: 10-21)

Image credit: Moses On The Nile Spiritual and Religious Bible Wall Decor Art Print Poster (16x20) by Impact Posters Gallery  

“Moses lived for 120 years, a period divided into three sections of forty years each:

The first forty years – from his birth until the flight into Midian. As Pharoah's son, Moses learned to be SOMEBODY.

The second forty years – from the flight into Midian to the Exodus. In desert places he learned how to become a NOBODY.

The third forty years – from the Exodus to his own exodus. As the leader of God's hosts he learned that GOD WAS EVERYBODY – the One he could speak to face to face as a man speaks to his friends”

QUOTE SOURCE: Lockyer, Herbert. "Moses." All the Men of the Bible: A Portrait Gallery and Reference Library of More than 3000 Biblical Characters. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1958. 

Important People in the Life of Moses

Faithful Christians almost never have to walk alone. Besides the fact that Jesus is always with us, in this life we often have faithful companions. It was the same for Moses, who was a faithful servant of God. Three men were there at times when Moses needed encouragement.

Aaron was the brother of Moses. Because he could speak well, God allowed him to go with Moses before Pharoah and ask for the people to be set free. Even though he held an important position as a leader, he was weakened by the murmuring and complaining of the people. He made a golden calf for the Israelites to worship in the desert. This was a terrible sin of idolatry. They were all punished. Despite this he was Moses' faithful speaker, and the first high priest of Israel.

Jethro was a shepherd and priest who lived in Midian. Moses married one of his daughters, Zipporah, and so he became his father in law. Jethro is also called Reuel. He gave Moses wise counsel on how to properly judge God's people. He told him to judge the hard matters and leave the less difficult cases to able men.

Joshua was a faithful servant to Moses and the son of Nun. He was born as a slave under the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt. He was one of the 12 spies sent to bring back a report on the land of Canaan. Joshua reported that the land was good. He was a soldier, brave in battle, and a man who prayed and had faith in God. He was chosen to lead the people after the death of Moses. Moses changed his name from Oshea to Hoshea which means “help” to Joshua, which means “God's help” or “salvation”. 

 

Image credit:  Wikimedia Commons ~ Moses and the Ten Commandments, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902), gouache on board, 10 11/16 x 5 5/8 in. (27.3 x 14.5 cm), at the Jewish Museum, New York  c. 1896-1902

The Death of Moses, God's Chosen Prophet, God's Lawgiver, and God's Friend

Moses is honored by many today as a holy man of God, a prophet, the one who gave God's laws to Israel, and the man called God's Friend. Yet unlike many other men who built great tombs so that they would not be forgotten, there is no monument or tombstone to mark his grave. To this day nobody has ever discovered the burial place of Moses. All that is known is that he climbed Mount Nebo, viewed the Promised Land (Canaan) from a distance, and died. The nation of Israel mourned his death for thirty (30) days. His passing is recorded in Deuteronomy 34: 1 – 8.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, The Death of Moses, as in Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Bible card published 1907 by the Providence Lithograph Company, 1907

Bible Study: Book of Deuteronomy

The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament, and focused on certain events that were recorded in chapters 31 through 34.

Deuteronomy means “second law”. It ends with Moses' death at the age of 120 years old. This book contains the final teachings he gives to the people. Before Moses dies he sings a song recorded in Deuteronomy 32 and blesses the Israelite tribes. Because he sinned, he never entered the Promised Land. He only viewed it from a distance before his death, but that will never change the fact that Moses is a highly respected man in Judaism and Christianity today.

My favorite verse is Deuteronomy 33:3.

• Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

This is my favorite verse because the thought of everyone receiving the LORD'S words and worshiping at His feet makes me happy. Also,whenever I stumble in my Christian walk I can always remember the LORD loves people and that all His saints are in His hands. I always have the chance to receive His words and study His words.

Bible Study: The Book of Numbers

This is a brief overview of the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Old Testament, and focuses on certain events that were recorded in chapters 10 through 14, and 20 – 14. For example, the people being fed quail and Moses fetching water from the rock. This was done because they said they were brought out of Egypt to die from lack of food and water.

Numbers centers on God's faithfulness to His people and how disobedience will not be tolerated in His eyes. As the tribes set out from the Desert of Sinai the Israelites turn to complaining which provokes the LORD to anger. Even the brother and sister of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, made God angry because they spoke harshly to Moses about his Cushite wife. Miriam was infected with leprosy and had to be confined outside the camp for seven days. 

After leaving Hazeroth, the Israelites camped at the Desert of Paran while Moses sent 12 men to explore Canaan and bring back a report. Ten of the men who brought back a bad report claiming their size compared to the people that lived there was like grasshoppers to giants. The remaining two, Joshua and Caleb, gave Moses a good report. Those who brought back a bad report died by a plague from the LORD.

The Israelites complained often about not having water. The first time Moses miraculously brought water from a rock, God told him to strike it. But the second time, God instructed Moses to speak to the rock. But Moses let his won anger get the better of him and disobeyed God by striking the rock. This sin was the reason Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

The lesson for Christians through the Book of Numbers is God is faithful and always fulfills our necessary needs even though we may have petty complaints about what we need, but He does not tolerate disobedience.

My favorite verse from this book of the Bible is Number 12: 3.

• “Now the man Moses was very humble,more than all men who were on the face of all earth.”

This is my favorite verse in Numbers because it gives me a figure of modesty that I can follow in my Christian walk. Modesty or humbleness in Christian teachings is the fruit of the spirit.



Image Credit: Wikimedia commons, Public Domain  - Miriam stricken with leprosy

Bible Study: The Book of Exodus

The Book of EXODUS focuses on Israelites multiplying and spreading in the land of Egypt resulting in the Egyptians oppressing them with harsh labor due to Pharaoh’s fears of the tribes attempting to oppose him because of their increasing number of people. Pharaoh was so scared that he made an order to throw every Hebrew baby boy in the Nile River,but he allowed girls to live.

Moses was born a Hebrew and because of Pharaoh's order, his mother, Jochebed hid Moses for three months. When she could no longer do this, she then placed him in a papyrus basket and set it in the Nile River. Moses' sister, Miriam, carefully watched to see what would happen to him when Pharaoh's daughter saw him. Although he was identified as a Hebrew baby, Pharaoh's daughter took him to be her own son. Miriam suggested that she could find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child and she went and got Moses' mother.

Moses was raised as a part of Pharoah's family and lived in Egypt for 40 years. One day, he murdered an Egyptian who was mistreating one of the Hebrew slaves. The next day he discovered that his act was not a secret, so he ran away to Midian. There he lived as a shepherd, married, and had children. A life changing pivotal point in Moses' life occurs on Mount Horeb where Moses encounters a flaming bush that was not being burned by the fire. God spoke to Moses from the bush. God said He has heard their cries of agony from His people and Moses would be sent to deliver them. Moses was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey called Canaan.

Listen to the Book of Exodus online free.

* Important Events in the Book of Exodus

1. Moses drawn from the river by Pharoah's daughter
2. God speaks to Moses through the Burning Bush
3. Egyptians were afflicted with Ten Plagues
4. Moses parting the Red Sea
5. Moses receives the Ten Commandments
6. Tribes of Israel worship the Golden Calf
7. God's people gather manna, the bread from heaven
8. Moses' arms held up to win the battle of Amalekites

Bible Study: The Major Themes of Genesis

Probably an excellent way to study the Bible is to start at the beginning. That's what the word "Genesis" means. If you are a new student of biblical studies these notes should get you started.

THE MAJOR THEMES OF GENESIS

1. God had a plan to redeem all of humanity.

2. The beginning of God’s creation.

3. Temptation by Satan to sin.

4. Sin against the Lord; mankind’s disobedience.

5. God’s promise to Abram (Abraham)

6. Lives of holy men like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph and how they walked before God.

7. God keeps His promises.



IMPORTANT EVENTS

• God created the heavens, the earth, and man; and made the Sabbath Day holy.

• Satan tempts God’s children, Adam and Eve, and they sin against the Lord, and are cast out of their first home.

• Noah preaches and warns people about the flood; builds the ark, the flood happens, and only eight souls survive (Noah’s family).

• Nimrod builds the Tower of Babel to reach the heavens and God confuses the language of the people to stop the work and they scatter upon the face of the earth.

• God calls Abram out of his homeland, the Ur of the Chaldees, promises to make of his seed a holy nation. 

Abraham's Seed:  God's Plan ~ God's Promise ~ God's Providence

BRIEF OUTLINE OF GENESIS

• Chapters 1 - 5:  Creation and the fall of man  
• Chapters 6-11 : 9:  Noah, the flood; Tower of Babel, and confusion of languages  
• Chapter 11: 10 – Chapter 36:  Lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
• Chapter 37 – 50:  The story of Joseph and how God brought His people out of bondage to fulfill His promise to Abraham.
  
  

READ or LISTEN to the Book of Genesis Online

There are many sites on the Internet where you can read or listen to the books of the Bible free.

• If you want to read Genesis online, click here.
• If you want to listen, click audio.

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Related JDV Posts:

And God Said to the Woman "Thou Shalt Not Be Equal" : Did God Really Say That?

Bible Study: 7 Major Themes in the Book of Revelation

The number 7 was used often in Revelation.  There are more than 7 themes in Revelation, but I understand these. 

1) Crown of life (Rev 2:10)

The saints who remain faithful until the end will receive a “crown of life”.

2) War in heaven (Rev 12:7)

The “war in heaven” is a spiritual war for our souls.  Satan does not want the faithful to be saved.

3) Lamb of God (Rev 5:12) is the Alpha and Omega ( Rev 21:6 )

The “Lamb of God” is Jesus Who was “slain”.  Jesus died for us.  He has the power over TIME.  The “Alpha and Omega” means He is the beginning and the end of TIME.

4) The Harvest   (Rev 14:15)

The “Harvest” is the final day when all on earth will be judged for their works; whether they were faithful or unfaithful.

5) A new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1)

The earth and heaven we now know will be destroyed.  A “new heaven” and a “new earth” will be the new home for the faithful.

6) Tree of life (Rev 22:2)

Jesus promised us eternal life.  The leaves on the “tree of life” are for healing.  Whoever eats of the tree can live forever.  But they have to be in heaven because that’s where the tree is.  Only the faithful will be in heaven. 7) JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! (Rev 22:12) The faithful are in the church of Christ.  The church is the “bride of Christ”.  Jesus promised He would come again for His bride.  The church will be glad when Jesus comes! Image credit:  "New Jerusalem" Poster by Calgacus | Redbubble #Apocalypse #Revelation #prophecy https:// ~ https://bit.ly/3m0toEk ~ #artposters #wallart

Religions of Man: Quick Intro to Baha'ism

The word “extant” means: still in existence, i. e. not lost in the course of time.

This post presents a timeline of the major extant religions and culminates with a quick introduction to the last faith that began in the 19th century.  Major extant religions emerged in the following order:

* 3rd millennium B.C.: Hinduism (India) and Shintoism (Japan);

* 13th century B.C.: Judaism (Palestine);

* 7th century B.C.: Zoroastrianism (Persia);

* 6th century B.C.: Taoism and Confucianism (China); Jainism and Buddhism (India, with roots in Hinduism);

* 1st century A.D.: Christianity (Jerusalem, with roots in Judaism);

* 7th century A.D.: Islam (Arabia, with roots in Judaism);

* 16th century A.D.: Sikhism (India, with roots in Hinduism);

* 19th century A.D.: Baha’ism (Persia, with roots in Islam).

Baha’ism is monotheistic.  It is believed that the doctrines of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity can be reconciled. This movement has never been accepted by Muslims, Jews, or Christians, nevertheless the community boasts an estimated 5 million converts, there are temples and shrines in India, the United States, the Middle East and other parts of the world. The YouTube video is a documentary about three Bahai believers.

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Have you ever heard of the Bahá’í Faith?

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Additional Reference:

World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored & Explained

Race Reconciliation: A Christian Perspective

When addressing the topic of “race reconciliation” we have to go back to Genesis. When God created Adam and made Eve from Adam's rib, God made of all men one flesh – it is our physical reality that Eve is the mother of us all and spiritual reality that God is the Father of us all.

If disciples follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, they will understand that Jesus has made of all men ONE. He taught us how to find our way through our own man-made confusion and return to the way it was “from the beginning”.

Somewhere along the timeline of humanity as mankind moved away from God … because at one time ALL MEN KNEW the One True God ... mankind began to divide themselves into something called 'race'.

Now people say that “race reconciliation” is needed. (DUH???)

But Jesus solved this PROBLEM THAT WE CREATED FOR OURSELVES by teaching us that WE ARE ALL ONE.

The only time the Bible describes a person's “color” is if it is a description of the person's physical traits. NOT THEIR RACE!!

The Bible refers to mankind BY NATIONS. Why? Because when God confused the languages of man, it eventually led to the establishment of various nations.

You know … He is God. Why didn't He separate mankind by skin color?

“Racism” is a SIN. It was born out of a CORRUPT THOUGHT, a man's desire to have power and control over his fellow man … the CONQUERED and the CONQUEROR ... and carried out by those who choose EVIL instead of OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

Instead accepting the FACT … the TRUTH … that God only created male and female, that Eve is the mother of all living, and that through the sons of the Noah, the NATIONS of the earth were overspread … instead, they made up “races” for the one human race. People began to have confidence in their flesh which is being carnal-minded. Christians are not in the flesh. We in the Spirit.

Mankind moved away from God and now we have a “problem” (?), a “social issue” or a “matter” (?) … we have a SIN we are wrestling with called RACISM.

Jesus came to RECONCILE MAN TO GOD and He accomplished His mission.

Standing on the Word of God, I boldly declare that Jesus already accomplished “race reconciliation”. If we want to get technical, during the time Jesus walked the earth, the “racial division” or “racial strife” which required “race reconciliation” was the separation between Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. The DIVISION that required RECONCILIATION resulted from the differences in their BELIEF IN THE ONE TRUE GOD. NOT THEIR SKIN COLOR!!!

Jesus came to reconcile ALL MEN TO THE ONE TRUE GOD. That's the only “reconciliation” that matters. The reconciliation of the human race to their Creator.