THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BIBLE

Christian faith is never a blind faith but is a faith with evidence. The Bible is a written word of God. To make it more specific, it is not just God`s word, but it is God himself. It is written in the book of John1:1, that the heavens and the Earth are created by the power of this word and that it this word that became flesh as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The historical accuracy of the Bible and its reliability as a moral guide are discussed in this article.

Archeological evidence for the Bible:

Walls of Jericho:

It was discovered in 1930, by John Garstang. The peculiar thing about it is that the walls of Jericho fell outwardly and suddenly giving way to the Israelites to enter the city. The British archeologist Kathlyn Kenyon excavated the southern Jordan valley in the 1950s and found piles of mud bricks in the site and further proved the findings of John Garsang. This city lies in the fault-line of the red sea, and scientists believe that this mighty wall must have been shaken by an earthquake.

Records about the existence of Hitites are discovered in Turkey.

Parting of the red sea and discovery of chariot wheels:

Scientists reveal the possibility of the red sea being part by a storm. Another excellent evidence of the parting of the red sea incident is the chariot wheels, the human bones and horse hoofs discovered by Ron Wyatt and his sons in the sea bed. They are still present in the Wyatt Museum, Tennessee.

 Flood in times of Noah:

Robert Ballard, the famous underwater archaeologist, who discovered the remains of Titanic in the year 1985, says that the Black sea was just a small fresh water lake till a large flood 200 times greater than the Niagara Falls swept it. The water level was not just a slow rising level, but it has been flooded and the land under has remained under. Many man- made structures such as pottery were found, and carbon dating of shells dated back to the times of Noah.

Discovery of Sodom and Gomorrah:

Ruin of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah was discovered in areas near the Dead sea. The Brimstones Sulphur and an ancient clay tablet dated to 700BC discovered stating that an asteroid has fallen on this land of Sodom and Gomorrah are all classic evidence for the historical truths mentioned in the Bible.

The birth and death of Jesus:

The writings of the famous non- Christian authors such as Josephus of AD 37 are real evidence for the birth and the crucifixion of Jesus. The empty grave, the place where Jesus lived, the writings by his disciples and a number of non-Christian and Roman historians and authors silently speak as an evidence for the life of Jesus. The division of the entire history as before and after Christ, itself is an enough evidence to prove the authenticity of the life of Christ mentioned in this holy book.

Bible is a reliable book for morality:

It is written in 2 timothy 3:16 as, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.  Bible is a book of life. It has the ability to speak, to correct, to instruct and to guide us in the right path. Bible places a clear cut distinction of good and evil and makes it clear the consequences of sin.

It is written in Hebrews 4:12 as, “ For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Bible discerns the good from the evil and gives the power for a Christian to live a holy life. The personal experience of the author of this article is that, this wonderful book had the power to change this person`s life, from a life of condemnation and guilt to a life of freedom and liberty.

This book is a book full of divine wisdom to help a person have a closer walk with God. Moreover, this book, is a book is full of promises, that can speak customized to a person`s needs, which means, it is not just a book to read, but an important tool for the almighty God to speak, to his children.

Apart from this, the Holy Bible is an emporium of prophecies once told and are fulfilled now and those that are divinely inspired and yet to be fulfilled. This book is a treasure and a guide to walk straight on the King`s highway, for every Christian in his pilgrimage.

OUR GOD IS A FAITHFUL GOD
²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

 I heard about the life of a man named John Clarke, who went as a missionary to the remote parts of the African jungle to do the Lord`s ministry. There was not one white man within hundreds of miles and not even a government outpost to run for help, near that place. It was at this time, his wife Mina ,was burning with a tropical fever, with nobody to help them around.
She put a strange request to him , that she needed three ripe tomatoes, and that it will give the necessary nourishment to sustain her, till help comes.

But to their dismay,  as far as he knew , there were`nt ripe tomatoes in the whole of Belgian Congo. There might be some canned tomatoes in a distant outpost, but never ripe ones. They just did not grow tomatoes in that part of Africa.John Clarke was so troubled with all sought of questions in his mind. Why did the Lord allow his Wife to suffer so, to approach death with no hope of a doctor`s help for another week? Perhaps, they should not have come to this lonesome jungle. Why in the world , had they ever come to Africa? But no! that was doubting God. He had sent them there, blessed their work, souls were saved and a native church was built.Surely, God wanted them to be there.Then why?

Steadily the tropical fever was sapping out her life from Mina Clarke.By nightfall she was too weak to talk and all that she could do is to moan and whisper. In agony of spirit, John Clarke  heard that dying request -three ripe tomatoes.He would go to any extreme to get those three ripe tomatoes,if it is humanly possible.

It was at this time, he was visited by a bush - woman in a familiar tribal dress , who wanted to see him.Questioning her, he found that she was a bush- woman from the tribe he visited last month and she had been sent to him for advice, if they can eat this queer fruit, that she had grown from the seeds left to them by a white man, as food was scarce in their place that summer.As John Clarke peered into the basket he almost cried out of joy. for their in that basket was - Three ripe tomatoes, and the woman also said that she had more of them.These tomatoes came as an answer for Mina`s prayer and as a rebuke to his doubts, from the seeds that was sown months before, as a providence from God.

Mina Clarke ate those tomatoes and lived till the doctor came with the healing medicine,lived for a successful ministry through the appearance of the three ripe tomatoes , planted, raised and ripened at the right time by the hand of the all-wise God.This story is retrieved from miracles and melodies.

Our God is a faithful God and he will never let us go......
Though the storms may come and the winds may blow,
he will never let go our hands.

the song "Be Thou My Vision"

 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

The story behind the song:

 St.Patrick was born in Scotland in AD 373. He was kidnapped by pirates and was taken to Ireland as a slave, when he was 16. There he gave his heart to Jesus. Though he escaped from them, and came back home, he could never forget the encounter he had with Jesus. Then, when he was 30, he returned back to his captors and the only possession he had with him was a Latin Bible. As a result of his preaching, over 200 churches were established and 100,000 converts were baptized in Ireland.

Some scholars believed that, King Logaire of Tara, an Irish king, had decreed, that no one was allowed to light fire, until a pagan festival where the fire was lit for the pagan god. This edict restricted the lighting of candles for Easter. But St. Patrick chose to defy the King`s decree, and took a stand to honor God, even if it meant death. The King himself appreciated this act of his bravery and rendered his mission work unhindered. This song was written as a tribute on St. Patrick by Dallan Fragaill for this brave act.  

To conclude, some believe that, this song was written by St. Patrick himself and some say that it is written by Dallan Fragaill. Whatever be it, this song has always been an expression of a deep sacrifice for Christ.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:7

 ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:37-39

Helping children overcome emotional problems, the christian way.!

Every child goes through , some kind of emotional disturbances, as they go through the hazzles of life before reaching adulthood. Emotional problems in children when dealt at a right age, can bring lasting effects ,making them  healthy adults of future. Emotions such as joy , fear and anger and secondary emotions such as embarrassment, shame , guilt play a critical role in organizing the child`s behavior throughout their lives.

When a child is emotionally stressed, the common expression is uncontrolled anger and an aggressive behavior. Some children withdraw themselves from their surrounding, ending themselves in depression. Some children presents themselves ,with a loss of confidence and reduced self esteem. Whatever be it, emotions, when they cannot be controlled by the child becomes emotional problems , that can seriously affect the child`s development in various areas of life. Here are below, 7 tips to help children, cope with behavioural problems.

1.       Unconditional love and quality time from parents.

2.       Helping children to vent out , what they feel.

3.       Encouraging healthy habits

4.       Reducing stress at home.

5.       Helping children to improve coping and problem solving skills.

6.       Prayer and meditation

7.       Creating a safety plan in case of highly susceptible kids.

Unconditional love and quality time from parents:

The root of most of the emotional problems in childhood, is either love deprivation or conditional love. Hence parents and caretakers of children with emotional problem ,should provide them with unconditional love and spend quality time of interaction with them.

Helping children to vent out:

Listening to children empathically , and encouraging them to vent out their feelings, can keep children from building up pressure . Correct ways to diffuse anger, like time outs and distractions can also be taught to children, according to their age.

Encouraging healthy habits:

Encouraging the child to have healthy habits such as, outdoor play,exercise,healthy diet, good sleep and less screen time ,all of them play a vital role in helping child to cope with their emotions.

Reducing stress at home:

Grief and loss in any family can have a big impact on the emotional wellbeing of the children. Hence it is the responsibility of the parents, to provide a secure and stress free environment to the children , at home. If the parents themselves are going through emotional stresses, and are unable to deal it themselves, then it is better that they meet a counselor and get them resolved.

Helping children to improve coping and problem solving skills:

 Negative thoughts in children, can be removed by encouraging child to approach a problem in a different prospective. Encouragement, praise and placing achievable targets can enhance a child`s problem solving ability.

Prayer and meditation:

Prayer and meditation of the word of God, can help children to trust in God, for problems that they cannot solve. Prayer , can also relax a child`s mind, making it peaceful and tranquile. Helping children understand the love of God and teaching them to forgive , can heal really sick hearts.helping children to meditate on the love of christ, from the word of God can lay in them a strong and healthy foundation.

Creting safety plan for highly susceptible kids:

Children who have no control over their emotions , and have expressed their wish to die,should be dealt very carefully, by creating a safety plan at home, with a good list of phone numbers , to call up when they cannot control their emotions.children taking antidepressants should be treated cautiously. Parents should be prepared for any emergency ,handling highly susceptible children.

There is nothing in the world, that prayer cannot change. Parents dedicated to help out their kids in their problems,can always run to the throne of grace for their children.

Dealing emotional stresses at a very early age , is the dynamic approach  for treating emotional problems ,than treating it as a full-fledged disorder.hence , healthy parenting is mandatory for the emotional well-being of children.

Sources:

ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics)

              http://www.solutionsforchildproblems.com/child-with-emotional-problems.html

               http://www.cehl.org/takingcharge.shtml 

Love of Christ:

1 John 4:19
We love Him because He first loved us.

John 15:9

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

 1 John 4:6-8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Romans 13:10.

love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love

1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 Corinthians 8:3
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

1 Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

 John 3:16¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

                   Jesus loves you, no matter who you are, or how you are. Man sees the face, but Jesus sees the depth of your heart. Come just as you are, under the cleansing streams of his blood, and be made holy and righteous before his eyes. Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ: for the blood of Jesus washes away all our sins.