The Black Plague - Black Death

I was talking about the Gospel with someone yesterday, and was describing sin and how we, so often, do not see our own sin. Somehow, in my mind, I was making a connection to the wordless book, which is a book that tells the Gospel using colors. If you want to learn more about this, go to http://thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com One of the colors is black. In talking about the wordless book color, the colors black and white do not pertain to skin color or nationalities, so keep that in mind. The color black reminds us of sin, because sin is dark and harmful. I was making a connection between the Black death and our own sinful hearts which are darkened by sin. Just as the black plague brought physical death to multitudes, sin brings spiritual death to all of us. Anyway, the Black Plague struck Europe in the year 1347. !2 ships came into a port at Messina, and those waiting for the arrival of these ships were in for a big surprise, for when they arrived and were opened, many sailors were dead. Those who were still alive were very ill. They were delirious with fever and pain. They also had black boils all over their bodies which were oozing pus and blood. Immediately the Silician authorities sent the ships away, but it was too late for the disease had already entered Europe and over the next five years, 1/3 of Europe would be wiped out by this 'Black Plague'. http://www.history.com/topics/black-death

Today in History - All Hallow's Eve

  I have heard many stories on the origins of Halloween, but I have learned some new insights recently. Actually, Halloween isn't the evil holiday we all have been taught that it is since we became Christians and I will attempt to explain the reasons why.

  Some have said that it originated with the Druids. I have heard that it was the response of pranksters responding to All Hallow's Eve by scaring those who celebrate the holiday. Well, I'm sure there are some tie ins here and there, but why has Halloween become the holiday it is today, and why do Americans celebrate this holiday?

    It is becoming big, as there are people even in my neighborhood who put up Halloween lights! The economy is doing better because of Halloween. But what really is Halloween and what has it become?

   This morning, I read an article by James B. Jordan called, Concerning Halloween. The article is excellent and has a whole new understanding of what Halloween was and why people celebrate it today. I will post the url here, in case you want to just read it for yourself: James B. Jordan - Concerning Halloween

   According to the article, All Saints Day was a day celebrated by Christians which was about the Victory of the Saints who are in union with Christ, and began in the 300s. The practice spread in different parts of the world. There was no connection between this day (All Saints Day) and Celtic Druidism.  The practice of the observance of this holiday finalized in the 700s and the date of November 1 was chosen to celebrate All Saints Day.

   The origin of Halloween actually had to do with the defeat over the Powers of Darkness. It has to do with mocking the devil because he is a defeated foe. The Bible says that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual, and we can defeat the Enemy only through using the spiritual weapons today. According to the article, Halloween is the celebration of the mockery of the demonic forces, now that they have been defeated by the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

   I would like to throw in a couple of thoughts here as well (hope I don't take up too much room. Will try to take up as little space as possible. I promise!). One thought is that of worship. What is worship exactly and are people really worshiping the Enemy when they dress up in costumes and collect candy from neighbors?

   Worship is an issue of the heart. For example, if I have a decorated Christmas tree in my living room, it doesn't mean that I am worshiping the tree. But, if the tree is my love and my delight, if I treasure this tree in my heart, then that would fall toward worship. If I give power to the tree (if I think the tree can satisfy me or make me happy or fulfilled) then that would be worship. But just having a tree in the house to celebrate and decorate for a holiday is not worshiping the tree! Same thing with Halloween. If I want to go to my neighbor's house to collect candy on October 31st, I am not worshiping the devil! Now, I might be worshiping candy and that is a whole other issue! I have been guilty of that when I was a child, come to think of it. One Halloween came by when I was probably 8 years old, and I had the chicken pox. I couldn't go Trick or Treating that year, and I wasn't happy. I couldn't imagine not being able to collect candy from my neighbors! How horrible! Or so it seemed. If I only knew of God's greatness and power, and if I would have been in awe of God instead, the candy would not have mattered.

   My second (and last) thought is this; is it wrong for Christians to take advantage of this holiday when people are coming to your door? I think it is a great idea to use this opportunity as an evangelistic outreach. This is one of the biggest times of the year when I get to see my neighbors and their kids, but also I get to give out specially imprinted toys with the Gospel message on them. Kids love coming to my house (I actually heard this out of a child's mouth last year) and I want to bless them with the Word of God. I want them to know what this house stands for, and I want them to take the Word of God home with them. I have even had opportunities to share the Gospel on Halloween at my house. And I pray that tonight, God's Word will have an even greater affect on people than in the past years. May more people come knocking on my door for candy, and a lot more!

   Something for us all to think about.

Lief Eriksson Lands on the Coast of North America

   Around the year 1,000, a Viking boat hit the shores of Newfoundland in North America. The man who was in charge of this ship was Lief Eriksson, possibly from Greenland.
   According to legend, Lief Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red, who was kicked out of Iceland for murdering too many of his enemies. A Viking who was bound for Greenland, but because of a strong wind, was blown off course. Eventually he did get to Greenland, and Lief Eriksson bought his boat. Lief took the boat and landed on many islands. He finally landed on a place he called, 'Vinland' where he found a 'paradise of mild climate, wild grapes, and broad meadows'. He never settled there though, and return to Greenland. He did end up making three trips altogether to 'Vinland' but never stayed.
http://www.almanac.com/content/who-was-leif-eriksson

Viking Ship

Viking funerals were done on ship. They would take wood and make a pile and set it on fire on the ship (pyre) and the whole ship would burn up with the dead person's body in it. It was a form of cremation.
At some point, many Vikings converted to Christianity. As many graves were dug up, Vikings were found to have been buried with sacred icons and with Bibles. 

Good Old King Wenceslas- He really Did Exist and is the Patron Saint of Czechoslovakia

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

We have all sung these words at Christmas time, or at least we have heard them. But who is King Wenceslas and why is he renowned? 

  King Wenceslas lived during the 10th Century, and was killed because of the jealousy of his brother. He ruled for seven years in Bohemia, which is now in the Czech Republic. He was raised by his grandmother, who was a devout Christian. 

  Wenceslas had a greedy mom, who wanted to rule the country. When Wenceslas was thirteen, his father died, so his grandmother, Ludmila, acted as regent for the county, but was murdered by Wenceslas mother who took over the kingdom.

  Even though Wenceslas was not old enough to become king, he banished his mom to another country, and at the same time, encouraged missionaries to preach the Gospel in Germany. He did many good things for people and reformed the rules of the country. In spite of this, he did things that weren't good for the cause of Christ, much like Constantine and Columbus did. Wenceslas ordered people to become Christians and punished them if they didn't respond. 

   Wenceslas had a heart for poor people, which was taught to him by his grandmother, Ludmila. He had become known for his charity toward the poor, hence the words in the carol, 

                      

    "Mark my footsteps, my good page, 

Tread thou in them boldly: 

Thou shalt find the winter's rage 

Freeze thy blood less coldly."

  
  He was killed by his brother and a couple of assassins on September 28, 929, while entering the church building. 
Read the full story here: Christian Timeline King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas was written by
John Mason Neale

Separation of Church and State Issue Again - Article by Ray Harker

  I'm going to post a url to a web site explaining about the issue of Separation of Church and State, but before I do that, I want to explain a few things first.
  In very early America, before America was even a country, there was a group of people that came over here on a ship called the Mayflower. There were actually two groups of people who were on the Mayflower as it made its way across the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1620. One group was called, 'Pilgrims' and the other group was known as 'Adventurers'. The Pilgrims were coming to America because of having to live in a stressful environment in which they weren't allowed the freedom to do what they felt God was telling them to do based upon Scripture. In England, the church and government were tied in with each other. Basically, the church had to do whatever the king wanted. And if you are in a church where the Bible is the final authority, and you want to follow that, you would be in conflict in England because you would have to follow the king and whatever he wanted or believed the Bible said. So, the Pilgrims made their way over to this land, far away from England, with the hopes of being able to establish a church that isn't headed by a king! The Adventurers came over to America with the hopes of finding gold and and whatever they could find that would make them happy. They did not profess to be Christian and at times, they made fun of the Pilgrims. It helps to keep this all in mind when dealing with the issue of Separation of Church and State. What originally was intended to provide freedom for the Pilgrims, is now taking a reverse role in America to try to eradicate Christianity, especially when the Christian is communicating Biblical truths on any governmental property. This is NOT how this principle was intended to be used.
   Today, there are cases in which Christians (in particular) cannot even express opinions or share beliefs on God, because it violates something called, 'Separation of Church and State'. This principle is not found in the Constitution, yet, future lawyers are taught that it is, while they are in law school.
   Take for example this ridiculous situation. A teacher was wearing a button that says 'I love Jesus'. When the principle of the school noticed it, he ordered her to remove it. Now, let me ask a question here. If a female teacher comes into her classroom fully garbed in Middle Eastern attire, will she get into trouble. Probably not. And rightly so. In America, she has the freedom to dress according to her religious convictions and she shouldn't be stopped. So, what am I saying? I believe that this whole concept of Separation of Church and State is really to silence the Christian. It holds a belief that Christianity is a threat to other people because of the demands it makes on a person's life.
   When I was in school, it was a lot different (I'll admit, it was a very long time ago). We did the pledge of Allegiance (with one nation under God in it) and we even had prayer, I believe. I am not necessarily advocating having someone say a prayer ever morning over the intercom, as people will be praying to different gods possibly, and its not necessary to do that, but, in the early American days, we could get away with it because everyone in a community, during that era, was on the same page as far as religious beliefs went. I am not saying that everyone was a Christian either. Some were. Others were just in that environment and went along with it.
   But today, there are groups who seem to search out anything that relates to Christianity, and remove it from the schools, and many times, will punish the person responsible for bringing it into the school.
   Yes, we should not ever 'make' people believe in Christianity or the Bible. Only God can change a heart. But there is a great difference between trying to convert people against their will, and just living out a life based upon Scriptures. I find it interesting when I ask people if they ever got one (one, meaning a tract), and they ask me what it is, and I tell them that it has the Gospel message on it, occasionally, they will accuse me of 'shoving religion down their throats' (This phrase is always exactly the same. Must be some kind of anti-Christian conspiracy : )  So, if I give someone a tract, I am shoving religion down their throats? Kind of a stretch, isn't it? But this is exactly what is happening with the concept of 'Separation of Church and State'. It's not in the Constitution, but it is in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. These people were very concerned because the memory of the Church of England was still fresh in their minds. They had a valid reason to be concerned. Here is an excerpt from the article I mentioned on the top of the page:
Well, in October 1801 the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote to President Jefferson, and in their letter they voiced some concerns over religious freedom. They were concerned as to whether the government would ever interfere with the practicing of their faith. Bear in mind that these early Americans had just gained independence from England’s government as well as from its established church. These Baptists had a valid reason for being concerned.
You can read the whole article at Separation of Church and State 2 - Examiner.com
Keep in mind that 'Separation of Church and State' is not in the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is the First Amendment, which places the restriction on the government, not on the people. Now we don't have to worry about the government deciding what we should believe in or what our churches should be teaching. Government cannot interfere with religious practices.
"The intent of the First Amendment was well understood during the founding of our country. The First Amendment was not to keep God out of government; it was to keep Government from establishing a “national denomination,” like the Church of England."
Very well said, Mr. Harker. A far cry from complaining about a Nativity scene in the front yard of a public, government owned building. Sad.
 

Names of Those Who Participated in the Boston Tea Party

Here are the names of those who participated in the Boston Tea Party. When we went to the museum, each person received a card with the name of a person on it, that was part of the Boston Tea Party episode. The name I got was 'John Crane' and according to the story, I got knocked out from having a chest of tea fall on my head! People thought I was dead, but I was only unconscious. Paul Revere was part of the Boston Tea Party? Interesting.

Mary Goose - Related to Mother Goose - Buried in Granary Burying Ground, Boston

I know where Mary Goose is buried. Actually, the story goes like this; Mary Balstan was married to Isaac Goose and they had children, but Mary died. She was the one buried in the Granary Burying Ground. Isaac remarried a woman named Elizabeth and they had some children. One daughter was named Elizabeth as well. This daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Fleet and they had a child. The grandmother, Elizabeth Goose, was ecstatic, and sang ditties and came up with melodies for children to sing to her grandson. Some people got irritated at her singing, but her son-in-law, Thomas Fleet, took her songs and put them in a book. The book was published many years later and we know them as the original Mother Goose rhymes. But Mary Goose is the one who is buried in Granary Burying Ground, not Elizabeth. So you can see Mary's grave if you visit there. Her claim to fame is that she was married to the man who later married the real Mother Goose.
    We visited the Granary Burying Ground in Boston last week. A few other famous people were buried there. Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and those killed in the Boston Massacre are all buried in Granary Burying Ground. We found out the Mary Goose is also buried here. Here is a web site that explains who she is and what she did: Celebrate Boston - Mother Goose