Shincheonji Bible: The Birth of Jesus and the Purpose of Christmas

2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born and that is why many of us celebrate the day of Christmas. However, did you know that there was much more to the story of how Jesus appeared? Jesus did not just come from a sudden decision of God, but actually God had promised Jesus to come.

One verse that promises Jesus to come is Zechariah 9:9. This verse shows that Jerusalem's king will come on a foal of a donkey. This verse was given before Jesus ever came to the earth, but was fulfilled once he was born and grew up spreading his ministry. The verse came to reality in Matthew 21:1-9.

Another verse that promised Jesus to come was in Isaiah 7:14. This verse shows that Jesus would be born of a virgin and he will be called Immanuel (God with us). This verse came to reality in Matthew 1:23 where Jesus was born from virgin Mary which is the nativity scene that many of us look at today and remember the birth of Jesus through Christmas. 

Therefore, let us always remember that Christmas is not just about celebrating the festive nights and lights that are put on display, but let us always remember that Christ was promised to us and that is why we are able to believe his coming to this earth to bring salvation. 

Shincheonji Bible: The Heart of a Disciple

What does it mean when asked, "what is the heart of a disciple?"

During the first coming of Jesus Christ, there were many disciples that followed Jesus. The ones who stayed with him till the very end until He descended to heaven were the 12 disciples. Although there were many others, not many of them stayed with him as they found Jesus to bring a teaching that did not fit their standards (John 6:60,66). Then we must ask why the 12 disciples decided to stay with Jesus till the very end. According to John 6:67-68, Jesus asks the disciples if they wanted to leave. Peter, one of the 12 disciples answered to whom should they go because they knew Jesus had the words of eternal life. They stuck with Jesus because they knew He had the words of eternal life.

Then why did some think of Jesus' words as words of foolishness and why did the 12 disciples hear the words as eternal life? This was because they understood the scriptures and perceived Jesus had come to fulfill all the scriptures regarding himself (Matthew 5:17). They knew He was the walking word in flesh and believed it with all their heart and their soul. Their faith was so strong they even died themselves spreading these words of eternal life (Bible). Not anyone in this world is willing to die for others, and moreover for a couple of words. If you ask anyone if they are willing to die for their favorite book, it is hard for them to say yes because it isn't precious enough for them to do so. Then what did the disciples see in the Bible that was so precious that they spilled their blood, were torn apart, hid in catacombs, and risked their life everyday for the Bible? That is something we must ask ourselves everyday. Even further, we must ask ourselves, how precious do we see the Bible? Are we willing to die for it as if we were to be able to die for our loved ones? Do we have the same heart as the disciples where they were willing to die for the Bible to be spread all over the world to even today in our hands? They died so we can have these words of eternal life and died for people who they didn't even know. Then, let's make sure we never forget what they have done for us, and furthermore what Jesus has done for us. Their death has become a chance for us to live. Let us understand the scriptures and search for the preciousness written within the Bible to understand their heart and the heart of God everyday. Amen.