Interesting Facts About Jesus By Godwin Goziem Jireh

Here are 10 interesting facts about Jesus hidden in the pages of the Bible.
1. The Birth of Jesus

While reporting of the miraculous conception and virgin birth of Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew alludes to this miracle as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Jesus’ birth led to the division of history into two: Before Christ (B.C) and Anno Domini, meaning “in the year of the Lord” (A.D).

However, it is widely believed that Christ was born earlier than 4 B.C, the date Herod, the wicked ruler who played an active part in Christ’s birth story (Matthew 2), died. But some scholars also hold the view that since the census mentioned in Luke 2:2 probably occurred about 6 B.C., the Lord Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 B.C.

Although Jesus’ birthday is globally celebrated on December 25 each year, the Bible does not mention His exact birthday. Different scholars have suggested the birth of Christ sometime in winter or early spring. Celebrating His birth at Christmas has come to stay because the date offers an alternative to many pagan festivals happening at this time.

2. The Magi at Jesus' Birth

The Bible does not tell us how many wise men visited newborn King Jesus, though we often see Christmas crèches with three wise men. Perhaps it is because the Magi came to worship Him with three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

3. The Name of Jesus

Jesus, a common first-century name, is the English transliteration of the Greek name Iesus, derived from the Hebrew name Yeshuah, meaning "Yahweh/Jehovah saves" or "Yahweh/Jehovah is salvation." It is the same name as Joshua, but especially given by God's angel to reveal the mission of the Divine Child (Matthew 1:18-21; Luke 1:28–33)


Christ is not Jesus’ surname, but it is a title derived from the Greek term Christos, meaning “anointed one.” It refers to the promised Messiah in the Old Testament. Several other appellative and metaphorical titles for Jesus are seen in the Bible. Examples: Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13); Author and Perfecter of Faith (Hebrews 12:2); Beginning of the Creation of God (Revelation 3:14); Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10); Creator of all things (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2); Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18); Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14 ); Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3); King (Luke 1:33; Revelation 17:14; 19:16); Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36); Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45 , 47); Light of the World (John 8:12 ); Lord (Matthew 22:14, 43); Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5); Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 24:19);Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20; Titus 2:14); Saviour (Luke 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31); Son of David (Matthew 9:27; 21:9); Son of God (Matthew 3:17; Luke 1:35; Colossians 1:15; 1 John 5:20); Son of Man (Matthew 8:20; John 1:51; Acts 7:56); The Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6); The Word (John 1:1, 14).

4. The Four Images of Jesus

In correspondence to the faces of the cherubim in visions recorded in Ezekiel 1:10; 10:15; 41:19; Revelation 4:7, Jesus is seen to be symbolically represented in the Gospel of Matthew as a man, in Mark as an eagle; in Luke as an ox, and in John as a lion.

A close examination of the four Gospels will show that they focus on different aspects of Jesus' identity.

Matthew emphasises that Jesus is the Son of David, the promised Messiah (Matthew 1:1; see Psalm 89:29, 36; 103:11; Acts 2:30); thus presenting Jesus as a humble man (see 1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Mark asserts that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1; see Psalm 2:4, 11-12; Proverbs 30:4; Daniel 3:25; thus portraying Jesus as a swift eagle (see Exodus 4:22; 19:4; compare Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Timothy 1:13).

Luke teaches that Jesus is the suffering Savior (Luke 19:10; see 9:44, 56; 24:44-48); thus typifying Jesus as a sacrificial ox (Exodus 20:24; Isaiah 53:7-10).

John reveals that Jesus is God (John 1:1-3, 14; 20:28); thus symbolizing Jesus as a bold lion (Revelation 5:5; compare Proverbs 30:30)

5. Family Members of Jesus

Jesus had half-siblings (Matthew 12:46-47; 13:55–56; Luke 8:19, Mark 3:31). John the Baptist was Jesus’ second cousin, since Mary the earthly mother of Jesus and Elisabeth the mother of John were cousins (Luke 1:36).

James, Joses, Simon, and Judas are named as His brothers. His sisters are only mentioned, but not named. It is believed that they all became Christians after the death and resurrection of Jesus (compare Acts 1:14). According to history, one of them, James, later became the head of the church in Jerusalem.

6. The Appearance of Jesus

Based on the prophetic description of Christ in Isaiah 53:2, it is likely that He was just a normal human being with no special appeal. His betrayer Judas had to kiss Him to help the authorities identify Him (Matthew 26:48) Even after His resurrection, Mary Magdalene mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:14-15). Although nothing in His appearance was extraordinary, His teachings and actions were supernatural.

7. Food Habits of Jesus

The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Holy Child Jesus would eat butter and honey (Isaiah 7:14-15). As an adult, Jesus ate bread (Matthew 26:26) and clean meats (Luke 22:15). After His resurrection, Jesus ate broiled fish and honeycomb (Luke 24:42-43). Therefore, we submit that Jesus ate normal food and was never a vegan, but He once fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-2).

Interestingly, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread,” in fulfillment of prophecy (Micah 5:2) and He addressed Himself as the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35, 48, 51). The multiplication of 5 loaves of bread by Jesus to feed 5,000 men is the only miracle recorded in all the four Gospels (Matthew 14:14-21; 16:9; Mark 6:34-44; 8:19; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:5-14).

8. Communication Skills of Jesus

Jesus spoke multiple languages- Aramaic the main language spoken by Jews in first-century Palestine, Hebrew the native language, Greek the lingua franca at that time, and possibly, Latin the language spoken by the Romans (Matthew 8:5-13; 27:11-14).

Moreover, Jesus was a witty and eloquent speaker who employed parables so as to make His teachings have a direct and enduring impact on the audience.

9: The Anointment of Jesus

To execute His messianic ministry as a Prophet, Priest and King, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38); thus He is called the Christ, "the Anointed One" (Matthew 1:16; 16:20; 27:17; Luke 2:11, 26; 9:20; 23:2; John 1:41).

Before the death of Jesus, Mary of Bethany anointed Him with a strong fragrance (Luke 7:37-38; John 11:2) such that He remained fragrant as a victorious king when He rose from the dead (compare Psalm 45:1-8).

10. The Duration of Jesus' Ministry

The earthly ministry of Jesus was quite brief but very exciting and eventful. Jesus Film Project notes:

John’s gospel tells us that Jesus attended at least three Passover feasts during His ministry. There’s one mentioned in John 2:13, another in 6:4, and then the one occurring during the time of his crucifixion:

"When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, 'What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?' But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him" (John 11:55–57).

This means that His ministry lasted at least two years, but there may have been more Passover celebrations that go unmentioned. We do know that many time-consuming things would have happened before they got to their first Passover:

His ministry took him all over Judea.
He was baptized by John.
He fasted (40 days) and was tempted in the wilderness.
He called His disciples.
He started His preaching ministry.
He made a trip to Capernaum with His family and disciples.

All of these things would have added up to multiple months worth of ministry—and we can’t forget the 40 days between the time Christ was resurrected and when He ascended.

In the end, scholars believe Jesus’ ministry only lasted about 3.5 years—an unbelievably short amount of time to change the world.

King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords by Godwin Goziem Jireh

The most common definition of the word king is: "A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince." The word is applied to human rulers as well as to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, God. According to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical, “The concept of the kingship of God is regarded by many scholars as so basic to biblical revelation that it is viewed as an organizing theme for all of Scripture.”

To enable us to have a thorough understanding of what the phrase "the King of Kings" means in the Bible, we will have to examine several scriptural references to king and kingship. But this excerpted response to What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords? not only saves us the time to do so but also answers the question excellently well:

The phrase king of kings is used in Scripture six times. Once, the title is applied to God the Father (1 Timothy 6:15), and twice to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The other three (Ezra 7:12; Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:37) refer to either Artaxerxes or Nebuchadnezzar, kings who used the phrase to express their absolute sovereignty over their respective realms (Persia and Babylon). The phrase lord of lords is used by itself in Scripture twice and refers to God the Father (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3).

In Revelation 19:16 Jesus is given the full title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 17:14 switches it: “Lord of lords and King of kings”). The title indicates someone who has the power to exercise absolute dominion over all His realm. In the case of the Lord Jesus, the realm is all of creation. In John’s vision, Jesus is returning to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom, as He predicted in Mark 13:26.

When Jesus is called “King of kings and Lord of lords,” it means that, in the end, all other rulers will be conquered or abolished, and He alone will reign supreme as King and Lord of all the earth. There is no power, no king, and no lord who can oppose Him and win. There are myriad references to this absolute rule of Jesus and His preeminence over other rulers throughout Scripture. To mention just a few, Isaiah 40:23–24 says that the Lord brings “princes to nothing” and makes earth’s rulers “emptiness.” The mere breath of the Lord will “carry them off like stubble.” Daniel’s vision of the son of man in Daniel 7:13–14 is of one whom he calls “the Ancient of Days” whose everlasting dominion is over all people, nations and languages. In the New Testament, we get a better view of the One these passages refer to. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the Lord Jesus: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). The next verse speaks of Jesus being “much superior” to the angels. Clearly, His rule over creation is absolute.

Paul makes the point that Jesus was humbled in His earthly ministry and that His humiliation will result in glorification. In Philippians 2:5–11, Paul discusses the extent to which Jesus went to atone for sinners; Jesus’ perfect obedience is the reason that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 9–11). The Suffering Servant becomes the King of kings (see Isaiah 53:10–12).

Finally, in the book of Revelation we see the Kingship of Jesus made manifest. In chapter 5, the Lamb (Jesus) is the only one in all creation found worthy to open the scroll containing the judgments of God (vv. 2–5). In chapter 11, we hear voices in heaven proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of Christ and that He will reign forever and ever (v. 15). In chapter 12, we read that the authority of Christ is what causes Satan to be thrown down to earth (vv. 9–10). In Revelation 17:12–14, the Lamb conquers all those arrayed against Him, and John stresses that He conquers because He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Finally, in chapter 19, we read of Jesus’ triumphant coming to strike the nations and tread the winepress of the wrath of God, having the authority to do so because He is King of kings and Lord of lords (vv. 11–16).

Fundamentally, the idea of Jesus being King of kings and Lord of lords means that there is no higher authority. His reign over all things is absolute and inviolable. God raised Him from the dead and placed Him over all things, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:21–23).

Renewed In The Spirit

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (cf. Prov.23:7).
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life," (cf Prov. 4:23).  

We are not just spirits but souls, minds, wills, and emotive elements--we are complex creatures, not so easily analyzed!   We are musical, rational, contemplative, planning,  religious, and humorous creatures, unlike the animal kingdom.  We are complicated individuals that defy the principles of the animal kingdom because we are hard-wired to work, be creative, and worship--to have a purpose in life, fulfilled with meaning, and having a destiny in God.  Apart from God, we would have no meaning or dignity in life  Thus, our worth as humans is extrinsic and not intrinsic, not inherit but only because we are formed in God's image.

We are not animals who are merely seeking pleasure and avoiding pain while spending their purpose being in heat.  Have you ever observed an animal building a chapel? They are oblivious to the spiritual world and what really matters in life. We seek fulfillment that only God can make us complete in. We are incomplete apart from our destiny to know God.  But the downside of being in God's image is that we are capable of sin and moral behavior and accountability and have capitalized on that freedom by sinning and rebelling against God to show our autonomy and independent spirit. We don't naturally believe in God but are people of unbelief, skepticism, sarcasm, and doubt.  We don't want to even believe in God apart from an act of grace to soften and quicken our souls.

But note that we must come to a change of heart to be renewed in our spirits. This is by regeneration. If we could come to faith in God apart from it, it's not necessary and we don't need God--we just have a flesh wound in our nature, not a permanent defect from our Fall in Adam whereby we are in solidarity with Adam and cannot not sin; i.e, being incapable of not sinning.  Yes, that means all we can do naturally apart from grace is to sin!  Sin separates us from God and He will not even hear us apart from repentance and faith.  Not what must be pointed out is that we think with our hearts and with our minds--not to go by emotions alone apart from reasoning.  We alone are capable of spiritual thoughts and to think on the divine level, contemplating the Almighty and the eternal nature of God--God has put this eternity into our hearts, to wonder of the afterlife.

This means we can be renewed in our thinking or get our thinking straightened out both spiritually and intellectually.  We can become enlightened and informed; i.e.,, we can become illuminated with insight and educated.  Everything isn't a matter of proper facts and data, but of knowing God.  The goal is to know God and apply this knowledge.  To have this mind which was in Christ! What we fixate our thought life on makes all the difference and we have a volition that can decide this ourselves--we are all culpable to control our own thought life and not let it be controlled by our worst impulses or lower nature and instincts.

We must realize to focus our minds on Christ and dwell on spiritual things that are productive and positive influences for good. We must be responsible that the kind of input we give our brains influences our behavior and conduct.  Thoughts are the souls of the act!  And we must note that we reap what we sow,  we must guard our thoughts in Christ to get aligned with His will. We are all a lost opportunity away from throwing away our lives and wasting our brains, a terrible thing to exploit or misuse--no one has the right to live life without purpose or goals.  As they say in tech language, GIGO or garbage in equals garbage out. What we can expect is only as good as the exposure we get from the divine and the influences they have.

Ultimately, the end result depends upon cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, for we are incapable of cleaning up our act and self-reformation, of saving ourselves.  We are morally degenerate and this can be proved by experience.   We cannot deny our own reality. We all need an enabler to live a fruitful life in the Spirit and that Enabler is Christ, our Advocate, Comforter, and Counselor.  He is on our side and finds a way to come to our rescue as our Savior. We can only guard the spirit of our minds in Christ and say no to the flesh before we can say yes to Him.   We must not live in denial and stop thinking we alone can produce good works apart from God; our righteousness then is God's gift to us, not our gift to God.  It is a known fact that the nature we feed is the one that will predominate in our demeanor, behavior, and disposition. To sow to the flesh yields the fruits of the flesh!  That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Only walking in the Spirit is the way to defeat the powers and weaknesses of the flesh, to walk in the inclinations of the flesh is evil. Thus, we are responsible to feed our minds with that which is good and pure and of good report, anything virtuous that no one can deny being a positive influence or force for good.  But remember, our God is not just a force or influence, but a Person to know, not even a creed to believe--we must put this faith into practice and turn our creeds into deeds because the faith we have is the faith we show!  The reality of faith is not the profession of it and we all start by the shaping of our minds into Christ's image being converted to the Way of the Spirit or to be wholly devoted and focused on Christ, not self-absorbed.

We all can even become optimists and say that it's not all that bad, but the point is not that we are not bad as we can be but as bad off as can be and need supernatural intervention from God, a miracle to change our nature of degeneration.  Let us, therefore, have our thoughts fixated on Christ and renewed in His image, and this can only happen by an act of God, we have no power to just turn over a new leaf, make a New Year's resolution, or an AA pledge that is going to change our minds.  We must be changed from the inside out. This is the divine formula: worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank about everything.  Nothing is too small nor too big for God's heart and attention--it's all small stuff to Him.

The key to spirituality is to feed our spiritual nature, to put off the flesh, the old man, with its natural desires that war against the Spirit, and get to know our God more clearly [which is the sign of the believer and the goal of our salvation], to be able to follow Him more closely and to love Him more dearly as Richard of Chichester put it. Yes, we all have an ethic worth living out and fulfilling--to follow Christ, its essence.  We must have faith not one we can live with, but one we will die for.  This is how we bring Christ to the world by our witness and life that is the salt and light for a troubled world.

As a result, we will become new people renewed after the image of Christ, but also with a new lease on life to share this new experience in Christ. Then we will be able to recite with Paul:  To live is Christ, to die is gain.  We know of the goodness of Christ because we have tasted of Him: "Taste and see that the LORD is good,"(cf. 1 Pet. 2:2; Psalm 34:8) and we can know the proof of the pudding is in the eating and no one can persuade us otherwise.  To love Christ, then is to be preoccupied with Him who has priority and ownership over our lives.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Antidote To Anxiety

Anxiety is real and we don't want to rub it in when someone suffers it as if they're not doing something right or the solution is easy. But we must learn to avoid anxiety disorders or when we are consumed within and don't believe there is a cure. Whatever the illness there is a cure.   For every problem, Christ is the answer--He is the ultimate Answerer! Don't just evade the issue and claim or promise you'll pray for them!   We are only going to have confidence if we learn to trust God in these trying times we are facing.  Sometimes we are let down by our own high expectations and see the solution as simplistic and not real.  But never lose faith in God:  Expect great things from Him and attempt great things for Him, as William Carey said.

We all must come to the place of humbling ourselves before the feet of Jesus and realize we don't know it all.  We must stop trying to save ourselves.  That is to say, that truth is the proper antidote to all errors and the Holy Spirit will convict us of our error and help us to get off the vicious cycle of anxiety due to lack of a proper or spiritual mindset. There is a peace that is beyond our understanding and surpasses knowledge in Christ if we know Him.  But we must be oriented to reality and truth is what corresponds to reality and that ultimate reality is God and to know Him in truth, for He is the God of truth.  Ignorance is not bliss!  We can attribute most anxiety to willful ignorance and people not seeking the truth in Jesus.

The goal of the peace of God is to have peace with God first and that means to see life from His perspective and will, not in ours.  The whole church has the duty of seeing the light and teaching the truth to the flock and truth is the enemy of anxiety because we get properly oriented.  We have one offensive weapon against anxiety--the Word of God.  But God wants our prayers and wants us to seek His will. Sometimes that's all it takes, is to take it to the Lord in prayer and to make our requests known!  We are to worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank God for everything!

Jesus said that the truth shall set us free and He meant that also from our own anxieties and hangups, especially free from the bondage of our own sins.  We are our own worst enemies and are enslaved by the power we choose to obey--by whatever defeats us!  We can live in the defeat of our own emotions or be set free from their power, for if we walk by the Spirit we are not under the power of the flesh! Joy is the ultimate panacea to anxiety (it's all a matter of our mindset and attitude which we can choose) and this is by the fruit of the Spirit and if we are walking with God we cannot not be joyful--it's automatic, a given!   But remember, gifts are given but fruits are grown; i.e., we must learn to cultivate joy and the fruit of the Spirit by obedience to the Lord--obedience is the only test of our walk by faith--not ecstasies or experiences.

Knowing the fundamentals of basic doctrine is vital to our victorious life in the Spirit because we need a right and peaceful mindset controlled by the Spirit--"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."  The mind of the flesh is at enmity against God and is easily led astray and becomes prey to divers false and strange teachings. Such as are those who have an itching ear to hear what they want to hear and false prophets preying on their curiosities and natural inclinations.  In other words, if you have your thinking straightened out, you are less likely to be fooled by Satan's schemes and deceptions, being led astray by his wiles and schemes.  We are exhorted to be "renewed in the spirit of our minds" and to "hold captive all our thoughts to the obedience of Christ."  This is where the body of Christ comes to our rescue to save us from the captivity to our own wrong and sinful thinking.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Quench Not The Spirit!

"Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature," (cf. Gal. 5:16).  

Paul exhorts us two things regarding the Spirit not to do:  quench not and grieve not. God feels our pains and when sin.  We are not to put out the Spirit's present fire nor to be a source of sadness to others or God, in that when we sin or go astray from the truth it hurts God more than us and He must chastise us to bring us back and get our attention (cf. Job 36:15).    We can quench the Spirit even in others by being argumentative, divisive, judgmental, or contentions.  Remember, the servant of the Lord must not quarrel (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24) and also that party politics can divide an otherwise healthy church--people have their personal and political loyalties too. 

It is wise to leave one's politics at home and be one in the Spirit at church, even loving those of the opposite persuasion.  It is a bad sign when you get bummed out going to church because of some offensive believer who chooses to parade or flaunt his freedom in Christ and take stands that are not harmonious or seeks validation for his personal agenda. Remember the axiom: bad news travels fast, especially gossip or useless information.

Some brethren can get a reputation for having an insider view or private heresy that he is nursing or even propagating.  One stipulation of the body is to have a basic agreement in foundational Christian doctrines (cf. Psa. 11:3) you would expect in any Christian church. The chief problem of division is that it encourages rogue leaders and failure to be submissive to the church program or discipline.  Members may not even know who to go to in times of need or who are the spiritual leaders.   

This is where lack of leadership, even hypocrisy come in and further erode the fellowship. A certain amount of self-discipline is expected and the church cannot be another playground to advance one's personal program but must get with the program. In sectarian spirit, the problem isn't lack of knowledge as if all believers need is enlightenment to get their thinking straightened out, but to learn how to show love, first to those in their own sphere of influence or circle of friends, within the church and then without.

We all must learn to walk in the Spirit not to give in to the desires of the flesh, which has a tendency to divide and conquer just like the devil's chief strategy (cf. 2 Cor. 2:4).  There may be feuds or even bad blood in the body to be reconciled, even in the most harmonious of churches.  Now, we may have trials, tribulations, adversities, afflictions, or tests of our faith and we must settle the lordship issue of giving ownership of our lives over to Christ.  The joy comes only when we own Him as Lord and the fellowship of His suffering.  We can defy our circumstances, live above them, and even praise God for our trials because they build character and patience.  The more we yield to God's sovereignty, or give Him lordship, the freer we are--slavery to Christ is the way to be set free as Christ said: "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed."

A key dictum of St. Augustine was "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."    We are never to find a case against one another that we hold a grudge. It's not that those who disagree with you need a lecture or to become informed as much as you need a lesson in loving those you disagree with and in your tolerance of them.  Once we learn to stay in fellowship by keeping short accounts with God, coming clean, and being sensitive to the Spirit, we can then be a blessing to others and contribute to the growth of the body and not just be one to get a blessing.  

This is where fellowship and family come in to play: we are one body in Christ, one in Spirit, and one body to work together for all as a community being sensitive to the needs of the body, submitting to one another in the spirit of love and cooperation   Some of us may need an awakening and to be encouraged in the Word or the fellowship of the body but the same Spirit dwells in each of us and we  are all partakers of it and made to drink of the same Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13)

We are exhorted to constantly seek His face and presence by drawing near to God (cf. Js. 4:8) as Brother Lawrence, the seventeenth-century Carmelite monk, wrote in his book, The Practice of the Presence of God. We can do as he was wont to do and always take it to the Lord in prayer but be supported by the giving or our burden to Him and admitting our needs--nothing too trivial nor big for God.  We can know that the Lord is near and experience His anointing too--when we become sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.  

What we must learn is to acknowledge and praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He's done--that's worship. then we will experience intimacy with God and find joy in the circumstance because we are in a win-win situation with God who is on our side (cf. Psa. 56:9) and we are more than conquerors through Him (cf. Rom. 8:37).  In sum, if we learn to walk in the Spirit not quenching it, we will have the fruit of the Spirit manifest in joy.        Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Eternal High Priest

"... For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more," (Jer. 31:34, ESV). 

Now the Law was only a shadow of good things to come (cf. Heb. 10:1) in Christ and Christ fulfilled it to the letter as well as the spirit of the Law.  But before a person is saved, there is a huge gap between them and God--a chasm only transversed only bridged Jesus through the cross.  In the Old Testament, this was represented by the huge curtain that separated the Holy of Holies and the fact that only the high priest could enter it once daily on the day of atonement. But when Christ died, this curtain was torn in two and entree had been granted to the believer in Christ. Now we can boldly enter the throne of grace into God's presence via the blood of the Lamb shed on our behalf.  That's the good news:  God is now approachable as it says in James 4:8,  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Thus only Christianity makes full atonement for our sins and thus provides complete propitiation or payment for our sins so that we can be saved by grace through faith.   The problem with the sacrifices before Christ was that they were not perfect and had to be offered yearly and only gave a reminder of sin with no permanent forgiveness. Now we can boldly approach God in prayer (cf. Heb. 4:16) and don't need an earthly high priest.  Jesus is our permanent High Priest who intercedes for us when we sin, sympathizes with us in our needs (cf. Heb. 5:14), mediates for us in life (cf. 1 John 2:2), and has offered Himself as the ultimate, perfect sacrifice that satisfies God's wrath against sin. "For by one offering He hath perfected forever those who are sanctified," (cf. Heb. 10:14, HCSB). NB: He doesn't need to sacrifice daily for sins, but offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice once for all. 

For the Law stated that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (cf. Heb. 9:22; Lev. 17:11).  We now enter God's sanctuary by the blood of Jesus and draw near to God in a heart of faith.  There is no need for any further sacrifice!  The work of Jesus is done as He pronounced on the cross in toto:  "Tetelestai," or "Paid in Full," i.e., salvation is a done deal.]  We ought not to worry about a bill or debt that's already paid!  Jesus is not to be compared to any other priest for He is --superior to Aaron and the Levites, also to Melchizedek who was the priest that blessed Abraham.  We don't compare, we contrast and see that Jesus is one of a kind and not to be surpassed or equaled.  God the Father has declared Christ a priest forever "after the order of Melchizedek."

The chief benefit of having a personal High Priest in Christ is that He always lives to make intercession for us (cf. Heb. 7:25) whenever we do sin and making our case before the Father so that we are never judged or condemned.  Therefore, since we have this access to God's throne and the right to boldness, we ought to live our lives in full assurance without a doubt about our relationship with God and position in Christ that cannot be altered but is sealed in His blood.   In short, He's now the Mediator of a New Covenant (cf. Heb.9:15) in His blood that we are partakers of through faith--we're free from the penalty of our sins and can freely enter God's presence as royal members of His family.

We must reckon Christ's penal substitution as efficacious enough to atone or make final payment for all our sins once for all, with no need for further sacrifice.  Jesus didn't offer a bull or goat or any animal but offered Himself, and He was perfect because He was without blemish with no sin living under the Law.   And He didn't do this in Jerusalem's temple but before God's Holy of Holies. Therefore, "Since then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession...." (cf. Heb. 4:14).

In closing, let me mention in passing that our righteousness is God's gift to us, to our gift to God (cf. Isaiah 45:24) and that it is real and forensic, as God declares us just, not making us just till we reach glory, and not that it is in God's perfect righteousness and justice that He is both just and the justifier.   "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Gen. 18:15), "For God is just, and His justice will not sleep forever."  ---Thomas Jefferson     Soli Deo Gloria!

No Greater Nor Expected Prophet

"The Lord GOD has spoken!  Who can but prophesy?"(Amos 3:8, NKJV). 
"Let us prophesy in proportion to our faith," (Romans 12:6, NKJV).
"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," (Rev. 19:10, NKJV).  
"Desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy," (1 Cor. 14:9 NKJV).  

Basically speaking, prophets comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; they have a message for all time and for everyone--past, present, or even future in application.  There are no prophets per see in the church today, though the gift of prophecy is often exercised as seen when one offers a word of wisdom or edification to the body.   Actually, when the preacher exhorts his flock and speaks a message given by the Lord, it is a prophetic word to be heeded nevertheless (that's why we must take him seriously).  Jesus was a "Prophet mighty in word and deed," (cf. Luke 24:19).  Jesus was indeed the One whom Moses spoke of when he said, "The LORD will raise up for you a prophet..."   (cf. Deut. 18:15).

But Amos warns of a time when the prophetic word will become rare and people will yearn for a word from the LORD and it won't come (cf. Amos 8:11). If we ignore and don't heed God's Word, He may cease speaking to us and be silent.  Just as the Samaritan woman recognized Jesus as a prophet, we ought to recognize this gift in the church body today--"let all things be done for edification."  "Let him who prophesies edify the church," (cf. 1 Cor. 14:4).

"The law came through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ," (cf. John 1:17).   Jesus came to bear witness of the truth!  Those who heard Him knew that what He taught was of the truth and those of the truth heard Him.  Being the personification of truth, He came to set us free from the lies of Satan, and only a Great Teacher could open the eyes of the blind and be the light that lights every man (cf. John 1:9).  We are to be witnesses of the truth also as we abide in Him and His Word.  This is the chief function of prophets: to show the truth to the blind!   No greater message, no greater truth, no greater teacher, and finally, no greater prophet than Jesus!  We must follow in His steps and make our stand for the truth and not stand in the sidelines of neutrality!

Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king in His threefold offices, but especially as a prophet we see Him as our Great Teacher who shows us our sin, opens our eyes, convicts us, and shows us the way.  Jesus was considered greater than Moses and Elijah, who were the two greatest prophets, by His transfiguration and God the Father telling the disciples to listen to Him. God gave His official stamp of approval on Jesus' ministry--"Listen to Him." Jesus told us He never spoke on His own accord but what the Father had told Him to say--He wasn't out to promote His will or Himself, but the Father's.    What really made Christ's preaching so unique and great was that He always practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced without any duplicity. Most of all, Jesus was a man with a message and a man on a mission to do His Father's will and be about His business.

The people were looking for a prophet to come as well as a king to deliver them, as well as a priest greater than Aaron to bring a New Covenant and sacrifice.  They probably thought that three Messiah figures would come.  Israel had not heard from a prophet in over 400 years and finally, God's silence broke and the people sensed a prophet had arrived--"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."

We must note that we cannot compare Jesus to any other figure but only contrast Him.  He is greater than Moses, Aaron, Elijah, Melchizedek, David, etc.  To compare them is to do Jesus injustice and to insult His superiority.  It is especially important that Jesus is greater than Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) because they were probably considered the two greatest figures in the OT --there would be no doubt He was "The Prophet who is to come," like, unto God Himself, even His life was a message to heed. In the final analysis, Jesus will never be surpassed.

The people were expecting one "like God," in whom they must listen.  He was greater than John too who had come in the spirit of Elijah and was considered a prophet by the people.  The fact that Jesus was recognized as a prophet doesn't mean they listened to Him and obeyed Him--they were fickle and would only hear what they chose to hear and what suited their agendas or needs.   People want a certain kind of prophet that fulfilled their needs and He didn't quite fit the bill, so eventually, they turned on Him.  That is to say, we may be let down if our expectations are wrong.  People hear what they desire.

His message was a thankless one of repentance and salvation, but they wanted deliverance from Rome and a military hero, not a pacifist.  He clearly wasn't the conventional Messiah they expected and they certainly didn't heed His message to repent and seek the kingdom of God--most people followed Him from curiosity, getting their free meals, or seeing signs and wonders as a curiosity.

Anything less than the truth is a lie, or a caricature and is actually idolatry and not worship.   The great lesson is that Jesus is who He is and we must accept Him that way, He is not who we want Him to be--He's not all things to all people; if you want a genie to fulfill your wants He will not foot the bill.  We must beware of those who preach "another Jesus" and not the Lord who demands us to lay down our lives and follow Him even to the point of death, denying ourselves. He demands obedience:  "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams," (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).

He is the Great Prophet in that we must listen or ignore at our peril and He is God's last word to mankind.  We must consequently heed every word, obey His message, and follow Him going on to proclaim His message.  We must be able to practice His message and to apply it to everyday life.  No cross equals no crown!  Christ isn't our enabler in sin but calls us to holiness and loving Him.  Remember, the immeasurable cost He paid for our souls and the least we can do is to obey Him to show our love.       Soli Deo Gloria!  

What Makes The Bible Unique? ,,,

1. Over 2,000 fulfilled predictive prophecies in great detail, not just a few lucky guesses.
2. Historical accuracy that is even corroborated by secular sources, even about Jesus—it dehistoricized, it’s totally discredited (and some have tried).
3. Archaeological digs verifying its references (over 25,0000)—as Jesus said, “The stones cry out….” (cf. Luke 19:40).
4. It has been the most translated book in history (over 1800 languages) and has had more impact and influence than any other book in history.
5. It has meaningful miracles that are not just helter-skelter or random; it’s the only holy Scripture that, if you remove the miracles, it is meaningless.
6. It was written by over 40 men over 1500 years and has no contradictions, unexplained.
7. it is inspiring and changes lives of those who read it—it claims inspiration of God—it’s the most quoted book in history.
8. It says, “Thus saith the LORD,” or its equivalent over 3,000 times—it claims to be the Word of God unlike any other “scripture.”
9. The Bible can prove itself if one gives it a chance and only reads it.
10. It has no scientific anomalies, but makes many statements ahead of its time that have been proven true—the Bible is the foundation of the philosophy of science saying there are laws of nature (cf. Job 38:33).

Promoting Our Brand Of Christianity

"... You are always on their lips but far from their hearts," (cf. Jer. 12:2, NIV). 


Many believers err in being converted to the program, not to Christ!  Those who fail at seeing the light in service within the church don't do Him justice as servants--we are here to grow up into a mature person able to serve Christ within the capacity of our spiritual gifting.  While others love Christ and are anti-establishment, fearing and disrespecting any organization.  The church is not an institution or organization so much as an organism, a living body of believers learning to interact and connect with others, serving Christ in concert and set up for its purpose of fulfilling with a great commitment to the Great Commission.

But there are believers who push their brand of Christianity as if they are right and everyone else is wrong by default.  That's what defines a cult!  No church has a monopoly on the truth and we are all in this together as one church in Christ though there are many local bodies of believers.  Many churches are too involved in programs such as charity or relief efforts and not in spreading the good news of Christ.  We must turn stones into bread but not at the expense of the Great Commission or the sharing of the gospel message--some don't even know it.

We all have a place in the church body and we must seek to find a church not only that we can agree with but where we can feel at home and even serve in the body; after all, the Great Commission was given to the church at large as well as the believer--we must not shirk our duty in either capacity.  Being a member of a church and not an attendee who has no commitment is also vital for growth.  Just as we are dedicated to Christ we must not avoid dedication and service to our church.  Belonging to a church fulfills us in the sense of feeling a sense of belonging that may take away our desire to belong to the world and its entities.  The divine order is to believe, then belong, and then to become.

Finally, we bear Christ's image and become a living and serving member in the body doing His will.  We must never forget that our paramount belonging is to Christ and we must never compromise our faith.  It is the duty of the church to prepare the body for service and application of the faith within their spheres of influence. A genuine believer can worship in any authentic Bible-believing church, but that doesn't mean we are to become interdenominational or come to the conviction that doctrine doesn't matter in the church's teaching--we must adhere to sound teaching and always fight heresy that can creep in. But for cooperation purposes, it's not wrong to be nondenominational and some churches label themselves that because they only want to be known as Evangelicals that are not necessarily affiliated. But note that we are not trying to impress a church or advertise and promote it, but must keep our eyes on promoting Christ and promulgating the gospel message in its purity.

Sometimes churches can become dysfunctional!  Some members are in rebellion and refuse God's will and go astray and disobey the gospel.  We should never be offensive believers, neither in the body or without. We must remember that Satan fosters rebellion and desires to split the fellowship into factions or parties.  This can happen when zealous believers (but not according to knowledge) favor their own agendas and hobbyhorses and don't seek God's will but only ask God to bless their wills.  We must realize that there is authority in the body for a reason and Christ commands the respect of authority as well as purity of doctrine.

So then, we must refrain from playing church and even doing church or our version of it and submit to all authority, even in the body.  All of us contribute and are meant for a purpose in Christ, He has a place for us in His body and can give us purpose, meaning, and dignity within it.  One's church ought to be known by its message, fruit, and mission.  "For lack of vision, the people perish," (cf. Prov. 29:18).  Churchgoing isn't a passive activity,  but being involved and a chance to connect and take a spiritual checkup or workout and to examine our fruit!

Christ is perfect as the head and we must all remember that we are imperfect, we still can be used by God, but also that God has chosen to use us as vessels of honor to do His will and we can do everything to the glory of Christ and in His name--that's why we are known by how we exalt our Lord and give Him preeminence. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!  (cf. 2 Cor. 3:17). We shouldn't be known by our doctrines or distinguishing teachings as much as how we are obedient to the Great Commission and provide a place for the members to fit in and grow together as a functioning body. 

So what is Churchianity?  

Some Christians "play" church and go through the motions of worship and never go for the right reason--to worship God--they say, "I didn't get much out of worship today!" (maybe they should concentrate on what they put into it). God condemns us for having worship without our heart in it or hypocritical worship, this is just "memorizing the Dance of the Pious." A real hypocrite (hypocrite means wearing a mask, or acting in a play) is not one who falls short of his ideals, but one who uses religion as a cover-up and knows he is insincere.

The theme of Psalms is Ps. 29:2, "Ascribe the Lord the glory due to His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Deut. 17 condemns insincere and dishonest worship or sacrifice. Amaziah (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2) was known for doing the will of the Lord, but not with a true heart. Malachi condemned the lip service of his day. Jer. 12:2 and Isaiah 29:13 also bemoan lip service and insincere worship not from the heart.

Someone has said that there are four persons that we show: The one God sees; the one you see; the one the world sees; and the one your intimate friends see. Let's be careful not to just have a "public persona" and parade our spirituality or piety. Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God, which is like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says.

In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"  "Blessed are those who hear the joyful shout," (cf. Psalm 89:15).

We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship.  We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.

I  denounce and disapprove the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, which thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow on the same ship."

I think some megachurches miss the boat in worship, they don't know the preacher nor each other (and is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--megachurches aren't where I'm at though.

Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings...Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and be sentimental and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.

We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and anchored in sound teaching or doctrine (cf. Titus 2:1).

The more we learn, the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about--they generate more heat than light and are not worth the adrenaline.  We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (cf. Eph. 4:30).  Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it. As Augustine said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

In sum, we must not major on minors and be certain to keep the main thing the main thing; they will know we are Christians by our love. Soli Deo Gloria!

The Difference Jesus Makes

All religions are not basically the same ideals under different wraps, as the Baha'i religion would have you believe. Even many Americans believe they all pray to the same God under different names! Some faiths say that all are equally valid beliefs and what matters is what works for you. But two contradictory views cannot both be equally valid, logically speaking. The funny thing about religion is that most people are misinformed or uninformed and even have disinformation from propaganda sources that spread their faith by name familiarity or blitzing the public.

For instance, did you know that Buddha (Enlightened One) never claimed to be God or even a god but was an agnostic who only sought enlightenment; saying that if there was a God, He couldn't help you with finding enlightenment, you must find it on your own--by the way, Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) only sought to reform Hinduism and not start a new faith that is the predominant worldview of the Orient religion-wise. In contrast: Jesus said, "[And] you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, ESV). He is the embodiment and epitome of truth to be known in Him.

Every faith has its own idea of who Christ is: Mormons believe He achieved godhood or became a god and is our elder brother; Buddhists just believe He was another enlightened teacher; Jews believe He was a gifted, miracle-working, misunderstood, but deceiving rabbi; Muslims believe he was a great prophet and even the Messiah, but lower in rank than Muhammad himself, who is the greatest and final prophet. Jehovah's Witnesses see Him as the first created being and a lesser god, unworthy of worship though; even Scholars believe He is someone special, even if a great moral example or ethical person who died a martyr for a good cause. The point is that if you don't figure out who Jesus is, you are in heresy. "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God..." (2 John 9). So who is He? He is the one and only Son of God, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with God the Father.

Buddhists believe in going ultimately to nirvana or being snuffed out like a match in the ocean or candle on a birthday cake when they die. Achieving nirvana is likened to total nothingness: They refer to the extinction of all desire which leads to the cessation of pain and suffering caused by it, via many reincarnations. The Hindus, on the other hand, see nirvana as a reunion with Brahma, after numerous reincarnations or transmigrations. Hindus are pantheistic (all is God) and have many gods (millions--no one knows for sure!) and for this reason, are also polytheistic. 

Jesus was real in saying He was going to prepare a "place for us"(John 14:1-2) and heaven is a real place in Christianity, not of man's imagination, such as the paradise of Islam, where they get 72 virgins and live a life of wine, women, and song for eternity because they abstained from this on earth. Only heaven is beyond that which we could imagine or conceive and is divinely revealed. "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'" (1 Cor. 2:9, ESV).

The whole point of Christ calling us is to spread the Word of the gospel and increase the kingdom of God, because He said His kingdom is not of this world--however, Muslims believe in world hegemony and have geopolitical considerations in their faith and believe Christ is coming to force everyone into Islam, hence "submission." Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." You must be born again to "see" the kingdom of God, and it is like the wind that we don't see, but can see its effects on earth and what it is doing. 

But God opens our spiritual eyes to His truth in the Word and we are made alive spiritually, restoring our relationship with God--this is true salvation! Because of Jesus' resurrection, we have evidence and proof of our final resurrection, and it is not just pie in the sky without any objective, historical fact to back it up like the competing faiths.

It was Judaism that introduced the world to monotheism and Christianity is the fulfillment (not replacement) of this faith. Islam believes that their faith supersedes and replaces or cancels out Christianity and Judaism, not just fulfills them. Muslims have no assurance of salvation unless they die in a Holy War or Jihad (this is a great recruitment tool and why they are so fanatical and have geopolitical considerations). The religion, known as the "religion of the sword," is based on total submission, in fact, Islam means "submission" and a Muslim is "one who submits." 

They even circumcise about 75 percent of the girls to make them obedient and docile and do not believe they should be treated equally on a par with men in a man's world shaped by seventh-century ethics and customs. Girls are not traditionally allowed to even get an education. Jesus changed all this and saw women as men's equals and partners in life and having the same aptitudes and abilities as men. They may have a different role, but they are equal. The woman is the counterpart of the man and his helpmate in Christ--we are all one in Chris--no male nor female!

When you look at all the religions, they all say "do" and are based on works to get salvation. But you never know in a works religion how much is enough to get saved. Christ made it possible to know for sure that one is saved and to have this assurance of salvation, which sets Christianity apart from all other faiths. Christianity is a love affair with Jesus, not a system of ethics, or philosophy, or creed. It's not a religion, they say, but a relationship with the living God Himself. 

Muslims don't acknowledge a personal God that we can know and have a relationship with, and they certainly don't believe God is love, because they see Him as totally arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, and unpredictable, even changing His standards. They sincerely believe that one angel records their good deeds, and another their bad deeds, and at Judgment Day they will see which balances out the most.

One of the biggest mistakes well-meaning and sincere people (but sincerity alone doesn't save--you can be sincerely wrong) is the idea that the essence of Christianity is the Sermon on the Mount or the Golden Rule itself and they only have to sincerely live by a code--Christ didn't come to make bad people good, but dead people alive! To know God is eternal life!  

Religion (knowing a creed, while Christianity is knowing a Person) says "in order to" get salvation (works), while Christianity says "therefore (we are already saved and desire to do good deeds to prove it)." We don't have to do good works but want to, in other words. Religion is basically a do-it-yourself proposition and a way to "lift yourself up by your own bootstraps." Religion believes you are basically good, capable of reforming yourself, and denies the problem is sin per se. Only in Christ do we solve the sin problem by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ from the dead. Religion is the best man can do and is basically man reaching up to God; Christianity, however, is God reaching down to man in grace (love that stoops is called grace). Christ introduced a new concept called grace that means we can never earn, don't deserve, and cannot repay our salvation. 

It is totally a gift of God to be received by faith and there is nothing we can do but believe in Him! Religion says "do" (respecting good deeds to earn salvation); however, Christ says, "done," because He said on the cross tetelestai or "It is finished [paid in full--finis]." It is a done deal in Christ--there's nothing to do but accept it. There's nothing we can do to add to Christ's work on the cross and it would be an insult to God if we tried! "The work of God is this: to believe in the one whom he has sent" (John 6:29).

All the major faiths deal with miracles, but you can take the miracles out of them and you still have the religions intact. Islam doesn't need miracles (recorded only in the Hadith or the traditions dated much later after Muhammad died) and the faith survives without them. But Christianity is different: Without the miracles of Christ, He would have only remained a footnote in history and the movement would never have gotten off the ground. If you remove the miracles from Christianity you disembowel it and there is nothing left but a philosophy such as living by the Golden Rule (some actually do have this as their religious dogma or credo). 

The miracles of Christ are different from other faiths: They were never staged, done on-demand, for personal gain or profit, for a show, or done without skeptics present, unlike the other faiths. Jesus had a reason to do each miracle (really a sign as John called them because they taught a lesson about Him). They are not helter-skelter or done without rhyme or reason, but methodical and orderly as if prearranged and planned from eternity from the Father.

The whole point of Christ's teachings was that He claimed deity and did so convincingly so that the Pharisees made no mistake in what He was claiming and plotted His crucifixion accordingly. No other religion's founder claimed deity: Muhammad just claimed to be the last prophet of mankind, as heard from the angel Gabriel. Buddha never claimed deity. Hinduism was founded about the time of Abraham, but it is polytheistic (many gods) and also pantheistic (everything is God), which is almost like saying there is no God in effect. In all the Scriptures of these faiths, only the Bible claims to be the Word of God propositionally. Many(over 3,000) times it says, "Thus says the LORD"' and so forth--not so in these other "holy" writings. 

However, there is a distinction in that Christ never prefaced himself in such a way, but audaciously and boldly proclaimed His own edicts and spoke as no man ever spoke with such authority and made claims no man ever made, backed them up with such character never seen and proved them by such signs and miracles never been done, that to doubt Jesus, one can never say there is a lack of evidence to believe, but one must not want to believe out of moral reasons and not because of intellectual reservations. The anti-establishment and nonconformist figure that Jesus was, truly upset the applecart and invaded the turf of the Pharisees and threatened their job security! Will Durant calls Him the greatest revolutionist in history.  

Both Hindus and Buddhists also believe in Maya or that reality is an illusion and you cannot bet on it (science never would've developed under such an outlook!). Jesus claimed to be "The Truth," which means we can know reality and count on it and have a personal relationship with the epitome of reality itself--Jesus Christ. This means there is absolute truth or Truth with a capital "T." Christ is totally objective (we cannot be), and is true regardless of our belief or doubt and what He said is true regardless of what someone says expert or not. With man, there is no such thing as total objectivity and we must rely upon revelation from God to know the truth.

It is primarily a way of life and traditions such as bathing in the Ganges River of India and the caste system are kept religiously by ignorant people. Both Buddhists and Hindus believe in karma or that you are your own island and suffer what you deserve: If you are suffering, that is your karma and one shouldn't interfere--how different is Christianity that teaches love for our brother, neighbor, and even enemy! 

But Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an example of how Christian love as shown in Hindu India where she ministered to the outcasts and pariahs that no one cared about. Even Bertrand Russell, the renowned British atheist, and mathematician, said that what the world needs "is more Christian love." Most religions really believe in "looking out for number one" while Christianity shows the world what charity or real godly love is all about (the example of the Good Samaritan, for instance).

The whole purpose of Scripture is not to increase our knowledge or enlighten us (we are not saved by knowledge, secret or otherwise), but the purpose is to change our lives. We aren't saved by being enlightened or by knowledge per se, but in knowing Jesus. Jesus makes a person new from the inside out and is in the resurrection business of changing the lives of those who realize their need. ("I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance," "... [Those] who are sick need a physician.") Religion is only about reforming yourself and turning over a new leaf, as it were, but they don't give you the supernatural power to do it--you must muster all your own strength. In Christ, we not only have changed lives (even some religion can do that much) but exchanged lives, which is the miracle.

Jesus didn't come to be a wise teacher of morals, or a religious martyr for a movement, but a Savior from the sin virus that affects us all. In Christianity, we have Jesus living in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (cf. Phil. 2:13). It is not about imitation, but about inhabitation. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). You can say with Paul in Galatians 2:20 that it is no longer you that lives, but Christ that lives in or through you.

With Jesus in the equation, you have a whole new outlook on life and see life with the lens of His truth so you can see the Big Picture of how to interpret world events--life makes sense! Jesus does make a difference! You can too if you know Him! Viva la difference! In contrast to other faiths, you can take Buddha out of Buddhism, or Muhammad out of Islam, and you still have the basics of the religion; however, you cannot do this with Christianity--taking Christ out of it leaves nothing left: It would be an empty philosophy without any power to implement it and have promised without any fulfillment. When you factor in Jesus, you find that life is worth living and there is meaning a purpose in living for Him. Soli Deo Gloria!