What is the essence of Salvation in Christianity

What is the essence of Salvation in Christianity

What is the essence of Salvation in Christianity

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you belie ve and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Salvation is a belief which sits right from the heart of the Christian religion. When Jesus Christ, son of God, died on the cross, the Bible dictates that, in the act of doing so, he delivered humankind from pain and suffering.

The Bible states that salvation is a gracious, undeserved gift from God (Ephesians 2:5, 8). It’s available only to those who profess their faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

Salvation, also known as ‘deliverance’, promises believers eternal life, full enlightenment and emancipation from the flesh and blood temptations that cause men to falter.

Although the various denominations of Christianity have different opinions on where exactly humanity’s need for salvation stems on, most agree on the doctrine of ‘original sin’ based on the ‘fall of man’ and Adam and Eve’s ejection from the Garden of Eden.

Jesus Christ and salvation

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

Christianity revolves around hope and faith in Jesus Christ, the savior. The message of salvation was passed down to the rest of humankind by Jesus’ apostles.

Paul, who was not an original disciple and in fact despised Christianity, encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. This dramatic meeting inspired Paul to become the Lord’s most fervent supporter. Therefore he was disseminating the message of salvation through scripture, such as:

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (NIV, Romans 3:21-25)

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

A Short one: On Jerusalem in the eye of Christianity

A Short one: On Jerusalem in the eye of Christianity

A Short one: On Jerusalem in the eye of Christianity

Jerusalem: the Holy City

According to Zechariah, the Lord promised to protect Jerusalem, to make it an ‘immovable rock for all the nations’ and to ‘shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David’.
This, coupled with Luke 24:47:’and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’ has led Christians to believe that salvation of the Earth will begin in the Holy City.

Is it still a significant place?

Yes, Because of this belief, and because Christ died and was resurrected in the city, Jerusalem has become one of the most significant places on Earth for Christians.

Each year, millions of Christians make the pilgrimage to the empty prayer of Jesus at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the city to pray. They are seeking solace and redemption in the process.

Many also wish to be buried there, as they believe that the Last Judgment will take place in Jerusalem.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

How did painters of the renaissance see Mother Mary?

How did painters of the renaissance see Mother Mary?

How did painters of the renaissance see Mother Mary

We can find in Art pieces of evidence about the spiritual life in a certain time and place. In this article, we will explore Mother Mary’s figure during the renaissance in Europe.

The Mother Mary depicted alone or with the Baby Jesus, is a common feature of the art which characterized Renaissance culture, from the 14th Century to the 17th Century in Europe.

​​Click here to Fill the online prayer request form below with your personal prayer and choose a church or multiple churches in the Holy Land from our website. Our volunteers will carry your prayer to the chosen church and holy site(s) and pray there.

Representing figure

This kind of representation is often used in the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

Sometimes it is referred to as a ‘Madonna’, coming from the Italian ‘ma donna’ or ‘my lady’ in English.

Many pictures and statues, particularly as part of the Italian Renaissance, depict the Mother Mary.

It is not uncommon to find saints and angels depicted to the sides of the Mother Mary, who is the central figure. Many artworks and 3D depictions refer to scenes from the life of the Mother Mary.

The Painters

Many of the artists known as the Masters of the Renaissance period chose the Mother Mary as the main subject of their works, including Michelangelo, Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci, Duccio, Raphael, Rubens, and Caravaggio.

The Sistine Madonna by Raphael is perhaps the most famous depiction of the Mother Mary. It was originally painted for the San Sisto Church in Piacenza.

The influence of the paintings

These works typically depict Mother Mary expressing compassion and love – there is certainly a current of emotion which can be seen in the best Madonnas.

Some of the works produced in the Renaissance period are considered sacred and were instrumental in the careers of the artists themselves. Other subjects from the Old Testament are featured in the landscape of Renaissance art, but the Mother Mary is certainly one of the most popular and important subjects chosen in this period.

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the holy places of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

Those who are unable to make it to these pilgrimage sites, we volunteer to carry your prayers to one of the holiest sites in these lands.

Fill the online prayer request form below with your personal prayer and choose a church or multiple churches in the Holy Land from our website.

We will visit those holy places and personally deliver your printed prayer request. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video.

We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

Christianity and resurrection

Christianity and Resurrection

jesus-resurrection
Resurrection – or the promise of life after death – is integral to Christian belief. As such, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ form the central tenet of Christianity. The gospels of the New Testament don’t just describe the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion, they also point to at least one resurrection of humanity, often thought to be on the Day of Judgement.

Jesus as the ‘firstfruits’

The term ‘firstfruits’ has been integral in Christian culture as the holy offering of the first fruits of the harvest. The Bible employs this terminology to describe Jesus’ return to life three days after he was laid to rest in the tomb. In Corinthians, it is stated that

“Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]” [1 Corinthians 15:20].

Therefore, Christians believe resurrection to be God’s harvesting of mankind, the first and most important of which was carried out through Christ’s resurrection.

Subsequent resurrections

The resurrection of Christ is just the first part of God’s plan. In John, we are told Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” [John 11:25-26].

The emphasis is on God’s intention for humanity’s salvation which too will feature a resurrection since “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” [John 3:16].

However, the Bible also suggests that resurrection does not point to the full assumption of a physical life after death. Instead, Corinthians explains “It is sown a natural [physical] body, it is raised a spiritual body” [1 Corinthians 15:44].

The resurrection of humanity

However, The resurrection of humanity cannot take place until what many regard as the Second Coming of Christ. At Judgement Day,

“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” [1 Corinthians 15:51-52].

There is also some debate as to whether only true Christians will be resurrected in order to enter the Holy Kingdom, or whether both the just and the unjust will be resurrected to face their judgment.


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Where are The Churches of Mother Mary in the Holy Land?

Where are The Churches of Mother Mary in the Holy Land?

Mother Mary’s journeys had a great impact on Jesus, but while we can find many sites related to his footsteps, what do we know about hers? Here are some highlights on Mother Mary’s main stations in life and the Churches we can visit today.

There are several holy sites in today’s Israel, which are sacred to Christians all over the world. Some of them are churches pertaining to the Mother Mary.

In the North

The Church of the Annunciation, sometimes known as the Basilica of the Annunciation, is a place of worship in the northern Israeli town of Nazareth. The Annunciation happened there, while Mary was taking water from a spring. Therefore the site features the Grotto of the Annunciation, and some say that Mary’s childhood home was in that cave. Today, there is a modern 20th-century church with two stories at the site. The first shrine at the Church of the Annunciation is said to date back to the 4th century.

In Jerusalem

The Church of the Assumption which is dated back to the 5th century is also located in Holy Land. According to the Christian tradition, Mary’s Tomb is found in this church. The church is at the bottom of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. There is also a niche which is dedicated to St. Joseph, Mary’s husband. The church is located in Jerusalem’s Old City Walls; not far from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. To the right of the church is a passageway which leads to the Grotto of Gethsemane, which is the site where Jesus gave his last lessons to his disciples.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

What is the Holy Hour?

What is the Holy Hour?

What is the Holy Hour

Prayer is relevant anytime and anywhere. But when we make it one of our weekly or daily routines, we achieve much more.

The Holy Hour is a routine we received from Jesus.

Jesus’s Request

The practice of the Holy Hour started when Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Alacoque in 1674 during her hour of prayer. This was not the first time Jesus appeared to her. However, on this particular occasion, Christ asked her to spend an hour meditating on His sufferings every Thursday and Friday night. According to St. Margaret, the Holy Hour was to be observed between 11pm to 12am. During this period, St. Margaret was sharing the agony and sufferings of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Basically, the practice of the Holy Hour stands on 3 principles:

 

  1. The union with the suffering of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
  2. The remedial prayer
  3. The gestures of self-humiliation.

The Concept and the Garden

The concept of the Holy Hour is based on the Gospel of Matthew during Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his crucifixion. This is how the Gospel of Matthew 26:38-40 captures the events that took place that night:

38 “Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40 “And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?”

According to St. Margaret, Jesus made it clear that He wishes His faithful friends to become partakers of that sorrow unto death which he suffered in the Garden of Olives.
His followers should also join with Jesus in the humble prayer which He prayed to His Father at the time.

His followers should also join with Jesus in the humble prayer which He prayed to His Father at the time.

Modern Tradition

The Holy Hour remained strictly confined within the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1911, it received the right to aggregation for the whole world and is now encouraged in the Catholic tradition. Also, Mother Teresa practiced the Holy Hour as a daily routine. According to her:

“Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it will be recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity.”

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

 

Jerusalem’s Saints

Jerusalem’s Saints

jerusalem saints

This is a series on the Saints and Martyrs who lived close to Jesus.

We are starting with Saint Crispoldus and Saint Joanna.

Saint Crispoldus

Saint Crispoldus was the first Bishop of Bettona in Italy, and he was a native of Jerusalem. According to a legendary story, he was one of the chosen disciples who would save the world (according to Luke 10). Therefore, as one of Jesus’s disciples, he is known for the miracles he did. For example, it is said that he cured a man possessed by a demon. On a different occasion, he cured Valerius, and after that many people turned to Christianity. He is also known to kill a wolf that daunted people, which earned him favor among others.

Saint Crispoldus refused to honor and worship idols; therefore, he was arrested. He persistently refused to offer sacrifice to pagan gods and was finally executed together with his friend. His sister and 12 other women were also arrested when they attempted to give Crispoldus a proper Christian burial. Unfortunately, they were executed.

His memorial is observed on May 12.

Saint Joanna

Saint Joanna was Chuza’s wife, King Herod Antipa’s steward. Along with Mary and other women, they provided for Jesus and his disciples. Joanna and the other women used their personal resources and connections in different cities and villages in the Holy Land, while Jesus and his disciples travelled and preached.

St. Joanna was also one of the women who came to the tomb with spices to prepare his body for burial. However, by the time she and the other women arrived, they found that the stone had been moved and that the body was missing.

Her feast day is observed on May 24.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

The Saints of Caesarea

The Saints of Caesarea

The Saints of Caesarea

Saint Agapius, Saint Asterius, and Saint Cornelius are known as the Saints of Caesarea. They lived in Caesarea, the Holy Land, and spread Jesus’ teachings and faith in God. They had to face the Romans and kept their true faith at all costs.

Most of our current knowledge regarding the early life of Christians in the Holy Land comes from Eusebius and his book The Martyrs of Palestine.

Saint Agapius

During the persecutions of Diocletian, Saint Agapius was arrested three times but released each time.  However, he was imprisoned after the fourth arrest. He was offered freedom if he renounced Christianity but he refused. As a result, he had to face a bear and other animals in the public arena. His bravery and strong faith stood by his side in the arena so he suffered injuries but not death. After long suffering and mauling by animals, stones were affixed to his legs and the man was thrown into the Mediterranean and drowned.

Saint Agapius’ feast days are observed on November 20 and August 19.

From Paganism to Christian Martyrdom

Saint Asterius of Caesarea was a Roman senator, a well-known man who became a Christian martyr. He lived during the reign of the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, who were both pagans. Even though he lived during the pagan regime with persecutions escalated against Christians, Saint Asterius maintained his faith. He is known to have expelled a demon with a prayer during a pagan feast. However, the main reason he was sentenced and beheaded was a Christian burial ceremony that he performed.

Saint Asterius’ feast days are observed on March 3 and August 7.

Saint Cornelius

Our Second saint was a Roman Priest, Saint Cornelius his name. He was elected as the Pope. And then succeeded Fabian after the papacy had been vacant for over a year in a reign when Christians were heavily persecuted. He condemned the suffering of Christians as a result of their faith. And later was exiled, suffered a lot of hardships and later was decapitated.

Some of his writings were fundamental to the unity of the Catholic Church. He asserted that the unity of the church was grounded in the authority of the Bishop.

Saint Cornelius’ feast day is observed on September 16.

How Can The Salvation Garden Help You?

The Salvation Garden believes that every believer in the world should be easily able to access the churches of the Holy Land. We want to assist you in achieving success in your spiritual and material life.

You have to fill an online prayer request form with personal prayer and choose a church or multiple churches in the Holy Land from our website. We will make sure to visit those churches and deliver your printed Catholic prayer request personally. You will get the delivery confirmation from us to your email and an optional video. We also deliver your urgent prayer request to the Holy Land. While our service comes free, your donations help us with our travel, printing, security, and other expenses.

What did Jesus find in Garden of Gethsemane?

What did Jesus find in Garden of Gethsemane?

Olives Garden of Gethsemane

Our lesson from Jesus is that at times of great turmoil, we always have access to the path of salvation

The Suffering of Jesus

The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus went to pray before the ordeal on the cross of Calvary. The Bible indicates that Jesus was extremely troubled and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of sweating drops of blood. For three times, Jesus Christ prayed if it was possible for the cup of suffering to be removed from him, but that the will of the Father would be done.

The 12th Chapter of the Book of Hebrew says that Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame” and that he did this “for the joy set before him”. Even though he was under pressure, by faith, he knew that he would experience great joy on the other side of the suffering. The Garden of Gethsemane, therefore, has a deep meaning.

Willingness is strength

Jesus’s strength to be the Savior is of fundamental importance. Jesus Christ was willing to die on the cross for our salvation and pay the penalty for our sins. According to 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. This was the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43).

For two times Jesus woke up his disciples to remind them to pray so they wouldn’t fall into temptations. But they kept on falling into sleep and temptations. Even so, Jesus didn’t lose his faith, and although it did trouble him, he kept on praying. Then he had the strength he needed from God.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

Mount of Olives yesterday and today

Mount of Olives yesterday and today

View from the Mount of Olives to the old city of Jerusalem

The Mount is one of the most beautiful locations in the Holy Land and it has a unique role in Jesus’s life. Where is it and what happened there? This article opens a series on the Holy Land and the Mount of Olives.

Location first

The Mount of Olives separates the city of Jerusalem from the Judean Desert; from here it begins its descent towards the Dead Sea. The Kidron Valley surrounds Jerusalem to the east and separates the Mount from the city. On the south, there is Mount Zion and on the north, there is Mount Scopus.

Unique Features

The Mountain has three areas of uniquely high ground from which descend steep roads to the valley. From the north to the south extends “Karm as-Sayyad” (“vineyard of the hunter”), reaching 818 meters of altitude; in the center is “Jebel et-Tur” (“holy mountain”) at 808 meters; and to the southwest, on the far side of the Jerusalem-Jericho road, is “Bet el Hawa” (“belly of the wind”), also known as “Mount Scandal”, at 713 meters high.

The Olives

The name of the Mountain comes from the olive trees that have grown on its slopes for thousands of years, and some of the oldest olive trees in the world are still there. The mountain is also known as the Mount of Unction. The reason for it origins from the use of the oil in the Jewish tradition. The oil from the leaves was used to anoint the high priests and the king.

Jesus on the Mountain

Jesus set foot on the mountain immediately after the last supper, crossing the valley into Gethsemane.

An especially relevant episode in Jesus’s life is also one of the most important Christian memories accrued on the Mount of Olives. That is the teaching of the Lord’s Prayer: Eleona or the Grotto of the Lord’s Prayer. But it isn’t the only one: Weeping over Jerusalem: Dominus Flevit. Acclamation upon his entry into the Holy City on the back of a donkey: the sanctuary of Bethphage. The prayer in the garden of Gethsemane followed by his capture:   and next to it there are – Garden of Olives and Grotto of Gethsemane. And Jesus’s Ascension into Heaven, which occurred at the summit of the mount: the Edicule of the Ascension.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

 

Saint Anne is the Mother of…

Saint Anne is the Mother of…

Saint Anne

Little is known about the history of Mother Mary, and her family and origin. One of the reasons is that we don’t know much about her parents. But the little that is told shows an exciting view of Jesus life and legacy.

Jesus’ Grandmother

We know very little about Saint Anna. Actually, the apocryphal Gospel of James is the main source we have, with the most information about her. According to Christian tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. She was born in Bethlehem and got married to Joachim who lived in Nazareth, a village in the Holy Land.

The Misfortune of Anna and Joachim

Unfortunately, Anne was infertile at a time when barrenness was considered a sign of God’s judgment or displeasure with a person. Furthermore, in the Jewish culture, barrenness was the height of misfortune. As a result of the childlessness, the temple priest refused to accept Joachim’s sacrifice.
Joachim and Anna’s Prayer Answered

In desperation, Joachim is said to have gone into the desert to pray and fast. At the same time, Anna was also praying and reminding God about how He had blessed Sarah, Abraham’s barren wife with a son. As she prayed, an angel of the Lord appeared and told her that her prayer had been heard. The angel promised that she would conceive and her offspring would be famous the world over. The angel also instructed her to name the child Mary. In gratitude, Anne, who was now set to become Mother Mary’s mother, dedicated her future offspring to God.

Jesus and Mary

In the meantime, an angel had also appeared to Joachim and assured him that Anne was going to conceive, bear a child who they were to name Mary and dedicated to God.
Just like the angel had said, Saint Anna conceived and, after birth, the couple consecrated Mary to serve at the temple in Jerusalem. When she was fourteen, Mary was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth which continues the story of the birth of Jesus, his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

The Birth of Mother Mary – What do we know?

The Birth of Mother Mary – What do we know?

Do you know who were Mother Mary’s parents or where she was born? Here are some highlights of her origins

As the mother of Jesus, Mary is a central figure in Christianity. Even though we don’t have direct details of her birth recorded in the Bible, we do have some information. Some of the earliest Christian writers did describe her nativity.

Jerusalem or Sepphoris?

The place of her birth varies according to different accounts. Some place it near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem while others claim it was in Sepphoris in north modern-day Israel.
Date of Birth
As for the date, the Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8. There is also a celebration of her Immaculate Conception exactly nine months earlier, on December 8.

Who were her parents?

The Protoevangelium of James describes how Mary’s parents, Saints Joachim and Anne, were grieved by their childlessness. Her parents were devoted to prayer and fasting until an angel came to greet them.

The angel and Mary’s name

Afterwards, the angel told them: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.”

From the book, we are learning how Joachim took the newborn Mary to the priests, stating, “And they blessed her, saying: O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations.”
“…And he brought her to the chief priests, and they blessed her, saying: O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be forever.”

We, The Salvation Garden, offer you the chance to send your urgent prayer requests for any reason. Allow us to pray for you! Send your Urgent Prayer Requests now.

Our dedicated team members will personally take your urgent prayer requests to a Church of your choice in the Holy Land and then offer them to our Lord. After we bring your prayer requests to your chosen Holy Church, we will send you videos or pictures to assure you.

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