Late Start Today at MLCS!

Yes, it snowed again last night. (At least up the hill from the school.) And so it will be a 2-hour late start at Mother Lode Christian this morning (click here for more information). We'll see you all around 10:00 a.m.-ish! Drive carefully.

Can You Take The Heat?

Global warming. It’s the hot button issue of our time. (No pun intended.) There are those that agree the earth’s temperature is rising and say it is the greatest crisis in the history of mankind. While there are still others who might agree that a warming is taking place, but say it is not unnatural and therefore shouldn’t be a cause of concern (let alone hysteria). No matter whose side you’re on in this debate I don’t know if you’ve ever stopped to consider if the Bible has anything to say about global warming. Because it does. It really does. Oh, it may not be like we read in our newspapers or hear our politicians speak about it, but the Scriptures do indeed predict a “rise in temperature” that will affect the earth in the days ahead. Isn’t that interesting? Take for instance 2 Peter 3:10. It says: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up” (MKJV). Do you see that there? ******* And then there’s Revelation 16:9-10a. It reads: “The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire. Everyone was scorched by its great heat . . .” (CEV). ******* The sun will begin to scorch people with great heat? The earth will be burned up? If this isn’t a picture of global warming I don’t know what is. And whether or not we interpret these two Bible passages literally what we can be sure of is they indicate a great change is coming for our planet. Ultimately, this change will be initiated by the Lord Himself who is poised to step into human history a second time - He did it the first time at the Incarnation – but this time when He comes Christ will right all wrongs and do away with all evil and wickedness. And every person will stand before God to answer for his (or her) actions. It’s enough to make a person sweat! (And it’ll take more than “carbon offsets” to pass this test!) Are you ready to take this kind of heat / endure this scrutiny? Only those who receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior can be. Don’t put it off another moment. Prepare yourself for the coming “rise in temperature” as the Bible talks about it. Now’s the time to get right with God.

Read Cougar News Here!

Cougar News online? It's true. It really is. The recent edition can now be read here by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

Cougar News Page 1
Cougar News Page 2
Cougar News Page 3
Cougar News Page 4

31 Flavors of Bible Translations

“Jesus wept” (KJV). “Jesus started crying” (CEV). “Jesus burst into tears” (ISV). “And the tears of Jesus came” (Murdock).

Bible translations. It can make the best of Christian’s head spin, there are so many out there. And it’s kind of like going to Baskin Robbins Ice Parlor with their 31 flavors of ice cream to choose from. (I think there are more now?!) So which flavor do you pick? And which one is the best versus the others? And then finally, why so many? Isn’t one enough? Just like for ice cream, I think these are valid questions to ask regarding Bible translations. And before I answer them, I’d like to try and make clear what a Bible translation is and what it isn’t. First of all, the Bible was written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. How many of you out there speaks Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek? I thought so. Thus the need for translations! Simply put, a Bible translation is taking the languages the Bible was written in and translating them into a language that modern people understand. (Oh, but you knew that!) Which brings me to what a Bible translation is not. A Bible translation is not changing the meaning of the original Bible. It’s just putting the original in another language. Which answers the next question of why so many Bible translations. How many different languages are there in the world? There’s Chinese and Japanese and German and French and Italian and Russian, etc., that people speak. And so you need to translate the original Bible into these languages. Next, there are different ways of saying the same thing no matter what language you use. (See the above English translations of John 11:35 for example.) And some ways of saying the same thing are more colorful while other ways are plain chocolate, vanilla and straw-berry. And so you have the King James (Neapolitan!) Version. And you have paraphrases like Contemporary English, International Standard, Murdock, etc. (the raspberry, tooty fruity and chunky monkey, etc., ice cream flavors!). No matter what flavor it is, the purpose always is to not change the meaning of the original Bible, but to try and convey the original in language that’s understood. Of course, there are better translations versus others. These are usually based on better manuscript evidence. Which is why, even though the King James Version is a very good translation, it isn’t necessarily the best. Due to the fact that it was written in the year, 1611, and since then there have been more reliable manuscripts of the original Bible uncovered, other translations based on the latter records (like the NIV) tend to be more accurate. That’s why it’s good to have a couple of different Bible translations side by side when studying. Ultimately, the original language of the Bible is the best translation of all. But since most of us don’t speak “Greek,” our own English versions will do just fine.

MLCS Enters The Blogosphere

Welcome to the Mother Lode Christian School blog. Primarily, it's set up to offer information about the school (of course!). But beyond that it's meant to be a portal for students, faculty, parents, relatives and friends of the school. Just look at all the places that are linked on the MLCS blog! Get your morning, noon or evening news fix. Visit Christian music sites and listen online. (Have you heard of allworship.com? It's great.) Do Bible searches and study through BibleGateway.com (see the right sidebar). Or just read the blog posts (updated regularly) or check for the Cougar Scripture verse to remember or quote (also updated regularly). But most of all, visit the MLCS blog often. And as you do you’re helping to increase Mother Lode Christian School’s visibility and online presence. People who are searching the web for a school that puts God first in the greater Sonora/Twain Harte area will find MLCS! Thanks for coming and we look forward to your next visit.

The Bones of Christ Are Found!

Phew! I’m so glad to hear they’ve found Jesus’ bones. (Click here to read about it if you haven't already.) After all, I thought Christianity was an illegitimate religion. I mean, a person can’t possibly believe that Jesus would tell the truth concerning His own resurrection. How could anyone predict such an absurdity as that. ******* And of course, I’m speaking sarcastically, my friends. Don’t worry. I’m stating the opposite to emphasize the ridiculousness of the point. And it really is ludicrous that somebody has discovered the remains of Christ – and in a grave no less! Think about it. Our Lord was sinless. For those of you that need a reminder of what “sinless” means – it means Jesus never sinned - not even once! He never took God’s name in vain. He never dishonored His parents. He never looked on a woman with lust. He never told a lie. And so . . . it goes without saying . . . He must have risen on the third day! ‘Cuz if a Person who cannot lie says He'll come to life after He dies then He'll come to life after He dies! I guess the bottom line issue of this whole “hoax” of finding Jesus’ bones boils down to the people who are involved: #1 - they don’t believe that Jesus was who He said He was; and #2 they don’t want to believe. How ‘bout you?

Mother Lode Christian School Blog Blasts Off

This blog exists for the sole purpose of promoting Mother Lode Christian School. Located in the southern Sierra foothill community of Tuolumne, CA, west of Yosemite National Park, Mother Lode Christian School uniquely serves the greater Sonora/Twain Harte area offering a quality education in a spiritual atmosphere. For those looking for a private school which emphasizes academics without leaving God out, look no further. This is where your child belongs. Come join the family at Mother Lode Christian School. Go Cougars!