Why Was Jesus Born?

Why was Jesus born? The Bible provides a number of reasons. God the Father and Jesus agreed from the foundation of the world that Jesus would come and give his life as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind (I Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8). Therefore, one reason Jesus was born was to give himself as the ransom for the sins of mankind.

Another important reason for the birth of Jesus was to be a king. When Pilate questioned him during his trial before his crucifixion, Pilate asked him if he were the king of the Jews (John 18:33). Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). It was not the time for him to establish the Kingdom of God

Jesus did not come the first time to establish his kingdom. He came the first time to suffer for us, to give his life a ransom for many, and to be born into the royal family of David. He will sit on the throne of David and rule in the Kingdom of God.

Pilate asked Jesus clearly if he were a king. Here is how the gospel according to John records Pilate's question and Jesus' answer in John 18:37:

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (KJV)

Jesus here clearly states that he was born to be a king. Jesus came into the world to bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. However, he noted that his kingdom was not of that time. It was to be a future kingdom as he explained hard drive recovery service clearly elsewhere.

One of things that the angel Gabriel stated in his announcement to the virgin Mary of the future birth of Jesus is that God would give him the throne of his father David. Here is how the gospel according to Luke records it in Luke 1:30-33.

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (KJV)

God sent the angel Gabriel to tell the virgin Mary that the son she would bear would be the son of God and that he would have an eternal kingdom over the house of Jacob. Jacob was the patriarch whose named God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10).

Many people associate only the Jews with the House of Israel. However, Jacob or Israel had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26). They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

David was a great king over the 12 tribes of Israel. His son Solomon reigned after he died (I Kings 2:10-12). After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. King Rehoboam ruled the Kingdom of Judah, which had its capital in Jerusalem. King Jeroboam ruled the Kingdom of Israel, which had its capital north of Jerusalem in Samaria.

The virgin Mary was a descendant of King David (Luke 3:23-31). She was of the royal family. Today, she would be called a princess. She knew well what the angel Gabriel meant when he said that her son Jesus would reign over the House of Israel. She knew that he would be a king over a literal kingdom just as her forefather David was a king over the House of Israel.

While David's rule was temporary, the reign of Jesus will be forever. As the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's famous oratorio The Messiah says "king of kings forever and ever hallelujah."

Why was Jesus born? He was born to be bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. He was born to be the savior of the world. He was van insurance quote born to be a king. He will be the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign as the King of Kings forever in the Kingdom of God. That is indeed good news.

Alan D. Campbell lives in Brandon, Florida. For more good news, please see his blog The Good News of the Kingdom of God at http://goodnewsofthekingdomofgod.blogspot.com

Car Hire 101, Things You Should Know

With so many people planning to visit family and friends over Alabama personal injury attorneys Thanks giving weekend, there are likely to be long lines at car hire companies across the country. Properly insuring a car hire can be tricky. Unfortunately, many consumers don't even think about car hire insurance until they get to the counter, which can result in costly mistakes, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

"Whether or not to buy rental car insurance or any other insurance product should not be a snap decision," said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. "Unfortunately, with longlines at car rental counters during the holiday season, some people panic when asked if they would like to buy or decline car rental insurance. Faced with a number of choices, some renters either purchase all of the coverage or they decline the insurance without knowing if they are covered by other policies. This can result in the consumer either wasting money by purchasing unnecessary coverage or being dangerously underinsured."

Before renting a car, the I.I.I. suggests that you make two phone calls-one to your insurance agent or company representative and another to the credit card company you will be using to pay for the rental car.

Insurance Company

Find out how much coverage you currently have on your own car. In most cases, whatever coverage and deductibles you have on your own car would apply when you rent a car, providing you are using the car for pleasure and not for business. Remember, if you have dropped either comprehensive or collision on your own car as a way to reduce costs, you will not be covered if your rental car is stolen or damaged in an accident. In this case, you may want to purchase the collision damage waiver from the car rental company.

Credit Card Company

Insurance benefits offered by credit card companies differ by both the company and/or the bank that issues the card, as well as by the level of credit card used. For instance, a platinum card may offer more insurance coverage than a gold card. To car insurance Phoenix exactly what type of insurance you have, call the 800 number on the back of the card you will be using to rent the car. If you are depending on a credit card for insurance protection, ask the card company or bank to send you their coverage information in writing. In most cases, credit card benefits are secondary to either your personal insurance protection or the insurance offered by the rental car company. If you have more than one credit card, consider calling each one to see which offers the best insurance protection and travel assistance services.

At the Rental Car Counter

Since insurance is state regulated, the cost and coverage will vary from state to state. Consumers, however, can generally choose from the following coverages:

Collision Damage Waiver

Sometimes referred to as a loss damage waiver, this is not technically an insurance product. Collision damage waivers do, however, relieve or "waive"renters of financial responsibility if their rental car is damaged or stolen. In most cases, waivers also provide coverage for "loss of use," in the event the rental car company charges the renter for the time a damaged car can't be used because it is being fixed.

Waivers, however, may become void if the accident was caused by speeding, driving on unpaved roads or driving while intoxicated. If you have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, you may not need this additional protection, which generally costs between $9 and $19 a day.

Liability Insurance

Provides liability protection for up to $1 million. Rental companies are required by law to provide the state required amount of liability insurance. Generally, these amounts are low and do not provide much protection. If you are adequately insured on your own car, you may consider forgoing this additional liability protection. If you feel more comfortable with this supplemental insurance, it will cost between $7 and $14 a day. However, an umbrella liability policy may be more cost-effective. This provides an additional million dollars worth of liability protection for accidents while driving your own car or one that you rent. Umbrella liability costs between $200 and $300 annually.

Personal Accident Insurance

Offers coverage to you and your passengers for medical and ambulance bills for injuries caused in a car crash. If you have adequate health insurance or are covered by personal injury protection under your own car insurance, you may not need this additional insurance. It usually costs about $1 to $5 a day.

Personal Effects Coverage

Provides insurance for the theft of items in your car. If you have a home or renters insurance policy, you are generally covered for theft of your belongings away from home, minus the deductible. Generally, this coverage

costs between $1 and $4 a day. If you frequently travel with expensive items such as jewelry or sports equipment, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a floater under your home or renters insurance policies. This way, the items are fully protected with insurance at home as well as while traveling.

If you don't own a car and are a frequent car renter, you may consider purchasing a non-owner liability policy. This not only provides liability protection when you rent a car, but also when you borrow someone else's car.

If you are planning to rent a car outside the United States, find out what the insurance requirements are in the country you will be visiting and purchase the necessary coverage. Talk to your travel agent and insurance agent or company representative before you get there and bring a proof of insurance coverage in the U.S., if appropriate.

States have minimum age requirements to rent a car and some car hire companies now investigate your driving record and/or credit history; check with the car hire company before picking up the car.

Be smart when you book a hire car, not all companies are transparent. Trust me I know. I've tried almost every one of them.