Friday, March 20, 2020

The Babe of Bethlehem †Theology Essay

The Babe of Bethlehem – Theology Essay Free Online Research Papers This Christmas season, if at all possible, hold a baby in your arms. What do you feel, think, and wonder about that sweet, innocent baby? Perhaps you marvel at the new life in your arms and consider the potential of unique giftedness and blessings wrapped up in such a tiny bundle of life. More that 2,000 years ago the birth of one baby born in the tiny, dusty village of Bethlehem changed the world and divided history into BC and AD. The Babe of Bethlehem became the hinge, the pivotal point on which the destiny of the world turns. dAs the small land of Israel became a crossroad of the world, so the Babe of Bethlehem became the crossroad that determines the direction your life will take. This Christmas it is imperative that you focus on the Babe of Bethlehem. Consider the true Christmas story. (Read Luke 2:1-40.) First consider BETHLEHEMS CENSUS. The Roman Emperor Augustus decreed that all citizens of the Roman Empire must go to their own town to register for the census. Joseph, who was a descendant of King David, had to go to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was King Davids ancestral home. So, Joseph took Mary, his fiancà ©e, who was with child by the Holy Spirit. Augustus had no idea that in the midst of the Roman governmental census, that the Babe of Bethlehem, the one who would hold the governments of the world on His shoulders, would be born. Isaiah prophesied, Listen, will you the royal family of David! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel God with us' (Isaiah 7:13 NLT). For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal title: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT). One day this Babe of Bethlehem will come to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Presently he rules in the hearts and lives of those who make room for him. Does he rule in your heart? Second BETHLEHEMS CHILD. Nowhere in the New Testament are we actually told to celebrate and commemorate this babes birth. We are told to celebrate and commemorate his death and resurrection. Why is that? Because Christ was born to die as a sacrifice for our sins. Christmas rightly celebrated, helps us remember why this child was born. In Bethlehem there was no room in the inn. So Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger (a feed trough for animals). Christ was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Jesus came to die as a sacrificial lamb. (Read Isaiah 53.) He was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a tomb. On the third day He arose, proving He is the Christ, the Messiah. Handels Messiah reminds us that Christmas includes the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bethlehems child must be crowned as king. Consider the manger Jesus was laid in. It reminds us that we must feed on Christ. This child of Bethlehem (Bethlehem means house of bread) announced that He is the Bread of Life. By faith and repentance we spiritually eat of the Christ of Christmas. His torn flesh and spilt blood on the cross is our salvation and daily bread. Third BETHLEHEMS CELEBRATION. The night Christ was born an angel appeared to shepherds out in the field guarding their sheep. They announced the good news, Dont be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem. Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others the armies of heaven praising God. Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to all whom God favors' (Luke 2:8-20 NLT). For all those who receive Christ into their heart as Savior and Lord, there is a joyful celebration. Isaiah prophesied of this day, In that day you will sing . . . with joy will you drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing (Isaiah 12 NLT). When the shepherds saw the Babe of Bethlehem, they went back to their flocks glorying and praising God. When you really see the Babe of Bethlehem and receive him as your Savior, you will sing a new song and celebrate with joy, in worship of Christ the Lord. Christmas brings the joy of Christ. Today you can receive the new life that the Babe of Bethlehem came to give you. A Admit you have sinned. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) B Believe in Jesus. For 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) C Confess and leave your sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Research Papers on The Babe of Bethlehem - Theology EssayPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionBringing Democracy to AfricaTwilight of the UAWHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceLifes What Ifs

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

BookBaby Review Read This First (+ Promo Codes!)

BookBaby Review Read This First (+ Promo Codes!) BookBaby Review: Read This First (Plus Promo Codes!) If you’re planning to self-publish a book, you probably already know all the biggest names in the game: KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, and of course, BookBaby. You can read about the pros and cons of each of these companies in the posts linked above, but this review will focus exclusively on the latter. We’ll first cover what BookBaby is and how to use it, then lead into the relative merits - and potential stumbling blocks - of using it to self-publish your book. BookBaby review: what you need to know in 2019 What is BookBaby?BookBaby is a platform for self-publishing authors that includes editing, design, and marketing services, as well as distribution packages for both ebooks and print books. Over the past couple years, it’s become one of the most high-profile print-on-demand (POD) companies for authors, and continues to be a popular choice in 2019.Five fast facts about BookBaby:Founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon ☔President and CEO is Steven Spatz, who’s written two books on publishing ðŸ“â€"Approximately 8,000 users in 2018 (though not all have published a book) 👠ªDistributes through Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes Noble, and other major retailers in over 170 countries ðŸÅ'ŽHosts an annual Independent Authors Conference in Philadelphia, with workshops and panels from industry experts âÅ" Packages and servicesBookBaby offers a number of packages and individual services for self-publishing authors. We’ll break down the main ones for you here , but you can check out the full list on their website.â€Å"The Complete Self-Publishing Package† - $1,699BookBaby’s most popular package, according to the site. The Complete Self-Publishing Package includes cover design and formatting, ebook conversion, 25 print books, an ISBN number, worldwide distribution, a professional Facebook ad campaign, and a listing in the BookBaby online store (which allows you to sell directly to readers). Note that editing services are not included, however - nor any kind of discount if you wish to print more than 25 books, which is a serious drawback for authors printing in bulk.Printed Book Distribution - $299 + cost of bulk printing orderAlready have your manuscript and cover prepared? Then you’ll want to go with the printed book distribution package, which uses BookBaby’s POD service. This allows you to choose from various aesthetic options, order high-quality print copies, and sell your book all over the world.But ke ep in mind that the $299 charge is on top of your actual print order. For reference, 100 copies of a 300-page book will set you back $861 (and that’s without shipping!). Add the POD fee and your total comes to $1,160 for this particular package.So what does that $299 fetch you? The answer is distribution: again, BookBaby has an extensive distribution network, which includes every major retailer in the world. That said, you can get more bang for your buck from other POD services - like IngramSpark, which cuts out the distribution â€Å"middleman† that makes other platforms' fee so high. Basically, if you want to sell a large quantity of books, make sure you know your options.Ebook Conversion and Distribution - $249Alternatively, if you don’t want to print any books, you can opt for the ebook conversion and distribution package instead. Though BookBaby plays up its file conversion service and quality checks by â€Å"content conversion specialists,† youâ⠂¬â„¢re mainly paying for the distribution once again: as with the print package, your ebook will be sold in 60+ stores in over 170 countries.Copy and Line Editing - $7-10 per pageNow let’s talk individual services. For copy editing, BookBaby charges $7/page, while line editing is $10/page. Putting that in perspective, a copy edit for a 300-page book would be $2,100, and a line edit would be $3,000 - slightly higher than the average Reedsy estimates. Their site does promise rapid turnaround times at these prices: 8-10 business days for a full line edit, and just 6-8 days for a line edit. However, keep in mind that speed doesn’t necessarily beget quality, especially when it comes to editing.Book Cover Design - $399-549BookBaby also touts its cover design services, which come in two modes: â€Å"Basic† and â€Å"Deluxe.† The Basic design package costs $399 and includes, well, a basic cover design - a single, central image with fairly standard text. The Deluxe package, on the other hand, involves more sophisticated imagery and text for the higher price of $549. You can see the difference between the Basic and Deluxe options in the images below. So what’s the bottom line?BookBaby is a good option for authors who:  Want an easy-to-use interface and a bit of hand-holding through the process;Don’t mind paying a high price for bulk orders + distribution; and/orOnly want to print a small quantity of books.BookBaby is not a good option for authors who:Plan to print and distribute more than 25 books;Want to self-publish and distribute an ebook; and/orRequire additional services such as editing, typesetting, marketing, etc. - you can find a better deal elsewhere.BookBaby promo codesBookBaby might be tough on your wallet, but if you’re sold on their POD service, then you’re in luck! Here are two promo codes you can use to save on bulk orders, PLUS a coupon for free shipping. However you choose to publish, we hope the final product looks fantastic. 💠¯Enter the code SAVE100 at checkout to save $100 on 100 books or more.Enter the code PUBLISH100 at checkout to save $500 on 500 books or more.Finally, enter the code FREESHIPBB for free shipping on 25 books or more.Got any more questions about BookBaby? Feel free to leave them in the comments!