Should believers celebrate Christmas? Hanukkah? Both? Neither? And why? Dr. Brown will take your calls for this annual Christmas debate. Is this a God-glorifying holiday or a pagan celebration? Listen live here 2-4 pm EST, and call into the show at (866) 348 7884 with your questions and comments.
Hour 1:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: As we come to the end of our annual Christmas debate, whatever you do, do it with all of your heart to God, honoring Jesus above all.
Hour 2:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Whatever the world does or doesn’t do, it is a glorious truth to know that Jesus came to the world.
Other Resources:
Laws exclusively unto one Nation (Israel) are found within TEACHINGS (Torah), but were given exclusively unto Tribes from Jacob, called out of Egypt (changed to Israel as a Nation coming out of Jacob’s loins, & when doing spiritual battle with an ‘angel’ of the ‘night’, not even one sent of ‘light’, sent here by G-d, in which in his trial ‘throughout the night’, he ‘prevailed with G-d’ by insisting the ‘angel’ restore him, not leaving him to the circling flesh eating animals, birds of ‘territory’ he had gone to seek out the Lord, knowing that ‘angels’ even if having left ‘first estate’ were sent by G-d to ‘earth’ with ‘anointing to gather’ mankind also while IN THE FLESH, and ‘to heal’ temporal FLESH TEMPORARY ‘outer tents’ of mere men made a little ‘lower’ than them, yet for to be ‘crowned’ as one said “what is man, that G-d is mindful of him ?”) as to what was given them, administered by ‘angels’ unto them also, EXCLUSIVELY, gives us TEACHING, which is forever, for all to benefit, but is not law to all as the ‘king’ of ‘KJV’ wanted it to for use OVER Rome (for G-d needed only to educate one Nation, that for to deliver His Son UNDER LAW of a Nation which is ‘forever’ even as He IS FOREVER, & which even He did not fully keep on this tiny ‘footstool’ of His, but as the ‘man from HEAVEN’, KEPT ALL THE TEACHINGS & law given this one Nation AS TO HIS HEAVENLY Priesthood, for He was pronounced by His F-ther G-d, that He was not ever planned for, nor ever meant to be, nor had He, or arrived on this tiny ‘footstool’ of His, at anytime, on this tiny Planetary ‘COPY’ of HIS, as ‘earthly priest’ OF ANY KIND, NOT ONLY FOR THE OBVIOUS REASON HE WAS NOT OUT OF THE EARTHLY ‘LINE’ of Israel’s PRIESTHOOD, but ALWAYS at all times only under the ‘HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD’ of the ‘heavenly order’ of Melchesedek (aka: appearances upon this ‘dirt’ copy, that of those still existing heavenly ‘dirt patterns above, of that of the Person of Ruach Elohim, THE SPIRIT of the living G-d, ‘without any birth’ in heaven or in earth, eternal always in the heavens, and as in ‘appearance’ as a man, on earth, from the heavenly “Salem” only true City of Peace, far ABOVE here below, unlike the Son of G-d, without mother, also ‘without any legal’ nor earthly father’, even as eternally in heaven, but was sent by His SOURCE, and the very F-ther G-d IN HEAVEN, of our Lord and Savior Messiah Yeshua, who at one time was ONCE and for all time DELIVERED by ‘overshadowing’ of the Person of the Holy Spirit of G-d from the very eternal ‘bosom’ of the F-ther, and SOURCE ALSO OF THE ‘PERSON’ ALSO, THE RUACH ELOHIM also sent ONLY by HIS SOURCE and no others, including angels NOR the uniquely begotten Son of their ONE AND ONLY ‘SOURCE’). “IF THE SAME ‘SPIRIT’ THAT RAISED JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, NOW DWELL ‘IN YOU’ ? IT IS HE WHO ADMINISTERS HIS OWN LAW GIVEN HIM, THAT OF HEAVENLY ‘MELCHESEDEK’, SENT NOW ON EARTH BY ‘THE SOURCE’ OF ALL SPIRITS AND LIGHTS, also then IF dwelling in us (that is only in those who walk not after the FLESH, but only walk after THE SAME ‘SPIRIT’ under the NEW COVENANT laws THAT ADMINISTERED here of THE RUACH ELOHIM)
Hi Ron,
Firstly, thank you for your kind response.
As I said, I consider myself to be a Traditionalist Catholic. Now, what does this mean exactly? Simply, I profess the orthodox Catholic faith as the Church presented it historically.
Today, especially at the parish level, more often than not we find a diluted form of Catholicism which bears a resemblance to liberal Episcopalianism and to other progressivist sects. There is, in reality, a de facto schism in the Church today. There are those who hold to the historical faith, and we are in a minority, and there are those who embrace utter novelty. At the present time, the hierarchy of the Church, especially as it operates under the current pope, seems to be encouraging the latter direction, at the risk of ushering in a massive apostasy.
The fact of the matter is that, today, for various reasons, the policies of the Vatican (presumably in a well-intentioned but misguided spirit of ecumenism) have fostered the downplaying of certain dogmas which concern the Catholic Church’s theology of the Jewish people. For instance, one will hear the Church teaching, or at least inferring, and in a semi-official capacity that the Jews of today are “the chosen people.” Yet, the Church has always taught that the chosen race of Jesus Christ is the Catholic faithful, because the people of God are the baptized, those who have entered the New Covenant. And some modern theological streams have encouraged the idea that the Old Covenant was not revoked in the ratification of the New and that God has a separate plan for the Jews which does not necessitate their conversion to Christ. This is nothing less than dual-covenant theology, which is becoming prominent with certain Evangelicals, and I think that you would consider this to be a heresy, as well. Obviously, the Church has always taught that there can be no salvation apart from faith in the Lord.
continuing from previous:
So, my beliefs represent historical Catholicism, to which I would invite everyone here, including Dr. Brown.
Regarding a debate, I don’t think I’d do very well, since I’m not nearly as informed as I’d need to be on every issue. But perhaps in the future. We can always discuss things here on these boards, if you’d like.
Thank you, Ron, and God bless.
100 hits (reminds us we can be 100% SURE our Messiah arrived here in ‘birth’ of a ‘virgin’ young woman named Mary as 100% man) while at same time all ‘appearances’ of Ruach Elohim on earth as 100% G-d, in this ‘manner’ on ‘this earth’ our also SOURCE NAME given His Son, HERE was Savior, as in Heaven where G-d is with us (EMMANUEL) THRU HIS SON AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF OUR SAME SOURCE also without measure (the Son ‘fully emptied’ while briefly here, while the Ruach Elohim sent by the F-ther of the Son, only ‘parcial’ in His emptying FROM HIS, ALL, OUR SOURCE, ORIGINAL CREATOR of ALL ‘spirits’ and ‘lights’ (ASSISTED IN ‘MAKING’ OF TODAY’S ETERNAL FREE-WILL CREATURES BY BOTH ONLY UNIQUELY ‘BEGOTTEN SON’ OF THE ONE AND ONLY ORIGINAL SOURCE, AND ‘HOLY’ RUACH ELOHIM of same SOURCE, ETERNAL, WITH ABILITY VOLUNTARILY to become emptied BOTH FULLY and PARCIALLY in order to rescue mankind ‘of whom it was said, by angels, or at least by one angel: JUST WHAT IS MAN , that G-d remains so clearly ongoing eternally so far, mindful, that of him ? ‘
‘there can be no salvation’ except in true faith, which comes ONLY by hearing, and that of a ‘Rhema’ Word from G-d ! By ‘true Grace’ thru ‘true FAITH’ does not come to us ‘by the church’ (either of those attempting ‘reform’ or those not interested in ‘reform’ of the obvious worldwide promised buildup of it’s following the Nation of Israel when on this tiny Planet, as predicted, promised this tiny ‘footstool’, in it’s ‘harlotry’ MAKING NECESSARY it’s heavens suddenly on REAL fire ‘ending all human soul life’ unto a promised ‘next life’ IN THE FLESH, capable again of insisting upon being part of a great ‘Harlot’ church and NOT coming out completely from amongst them AND BEING TOTALLY SEPARATE which can happen ONLY by one ‘taking up one’s OWN cross’ unto ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION from first Adam’s “EARTHINESS” resulting in following after ‘doctrine of Balaam and Jez’ who thought heard ALREADY what G-d had spoken thru them at one time WHEN IN FACT they had only ‘presumed’ this tiny ‘footstool’ would make a good place for to consummate their ‘marriage’ with G-d, as the Harlot, having ‘coaxed’ Messiah Yeshua back down here again ‘from above’ ?
Hello Bo
I think you have made feasts a salvation issue. Tne verses you quoted were chosen to reflect that, for you made a link between keeping Jewish laws/feasts, and being in the fellowship of believers, saved and in the Kingdom. I infer from your comments that I am also unsaved because our son is not circumcised. Yet the NT is clear that this is not a requirement for believers.
Some Christians (such as Orthodox churches) celebrate Epiphany or the Annunciation, since they are more uniquely Christian and do not have the societal associations.
My concern is your dogmatic assertions about the salvation of someone who lights an Advent candle. Really? If we should keep all the laws then Jesus was wrong to heal on the Sabbath. Or was He?
Moreover, we should call our brethren to higher standards of holiness, and I think that those who do not celebrate Christmas are right to do that. I thank you that your observations call us to examine our actions and whether or not we honour our Lord.
But it is presumtious to label someone as an unbeliever, when you know little else about them than their possession of a Christmas tree. This is what Jehovah’s Witnesses do. They will disfellowship someone and cast them out for having a blood transfusion or celebrating birthdays or Christmas. We cannot make it a salvation issue.
Bo,
Please read Nicholas’ ’00 post, especially the last paragraph.
I have a question for you. Do you believe the old covenant was revoked by Jesus Christ? Did he do that when he ratified the new through the shedding of his own blood on the cross?
I believe a new agreement may always contain something that was contained in a prior agreement.
I know of no doctrine of God that would necessarily require a new agreement to contain nothing at all of anything that had been previous.
I believe the old covenant was revoked through the ratification of the new, and that it was done by God through the work of Christ.
I believe there is such a thing as an unsanctified blending of the new and the old, which I think Jesus alluded to in Matt 9:16,17, which helped to prepare people for the thing that God was about to do through him. I’m referring here to bringing about the new covenant.
Eph 2:15, II Cor 3:13.
Hi Nicholas!
I want to take this opportunity to better define my position on God’s plan for the Jews as yet out of covenant with Him as concerns the New Covenant.
You wrote above:
“And some modern theological streams have encouraged the idea that the Old Covenant was not revoked in the ratification of the New and that God has a separate plan for the Jews which does not necessitate their conversion to Christ. This is nothing less than dual-covenant theology, which is becoming prominent with certain Evangelicals, and I think that you would consider this to be a heresy, as well. Obviously, the Church has always taught that there can be no salvation apart from faith in the Lord.”
I hope I’ve not given the impression that the Jews who are as yet outside of the Body of Christ will escape judgment when the Lord returns. I certainly don’t believe that which is why I work to bring the Good News of their Messiah to them how and when I can. If not personally then I support those who do.
What I “do” believe is that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” will be such that the nation of Israel, who we really must admit has been gathered from the nations again, even though there are those who believe they are “not” truly Israel, contrary to all that the prophets have spoken by the Spirit of the Lord, will experience travail of a nature that will have them turning to Messiah en masse as a nation. This is the remnant that the Lord has reserved to Himself as He has spoken of even through the apostle John. That there will be those who hate Him to the end is probable though…
The prophetic significance of the Fall Feast Days are a clue concerning what is yet to come. When “the fullness of the Gentiles have come in” the Lord will bring in the remnant of those Jews who He will have mercy on when they cry out to Him! There is no salvation for them any other way is what I believe. To reject the Lord’s plan to bring them in is to deny the witness of Scripture that says the same.
Thanks!
Besides the ‘promised buildup’ of the NOW earthy great ‘Harlot Church’ (harlotry in marriage as was proven out to be of ‘wife’ taken as example by Hosea, explaining Israel as a Nation, FIRST full explaining of what would follow when Israel suddenly on this tiny ‘footstool’ became ‘without root’, without any ‘branch’ as from playing the Harlot ON ‘THIS’ tiny footstool ONLY, it’s grain however, having come thru it’s ‘threshing floor’ down here AGAINST ‘harlotry’, & REFERRED TO AS FOREVER, even as a Nation by Messiah Yeshua: ‘G-d being eternal, ETERNALLY is not the G-d of the dead, but of those NOW, of the NOW living’, & SPEAKING of the New NATION of Israel, for to also become in the ‘resurrection IN THE FLESH’, BONES which WILL LIVE ‘again’ IN THE FLESH, & far above from, having eternally ‘parted’ from ‘this tiny footstool’ of Adam’s “earthiness”, unto their Nation’s resurrection IN THE FLESH, AGAIN UNDER LAWS contained within TORAH teachings, again as TEMPORARY ‘outer tents’, of ‘dirt’, NOT HERE, but of those heavenly ALSO temporary ‘dirt’ pattern spheres above, literal, described within TEACHINGS of Torah as larger than this tiny ‘copy’, unto GREAT even the size and beyond our local Planet Jupiter where we recently saw hit by 21 called ‘Shoemaker’ comets, each of the comets about the size of our tiny ‘footstool’ now in our ‘initial only INTRO to eternal existence somewhere in this vast material ever expanding ENTIRE NEVER ENDING UNIVERSE) blindness to all this has happened in part CONTRIBUTING to today’s HARLOT Church great worldwide BUILDUP unto these heavens suddenly ON REAL fire, but the greatest blindness has to do with the Harlot Church vs. the REAL Person and Personality of the Ruach Elohim OF WHOM they continue to ‘blaspheme’ His Source, and His SOURCE’S UNIQUELY BEGOTTEN SON (of which they can be forgiven when truly repentant in ‘this life’ AND IN THE ‘NEXT’ from here) also however, when choosing the Church OVER the real HOLY SPIRIT sent by the SOURCE and F-ther of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not discerning John Baptist REFERRED NOT to his Cousin Jesus of Nazareth when saying “ONE coming after me (Jesus having come before him in ALL things) RUACH ELOHIM will BAPTISE with HOLY Spirit and fire (THE HARLOT CHURCH continues toward their eternal blaspheme of the RUACH ELOHIM by substituting a ‘jesus’ of their own choice’ who is NOT the REAL JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH as preferred to be ‘their baptisor’ only, and an ‘angel from heaven’ becomes their chosen ‘BAPTISOR’ in the place of the REAL and ONLY sent by the F-ther of the Son TRUE BAPTISOR, THE SAME WHO BAPTISED THE SON, WHO CAME of WHOM John, fulfilling the promised coming of a Elijah, was spoken of outside the ‘kingdom of Heaven’, for the ‘least’ in the ‘kingdom’ IS GREATER than this ‘coming of Elijah’ forerunner to Messiah Yeshua unto this tiny ‘FOOTSTOOL’ only, of HIS). When one chooses the ‘baptism’ offered by the ‘Universal Harlot Church’ by an ‘angel from heaven’ OVER the real, by the only SENT ONE by the F-ther of the Son for to truly BAPTISE in Holy Spirit AND REAL FIRE ? they will continue to insist in their ‘harlotry’ they as a whole and as a supposed TRUE ‘church’ ? to be able to ‘coax back down’ their ‘jesus’ of their own choice, who not only baptizes them, but will come back to the place of his own cross (NOT willing to except from the Revelation given John the Apostle by an ‘angel from heaven’ WHO HAD NOT left his first estate in heaven before being sent by his SOURCE, FOR EXAMPLE as an angels of brightness of clouds “behold HE comes (ONLY BY) clouds, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE ‘THEM’ (THE SAME ‘manner’ in which HE was taken up from here INTO HEAVEN, IN SEPARATION FROM SIN AND SINNERS being by ‘angels’ of brightness, two of which stayed back to rebuke while explaining the cloud of great BRIGHTNESS separates HIM for sin and ‘sinners’ who are continuing GAZING into heaven when they should have been ‘tarrying’ in Jerusalem, as charged by Yeshua Messiah, TO REMAIN UNTIL ONLY unto having received ‘power’ FROM ON ‘HIGH’ which can ONLY come from the F-ther ABOVE, Who ONLY sent the PERSON RUACH ELOHIM, HE ONLY ‘of TRUE PROMISE’, AND ‘PROMISES’ ALL WITH CONDITIONS, especially that of THOSE rejecting ISRAEL’s ‘harlotry’ as the ‘grain’ EXAMPLES, NOW to be totally separated entirely FROM this PROMISED LAST DAYS buildup of HARLOT ‘Church’, even UNTO these entire heavens also reserved for real fire SEPARATIONS, FAR away from this tiny footstool ONLY of ‘initial only’ INTRODUCTIONS REQUIRED to eternal SEPARATIONS )!
The ‘eternal’ and ‘resurrected IN THE FLESH Nation of Israel’s ‘grain’ from this threshing floor down here, ARE NOT IN THE ‘GENERAL RESURRECTION’ (which only the Jews and those considered the ‘tares’ of separations within Israel’s Nation, AND ALL GENTILES who have followed ‘another jesus’, by ‘another spirit’, of a ‘different gospel’ IN HARLOTRY, will SURELY face the full finality of JACOB’s TROUBLE which happened to him BEFORE his name was ‘changed’ to ISRAEL, and happened in example to both the Nation of Israel while still with ‘root and branch’ down here AND the offspring of Abraham aka: Jews who had returned to the Land post Israel’s captivities of both the Northern and Southern Tribes including ALL THOSE CLAIMING to be Jews RETURNED to the Land given Abraham and HIS ‘SEED’ no longer here (all of which as to resurrection IN THE FLESH promised all, MUST HAPPEN also ‘no longer here’, but ‘up THERE’, INCLUDING THE GREAT FINALE in that which must follow the ‘first resurrection’ aka: the GENERAL resurrection of ALL not otherwise of the NEW ETERNAL NATION of Israel promised the ‘first’ to be ‘RESURRECTED in the flesh’ during the last millennium of the 7,000 yr. plan of G-d re: fall of first Adam aka: the first thousand years RESURRECTION ‘in the FLESH’, all both first and General Resurrection to follow in the very same likeness of very same ‘sinful FLESH’ of fallen first Adam AND of the ‘LAST Adam’ as for a little while down here was ‘PARTAKER’ with us, of same, IN THAT THRU DEATH ‘HE MIGHT BREAK THE POWER OF THE ONE WHO HAD THE POWER OF DEATH (THAT IS, THE DEVIL, Heb. 2:14, quoted, ‘Tree of Life’ version)
Anthea,
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I am not making it a salvation issue. I am making it a holiness issue. According to Messiah anyone that breaks one of the Father’s commandments and teaches others that it is alright will be least in the kingdom. Those that keep the Father’s commandments and teach others to do the same will be great in the kingdom. Messiah must be the greatest in His own kingdom. In other words, He kept and taught us to keep all of YHWH’s commandments.
Lu 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
I am guessing that the apostles will rank quite high since they were promised to sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. But Judas lost his position. He did not stay loyal to the King. To read the apostles words to mean that the law of YHWH is not something that we ought to keep is relegating them to least in the kingdom, for to be great they must do and teach all the commandments of YHWH. This is wrong.
Ac 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Ac 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
I have shown many times that Paul made it abundantly clear in the strongest of terms that he was not teaching that we are allowed to break YHWH’s law. But Churchianity has been ignoring those absolute statements of Paul’s and misreading the rest of his argument to mean that the law has no place in a believers life. Peter recognized that many in his day were already twisting Paul’s words to mean the opposite of what he preached. In Paul’s complicated argument in Romans, he clarifies exactly what he is not saying, but Churchianity refuses to accept his own warning not to misunderstand what he is saying.
Ro 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Ro 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law…
Ro 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
We deceive ourselves when we do not accept YHWH’s perfect law and practice it. We may not break it though we are under grace. Grace keeps us in the family though we fail. It does not permit us to break the family rules. We are blessed in our deed when we are doers of the YHWH’s law. We are deceived to think that those that refuse YHWH’s revelation on righteous and holy living are righteous. For to the apostles, to break any part of YHWH’s law was still sin. To do it knowingly and continually was proof to them that that we do not know YHWH but are of the devil.
Ro 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1Jo 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
How did Messiah walk? He kept YHWH’s commandments out of love for His Father and love for His neighbor. When we break YHWH’s law, even inadvertently, we have failed to walk in perfect love. This is why we should be like David and cry out for YHWH to teach us His commandments. If we really want to do right by our neighbor and by our Creator, we must have a desire to know YHWH’s commandments. But we will not receive this wisdom from YHWH if we have not fully committed to doing whatever He commands. Having a double mind and wanting to decide for ourselves good and evil will stop the revelation from YHWH to our hearts.
1Jo 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
The test of whether or not we are in the New Covenant or not is that our heart and desires have been changed. Do we want to do YHWH’s commandments? Can we be persuaded to ignore the small ones? Are there certain commandments that we do not want to do? To love our neighbor correctly we must love YHWH and keep His commandments. To love YHWH correctly we must love to keep His commandments. The new covenant writes YHWH’s law upon our hearts. This is Hebrew idiom that means that we desire to keep YHWH’s law. There is no magic pen that instantly makes us know all of YHWH’s law, but if our heart has been changed, we want to find out what it is and do it. If we find out what it says and do not do it, we prove our double mindedness and deceive ourselves.
To be continued below
Continued from above
Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
The New Covenant does not change YHWH’s law. It changes our hearts concerning YHWH’s law. It is a new covenant, not a new law. If we do not want to do every word that has proceeded from YHWH, we need to do some soul searching. The New Covenant applies grace and forgiveness for our past sins. What is sin? The transgression of YHWH’s law. Our transgressions are not remembered if we have repented and our heart is set on obeying YHWH. Can we say that our heart is set on obedience if we do not want to know YHWH’s law or if we know it and do not want to do it? John would say, “no.”
Ge 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
Circumcision is a token, a sign of the covenant that YHWH made with Abraham. It does not save us. It is not necessary to be circumcised to be saved. It is supposed to happen when we are little babies. It is our believing parents job. Adult circumcision is not mandatory for gentiles…unless we desire to eat the Passover.
Ex 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
So what if, after having our hearts changed to love YHWH’s law, we want to obey Him in keeping the Passover? Is a small commandment in YHWH’s law going to remain grievous to us? If our hearts have been circumcised, what is the problem with circumcising our flesh as a sign of devotion to YHWH? Not to gain salvation, but out of love for YHWH and His word. Circumcision is not wrong. Paul had Timothy circumcised. It is a sign.
De 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.
8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
Now that we have been scattered to the ends of the earth, will we return to YHWH in keeping all of His commandments and let Him circumcise our hearts and our children’s hearts so that we love Him with all of our heart and soul and so that we return and keep all of His commandments? Or will we continue to make double minded excuses that we do not need to keep His small commandments and continue to deceive ourselves?
1Jo 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked…
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Will we continue to keep Xmas instead of Tabernacles and Easter instead of Passover? Will we walk in the sins of Jereboam and the golden calf by proclaiming our own feasts to YHWH instead of obeying Him in keeping His holy days? Will we walk in the footsteps of Messiah or be fooled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Will we return to YHWH and have our children reap the benefits of having their hearts turned to YHWH, or will we have our children forgotten because we continue to forget YHWH’s law?
Ho 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
How long will we reject YHWH’s law? How long will we continue to say that we are keeping His commandments when the sheep of a false replacement xmas sacrifice are bleating in YHWH’s ears? How long will we blame the people around us instead of repenting?
1Sa 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night…
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed…
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?…
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
But those that are doers of YHWH’s perfect law will be blessed in their deed instead of losing their reward. The choice is yours. The scripture is not vague concerning these things. Faith in “Jesus” without works is dead. Our faith is proved by obedience to YHWH.
Re 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Re 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Shalom
Bo, Will you please do as I asked of you in post ’07 as well as answer those questions I asked you therein?
Hi Bo,
I’m in total agreement with you on Xmas. It’s manmade and pagan to its core. Jesus never told us to celebrate His birth but He did tell us to remember His death. Santa is a rearrangement of the letters in Satan (not a coincidence – Santa supposedly sees you when you’re sleeping, knows when you’re awake, knows when you’ve been bad or good and rewards children on that basis with gifts or coal – he’s a substitute for and competes with God, just like the devil). December 25 is the culmination of a week-long celebration of the Roman pagan holiday of Saturnalia, filled with overeating, drunkenness and sexual sin (and it’s the same today). You can’t put Christ back into something He was never in to begin with. And so on. We agree on this.
I don’t celebrate Xmas. I don’t keep the Jewish feast days either; I never have because I’m a Gentile.
Do you believe the Scriptures teach I must become a Jew to be saved?
This is what I believe…
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood….For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29)
Bo wrote the following:
“So what if, after having our hearts changed to love YHWH’s law, we want to obey Him in keeping the Passover? Is a small commandment in YHWH’s law going to remain grievous to us? If our hearts have been circumcised, what is the problem with circumcising our flesh as a sign of devotion to YHWH? Not to gain salvation, but out of love for YHWH and His word. Circumcision is not wrong. Paul had Timothy circumcised. It is a sign.”
This is wrong.
We were born again when our son was born in 1984. We didn’t have him circumcised. He’s 30 now. I hope you’re not suggesting he needs to be circumcised (for any reason whatsoever).
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Galatians 5:6)
“And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.” (Galatians 5:11-12)
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (Galatians 6:15)
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)
“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:11-17)
Ray,
You have not answered me. Why should I continue a conversation with you when you refuse to answer the passages that I quote? You owe me many answers before I owe you an answer to post 107.
Hi Sheila,
I know that no one here believes in so-called dual covenant theology, especially not Dr. Brown, who has made it his life’s work to reach his people with the Gospel. I was simply stating that there are some in the Catholic Church today who put forward this unbiblical concept, and out of political correctness, really. That’s always what it boils down to. There are some Evangelicals, like John Hagee, who teach complete heresy on the matter, and I believe Dr. Brown has addressed that man’s dangerous errors.
Now, there is the issue of Zionism. This is where we differ. However, once again, there are pockets among professing Catholics which tend to embrace modern Christian-Zionist eschatology. The problem with this is that the Church has already spoken definitively on the identity of the Israel of God. There is no room whatsoever in Catholic teaching for an end-times scenario wherein a modern a Israelite polity exists in the Middle East, created exclusively by the machinations of politicians, mind you, a physical nation-state which Christ will vindicate and reign over not in the world to come but in this very world. No, a Catholic may not believe such a thing. The coming persecution of Israel will be the persecution of those who profess faith in Christ, that’s you and me. When the Antichrist comes, who do you think he will target? People who already worship a false god, or the people who belong to Jesus? Respectfully, I have to disagree with your understanding of the conflict to come. There will be a future conversion of the Jewish people. They will recognize their Messiah. This is what God has planned, but the Kingdom which they have set up is a kingdom of their own making, it is not God’s Israel.
Amy,
I appreciate your posts. I had much the same view before I studied the matter thoroughly. I will put together an answer for you in the next day or two, YHWH willing…and my flesh not being weak.
My oldest son was born in 1984. We had him medically circumcised but on the eighth day. We did not think that it was mandatory, but believed that the the Creator of the universe would not command something to His chosen people that was not a blessing and not wise. Why would we want to not choose wisdom and blessing?
We let YHWH give us as many blessings as He desired…contrary to the status quo. We had 10 children. We refused to go into debt because YHWH calls it a curse and children a blessing. Society says just the opposite. They bless themselves with houses and cars and vacations by choosing what YHWH calls a curse instead of allowing YHWH to bless them in His wisdom and timing. YHWH’s wisdom does not make sense to carnal man. Now we are being blessed with grandchildren.
Back to our firstborn…we bucked the establishment that wanted to do circumcision before the eighth day because we thought then and still think that YHWH knows better than man. Please accept the following that I have posted every year on the Xmas debate until I can answer your concerns in your posts above about keeping YHWH’s commandments.
I posted something like this last year and the year before and the year before…:
“1 Cor. 13
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The above is my ongoing testimony. The more I grow up and learn the more I have to put away. The way gets narrower but more rewarding.
I used to do Xmas (no offense intended, I think the x is an abbreviation from Greek/Latin). I wrote a song called Don’t Ex the Christ out of Christmas. It went something like this:
A kiss beneath the mistletoe
And Santa Clause so jolly.
Presents stacked beneath the tree
The halls all decked with holly.
People running too and fro
To make this Christmas merry
Buying all we can afford
to make their families happy.
When it comes to “X”-mas morn
You know that’s what it is.
Presents underneath the tree
But where’s the saviors presence?
Where is Jesus, where is He?
Don’t ex the Christ out of Christmas this year.
Don’t take Jesus out of your giving.
Put God first place in all that you do.
He’s your reason for living.
Don’t let Santa Clause take Jesus Place.
He’s really done not one little thing for you.
Jesus bled and died to pay for your sins.
He want’s you to come back home to Him….
It was a bit Keith Greenish with much conviction and seriousness. It was my way of proclaiming what I thought Xmas should be.
We never did a tree. We put a sign in our picture window that faced a busy street. It said, “Happy Birthday Jesus!” We decorated the whole house inside. The focus was a manger scene. We even put the wise men as far away as possible and left the baby Jesus out of the scene until the 25th so as to be accurate. We baked a birthday cake and sang happy birthday. We were very earnest and sincere. We put on an Xmas play with only the exact words in scripture so as to be very clear what we were celebrating….
We did not want anything that detracted or distracted from the truth in our celebrations. So the more we knew of the truth, the more we refined our lives to match up with His life.
We stopped doing Xmas when our oldest child was about 10 or 12. He’s 30 now. We have 10 children and the last 5 of them have never celebrated an Xmas. They seem to be just fine with doing the Biblical holy days instead of man made religious days.
I do not feel that I have exed the Messiah out of Xmas because He was never there. But He has been with us even unto the ends of the earth so to speak. Even when we were on the end that was trying to serve and glorify Him by supposedly doing Xmas right. We still recognize His birth on the YHWH given appointed time though…The Feast of Tabernacles. It is when he came to tabernacle among us.
I believe we have inherited lies from our fathers. (Am.2:4,1Pe. 1:18-19) (Church fathers included.) Our culture is actually what keeps Xmas going, and going worse and worse for that matter. I do not think that Messiah died to redeem certain days or practices. He died to redeem people. And redeemed people, out of gratitude should renew their minds with their Redeemer’s truth and submit their bodies to live it out. (Rom. 12:1-2)
So once I know to good and do it not to me it is sin. (Jam.4:17)
If I am not completely sure it is right/righteous, it is sin. (Rom. 14:23)
Some things to consider in this are:
Worship and Obey YHWH only and don’t do things that the unbelievers come up with.
De. 12:30-32, Le. 18:1-5, Gal. 4:8-11
Keep YHWH’s celebrations.
Le. 23:1-44, Col. 2:16-17, 1 Cor. 5:7-8
YHWH does not change.
Pr. 29:18, Ho.4:6-9, Mal. 3:6, Heb.13:8, Mt. 5:17-19
…What ever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might.(Ec. 9:10) Be a lover of the truth not just a seeker of it.(2Thes.2:10-12) For sure, do not be a hearer only.(Jam.1:22-25)Don’t forget to do your duty. (Ec. 12:13, Lk.17:5-10, 1 Jn. 3:22)”
Shalom
There are those who have went about judging others as to things contained in the law, using the law unjustly, as if men were still under the law for the sake of righteousness, which is a lie, for the redeemed of God by Christ Jesus, are made free from the law, which was a thing of bondage, even though in the inward man, one would consent unto it that it is good, but the keeping of it was impossible, for no one kept the law completely except Jesus Christ who did so by the leading of the Holy Spirit, walking with God the Father that way instead of by the letter of written ordinances and by human will power.
We then who have received the word of Christ and the good news of his salvation have no desire or need to fulfill the law as a requirement to attain our righteousness, for that has been abolished by his sacrifice on the cross, which thing brought about a new and better way, which by the Spirit of God we seek to live that life in Christ which is life and life more abundant in this world and in the one to come.
Therefore we know better than to become entangled in such a yoke as some even today would have us get caught up in, even by their own mishandling of the word of life, through which they have erred and gone off the righteous path of God, having loved themselves and their own way more than the way of God which is Jesus Christ.
As for holidays, every man may decide which days he holds to honor God, whether they be birthdays in which they honor God by showing their appreciation for others, or by doing the same by celebration of other anniversaries, or by celebration of any given event, each man doing so, or not doing so, to the Lord who will judge every man according to those things he has done.
So Christmas as a holiday is one in which many honor God as God wishes to be honored through remembrance of giving the world his only begotten
Son, bringing him into the world as he did through his chosen people, and one person in particular, his mother Mary.
Christmas is also a day in which many do not much celebrate it, but quietly remember God’s favor and great love for us in sending Jesus Christ into this world as he did.
Others remember the things God did on other days more so than at Christmas, and that is fine also.
As long as men live according to the will of God which is revealed to them, I’m sure God is blessed by those ways and in those times.
There is no single established rule as if for all men, that we are under as far as whether or not Christmas should be celebrated by us, for we are not under any such rule, but are under the rule of God and what he has put in our hearts to do that is according to his will for us, and for each of us it may be a bit different.
And all of this is because of the liberty he has given us in Christ Jesus. It cost God a lot to give this to us. It cost him sending his only begotten Son into this world of sin to suffer greatly in order to redeem and restore us. It cost Jesus everything to come to do that for us.
This liberty did not come cheap.
I believe the liberty God gave us should be honored and cherished.
Bo, what questions do you have for me about some passages you quote? I will answer them if you will answer my questions of post ’07. Fair enough?
Amy: if you would continue quoting acts 15 until the 21st verse you would see that the gentile believers were expected to learn Moses in the synogogue on Sabbath
J.D. and Amy,
J.D., that is a good point. The only scripture available was the law and the prophets. The writings of the apostles cannot contradict or disagree with the established word of YHWH…and they don’t. What are new believers to do in a time when the scripture is scarce and most people are illiterate? Hear it where it is read every week and put it into practice as they hear it. Start with some basic holiness/cleanness laws that were very important to not defile anyone in the congregation and then learn the rest over the next year or three. (The Torah was read through along with selections from the prophets on an annual or triennial cycle.)
Certainly no one believes that the 4 necessary things are the only things that YHWH desires of gentile believers. They were not necessary for salvation. They were not the only necessary things for them to be careful to do for the rest of their lives. They were necessary to get into the place that the scripture was read. They did not need to know and do the whole Torah to be saved, but if they had become new creatures that had their hearts changed, they would be hungry to know all that YHWH had spoken.
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Paul admonished Timothy many years later to use the Law and the Prophets (the only scripture at that time and the only scripture that he had known from his youth) for his doctrine, instruction in righteousness (right living)and good works that the man of YHWH would be fully equipped. He was supposed to reprove and correct the congregation with its teachings. It was supposed to perfect/mature the believer.
Shalom
Ray,
Just post the passages that I quoted and tell us how they do not mean what they say or what I say they mean.
Its worth noting that the 4 things they were commanded were to obstain from pagan religious practices. AND THEN learn Moses. In other words, stop being a practicing pagan and then begin pursuing righteousness.
Bo, What are your questions about certain passages?
Just post the passage and then ask the question.
Ray,
Let’s start with two very important passages.
Lu 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Why do these mean that we are exempt from keeping YHWH’s commandments and laws? Why is it a good thing to break and teach others that it is alright to break any of YHWH’s commandments? Does “every word” mean every word? Why are we to not take these passages at face value?
Bo,
You mentioned keeping the Passover (post ’13) as something you believe God wants you to do.
Do you believe every Christian is to keep the feast of the Passover, and if so how? Are all Christians everywhere to go to a Jewish Church and learn how they do it? Or are they supposed to get a lamb, one for each household or one lamb for as many people as it would feed comfortably, or what? How do you keep the feast of Passover?
Do you believe everyone (all Christians everywhere) should do it as you do, and if so, why?
If a man teaches people to keep feasts as a matter of law, while God no longer commands such a thing, should he be considered great or least in the kingdom of heaven, and if so, why? Would he be in obedience to the commandments of God, or would he be doing something contrary to Christ?
Certainly a commandment that was to Israel under the law, isn’t necessarily a commandment to a Christian who is not under the law but under grace, in much the same way as if God told a prophet to go tell a certain king something, and he went and told the thing to someone else instead.
What kind of prophet might that one be considered?
Ray,
You did not answer my questions. Passover was given before the law.
I grew up in a Lutheran church and we celebrated Easter. For Easter dinner it wasn’t unusual if we had a ham. I’ve never eaten lamb, at least not that I can recall.
Bo
Just write out your questions and I will answer them.
One question you seemed to have was about Passover as being a commandment of God that you were to keep. (see your post ’13)
Bo,
Didn’t the law include commandments about the Passover?
Ray,
Please answer my questions. Also we have been grafted into Israel. We are part of the Israel of YHWH. And…the feasts were not given to Israel only…they are YHWH’s appointed times…YHWH’s feasts for His family. Are you not part of His family?
Ray,
You are not answering my questions like you said you would.
Bo,
Do you believe commandments of the law about Passover are for Lutherans to keep today?
Ray,
See post 128.
Ray,
Here it is again:
Let’s start with two very important passages.
Lu 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Why do these mean that we are exempt from keeping YHWH’s commandments and laws? Why is it a good thing to break and teach others that it is alright to break any of YHWH’s commandments? Does “every word” mean every word? Why are we to not take these passages at face value?
Bo,
Here is my answer to your question of ’34.
I do not believe commandments about keeping the feast of the Passover lamb are for Lutherans today to keep as was commanded Israel.
Now will you answer my questions of ’07?
Bo,
I just explained to you that not every word God commanded applies to Christians today, because they were commanded to who they were commanded to by God.
There are many commandments of God that were for people under the law to keep, and many of those have no bearing for those who are not under law, but under grace.
Bo,
Why is it you act as though you never heard the gospel? How long have you been a Christian?
There’s only 918 ‘hits’ on “does G-d require all believers to observe the Torah ? “. Over a hundred ‘hits’ now here on basically the ‘same subject’, SHOWING clearly again the necessity for a resurrection, IN THE FLESH OF SAME LIKENESS OF FALLEN SINFUL FLESH OF BOTH ADAMS (both while here on this tiny ‘footstool’, Last Adam only so briefly necessary “so that through death He might break the power of the one who had the power of death (that is, the devil)” ! ISRAEL and it’s unique LAWS given them as described within the TEACHINGS (Torah) ARE FOREVER, but are for TEACHING tools, showing NONE, including the ‘one who had the power over death’, now brought under LAW, can keep (“the last enemy” in an ever expanding material never ending ENTIRE UNIVERSE, WILL ALSO “BE DESTROYED through death” as result of sin ‘UNDER LAW’ whom ‘Grace’ can no longer reach out to, having come once, ‘twice’, sometimes ‘three times’ WITHOUT proper responses).
Bo,
You should be listening to Amy. She can help you.
Don’t try to teach her. Learn from her.
“G-d can surely bring with Him, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (including those addressed by Paul to Titus especially all the way through Ch. 3, verse 9)
Ray,
When Messiah spoke about being great or least in the kingdom, He was speaking of the commandments of His Father. He did not differentiate that there were some people that these did not apply to. You certainly did not answer my questions directly. Let’s try one more time. Cut and paste my questions then print your answers.
Lu 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Why do these mean that we are exempt from keeping YHWH’s commandments and laws? Why is it a good thing to break and teach others that it is alright to break any of YHWH’s commandments? Does “every word” mean every word? Why are we to not take these passages at face value?
My apologies Bo. I had missed your earlier covering of the golden calf incident.
Ray you asked how long I have been a Christian. Here is something I posted here back in Nov. 2011 when asked to tell everybody who I really am:
I am Bo. That is my name. Everybody calls me that…except my children. They call me Daddy. I have no assembly that I head. I have no public ministry. I have no website. I do have a place to lay my head, though 🙂 I am your basic nobody that has been a believer since Presidents’ Day 1979. I was miraculously saved and delivered from drugs on that fateful day. I was almost 17.
I started out as a nondenominational full gospel believer. I speak in tongues. I have laid hands on the sick and they have recovered. I do not know if I have drank any deadly poison. I have not been bitten by a snake. I believeth and have been baptized 🙂
My dad was raised as a Southern Baptist in Georga and my mom was a nominal Lutheran by her own doing. I was the first one in my family to be saved. I went to Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. for 2 and half semesters. I was a ministerial student. I went because that is where I got the most scholarship money. I met my wife there. I was probably a undercover missionary to the Southern Baptist Convention, as I was notorious for preaching the baptism in the Holy Ghost and laying hands on students there 🙂
I have lived in the same small town all my life, except for my time at college and the first 9 months of my marriage. I used to have an excavation business, but hurt my back. In much pain and unable to walk, I studied the scripture with my MAC laptop for years. I was always taught to believe the whole scripture, and I can remember sitting under much teaching that started in Genesis and ended in Revelation. I applied this to the best of my ability in my study of scripture.
I have always loved YHWH’s word since I first was saved. Keith Green was a man after my own heart…or vice versa actually, because he was born before me. My musical style and lyrics are quite similar to his, and they were before I even heard of him. Kinda hard hitting, as you can imagine 🙂
Now I am a middle aged white male that has been married for almost 30 years. I have nine living children from 27 down to 10. They have all been home schooled. I was not. That is why my posts are full of typos, misspellings and punctuation anomalies 🙂
I have benefited from Bill Gothard, Andrew Wommack, Denny Kenaston, C.S Lewis, Don and Katie Fortune, Gene Edwards, Ken Ham, and many, many more. I do not accept the pope’s edicts as infallible 🙂
I am a voice in the 21 century spiritual wilderness crying (sometimes literally), “Your place in the kingdom of heaven is at stake…repent and keep the commandments all you who have the testimony of Y’shua, and repent and trust in Y’shua all you that do Torah. Be ye doers of the word…the whole word…live by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH…not just the ones that those around you are doing.”
Bo is usually joyful and upbeat. He weeps at pretty much evey movie he watches, though he does not watch many…and never in a theater. He does not have a TV connection. His cars are older models or they have lots of miles or both. He likes to play with children. He is not in debt, so that he can be YHWH’s servant. He has a few friends that have not bowed their knees to Baal or defiled their garments, though they live in Sardis.
He rides a unicycle. His favorite color is orange… especially the orange of a the clouds when the sun sets. He wears what his wife buys for him. His love language is acts of service. His motivational gifting is Perceiver/prophesy and teaching. He has a type 1 personality, and is 5 feet 6 inches tall, and still thinks that he can win any wrestling match that might come along.
He never gives up, walks heavily and does not carry a big stick 🙂 He watched his younger brother die from years of alcohol abuse at the age of 40. He had a handicapped son that never walked or talked or fed himself that died at the age of 20. Neither he nor his wife have any living parents of grandparents.
He tells jokes. He laughs at his own jokes. He laughs at himself. He writes silly limericks and serious poetry. Not very good, but very serious. He bought a couple of old motorcycles that are much like the ones he had when he was a teenager, but does not ride them…well…the dirt bike he rides a little every couple of years.
He wrote a song a few years ago that expresses his heart. It is a compilation of “NT” scriptures that have the word follow in them. The lyrics go something like this:
I Will Follow You
I have heard Your call,
To come and follow You.
The cost is more than I can pay. (Lk. 18:22)
But You have chosen me, (Jn. 15:15)
So I’m forsaking all. (Mt. 19:27)
And with Your help, I’ll start today. (Ph. 4:13)
I’ll follow after righteousness, piety and faith,
Patience, love, and meekness, too. (1 Ti. 6:11)
I’ll take up my staff.
I will not look back. (Lk. 9:23,62)
You’re the Lamb, and I will follow You. (Re. 14:4)
I have heard Your call,
To come and follow You.
It’s a very narrow way. (Mt. 7:14)
But you have gone before, (He. 12:2)
So I’ll walk through the gate, (Mt. 7:14)
And by Your grace I’ll never stray. (Ro. 5:2)
I’ll follow peace and holiness, alongside faithful men, (He. 12:14; He. 13:7)
That worship with hearts pure and true. (2 Ti. 2:22)
I’ll follow in Your steps,
And count all things but loss. (1 Pe. 2:21; Ph. 3:8)
You’re the Lamb, and I will follow You. (Re. 14:4)
That is basically who Bo is. It really is his name. I hope you are not disappointed by the fact that he is your basic Joe Bible thumper and not some big name religious superstar. His IQ is not that high, but his expectations are…of himself and all those that call upon the name of YHWH.
Now we all know Bo better. He will not be sharing his SS# or mailing address and phone number. So I guess that is about the size of it…this post that is…way too long as usual.
Shalom
J.D.,
Hey a second witness is appropriate in all circumstances.
Shalom
I am on the opposite end of the journey, Bo. I went to a pentecostal church for a long time and learned a lot. Eventually i realized that when they were saying “you must speak in tongues to be saved” was worse than requiring regular old “works”. If it is of the spirit then its not of you. And then I spoke in tongues. And it sounded nothing like those around me. It was words…not mere syllables. And then I knew something else was going on. I changed locations and churches….again a Pentecostal based church. One night my wife and I prayed a very serious prayer to know the truth of God, not the trapping. And then many things happened. The first was the realization of how God had blessed us with spiritual gifts that we saw in no one else. His word opened up wide….and it became apparent that people did not know who or what they were worshiping. Is the God of the old testament the God of the new testament? Why did he change? I thought he said he didn’t change. That was our beginning.
I now eliminate the debts and burdens that I was misinformed was “normal”. It turns out that is what slavery is. Long road where more falls off as you go. I suspect that eventually I may be narrow enough to resemble the road.