Big Boy Stan Murf

Tell us about obedience... does the Lord require us to turn from the devil and follow Him in order to receive forgiveness of sin? Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Or, can we say we believe in Jesus and still live like we did before we believe?

Yeah, I've run in to lots of folks that don't like some of the things the Lord says in His Word. This produces strife between themselves and the Lord and they don't realize it. Children n of disobedience refusing to accept the call of the Lord to “Come out from them and be separate as the Lord instructs His people to touch not that which is unclean thing so He can receive us” (2 Corinthians 6:17).... might see it that way. Those that are obedient unto the Lord's calling "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14) so they don't live in sin and they imitate the Lord as dear children (Ephesians 5:1). 1 Peter 1:15-17 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear

Another thing to understand is people who refuse to forgive... are tormented by demons! Not forgiving is an open door to the devil to bring darkness in to your life and he never misses any opening in people's life to come in to kill, steal, and destroy (see John 10:10) Jesus has an entire teaching (parable) devoted to this where He says those that refuse to forgive are turned over to the tormentors. This is why many of the people you run across in life that are tormented in their minds and have no peace who are always full of anxiety and fear... have most likely had something bad done to them and they either don't know how to forgive or outright refuse to forgive. It's sad to to see this because they are helping the devil bring destruction and anguish in to their lives and they don't even know it... Matthew 18:23-35 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. The guy took vengeance (revenge) upon the guy that raped his daughter and this is a sin before the Lord because it was done after the fact. If he caught the man in the act, it would have been self defense in protecting the child and that would not necessarily be a sin or a crime. (if your conscience is telling to killing in self defense is a sin, then for you it IS a sin!) But, when one takes vengeance (revenge) upon someone after they did whatever it was they did... they are taking something the Lord specifically said belongs to Him. Those that love, honor, and respect the Lord will not go out and take vengeance (revenge) upon someone for wrong doing after the fact. Another thing to bring in to this that is directly related is.... forgiveness! Matthew 6:15 if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. No matter what one has done, we must forgive them because Jesus said if we do not, the Father will not forgive us of our sins. (this is reaping what we sow - God cannot be mocked, see Gal 6:7,8) Some want to argue that all our future sins are already forgiven and choosing to not forgive someone does not mean your sins are not forgiven... but this is NOT what Jesus said! Those people will get upset if you tell them they are saying Jesus is a liar, but that's exactly what they are doing is saying something Jesus said... is not true which is a sin in itself It may not be easy, but we must forgive those that have done us wrong. We should make the decision to forgive to CHOOSE to forgive and do it in faith. Prays and tell the Lord "Lord, I choose to forgive this person in Jesus Name and I'm asking for your help and teach me how to make this a reality in my life" Forgiving is done by faith where you honor the Lord's instructions and do what He is leading us to do in His Word and forgive others even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you (see Ephesians 4:32) He chooses to not remember someone's sin any more...

Did Jesus Observe Hanukkah? "And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch." - John 10:22-23 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" - Mathew 26:15 You might be surprised Jesus celebrated the holiday and warned about what it heralded – for the end times. Yes, as more followers of Jesus rediscover the Hebrew roots of their faith, they can't help but be confronted by the fact that their Messiah and King observed what became known during the time of the Maccabean revolt as the "feast of dedication." Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for dedication. It's celebrated for eight days this year starting at sundown Dec. 18 through Dec. 26. The events that led to the commemoration of Hanukkah took place in the so-called "silent" period of the Bible. It's explained, however, in the apocryphal book of Maccabees and referenced in the books of Daniel, John, Matthew and Mark. So, what is Hanukkah all about? About 175 years before the birth of Jesus, the Greek-Syrian empire ruled over the land of Israel. The Syrian ruler, Antiochus IV, was a tyrant – a madman, a Hitler archetype, a kind of precursor to the Antichrist. He sought to suppress all the Jewish laws. Thousands of Jews were killed. All Jewish worship was forbidden. The scrolls were confiscated and burned. Honoring the Sabbath, circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death. Antiochus conspired to depose and later assassinate the righteous high priest, Yochanan. Antiochus' henchmen ordered 90-year-old Rabbi Eliezer to eat pork as an example to his followers. He refused and was put to death. In a plot to undermine the strength of the Jewish family and morality, Antiochus decreed that any Jewish maiden who was to be married had to first spend the night with the local governor or commander. The Syrians, under the command of Holofernes, laid siege to the town of Bethulia. While the town elders discussed a plan to surrender when their food supply ran out, a young and beautiful widow, Yehudit, the daughter of Yochanan the high priest, told the people to maintain faith in their God. She told them she had a plan they would have to accept on faith. Yehudit took a large basket of cheese, bread and wine to Holofernes. She told the commander that, in exchange for mercy on her people, she would tell him how to capture the town. She explained that her people's faith in God remained strong, making the fight against them that much more difficult. However, she said, soon the supply of kosher food would be gone. When that occurred, the people would begin to eat the flesh of unclean animals thus provoking God's anger and causing the town to fall. She agreed to stay with Holofernes, returning to Bethulia each day to find out how food supplies were holding out. She gained the trust of the commander who was eager to spend time with the beautiful widow as well as to win the siege. After a few days, Yehudit told Holofernes that Bethulia was now out of food. He had only to wait a few more days for the Jews to begin eating the non-kosher animals. Holofernes invited her to come alone to his tent that night to celebrate. She agreed, inviting him to eat her salty goat-cheese. As he ate, he grew thirsty and Yehudit gave him the wine she had brought with her. While Yehudit pretended to eat and drink, Holofernes became drunk. Soon, he was in a deep sleep. Yehudit took Holofernes' sword and cut off his head. She and her maidservant put his head in a cloth and returned to Bethulia. Now was the time to attack the Syrians, she said. In disarray at finding their leader dead, the Syrians succumbed to the Jews in battle. Defeats like this made Antiochus even more determined to exterminate the Jews, if necessary, to achieve victory. Hannah and her seven sons were brought before him because they refused to stop studying the Torah, keeping dietary laws and honoring the Sabbath. Antiochus demanded that they bow down to an idol before him. The eldest son stepped forward and said: "What do you wish from us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers." Antiochus ordered him tortured. His tongue, hands and feet were cut off and he was placed in a cauldron of boiling water. Antiochus turned to the next son and demanded that he worship the idol. The brother refused and was similarly tortured. Antiochus continued down the line, and each brother held fast to his faith and gave up his life until only Hannah and her youngest son remained. Antiochus called the child forward and begged him not to be a martyr for such a small thing as bowing before a statue. The king went so far as to promise him wealth beyond his dreams if he would obey. Hannah told her youngest child: "My son, I carried you for nine months, nourished you for two years, and have provided you with everything until now. Look upon the heaven and the earth – God is the Creator of it all. Do not fear this tormentor, but be worthy of being with your brothers." The boy refused to obey the king's commandment and was put to death. As her child lay dying, she cradled his body and asked God that she be considered worthy to join her children in the world to come. She fell to the floor and died. There were thousands of others who likewise sacrificed their lives as Antiochus' men went from town to town and from village to village to force the inhabitants to worship pagan gods. One day, the henchmen of Antiochus arrived in the village of Modin where Mattityahu, the old priest, lived. The Syrian officer built an altar in the marketplace of the village and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Mattityahu replied: "I, my sons and my brothers are determined to remain loyal to the covenant which our God made with our ancestors!" When an accommodating Jew approached the altar to offer a sacrifice, Mattityahu grabbed his sword and killed him, and his sons and friends took on the Syrians, killing many and chasing the rest away. Then they destroyed the altar. Mattityahu and his sons and friends fled to the hills of Judea. Many Jews joined them. They formed guerrilla armies and attacked the enemy. Before his death, Mattityahu called his sons together and urged them to continue to fight. In waging warfare, he said, their leader should be Yehuda the Strong. Yehuda was called "Maccabeus." Antiochus sent his army to wipe out Yehuda and his followers, the Maccabees. Though greater in number and arms, the Syrians were defeated by the Maccabees. Antiochus sent out another, bigger army. It, too, was defeated. Finally, he raised an army of 40,000 men to sweep into Judea for a final invasion. When Yehuda heard of the coming invasion, he exclaimed: "Let us fight unto death in defense of our souls and our Temple!" God gave the Maccabees their miraculous victory. When the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it, they entered the Temple to clear it of the idols placed there by the Syrians. A new altar was built. The golden menorah had been stolen by the Syrians, so the Maccabees made one of cheaper metal. But when they went to light it, they found only a small amount of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. It was sufficient to light only for one day. By yet another miracle of God, though, it continued to burn for eight days, until the new oil was made available. That's how the Temple was rededicated and cleansed. And that is referenced every Hanukkah ever since. It is this final miracle that Jews commemorate annually with the lighting of candles and the Hanukkah celebration to this day. But what about Jesus? He celebrated, too – and warned that it would be a sign of the end. That's what He was referencing in Matthew when he warned it would be, literally, history repeating itself. Be joyous this Hanukkah. But be warned about a time coming in the not-too-distant future shadowing His return.

I wonder if they have heavy metal polka?

About the Jerusalem Council Acts 15 is a pivotal chapter in the books of Acts, as, indeed, the event it relates, the meeting of the Jerusalem Council, is one of the most important events of the early church. Had this council gone differently, there would certainly have been a major split in the Christian church, dividing not only congregations, but the apostles themselves and the unity of their teachings. The importance of Acts 15 today stems not only from the lasting effect of this council on the unity of the apostles and the history of the church but also from the manner in which if affects our handling of the Scriptures. Acts 15 is often referred to today. Those who do not understand the decision reported in Acts 15 are likely to embark on a path that leads them away from true Christian spirituality. In Acts, Luke indicates that the initial spread of the Gospel was to Jews. For instance, those who heard the first proclamation of the risen Christ on the day of Pentecost were Jews who either lived in or had made pilgrimage to the city of Jerusalem for the purpose of worship. Because of this, some in the early church took the point of view that Christianity was a sect of Judaism, and that to become a Christian one had to become a practicing Jew. As the Gospel spread to other areas of the ancient world, the universal nature of the Gospel call to Christ became evident. The church of Jesus Christ began to develop into two distinct branches, a Jewish church and a Gentile church. Those who believed that Christians were practicing Jews became offended by the Gentile Christians, believing that the Gospel was being perverted. The situation came to a head when some of these "Judaizers" traveled to the church at Antioch and began to contradict the teachings of Paul and Barnabus. The leaders of the church brought together a council at Jerusalem as a way to consider the issues and seek the will of God. Those who believed that Christians were to be practicing Jews could look to the example of Christ. As Paul wrote to the Romans, Jesus was "born a descendant of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3). In Galatians Paul points out that Jesus was "born under the Law" (4:4) and died under the Law (3:13). Early Christians, even Paul, worshiped at the Temple as well as with congregations of Christians. Those who believed that Gentiles were not obligated to obey the Law of Moses in the same manner as Jews believed, as Paul wrote, that the Law of Moses became "our tutor to lead us to Christ" (Galatians3:24, Romans 3:19-21). The finished work of Christ released Christians from the burden of keeping the entire Law. While there was deep reverence for the Law and respect for the Jews (Romans 3:1-2, 9:3-5), there was also the belief that the Law of Moses had been fulfilled in Christ, that Christians had a new freedom in Jesus Christ, one that did not require the Gentiles to observe the Law of Moses in the manner of the practicing Jews. The Jerusalem Council, then, was to resolve the relationship between Christianity and the Law of Moses. The authority of the decision rendered there is great because it was not just a gathering of church leaders (elders), but a gathering of apostles, those whose leadership provides the foundation for the Christian church until Christ's return. The Decision of the Jerusalem Council This leads us to the question of what the council decided and how it is to be applied. In this we can look not only to the decision recorded in Acts 15, but the writings of other New Testament Scripture, most of which was written after the council, and, therefore, would have reflected the understanding of the apostles concerning the decision that was made there. One of the keys to understanding the decision is found in the final verses of chapter 14 and the first verse of chapter 15. In the last part of Acts 14, Luke tells us that when Paul and Barnabus returned to Antioch, they related how successful they had been in their missionary journey, reporting how God had worked among the Gentiles (14:27). Perhaps it was because the Judaizers in Jerusalem heard of this that they journeyed to Antioch to promote their own teachings, counter to those of Paul and Barnabus. These men from Judea were teaching that those who wanted to become Christians had to submit to circumcision (the pre-eminent indication of conversion to Judaism) and adhere to the entire Law of Moses. The Greek word "ethei" (from "ethos") in Acts 15:1 may be translated "custom" or "habit." It often indicates a personal habit or the customary action of a nation or group, and is so used in the New Testament in a number of places (Luke 4:16, Hebrews 10:25). However, in conjunction with the Law of Moses, it forms a technical term regarding the keeping of the entire Law as contained in the first five books of Scripture, the Pentateuch (cf. 15:5), and refers to the commitment of Jews to keep the entire Law (Galatians 5:2-3, James 2:10, Romans 2:13). The Law of Moses was multifaceted. It not only brought spiritual truths and moral guidelines to the children of Israel, it also ordered their lives. Included in the Law were ceremonies (circumcision, sacrifices, feasts, holidays), dietary restrictions, health codes, and civil law. There was no disagreement among the early Christians that all Old Testament Scripture, including the Pentateuch (the Law of Moses) pointed to Jesus Christ (John 5:39-47, Luke 24:25-27, Galatians 3:24, Romans 3:21, 16:25-27) or that Jesus lived and died under the Law. As a faithful Israelite, Jesus had kept the Law perfectly (John 8:46, Hebrews 3:1-6, 4:15), which enabled Him to be a perfect Israelite, and thus fulfill His mission as Messiah (I Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 7:26-28, 9:13-14). Although Jesus had kept the Law perfectly, and such as Paul kept the Law blamelessly (at least before any human court, Philippians 3:5-6), the apostles and elders recognized that the Law of Moses was a heavy burden for anyone to carry (15:10). No doubt they remembered the traditions, found in our Gospels, where Christ continually pointed out the failure of Jews, teachers and lay people alike, to keep the Mosaic Law. Further, inability to keep the Law in its entirety, in spite of one's best efforts, was one of the lessons the Law was supposed to communicate - thus leading to salvation provided in Christ as the only path to righteousness and the forgiveness of sin (Romans 3:9ff., Galatians 3:22). The decision of the council showed unanimity between the apostles and elders gathered at Jerusalem. At the suggestion of James, who presided over the meeting, they sent an official letter to Antioch to avoid any misunderstanding. The letter informed the brethren that the Judaizers had never been sent out by the apostles and, therefore, never had the authority to teach as they had. The letter made clear that the apostles embraced the ministry of Paul and Barnabus. This meant that it was not necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised upon conversion to Christianity, and that Gentiles were not bound to adhere to the entire Mosaic Law. We should recognize that in confessing Jesus Christ, the Gentiles drew a sharp line between themselves and the pagans they lived in the midst of. It was still not easy to be a Christian. However, the severe burden of following all of the Jewish dietary, ceremonial, and civil laws was not added to the burden of confessing Christ before an unbelieving world. In addition, we should notice that Jewish Christians were not prohibited in any way from practicing their traditions just as before. They were free to practice, but not impose upon others, circumcision and other Jewish customs that derived from the Law of Moses. The apostles and elders at Jerusalem did, however, demand that the Gentile Christians observe four requirements of conduct that derived from the Law of Moses. First, they were to abstain from "things contaminated by idols." In view here was meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Eating this was tantamount to approving the sacrifice, so Christians were to avoid eating meat if they knew it had been involved in sacrifice. Secondly, they were to avoid eating animals that had been strangled. This also had to do with animals that had been sacrificed in pagan rituals. However, even if killed outside pagan rituals, there was the matter that to eat animals that had been killed in such a manner was completely abhorrent to practicing Jews. Therefore, a matter of fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians was involved. Thirdly, Gentiles were to abstain "from blood." Some commentators believe that this meant abstaining from blood vengeance. But inasmuch as it is not made clear, it seems best to interpret this as another dietary restriction having to do with pagan sacrifices and fellowship with Jewish Christians, who, again, would have found eating this loathsome. Finally, the Gentiles were charged to abstain from fornication. Again, commentators differ somewhat on the scope of what was being prohibited here. Sexual immorality was commonly accepted in the Gentile world. In addition, intercourse with temple prostitutes was practiced as a form of pagan worship. Certainly these forms of immorality were inappropriate for Christians. If we extend the scope of this prohibition even wider, it might include a prohibition against violating the requirements for marriage taught in the Old Testament, charging Gentiles not to marry close relatives for example, and not to marry those who did not share true faith in God or His Christ, and prohibiting easy divorce. Whatever the exact scope of the original instruction as given by the council, the general meaning is clear: Gentiles were to keep themselves pure from sexual immorality. These requirements were not unique to Acts 15, we see hints of them, for example, in the message from Christ to the church at Pergamum and the message from Christ to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:14 and 2:20. The letter from the apostles and elders concludes, "if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well" (Acts 15:29). Implications for Christians Today What viewpoint should modern Christians take towards the decision of the Jerusalem council? First, it is clear that the apostles and elders embraced salvation by grace through faith in God's work through Jesus Christ. As if this point was not clearly made in the Gospels or Acts, the letter to the Hebrews and Paul's letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Romans, and Titus make this very clear. Those who saw the keeping of the Law of Moses, or indeed any Law, as a way to salvation were mistaken. Secondly, not only forgiveness of sin comes by faith in Jesus Christ, but the ability to live blamelessly before the Lord comes by the grace of God through Christ. Paul told the Corinthians that those who are in Christ become a "new creation" (II Corinthians 4:17). He told the Colossians that the "hope of glory" was "Christ in you" (Colossians 1:27). He told the Thessalonians that they could be sanctified wholly and live blamelessly because "Faithful is he who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass" (I Thessalonians 5:24). At the Jerusalem Council, the proof that Peter offered that the Gentiles were being truly saved was that, "He (God) made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith" (15:9). Those who are new creatures in Christ have the indwelling Holy Spirit to cleanse and guide them. By His cleansing they put to death that which is evil and become alive to the service of Christ. Therefore, the Law is not needed in the same sense as for those who wish to do evil. Christlikeness of character is produced by the indwelling Spirit of Christ (Galatians 5:16-26, Romans 8:4ff., I Timothy 1:8-9). However, we can easily press this too far. If it is true that Christians do not need instruction or discipline to serve Christ well, if they need only the indwelling Spirit of Christ, why did the Jerusalem Council need to send a letter to tell the Christians in Antioch what kind of behavior was expected of them? Why were there four conditions rather than simply an exhortation to walk with Christ? Why did the spiritual leaders in Antioch have to relate the decision through a special meeting convened for that purpose (15:30-35)? In Galatians 5:19-21, as in other places in Scripture, there are lists of attitudes and actions that are evil. In Galatians 5 this list is in the midst of a discussion of being led by the Spirit of God (16-26). Obviously, there is more to being led by the Spirit than subjective impressions and guidance. There is the guidance of mature spiritual leaders given through their instruction, their example (Philippians 3:17), and the guidance of the Old Testament Scriptures themselves. The guidance of the Holy Spirit comes through other members of the Body of Christ and the Scriptures. In I Corinthians 10 Paul makes it very clear that the Old Testament, including the incidents related in the Law of Moses, the Pentateuch, are important for the Gentile Christians to know (10:1-10). "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (10:11-12). The clear implication here is that heeding the lessons of the Law of Moses is the only way for the Corinthians to know how to live for Christ, the only way for them not "to fall.". This same truth is implied in Paul's charge to Timothy to ". . . give attention to the public reading of Scripture" (I Timothy 4:13). Clearly, it was as important to Paul as it was to the psalmist to know God's Word in order to avoid sin (Psalm 119). This is not an avoidance of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is humbly accepting one of the most important means whereby the Holy Spirit leads us, Holy Scripture. Finally, while the Jerusalem Council made clear that the ceremonial, civil, and health requirements of the Law of Moses are not binding upon Gentiles, it nowhere implied that the spiritual or moral lessons of the Law of Moses were unimportant for Christians. It is a simple thing to come to a certainty that this is true. Focus upon only a small part of the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. The four requirements of the Jerusalem Council do not prohibit a Gentile from telling a lie. Does that mean that it was acceptable for a Gentile Christian to be a liar? These four requirements nowhere tell Gentile Christians to honor their parents. Does that mean the Jerusalem Council believed that it was acceptable for Christians to treat their parents with contempt? The requirements of the apostles and elders do not prohibit stealing. Did those at the Jerusalem Council believe it was a small thing for a Gentile Christian to become a thief? We have touched upon only a few of the Ten Commandments. We could easily go on, but the point has already been made clear. Certainly the Jerusalem Council was not saying that they could overlook immoral behavior by Gentile Christians. They were saying that only the moral and spiritual lessons of the Old Testament were binding, not the ceremonial ones, not the ones, like circumcision and the celebration of the Passover, that were simply binding upon the Israelites to whom God delivered the Law. Jesus' teaching on divorce shows us that the teachings of the Law of Moses were sometimes not the final word on morality and spirituality (Matthew 19:3-9). However, the morality and spirituality found there are at least foundational. In any case, the Law itself is not evil. Paul's arguments to this effect in Galatians and Romans are closely reasoned, but the point is made clearly, nevertheless. The Law of Moses served a purpose, and when seen in its proper perspective, it fulfills that purpose. "So then, " wrote Paul, "the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good" (Romans 7:12). Surely the two commandments that Jesus taught summarized all of the Law of Moses are still important for Christians (Matthew 22:34-40, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18). Much of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is instruction in the correct application of the Law of Moses. Its inclusion in the Gospels is indication that the early Christians did not believe this part of the sermon to be irrelevant to Christians. In other words, they believed that Christians should be students of the Law, but from the perspective of the Gospel, the New Covenant, not the perspective of the Old Covenant. Even those parts of the Law Gentiles were not charged with keeping can provide lessons for Christians. For instance, we may not live by the dietary laws of the Mosaic Law, but we can learn that God wants us to pay attention to how we eat and to have a diet that is nutritional. Dangerous foods, foods likely to be contaminated, are to be avoided. We may not follow the health requirements of the Law, but they certainly exhort us to live in the healthiest possible manner. We do not worship at the Tabernacle defined in the Law of Moses, but we can learn from the spiritual lessons taught there and see how they are fulfilled in Christ (Romans 3:21). The Jerusalem Council provides a clear statement of belief in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The decision of this council, however, is not justification for Christians to abandon the study of the Old Testament Scriptures, nor is it justification for Christians to ignore the spiritual and moral lessons of the Law of Moses. Rather it calls upon all Christians to see them in their proper light, and to use them in such a manner that they have a closer walk with God. If this is true, then what was the purpose of the four requirements of the Jerusalem Council concerning the conduct of the Gentiles? No matter how they are interpreted, these instructions either emphasize parts of the moral teachings of the Law of Moses that were particularly important for Gentiles given the religious environment in which the Gentiles lived, or they were instructions given to promote fellowship between Gentiles and Jews within the Body of Christ, asking the Gentiles to treat Jewish Christians according to the Golden Rule in matters of diet. Source - http://amnightwatch.com/acts15.htm#implications

Praying for the Lost Use these scriptures to make prayers to pray over those that are lost.... some may have others to add to the list. 1) Matthew 12:29 "Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house." We should bind the devil from working in their lives, and take authority over the enemy. In Luke 10:19 Jesus said "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (authority) of the enemy". Jesus has given us authority to take authority over the enemy. We must exercise our authority by speaking out these scriptures against the enemy. God's Word MUST be declared over them in faith continually, and consistently if you ever expect to see the person(s) you're praying for come to Jesus. 2) Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Declare (outloud) in faith that you are binding the devil's ability to work in their lives, and declare (outloud) in faith that the person you are praying for is loosed from the control of the devil and all carnal influences of darkness in the world. 3) Mark 16:17 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues". Demand (outloud) in faith that you are casting the devil out of their life! Jesus has given us power and authority to do this, and He will see to it that this is carried out if we don't give up and quit standing on this promise. 4) 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Speaking God's Word (promises of freedom) over someone's life is mighty through God for getting the results of pulling down strongholds (enemy activity) in people's lives. 5) Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (Also see: Matthew 9:38) Declare (outloud) in faith that labourers (witnesses of the Gospel) are continually coming into their lives to declare the goodness of Jesus and His desire to set them free from darkness. 6) 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Declare (outloud) in faith that their minds are no longer darkened and the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ is now shining on them, and in their minds (understanding, vision, ability to see what is right) 7) Ephesians 1:17,18 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Declare (outloud) in faith that the eyes of their understanding (their mind, vision, ability to see) are now opened and declare that they have the ability to see what is right. 8) Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Declare (outloud) in faith that God's angels have already been sent forth to minister salvation (deliverance, freedom) to the person you're praying for by bringing witnesses of the Gospel to them, by protecting them from destruction, and by ministering thoughts of the promises in God's Word to their thoughts.

Scriptures on SLEEP and REST Proverbs 3:24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep those in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because they trust in thee. Psalm 91:1,2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust John 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. Psalms 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD:”Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Hebrews 4:4; 9-10 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” … So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Job 33:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds

No repentance of sin? Meaning we don't have to quit sinning and we can live a lifestyle of sin??? All we do is confess out sin and keep on living in sin? Repentance meaning to turn away from your sin, to change one's mind about sin and in quit doing it!

And all others sins are unforgivable... until we confess our sins to the Lord and turn away from our sins. If we never confess our sins and turn away from them (admit it and quit it), then we will die in our sin being separated from the Lord.

Those that have been born again are. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Those that claim the flesh is the default have no understanding of what a Christian even is are are deceived. Romans 8:13,14 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 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.

A good question is.... do we blindly give to the poor? If a poor person living on the street is a heroin addict and we give him money and he overdoes and dies.... which happens frequently these days... it would be obvious we cannot give to every poor person because it will damage some of them. I used to blindly give to the poor until the Lord led me to not do that without spending a little time talking to them to witness to them. If there's a hint of them being an alcoholic or on drugs then giving to them is most liking paying for their drugs which further damages them. Maybe the thing to do is just give to a ministry that helps poor folks and let them deal with it?

What if it was a child molester? Are you OK with them molesting fewer kids than they were? What about murder? Killing fewer people than the number previously murdered is all good? God gave man the ability to choose what he's going to do and what he's not going to do... so this doesn't work with the Lord. Claiming it takes time to stop doing what we know we should not be doing but we gonna do it anyway... is still living in sin. James 4:17 to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Drug addicts know doing dope is a sin, and they makes excuses claiming "I'm trying to quit" as they call their supplier to buy more dope. I never said I never backslid.. I did, for several years and in that time I was not playing games with the Lord claiming I was still saved because I was not! This is the issue, admit it and quit it! Otherwise, you won't go to Heaven if you are still walking in sin. Let's not make excuses for sinful behavior as this causes people to stumble and believe that while they are "trying to quit" they are still in right standing with the Lord because they are not. Unless you'd like to make the claim that Christians can willingly and knowingly live in sin and be good with God? That's what the devil told Adam and Eve in the garden is you can sin against God and it's all good... and that is a trap of the devil. If one believes in OSAS, they have to acknowledge that they do not believe in sowing and reaping as they claim when Christians sin it does not separate them from God. The wages of sin is still spiritual death (separation from God) and we still reap what we sow as God cannot be mocked! Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death Galatians 6:7,8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. When we sin, we reap corruption and unless we turn away from our sin and confess it to the Lord... live everlasting is no longer applicable to us because we are not abiding in Christ when we sin. There is no darkness in God (1 John 1:5) so nobody abiding in Christ are willingly or knowingly doing sinful things. Blaming God for one's addictions is a sin as well. Saying God does everything is in fact claiming that it's God's fault if one lives in sin. We are co laborers WITH God (1 Corinthians 3:9) as we do have a part to play in this and we WILL be held accountable for our decisions. If I choose to go do drugs and get stoned, it's not God's fault and it's not Him that failed to stop me from doing drugs or whatever sin it is people are doing.

They call it sin, ask for forgiveness, throw away all their paraphernalia, burn the bridges to all their dope dealers, and quit! I'm a former drunk and drug addict and I can tell you from experience it CAN be done and the Lord will help and empower people to quit if they do what I described above and make no provisions for the flesh (Romans 13:14) Making excuses for sin only results in people continuing in sin Yes,. the OSAS crowd has to cherry pick scripture to continue believing their false doctrine. That's what the OSAS crowd says down at Cherry Pickers R US, Inc

Then we should ignore verses such as Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:9 ? It's more than just quitting the sin, God's Word is saying we must confess and forsake out sin in order to have mercy. If one accepts the whole counsel of God then the conclusion has to be it is entirely possible for one to lose their salvation. In pretty much every conversation I've had with the OSAS crowd, they end up ignoring things the Lord has said or attempt to explain them away because some things in God's Word does not fit the narrative they believe in. And this involve confessing the wrong doing and quitting the wrong doing. Without these two items there is no making up and the relationship remains severed. God is not mocked... if we sow to the flesh we shall of the flesh reap corruption (Gal 6:7,8) which clearly means one is no longer in right standing with the Lord and their sin has separated them from the Lord. (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 8:13)

One reason is the liberals all stick together even when they disagree. They circle their wagons and they all get on board and they support a general consensus among themselves. Conservatives are too splintered all the time and we know a house divided against itself cannot stand.

How can one possibly partake in beliefs that are in opposition to the Lord's instructions in His Word.... and be a Christian at all? Much less as "good" Christian? Is it OK to follow teachings that do not come from the Lord? Does the Lord accept those that are disobedient to His Word?

We could make a quality decision to put away the desires of the flesh by the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit within and quit being in conflict! Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Quality Decision = a decision about which there is NO debate, from which there is NO retreat. It's not for sissies and Sunday morning quarterbacks!

I had some really bad things happen to me as a young person and it bothered me to hear people claim the Lord had done bad things to me and it was a mystery that nobody could explain and it sounded kinda like God and the devil were doing the same things to people which did not seem right. As a mechanical engineer you have been trained to know and understand why things are the way they are in the field you work in. Take that same training and know that God's written Word is the knowledge base, the technical manual from which you will find the answers. What I found in my situation is that some things happened to me due to things I did not know from God's Word and these were attacks by the enemy to choke God's Word out of my life so I would not bare fruit and not spend eternity with the Lord (see Mark 4:13-20, and John 15). satan is always trying to choke God's Word out of someone as this is his MO as we see how he operated in the Garden of Eden. It's God's Word he is scared of because they is where the power is All I could do was refuse to believe the Lord had any involvement (see James 1:13) and not blame myself because of things I could have done that I simply did not know about. If you are willing to let the Lord lead you to find out what happened and how it could have been avoided, you'll grow in His wisdom and knowledge exponentially and it will be a very positive experience that will put you in a position to help others if they will allow it. We are living in a time of deception and a time of falling away, so not too many people seem to be interested in hearing details. As the old saying goes, "the devil is in the details" as in if some details are missed, it's an open door for the devil to enter in and do stuff I'll agree with your prayer to learn more about your situation in Jesus Name! As you study, pray and wait on Him to lead you... He WILL teach you some stuff that will answer your questions!

False claim yet again... I'm interested in posting things God's Word says... you get mad if someone dares to disagree with you. Pride will not serve you well but whatever. We'll play like this is Burger King and you can have it your way! Here's what you said... "one night the Holy Spirit reminded me of my Catholic Confirmation at age 12, and I vividly remembered my zeal for giving my life to Christ" "Nor will I apologize to anyone because I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school from K-8"... and then "I don't regret where I started from" Whether you realize it or not, some would see these quotes and think being catholic might be a good thing to check out. I know I know, that's not YOUR problem. I get it now. Numerous warnings in God's Word directs us to depart from false doctrine, but whatever. I'll go in to the settings on my account and put you on the blocked list so I won't be able to see anymore of your posts so you can have a happy life and hopefully you don't run in to anybody else with a different opinion that you have seeing that really upsets you! This is always used in efforts to make those that don't agree with someone as though they should not be talking about what they believe is in error. So much for the friendly exchange of thoughts and ideas with "some" people.

Does it bother you as to WHY this happened, or did you land on believing it was the Lord that decided to take these babies which is what many believe? There are answers in God's Word concerning stuff like this and I can tell you the Lord is not going around deciding to take babies away from people. I won't say any more because very few are even interested in digging in to find out what God's Word says about this sort of thing. Every since I was a kid I always wanted to know how things work and why things happen and all that. I like details, so I guess that makes me weird!

That's very true! One of the best analogies I heard concerning this was how an automobile works... some people thing cars run on gasoline, but they don't! No, they run on gas, oil, air, electricity, hydraulic fluid, and engine coolant If one takes any on of these items out of the mix, the car will quit running. Our walk with the Lord is similar to that because confessing what God says about us is very important... but things go awry if this is all we are doing. There are (among other things) things we must be doing in addition to speaking God's Word such as believing, acting like what God says is true, thinking / meditating on what God says, continually giving thanks unto the Lord, sharing the Gospel with others, etc, etc. There is always a need for balance as an unjust balance is an abomination unto the Lord but a just and right balance is His delight (Proverbs 11:1) Many who attack speaking God's Word are unbalanced themselves and are purveyors of false doctrines such as calvinism, reformed theology, or catholicism There's no doubt that speaking God's Word is needful and very beneficial because after all... it's what the Lord says! Romans 10:6-8 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; Affirming and speaking favorably of a false religion is most definitely hurting them and providing opportunity for them to stumble. Jesus and His Apostles did not go around speaking favorably of the false religious systems of their times and they in fact condemned those systems and told people to come out of them to serve the true Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So you do what you think is right... I'll not follow any example that speaks favorably of satan's fake religions. I don't agree with evil and will act in opposition to evil and not to speak favorably of it. Nothing like hanging on to a little leaven for old times sake! Saying what the Lord says IS... focusing on His Word. His Word contains instructions and warnings we need to consider while living in this world so we can deal wisely in all the affairs of life while we are here (Joshua 1:8) Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success

Quite a hilarious fellow you are You must not be too bored seeing you keep replying

But you mentioned it in a favorable light... this can cause some to stumble I'm pointing out that compared to being called to conform to the image of Jesus... EVERYONE'S testimony is irrelevant. You were pointing me to consider what Paul said and did... I'm saying no thank you, I'll pay attention to what Jesus said and did And the stuff Paul wrote... he didn't dream that stuff up. It was the Lord that directed him what to write! You sound paranoid! If someone says something you don't agree with... just move on! SMH On a discussion board like this, people are simply exchanging thoughts, ideas and opinions... no one is saying you are required to agree with what they said.