NickyLouse

My point is that when we read the Bible, at face value, we can misinterpret what it says. We must read the entire Bible to truly know. If we read Amos 5:21 by itself, we might conclude that YHVH hates the moedim. However, going back to Hebrew, we see that the word in Amos is not moedim. Additionally, He did/does not hate the moedim. He hates what we had/have made them into. Concerning the "Law" (Torah), He never changed His mind. The Israelites (and going back to Abraham, Noah and Adam) were not required to do His will. He graciously gave them the choice just as He graciously gives us the choice today. People who say that shema-ing unto Him is mixing Christianity with Judaism miss the point absolutely, wholeheartedly and entirely.

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

Lv23:2 Am5:21 Compare Amos 5:21 with Leviticus 23:2. They look very similar in English, but have completely different statements. What do you think?

I stand on the belief that when Israelites used bulls and goats by faith for the olah korban, translated in English as burnt offering but actually means ascent approach, they were approaching YHVH by way of Yeshua (the only Way) through faith. The fact that they were often making their approaches without faith did not please Him. But what was set aside (or abolished)? It is not clear to me. Is it the faithless offering?

I have wondered what is meant by Judaism. Is it the faith that Israelites had in YHVH prior to the resurrection of Yeshua? Is it the religion that specifically rejects Yeshua as Messiah? Is it the religion that believes that salvation comes through the obedience to Torah and believes in the truthfulness of the remainder of the TaNaKh? The reason I ask is because I have been accused, as a Messianic Gentile, that I am trying to adopt Judaism. If it is simply the faith that preceded Yeshua's resurrection, then I do not see a problem with it.

The context of the verse above is that the Jews had established a physical barrier between where Jews worshiped and where Gentiles worshiped even though both were in Christ. The problem that most Christians have with Torah is a misunderstanding of what Jesus and Paul were referring to when they taught against "law". The oral traditions (and Mishnah) of the Pharisees sought to put barriers around Torah to try to help people from committing sin. However, in their efforts, they added to the word of God and actually hindered the people's ability to draw near to YHVH by way of Torah. They were like blind men leading the blind. Jesus warned against the yeast of the Pharisees. Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him. “Come to Me, all 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 comfortable, and My burden is light.” Before you tell me that grace and "Law" are incompatible, please understand that it is by grace through faith (alone) we are saved (justified). However, it is through keeping (guarding) His commandments that we show our love for Him (John 14:15). There is no Hebraic biblical word for "obey". Shema means to listen intently with understanding and give your considered response. Shemar (H8104) is to guard. There are very few English translations that get this concept correct. They want to manipulate us into obedience. Our sanctification - AFTER we are justified - does indeed depend on our cooperation with the Ruach Hokadesh. This is where the understanding of Torah comes into play, but there are some who are justified who have nothing to show for it (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)

This is wrong because it contradicts the free gift of faith and the idea of justification by faith alone. Hebrews 11:11 says, "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive". If her faith was manifested by her obedience, how did she make herself able to conceive? All of the examples of faith in that chapter say that faith enabled obedience - not the other way around.

I am not an expert on the Book of Enoch. I don't know whether it should be canon or not, but there may be some clues about this matter in it. Enoch was a man of faith. His book should not be dismissed because it might not be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

It looks to me like the "dead" are judged according to their deeds, while those who believe will never die and are not subjected to the lake of fire. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25-26)

Thankfully, I have never lived under socialist tyranny… but it’s starting to come close.

Rest easy in the fact that what you say cannot push your son across the finish line so-to-speak. Tell him the good news every chance you get and always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that he will see that you have. It is hard not to be patient with our children or our spouse because we want so desperately for them to have what we have. Paul wrote that he would wish to be cut off himself for the sake of his people that they might be saved in Romans 9. Of course, he knew that is not how faith works.

The governments are exhibiting all of the characteristics highlighted below. I welcome any other source of information. https://www.wordnik.com/words/fascism centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

Same here, brother. I bite my tongue to prevent coarse language that wants to come out. <3

Although it grates against my desire to be free, you made some excellent points. However, I think the governments are using entirely too heavy hands with regard to the virus. I think they have become so emboldened with power to mandate, dictate and persecute that I resist it greater than I would if they had just been forthright. The desire for self-preservation would have achieved better results.

Incidentally, I am curious about why you titled the thread BELIEF versus KNOWLEDGE.

I am continually having the faith imputed to me affirmed. It is a growing understanding of the reality of my position in Christ and a sanctification process that has been underway since faith of Yeshua was first given to me. The first time that I recall its presence was in a theatre during the playing of The Passion of Christ. I wouldn’t say that I completely believed as I did not not completely understand why I felt as though I was in mortal danger. However, I could not turn away in my mind the possibility that He was the eternal being who had come to save me. The conviction I felt then overwhelmed my emotions (mostly shame and dread) on an almost daily basis that lasted for several months. So as I said, His faith has continually grown and the next major turning point after that was when I was given the understanding about Him enduring the cross for that joy set before Him (Heb12:1-2). It unburdened my emotion of shame and sadness because I internalized that although I was accountable, I could not undo what He had accomplished. And the realization that He enjoys saving us turned my grief into joy. That was 17 years ago, but I remember it all like yesterday. Hallelujah!

I disagree because when you start telling me how to live my personal life or how to run my business, you have become fascist. If the Netherlands government was merely socialist, which I find no less disturbing, they would not be shutting down businesses or telling people when or where they can conduct their own.

Trump is the toast... the toast of the town!

I wonder if the government leaders had considered the possibility that they are trying to become a fascist state.

Fiat is not backed by anything... except perhaps faith in men and government. Blockchain-based digital ledger technology is backed by the fact that a majority of independent miners agree on the accounting. To me, that is actually better than faith in a centralized entity. It was bad enough when the US government handed over the minting to a private corporation (the Federal Reserve), who controls the money supply through fractional lending to stimulate a false version of capitalism and the raising of interest rates to banks to whom they lend their money. However, when they remove the rare earth metals from even being required in any part, they took control of the entire economic system. Speculations run wild and bubbles come one after another in order to make insiders rich and fleece the public who is trying to scrape out their living.

answering cults such as LDS and JW

More than 20% of bitcoins have been permanently lost. There is no way to recover them.

Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light.

This is an interesting topic. I was just discussing the matter of whether the Israelites helped to save themselves from Egypt by 1) painting their doorposts and 2) by crossing the dried sea. Everything YHVH did until the meeting at Sinai was unilateral. But when the Torah was given at Sinai, the covenant became bilateral. That was a picture of our justification and our sanctification. We are justified by faith alone and that is a gift of God - never earned... even by the accepting/receiving of it. He has given it or He has not. However, sanctification is a covenant that requires us to shema unto His word. You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples Please notice that in Hebrew the English translation of "obey My voice and keep My covenant" is actually shema meaning 'listen and pay heed' and shemar meaning 'to keep or guard or observe'.