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God created them Adam and Eve, not Adam and STEVE.... Homosexuality is a no brainer issue, were it God's plan for us to be homosexual we would reproduce by other means or there would only be 1 generation... DOHHHH ! Yours in Yeshua, David

Can you lose your savlation? NO ! My reasons why... 1. When God made covenent with Abraham he up him to sleep and GOD Himself walked between the animals. This made the covenent unilaterlly binding upon God but not Abraham. God affirms this time and time again thoughout scripture by saying "for my name's sake..." 2. God is the active agent in all things pertaining to salvation, he is the "first mover" and the "prime cause" in salvation. Can God do anything in vain? 3. In many notable examples (thief on the cross)-(Paul on the road to Damascus)-(David in adultery) you see God taking the first step in salvation when someone is lost and causing it to pass. Paul says that he was "apprehended by Christ for the sake of the Gospel"... 4. No ones faith (unto salvation) is their own doing but a gift from God. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that someone can call Jesus Lord. 5. No one ever came to Jesus asking for salvation (and received it), in each case Jesus called "follow me" and they answered and followed. 6. Those who seem to "lose" their salvation never had it "They went out FROM us but were not OF us for if they were OF us they would have remanined WITH us..." 7. Jesus Himself said "I bless you Father than not ONE you have given me will be snatched from my hand"... Yours in Yeshua, David

Simply put, legalism is applying what the Word of God tells you is the way to obey God to anyone but yourself... God's Word is alive and is spirit. It is able to speak to us in each stage of our walk with the Lord, it doesnt require anyone's supervision or guidance to do its work. The Holy Spirit is sufficient to make us understand what a verse is saying to us. I guess you could also say that thinking that obedience to God's Word justifies you (a sinner) before God rather than accepting Jesus' atoning sacrifice as the means by which you are saved as another form of legalism but in reality thats simply human pride at work. Examples of typical legalism would be disagreements over Tithing or What Holidays to keep etc. We are told to focus our scrutiny on ourselves, not another unless they are clearly out of God's will in a way that affects the entire body of their congegration. Even then we are to go to them meekly and in fear as we admonish them. If they wont hear us we are then to go them with 2 other persons (2 Elders), and if they still wont hear then the Elders will bring them before the entire congegration for the last warning. At the root of all legalism is the pridefull attitude that you know what someone needs or know better what God is working in them or how God wants them to walk in obedience to His Word. Yours in Yeshua, David

Since the beginning man has added to the Word of God (Scriptures and commands) and paid a heavy price... Adam told Eve not to EAT nor even TOUCH the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God never said that in fact he told Adam to TEND ALL the trees in the garden. Yet when Eve was deceived she says "we are not to EAT of it nor even TOUCH it..." Read it (Genesis account of Adam and Eve's fall) carefully and you will see that Adam added to God's command and thereby made null the command Given by God by telling her "nor even touch it". The Jewish people had added to the Torah by way of all the labrious ways to do it the scribes and pharisees required of them via rituals and requirements/traditions not commanded in the law of Moses. Jesus accused them of this time and time again. They further added to God's Word in the Talmud and Oral Tradition by making them not only equal to Scripture but even claiming superiority to scripture. The roman catholic church as done exactly the same as Adam and the roman catholic church. They have added the apocrypha (non canonized writings) and built doctrine of them (purgatory). They have elevated the oral traditions of "the church fathers" to being equal to scripture in authority. One last thing comes to mind as a pitfall for mankind and that is our willingness to want to put an intermediary between God and ourselves be it priests - pastors - rabbi's as explainers and intercessors and even "saviors". There is only one Priest-Rabbi-Intercessor and thats Jesus (God Himself in the flesh) who is the very living Word of God. Yours in Yeshua, David

A "City of refuge" was a place someone causing a death unintentionally (manslaughter) coud flee to. An "avenger of blood" was not allowed to go there and take revenge for that manslaughter. The person seeking safety in the city of refuge was required to remain there to be safe until the death of the reigning High Priest. When the High Priest died the person seeking refuge was free to leave the city of refuge without fearing an avenger of blood's harm. Some interesting things to consider at the "remez" level of interpretation: "Father forgive them they know not what they do" could have been Yeshua's way of declaring the crowds guilty of manslaughter instead of murder (for which there were no city(s) of refuge). This would draw a distinction between the common person in Israel at that time and the religious heirchy of Israel who most certainly knew he was the the Messiah. When Jesus (our High Priest) died those guilty of his "manslaughter" were set free from the restriction of remaining in a city of refuge. Those guilty of his murder (religious heiarchy) would not be free to leave it. The avenger of blood could be a "remez" pointing to the devil's role in judging murderers. By the way, the commandment not to kill is widely misunderstood and is better interpreted as "Thou shalt not commit murder" rather than "Thou shalt not kill". David

The animals (non kosher) on the sheet are explained later on in that chapter... 24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped [him]. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore came I [unto you] without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? 30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of [one] Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34 Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37 That word, [i say], ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Hi, i went through a similar experience a while back myself. When i researched it i discovered that Martin Luther and others have also experienced what is called the "Dark night of the Soul". Simply put I/they felt separated from God and in fear for their salvation. In the sermon on the mount there is a pattern established as the "roadmap to salvation". It begins with "Blessed are the poor in spirit/blessed are those who mourn". The first step in God's salvation is to bring sinners to repentance. King David was crushed by his sins when the prophet Nathan came to him regarding his adultery with bathsheva and murder of uriah the hittite. But David wrote in the psalms "A broken heart and a contrite spirit you will not despise oh God". Thus the first step is repentance The 2nd step is established by the next 2 verses of Jesus' sermon perhaps this applies to you! Here they are... Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. They both say the same thing 2 ways, those that are meek are humbled by their sins and know they are in need of a Savior. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who seek their Savior. To a jew righteousness and salvation are inseparable. When you doubt your salvation you are at the stage of "hungering and thirsting for salvation". Dont be discouraged, God is cleaning house by motivating you to seek salvation and get sin out of your life. That you even worry about your salvation is proof you are one of the Lord's. Those who are condemned dont have such worries. The Holy Spirit does this to help you "clean house" and also ween you from the close fellowship you enjoyed as a baby Christian. This teaches you to learn to walk and gain strength in your faith the way a toddler does. A big part of what God is working in you is patience, remember that right after Moses said to God "Lord teach me your ways" that God sent him to the desert for 40 years ... Your salvation is not of your own work or doing, if you are the Lord's (and you are!) then it's God's job to deliver you. When God made covenent with Abraham they sacrificed an ox to seal the covenent in blood, remember however only God walked between the animals while Abraham slept. This signifies that our salvation relies upon God's work not our own. My advice is to delve back into your Bible and feed on the bread of life. Remember that Gods word is spirit and speaks to the spirit within you. All faith is the gift of the Spirit! Sincerely, David

I'll research this but right off the bat Hebrew refers to the language that Abram spoke which was of course Hebrew. Scripture makes fine distinctions between Israel-Jew-Hebrew and Jacob that i am now studying. Take note that in Gen ch 14 Abram has received the call of God and made covenent with him but has not yet begotten Issac nor been tested yet. The change of Abrams name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah is significant in that the Hebrew letter "hay" is added to each of thier names. The "hey" is thought to be a symbolism that God gave his "ruach/spirit" to them because of Abrahams faith. A gentile is a non jew rather than a non hebrew i believe. Abraham sent Elieazer (a gentile) his servent to find a bride for Issac and had him return back to the land of Abrahams father (hrebrews) to find her (Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.) rather than to the land of canaan which is a metaphore for the pagans of the time... One last thing to consider, Jesus said "And think not to say within yourselves, We have {Abraham} to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto {Abraham)". In saying this he refers not only to Jews but to all the tribes including the 10 lost tribes or he would have used Israel instead of those born of Abraham... Ill post any other information i get on this subject when i uncover it. David