Vickilynn

Shalom Jackie, And THIS is why I ignore your posts dear. Please do the same for mine, for I have placed you on IGNORE and can no longer read your rude personal attacks that grieve the heart of G-d and offend readers. You cannot discuss the ISSUES without attacking people. That is very telling about your spiritual condition. I am praying for you, but have no further desire to interact with you because of posts like these. May G-d bless you with His wisdom as you grow in maturity and in His grace.

NO! YES! We are. The Scriptures plainly say so. The choice is to obey G-d or rebel. If what we are doing is known to cause offense to someone, the Scriptures state we are to lay them down rather than knowingly offend: 1 Corinthians 10: 28But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience

Shalom Eric, Yeah, what do they say? Your odds of winning the lottery are LESS than the chances of getting hit by lighnting - TWICE?? But still, SOMEBODY is gonna win, right?

true, but I think that the topic of gambling and state lotteries just might be an area where we consider if our beliefs/personal convictions may or may not cause a stumbling block for the "weaker" Christian... Shalom Jackie, I'm answering this because someone might REALLY be helped by this answer and isn't just looking for a place to throw a barb. Yes, if a Christian was playing the State Lottery and they knew that someone was offended and would stumble, the Christian's responsibility would be to lay down their freedom in deference of the one who would be offended. That is what the Scriptures say and we are to obey or we are disobeying G-d. And if someone will NOT lay it down, they might consider that it has become an idol in their life, which G-d abhors. This applies to anything that we refuse to lay down for our brother.

Shalom Patricia, Amen. And to ignore them BOTH is wrong. Some people exalt their freedoms so much that they can't see the forest for the trees in the bigger spiritual picture of preferring others over themselves. We cannot do away with necessary rules, but we must be careful not to place our personal convictions upon anyone else, AND we must be willing to lay down our personal convictions if they cause another to stumble. Rules can be a good thing and they should not be summarily ignored. They could have value. Legalism is not rules. It is making man-made rules the same as Law. What we see here all too often is people getting their knickers in a knot when someone posts THEIR convictions (not saying anyone else has to adher by them),but people get defensive and cry "legalism" and all that blather. Sorry, but that's not true. Just by someone posting THEIR beliefs, in no way places any burden on anyone else to agree and adhere. However, we ARE commanded to lay down our freedoms if they cause another to stumble.

Shalom, I'd like to tell y'all a story from our life. This is true. All of it. My husband was injured in the line of duty as a cop. He was permanently disabled. He had a small settlement coming and we decided to move out of state to a place where real estate was less expensive than NC. We found a lovely 5-acre mini-farm in the mountains for a fraction of what we could find for a tiny shack in NC. So, we moved our family to a tiny, rural, coal-mining town in WV. Well, our children were miserable. The only "church" there was a community church and as dead as nails. They had no friends because the small town was very closed to "outsiders." We were made fun of and treated poorly because we did not drink, smoke, swear, or send our children to public school (we homeschooled). We had been there about a year when our eldest daughter came and told us that she had secretly been filling out the Publisher's Clearing House mail and sending it in. We were shocked! We never bothered with that. We asked her why and she tearfully told us that she longed to go back to NC and because we had no money, and we didn't play the lottery, the ONLY way we'd ever get back to NC was to win this PCH offer. We shared with her the Scriptures about prayer, trusting G-d and letting HIM choose our path. We showed her that physically, we could not sell the farm and move (we had sunk all our money into it and there was nothing in NC that we could afford, that was why we left.) We told her to pray, pray pray for G-d's will, not hers and trust HIM to place her in the best place for her. We spent about a year continuing to teach her this very important lesson about not trusting in windfalls to get what we want, but trusting G-d and HIS will over our own. About another year later, I was diagnosed in critical condition with Acute Leukemia and hovered near death for 5 weeks. It was horrible. And I had a long road to face of 2 years of chemo if I survived. I wanted a second opinion from my family dr in NC, but we had no place to stay. G-d provided through a miracle, a furnished apartment, free of charge so I could get a second opinion. While we were in NC, we found out that our insurance would ONLY pay for chemo as an outpatient if we LIVED in NC and would not pay if we lived in WV. So, we stayed for 2 years in that lovely, tiny, miracle apartment. We always planned on going back home to WV. Even though our daughter said she'd rather die than go back, we had no choice. Then, my father passed away and he said before he died that he wanted us off that isolated farm (he called it "Little House In the Woods') and back in NC where we had a good church and good support and good friends. He left us enough money for a down payment on a house. But, we faced many obstacles in selling our farm as it needed repairs we could not afford. It had been closed up for 2 years and neither my husband or I were physically able to pack up the house contents. Anyway, to make a long story short, G-d worked through EVERY ONE of those obstacles and we sold the farm, bought a home here in NC and our daughter never had to go back to WV except to pack up her things and place it on the U-Haul. (If anyone ever wants me to list these miracles that G-d did I would be happy to. They are nothing short of real miracles from G-d and I give Him all the glory!) The reason I told all y'all this is because our daughter learned NOT to trust in Publisher's Clearing house, but to trust in G-d! She learned that praying according to HIS will was more important than praying for Him to fulfill our wishes. And she learned that G-d can MOVE MOUNTAINS to make things work to make His will come to pass. She learned that G-d is the One to trust. I hope this helps someone.

There are no references to gambling, but plenty references to greed for money and stewardship. That is where a person has to begin his/her discernment. Shalom D-d-d-david! Exactly. What may be a temptation to sin for one, is not for another. We, as individual Christians must seek the L-rd and ask if this is an area of potential lack of self control or sin in our lives. For some it is definitely. For some it is not. I know if I spend hours and hours dreaming of what I would do with millions of bucks, I would suspect that I may have a problem trusting G-d. However, if I see it as a fun thing to do, it will benefit someone (the schools and whomever I tithe to such as our church) and hey SOMEBODY has to win, right? And if I played small money tickets and I could afford them...then, it most likely wouldn't be a problem. But, the point is, each person must answer that for themselves, as it is a matter of conviction, not Biblical mandate.

Shalom Bibs, No, haven't read the book, but we LOVE DeGarmo and Key's music!

Shalom Mike, That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However, it is not wrong if someone else's view differs. As for the church raffle, IF everyone tithed (which they don't) doesn't mean the school will have all the funds they need. The sad truth is, less than 25% of church members tithe to their church. Raffles and Bingo are not gambling in my book. But, to those who feel it is, they should abstain. You can say "IF" people would tithe all day long, but until they actually DO, there are going to be needs in the church and the church school.

Your words are your witness. Matthew 12:37 Shalom man, Yes.... Matthew 12:37a ...for by your words you will be justified... Glad you see it my way.

Shalom Gal, I'm with ya! Now that I FINALLY see the REAL question, it's time to addios!

Shalom man, Uh OK. Now I understand. Wonder why it took you so long to get to the ACTUAL question?? Anyway, I DON'T agree and I have several pictures of Jesus hanging up and they are wonderful witnessing tools. And no, I'm not "ignoring" Scripture, I happen to interpret those verses differently than you and I don't believe that having an artist's picture of Messiah is corrupt. But, if you ever came over to my home, I would take them down, so as not to offend you.

How about these ones? Are these part of the group that do not apply? Deut. 4 15

Shalom Brother, What an awesome, moving testimony!! G-d bless you and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Shalom, Oh Smalcald. <sigh> OK now, the state lottery is the same as legalized prostitution and marijuana use? Can we say STRAW MAN fallacy????? Back to the question at hand, how is a $2.00 scratch off ticket per week ANY different than a $2.00 raffle from the Christian school per week? Some of the proceeds help the school. The person buying a $2.00 ticket CAN afford it and is not out breaking in homes and selling drugs to raise the $2.00. So, is the $2.00 scratch off any different than a $2.00 raffle ticket from a Christian school? The $2.00 scratch off is different from the 2.00 raffle ticket from a Christian school in many many ways. It is different from the 2.00 raffle ticket in the same way that betting 2.00 on blackjack in some casino is different. One benefits big time organized gambling interests who run the giant state lotteries and is always available 24/7 you can go gamble at your local convenience store at 2am, and people do. The other is simply a way to raise a little money for a school although I would not personally be a part of a Christian group that used gambling to raise money. We should look at the environment and culture we live in, I believe that having gambling available in our daily lives in all of these stores is simply one more step down the path, it is normalizing gambling when our government itself becomes the Casino owner. Shalom Smalcald, You are going ALL around the block and not answering the question directly. Where something is open 24/7 does not make that lady's $2.00 scratch off a sin. Our environment is not the question either. So you would not support a Christian school that had a raffle to raise funds? Well, OK, that's your opinion, but it's your opinion, not a Biblical command. Your choice. Personally, I see NO difference between a $2.00 scratch off ticket and a $2.00 ticket for our Christian school (which I do support BTW). So, no, I don't see it as a sin. However, if someone has an addiction to gambling, or they cannot control their spending, or it takes away from their family, I would say stay away from it. But to blanketly condemn the state education lottery out of hand, I disagree with.

Does the Bible, then, contradict itself and the inerrancy of scripture is called into question by all of this? Shalom CD, Nope, if you'll read the articles I posted, it says they do not contradict one another if interpreted correctly.

Shalom, Oh Smalcald. <sigh> OK now, the state lottery is the same as legalized prostitution and marijuana use? Can we say STRAW MAN fallacy????? Back to the question at hand, how is a $2.00 scratch off ticket per week ANY different than a $2.00 raffle from the Christian school per week? Some of the proceeds help the school. The person buying a $2.00 ticket CAN afford it and is not out breaking in homes and selling drugs to raise the $2.00. So, is the $2.00 scratch off any different than a $2.00 raffle ticket from a Christian school?

Shalom, Our church has revivals twice a year for the youth. We are in the middle of a 4-day one right now and have already had several teens give their heart to Jesus. We also have mission trips all through the year for youth and for adults.

Shalom, I have always thought of the Lottery as gambling and we have never participated in it. However, in our Ladies' Bible class recently, one of the gals gave us something to think about. She said that she played the scratch off every week ($2.00 I believe) and it did not take away from any funds for their family and she WAS under the impression that proceeds DID go to the school system (at least a percentage) and that if she won, it would benefit the church as well as herself. She felt it was no different than a raffle (cost $2.00) that the Christian school has from time to time to raise funds. What do y'all think about what she said?

Shalom Guys, Sorry, for the confusion, but I am happy to clarify. Not all Scripture applies to all. How about sacrificing animals in the Temple? Should we do that today? NO. Jesus is our eternal sacrifice. And there is no Temple, BTW. That's just one. Hope this helps.

I would say one should never ignore anything in the scriptures. What we need to do is seek to understand how each passage applies to us and what God is trying to say to us Shalom Eric, AMEN!! We are NEVER to ignore the Scriptures. However, as Eric stated we are to seek the L-rd and how He wants us to APPLY the Scriptures to our lives. Some people interpret them one way and act accordingly, and others interpret other ways and act accordingly. The problem comes in when someone interprets Scripture and tries to make it binding on everyone else. Not all Scripture applies to all.

Shalom, Three days, Three Nights "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt 12:40). Friday to Sunday does not equal three days. three days Click here to view a larger printable chart of the last week of Christ's life on earth. (PDF file requires Acrobat)

Shalom Smalcald, Think like a Jew and research the days and customs of the time. http://penei.org/holidays-pesach.shtml Pesach lamb Yeshua (1) On the tenth day of the month of Nissan, the family brought a lamb to their home. They inspected it for four days, making sure it was suitable. (1) On the tenth day of the month of Nissan, Yeshua entered Jerusalem. (Christians call this day Palm Sunday.) Yeshua was questioned by the people of Jerusalem for four days. (2) The lambs were to be sacrificed at dusk. Because of the great number of lambs sacrificed in Yeshua's day, the sacrifices began earlier in the day at ended at dusk. (2) Yeshua was crucified before noon, at the same time the Pesach lambs were being sacrificed. At noon, darkness covered the land. This could not have been an eclipse since the 14th of any Jewish month is a full moon. At dusk Yeshua died. (3) Some blood from the sacrificed lamb was brought back to the home, and put on the sides and top of the front doorposts. (3) The blood from Yeshua's head and hands marked the cross in the same pattern as the blood marks on the doorposts. (4) The blood is a sign: God passed over the houses it marked when he slew the firstborn of Egypt on the first Pesach. (4) The blood is a sign: Yeshua is the final sacrifice, by which the sins and iniquities of the world have atonement. Those who accept this forgiveness will be passed over on the Day of Judgment when all those with iniquity are judged unfit to be in God's presence forever. (5) Each individual Israelite had to obey God and stay within a home marked by the blood. Any who left their home would not have been protected. (5) Each individual today is required to personally accept the atonement of Yeshua's sacrificial death. Being a believer is not a matter of ancestry or upbringing. "Belief" as scripture defines it requires obedience. Merely intellectually acknowledging Yeshua's sacrifice does nothing spiritually. (6) None of the lamb's bones were to be broken during or after the sacrifice. (6) None of Yeshua's bones were broken. (7) Only people who were circumcised could eat the sacrificial lamb. (7) Only people with circumcised hearts can accept the atonement of Yeshua's sacrificial death. (In other words, some people may be blinded by pride, falsely claiming to be believers but still slaves to the evil inclination.) (8) The holy day of First Fruits is the Sunday after the Pesach sacrifice. On this day the first fruits of your harvest were given to God, showing your trust in his provision. (8) On First Fruits, Yeshua rose from the dead, the first fruit of the new life God now makes available to everyone. Yeshua's resurrection allows us to trust that God will provide for us after we die: indeed, Yeshua called it sleeping, not death, and he claimed to give Eternal Life. Two notes about above comparisons: [1] Deuteronomy 30:6 speaks of circumcised hearts, defining it as "love[ing] Adonai your God with all your heart and all your being". Although Christians may think their culture invented that imagery, it is Jewish and from the Torah. [2] You may have noticed, reading the comparison above, that Yeshua was crucified on a Thursday night. This is contrary to the incorrect but traditional teaching that the crucifixion happened on a Friday night. Some knowledge of the Jewish customs of the time allow an clear explanation. To determine when the month would start, some men would go atop a hill and try to see the moon. The month started the first night that a sliver of the new moon could be seen. However, there remained a worry: what if some moon was visible the previous night, but due to clouds or poor eyesight it was not seen? In other words, what if a month's counting was starting a day late? That worry caused an interesting Pesach tradition to start: two seders were celebrated, one on the scripturally commended evening (the 14th) and one the evening before. Pesach was such an important holiday that this extra work was done to make sure that even if the month's counting started a day late Pesach would still happen on the correct evening! (Today, there are still traditionally two seders, but they happen on the evenings of the 14th and the 15th. With modern astronomy, there is no concern that the month's counting is incorrect. But the tradition of the second seder had become dear to the Jewish people.) Thus, Yeshua's triumphal entry was on a Sunday. His last supper was a seder on a Wednesday night. His crucifixion was on a Thursday afternoon. He was three nights and three days in the tomb (Matthew 12:40). Sunday morning he rose from the dead. Many people believe that the different gospels give conflicting accounts of Yeshua's crucifixion. Was Yeshua crucified on a preparation-for-the-seder day, and how could that be if the evening before was a seder? The accounts do not conflict once the context is known. (A related confusion is John 19:31, which says that after Yeshua's crucifixion was a sabbath. This does not mean that the crucifixion happened on a Friday because the next day was Saturday. Scripturally, Shabbat refers to any holy day that is a day of rest, such as the first day of Pesach. So the Shabbat was the 14th of Nissan, the first day of Pesach and evening of the second seder. The day began that evening, following the Jewish calendar.)

Shalom, Far from where I need to be, praying to be closer. Thank you for this awesome post and reminder challenge. well if it's any consolation, i think i've seen some real growth in you just in the last few weeks! maybe i took my blinders off, or maybe you took yours off, or maybe, just maybe, God used a situation to His glory which has allowed some growth in both of us... whatever it is, it's a beautiful thing! Shalom LadyC, Awwww, thank you hon. You brought my blindness to my attention and you forgave me. This is what we are to do for one another. You allowed me to grow in Jesus by helping me see what I could not, and bearing with me as I struggled to submit to giving it to Him. Thank you Sister! I'm thankful for you and your friendship.