I picked up a copy of (The) 'Cork Advertiser' last week in Douglas, Cork; date of issue: 30 August.
It's a free 52-page glossy magazine that comes out every month.
At the foot of every inside page is a tip, a proverb or a piece of advice for the reader to consider and try out. I hope you find some of them work for you. Here goes:
Page 2: Best way to escape from your problems is to solve them
Page 3: Inside every problem is an opportunity
Page 4: Intolerance is one of the greatest problems in the world
Page 5: Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines
Page 6: Running away from your problems is a race you'll never win
Page 7: Happiness is the ability to deal with your problems
Page 8: Problems can always be solved by a person not frightened by them
Page 9: Whatever the problem, be part of the solution
Page 10: It is what it is, learn from it, and grow from it
Page 11: Keep your mind clear, and your heart at peace
Page 12: Overthinking can ruin your life
Page 13: Don't let little struggles break you, let them make you
Page 14: We waste time waiting for the ideal moment to appear, it never does
Page 15: Have faith that life will work out
Page 16: Know your worth, never settle for less
Page 17: No one is too busy, it's all about priorities
Page 18: In the culture that seeks instant results, we must be strong, patient and steadfast
Page 19: No matter what our problem, God is the solution
Page 20: Keep silent and speak only when you must
Page 21: Any person capable of angering you, becomes your master
Page 22: It is how you react to a situation that matters
Page 23: You should act without the approval of others
Page 24: Do not give people free lodgings in your head
Page 25: Keep company with people who uplift you
Page 26: Good things come to those who wait
Page 27: The best way out is always through
Page 28: Never let your past decisions determine your future
Page 29: Our character is defined in hard times
Page 30: Make a difference
Page 31: Our lives matter, God created everything for a purpose
Page 32: Retirement gives you time literally to recreate yourself
Page 33: Retirement is a new beginning
Page 34: Believe that your greatest contribution is always ahead of you
Page 35: Age is only a number
Page 36: The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention
Page 37: Be kind and compassionate
Page 38: We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give
Page 39: Inspire with your actions, not with your words
Page 40: Count your blessings, not your troubles
Page 41: Can all your worries add a single moment to you life?
Page 42: Don't count your years, have your years count
Page 43: The most important things in life aren't things
Page 44: Antidote to depression is gratitude
Page 45: He can who believes he can
Page 46: One thing I can't recycle is wasted time
Page 47: Live a life that is well balanced
Page 48: It's never too late to have the best day of your life
Page 49: Don't put off the important things in life till tomorrow
Page 50: Without a struggle what is your success anyway?
Page 51: Spend less time on what is urgent, and more time on what is important
Saturday, September 7, 2019
The names of the wives on board Noah's Ark
I had a thought recently about finding out the names of Noah's wife and his three sons' wives as they are not mentioned in the Bible. I went to visit my friend 'Prof Google' to see if he could satisfy my curiosity. I went to the Wikipedia link where the four women's names were given. The source of the information was the Book of Jubliees.
It gave the name of Noahs' wife as Naamah;
Shem's wife's name was: Sedeqetelebab;
Ham's wife's name was: Na'eltama'uk
Japheth's wife's name was: 'Adataneses
There are several alternative names for the four women who survived the historical world-covering deluge as you will see if read the entire article. It's possible they might all be incorrect but don't get too 'hung up' on not being 100% sure of their correct names.
Another woman who is somewhat famous and who is not named in the Bible is Lot's wife. In Luke 17:32, Jesus said "Remember Lot's wife". He was warning His disciples against allowing the cares of the world to control their actions and decisions. Because she wanted to go back to 'the world' (in this case, Sodom, God turned her into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19 esp. v.26; the Hebrew infers she didn't want to turn her back completely on the evil city of Sodom and so God punished her as an example to others.) Again, I referred to Wikipedia for my information.
According to some Jewish traditions,
Lot's wife's name was either: Ado or Edith or some other name no-one today knows about.
It gave the name of Noahs' wife as Naamah;
Shem's wife's name was: Sedeqetelebab;
Ham's wife's name was: Na'eltama'uk
Japheth's wife's name was: 'Adataneses
There are several alternative names for the four women who survived the historical world-covering deluge as you will see if read the entire article. It's possible they might all be incorrect but don't get too 'hung up' on not being 100% sure of their correct names.
Another woman who is somewhat famous and who is not named in the Bible is Lot's wife. In Luke 17:32, Jesus said "Remember Lot's wife". He was warning His disciples against allowing the cares of the world to control their actions and decisions. Because she wanted to go back to 'the world' (in this case, Sodom, God turned her into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19 esp. v.26; the Hebrew infers she didn't want to turn her back completely on the evil city of Sodom and so God punished her as an example to others.) Again, I referred to Wikipedia for my information.
According to some Jewish traditions,
Lot's wife's name was either: Ado or Edith or some other name no-one today knows about.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Cold Comfort
I just finished watching a recorded sermon by the late Ron Dart of Texas. His sermon was titled, 'Cold Comfort'. It was sobering and revealing in several ways.
I will share some of the notes I wrote as I listened to his message. They are not exhaustive, by any means. If you want to get the full import of the message, I advise you to listen and watch the entire sermon here. [My own added thoughts are within square brackets.]
By the time we reach a certain age, we should, especially if we claim to be Christians and if we are alert to our life's experiences, know that God is not interested in our comfort and helping us live a life of ease and endless happiness.
Consider the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. We are expected to be overcomers (see 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Overcomers of what? Our natural sinful nature, the devil and the world. That takes much effort. Our eternal security will not be beyond doubt until our names have been written in the Book of Life at our life's end. While eternal life, (which is 'the gift of God', Rom 6.23b) is a free gift, it is something we must fight to obtain and retain. Also, note what Jesus said in
[Remember we are saved by grace, not by works. Grace is a great Bible word. Think of it as: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.]
We were born to win this great prize, namely salvation/eternal life. We were born to be (spiritual) winners, not whiners. Develop the attitude that the Christian life is a serious competition that we must win, at all costs. [Don't believe 'getting saved' is as easy as 'falling off a log'. It isn't! Many preachers are guilty of claiming "Once you've said the 'sinner's prayer' and received salvation, there is no way you can be unsaved. The truth is, as long as you're a physical being, the devil will try to get you to backtrack and regret the lifelong process of repenting and overcoming sin and worldly pleasures.]
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is not a book for comforting us (at least in the short term). However, the Bible does have a lot to comfort us if we think in the long term and are saved and we exit this mortal life in a state of grace. The Bible is not about helping us feel better; it's about helping us become better. [It could be said, a life lived without reading the Bible a lot is a life wasted. Note Jesus' words in John 6:63b (A Faithful Version), 'The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life'.]
So, accept that God is not interested in enabling us to go through life with no problems, pain or suffering. He usually doesn't have to do anything as life is tough for nearly all people anyway. However, if it is His will for an individuals life, He may intervene and cause a persons' life to be blessed (for a season, possibly), as He decides.
God wants us to change, toughen up and mature spiritually to become perfect and righteous, just like Him. That is the reason why we were born. May He help us to succeed.
I will share some of the notes I wrote as I listened to his message. They are not exhaustive, by any means. If you want to get the full import of the message, I advise you to listen and watch the entire sermon here. [My own added thoughts are within square brackets.]
By the time we reach a certain age, we should, especially if we claim to be Christians and if we are alert to our life's experiences, know that God is not interested in our comfort and helping us live a life of ease and endless happiness.
Consider the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. We are expected to be overcomers (see 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Overcomers of what? Our natural sinful nature, the devil and the world. That takes much effort. Our eternal security will not be beyond doubt until our names have been written in the Book of Life at our life's end. While eternal life, (which is 'the gift of God', Rom 6.23b) is a free gift, it is something we must fight to obtain and retain. Also, note what Jesus said in
[Remember we are saved by grace, not by works. Grace is a great Bible word. Think of it as: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.]
We were born to win this great prize, namely salvation/eternal life. We were born to be (spiritual) winners, not whiners. Develop the attitude that the Christian life is a serious competition that we must win, at all costs. [Don't believe 'getting saved' is as easy as 'falling off a log'. It isn't! Many preachers are guilty of claiming "Once you've said the 'sinner's prayer' and received salvation, there is no way you can be unsaved. The truth is, as long as you're a physical being, the devil will try to get you to backtrack and regret the lifelong process of repenting and overcoming sin and worldly pleasures.]
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is not a book for comforting us (at least in the short term). However, the Bible does have a lot to comfort us if we think in the long term and are saved and we exit this mortal life in a state of grace. The Bible is not about helping us feel better; it's about helping us become better. [It could be said, a life lived without reading the Bible a lot is a life wasted. Note Jesus' words in John 6:63b (A Faithful Version), 'The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life'.]
So, accept that God is not interested in enabling us to go through life with no problems, pain or suffering. He usually doesn't have to do anything as life is tough for nearly all people anyway. However, if it is His will for an individuals life, He may intervene and cause a persons' life to be blessed (for a season, possibly), as He decides.
God wants us to change, toughen up and mature spiritually to become perfect and righteous, just like Him. That is the reason why we were born. May He help us to succeed.
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Is This the Only 'Day' of Salvation for Everyone?
Most Christians believe that if you die without having made Jesus Christ your personal Saviour, you will not, and indeed cannot, be saved. They claim that 'Now is the ONLY Day of salvation'. Interestingly, they get this idea from 2 Cor 6:2 which is a MIStranslation of Isaiah 49:8 where Isaiah wrote, "...in A day of salvation, I helped thee...." (quoting Yahweh, KJV). The Bible does NOT teach that this is THE Day of salvation for all humanity. Down through the centuries and even millennia, the religion of the God of the Bible has never been the main religion of humanity. Even today, the vast majority of people do not believe the Bible is the reliable authoritative Word of God. That includes most of the two billion plus professing Christians around the world who are Christian in name only. Let's face it, IF this is the only day of salvation, God is on the losing side!
We read in 1 Titus 2:3, 4 that it is God's (Jesus') desire that all men (people) be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That requires a converted mind and a love of the Scriptures. That rules out the vast majority of professing Christians. So, what's gone wrong and what are we to make of this worrying situation? Is there, as one denomination teaches, a 'great controversy' or fight going on between God and Satan? Is God really weaker than Satan who desires that everyone be lost? This is a complex dilemma that most people cannot make sense of. That is because very few people share Jesus' desire that all men (people) come to the knowledge of the truth. That requires time and effort. That seems too high a price for even most professing Christians. Instead of asking those questions above, they should be ready always to give an answer (1 Pet 3:15) to unbelievers to help them understand the real 'behind-the-scenes' situation that cannot be seen by human eyes.
A famous worship hymn is titled 'Trust and Obey'. If a person wants to come to the knowledge of the truth, he or she must learn to trust and obey God. Then, as you grow (spiritually) in the Lord, your understanding of the truths of God's Word will increase and He will enable you to see hidden nuggets of truth that the vast majority of humanity cannot see. They are hidden from all but a small select 'few' who are selected by Him to be members of His body of believers who make up the Church (which come s from a Greek word that means, a calling out or, called out ones). Jesus taught those who followed him that 'No one can come to Me unless God (the Father) call him (or her) (John 6.44 and v. 65). No-one can just decide for themselves to become a Christian. Each individual must be called and drawn by God the Father. No-one chooses God; He chooses us, individually. Great mystery!
When God draws a person toward Him, He will open that persons mind to realize that the Sabbaths of Leviticus 23 are to be observed by His people today.That includes the 7th-day Sabbath (Saturday) and Passover and the six annual festivals that He gave to His people in the wilderness under Moses' leadership. They were never 'done away' and 'nailed to the cross' as so many professing Christians believe. When the person who is being called by God grows in wisdom and understanding, He (or she) will believe that they must start observing those holy days. The last of the annual seven Sabbaths is the one that's relevant to this topic. This day is 'tacked onto' the Feast of Tabernacles, a 7-day post harvest festival that's held in September/October every year. It is a separate festival with a distinct meaning even though it's called the 'eighth day' (of the Feast) (Lev. 23:36). This day represents a time after the long-awaited Millennium when all those who were never called in this life will have their first opportunity to be saved. God has a wonderful plan of salvation that is only fully understood when you observe the annual Sabbaths. God will help you understand various hard-to-understand passages and verses when you 'trust and obey' Him enough to do as He says and keep His festivals. Never forget these are 'the feasts of the Lord' (Lev 23:2). They are still valid for God's people today in 2019! It is vitally important to realize we are NOT talking about a second chance of salvation! The vast majority who have ever lived, as well as all those who were not born alive, never had a fair chance to accept Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary's cross as full payment for their sins! Vast numbers of people never even heard the name of Jesus through no fault of their own. And yet we read in Acts 4:10-12 that there is no other name under heaven by which we can (must) be saved. After the Millennium, the soon-coming one thousand year reign of Jesus over the entire Earth, there will be a vast resurrection of upwards of 50 BILLION people who died uncalled by God to receive salvation. This will be their first opportunity to receive the full knowledge of the truth. Satan and his demons will be banished and there will be no false religions to confuse and divide people then. There will be one pure language and everyone will be steered toward living according to the Ten Commandments. All those who died before and as a result of the Flood of Noah's time will come up in this 'Great White Throne Judgment' also known as the second resurrection. As well as the many billions of people who lived and died during the 3,500 years since the Flood. (During the Millennium, a massive worldwide project to increase fertile land will take place so there will be enough room for everyone who will be brought back to physical life in a little over a thousand years from now.) That will be the day of salvation for the vast majority of humanity, not our time on Earth now!
***I will be adding more material to and 'polishing up' this post during the coming days so check back soon***
We read in 1 Titus 2:3, 4 that it is God's (Jesus') desire that all men (people) be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That requires a converted mind and a love of the Scriptures. That rules out the vast majority of professing Christians. So, what's gone wrong and what are we to make of this worrying situation? Is there, as one denomination teaches, a 'great controversy' or fight going on between God and Satan? Is God really weaker than Satan who desires that everyone be lost? This is a complex dilemma that most people cannot make sense of. That is because very few people share Jesus' desire that all men (people) come to the knowledge of the truth. That requires time and effort. That seems too high a price for even most professing Christians. Instead of asking those questions above, they should be ready always to give an answer (1 Pet 3:15) to unbelievers to help them understand the real 'behind-the-scenes' situation that cannot be seen by human eyes.
A famous worship hymn is titled 'Trust and Obey'. If a person wants to come to the knowledge of the truth, he or she must learn to trust and obey God. Then, as you grow (spiritually) in the Lord, your understanding of the truths of God's Word will increase and He will enable you to see hidden nuggets of truth that the vast majority of humanity cannot see. They are hidden from all but a small select 'few' who are selected by Him to be members of His body of believers who make up the Church (which come s from a Greek word that means, a calling out or, called out ones). Jesus taught those who followed him that 'No one can come to Me unless God (the Father) call him (or her) (John 6.44 and v. 65). No-one can just decide for themselves to become a Christian. Each individual must be called and drawn by God the Father. No-one chooses God; He chooses us, individually. Great mystery!
When God draws a person toward Him, He will open that persons mind to realize that the Sabbaths of Leviticus 23 are to be observed by His people today.That includes the 7th-day Sabbath (Saturday) and Passover and the six annual festivals that He gave to His people in the wilderness under Moses' leadership. They were never 'done away' and 'nailed to the cross' as so many professing Christians believe. When the person who is being called by God grows in wisdom and understanding, He (or she) will believe that they must start observing those holy days. The last of the annual seven Sabbaths is the one that's relevant to this topic. This day is 'tacked onto' the Feast of Tabernacles, a 7-day post harvest festival that's held in September/October every year. It is a separate festival with a distinct meaning even though it's called the 'eighth day' (of the Feast) (Lev. 23:36). This day represents a time after the long-awaited Millennium when all those who were never called in this life will have their first opportunity to be saved. God has a wonderful plan of salvation that is only fully understood when you observe the annual Sabbaths. God will help you understand various hard-to-understand passages and verses when you 'trust and obey' Him enough to do as He says and keep His festivals. Never forget these are 'the feasts of the Lord' (Lev 23:2). They are still valid for God's people today in 2019! It is vitally important to realize we are NOT talking about a second chance of salvation! The vast majority who have ever lived, as well as all those who were not born alive, never had a fair chance to accept Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary's cross as full payment for their sins! Vast numbers of people never even heard the name of Jesus through no fault of their own. And yet we read in Acts 4:10-12 that there is no other name under heaven by which we can (must) be saved. After the Millennium, the soon-coming one thousand year reign of Jesus over the entire Earth, there will be a vast resurrection of upwards of 50 BILLION people who died uncalled by God to receive salvation. This will be their first opportunity to receive the full knowledge of the truth. Satan and his demons will be banished and there will be no false religions to confuse and divide people then. There will be one pure language and everyone will be steered toward living according to the Ten Commandments. All those who died before and as a result of the Flood of Noah's time will come up in this 'Great White Throne Judgment' also known as the second resurrection. As well as the many billions of people who lived and died during the 3,500 years since the Flood. (During the Millennium, a massive worldwide project to increase fertile land will take place so there will be enough room for everyone who will be brought back to physical life in a little over a thousand years from now.) That will be the day of salvation for the vast majority of humanity, not our time on Earth now!
***I will be adding more material to and 'polishing up' this post during the coming days so check back soon***
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Yahweh is an AWESOME God
I was watching a worship video on Youtube and decided to do a short message about it here. Messianic worship leader Paul Wilbur sang a song called 'Nobody Like You' about God's unlimited greatness and how He created the vast heavens as proof of that power and ability.
Holy is the Lord of Glory. He revealed His Name to His servant Moses as "I AM". Another name for the Almighty is 'Eternal'. God (Yahweh) is eternal. He is the One Who became Jesus Christ about 4000 years after creation week (Gen 1). It was the pre-incarnate Jesus who spoke the entire universe into existence. It was He who said, "Let Us make man in Our image" (Gen 1:26).
He is past finding out but He has given us enough evidence in His Word and nature that He is worthy of recognition and devotion to the exclusion of all other 'deities'. All other 'gods' and religious philosophies are of no value.
The God Who reveals Himself in the pages of the Christian Bible is infinite in power, glory and love.
He is an infinite spirit being (Jn 4:24) and therefore immortal and greater than everything, since He created everything (Col 1:15-17) by His spoken word. God spoke the cosmos into existence about 6000 years ago, according to the Bible and science, when properly understood by real scientists with honest hearts and minds and a fearless integrity to follow where the Truth leads!
Since He brought the cosmos into existence, He is greater than the cosmos! Even if the cosmos is a trillion light years in diameter, that is nothing to God since He is infinite and outside of time and space. He is spirit and we are less than specks of dust compared to Him. And yet He offers us a blessed opportunity to have a close loving relationship with Him. When we respond to the evidence of His reality and choose to believe, He draws near to us because faith endears us to Him! He loves when His highest creation comes to see himself as helpless and in desperate need of a Saviour! Only then will He come into our hearts and lives and we start becoming the person we were born to be!
How foolish to disbelieve in your Creator and the Master of your eternal destiny (Ps 14:1; 53:1)!
Do not waste any more time but seek Him while He may be found (Isa 55:6; Zeph. 5:3 etc.).
Holy is the Lord of Glory. He revealed His Name to His servant Moses as "I AM". Another name for the Almighty is 'Eternal'. God (Yahweh) is eternal. He is the One Who became Jesus Christ about 4000 years after creation week (Gen 1). It was the pre-incarnate Jesus who spoke the entire universe into existence. It was He who said, "Let Us make man in Our image" (Gen 1:26).
He is past finding out but He has given us enough evidence in His Word and nature that He is worthy of recognition and devotion to the exclusion of all other 'deities'. All other 'gods' and religious philosophies are of no value.
The God Who reveals Himself in the pages of the Christian Bible is infinite in power, glory and love.
He is an infinite spirit being (Jn 4:24) and therefore immortal and greater than everything, since He created everything (Col 1:15-17) by His spoken word. God spoke the cosmos into existence about 6000 years ago, according to the Bible and science, when properly understood by real scientists with honest hearts and minds and a fearless integrity to follow where the Truth leads!
Since He brought the cosmos into existence, He is greater than the cosmos! Even if the cosmos is a trillion light years in diameter, that is nothing to God since He is infinite and outside of time and space. He is spirit and we are less than specks of dust compared to Him. And yet He offers us a blessed opportunity to have a close loving relationship with Him. When we respond to the evidence of His reality and choose to believe, He draws near to us because faith endears us to Him! He loves when His highest creation comes to see himself as helpless and in desperate need of a Saviour! Only then will He come into our hearts and lives and we start becoming the person we were born to be!
How foolish to disbelieve in your Creator and the Master of your eternal destiny (Ps 14:1; 53:1)!
Do not waste any more time but seek Him while He may be found (Isa 55:6; Zeph. 5:3 etc.).
***This is a post still in construction
and therefore unfinished. More to be added soon***
Monday, September 17, 2018
Day of Atonement 2018 - September 18th at sunset for 24 hours
The fifth of Yahweh's (Jesus') annual holy days, the Day of Atonement is almost upon us. Read the brief amount written about it in Lev. 23. It's to be observed at the beginning of the 10th day of the seventh month, Tishri, from sunset until sunset (on the following evening). It is a day of fasting from all food and liquids for most who observe this day. This day, like the other annual holy days God gave to His people, Israel, many centuries ago is for His people today also! It's mentioned in Acts 27:9 where it's referred to as 'the fast'. It would not have been mentioned so casually by Luke if Christians were no longer observing it. I believe all true 1st century followers of Jesus' were observing this important annual Sabbath and so should His disciples in 2018! This day is packed with important meaning and symbolism that the vast majority of professing Christians are ignorant of.
You can read about the meaning of this day
here (1),
here (2),
here (3),
here (4)
and here (5).
You can read about the meaning of this day
here (1),
here (2),
here (3),
here (4)
and here (5).
Monday, September 10, 2018
The Feast of Trumpets
Today, Monday, September 10, is the Feast of Trumpets. In the Hebrew calendar, it is the 1st day of the 7th month of Tishri. So, Tishri 1 = Sept 10 2018.
This is one of the seven annual holy days God gave to His people, the children of Israel* in the wilderness, following their miraculous escape from Egypt.
[* The nation of Israel was the only people group God was working through and dealing with at that time in history. In Lev. 23, we read The Feast of Trumpets and the other annual Sabbaths were given to the Israelites to be observed throughout their generations. Since Israelites still exist today, they are still required to observe the annual holy days of: (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The meaning of these days can be found throughout the entire Bible! Very few understand what these days picture in full. One reason is God is not allowing most people to understand His Word and His wonderful plan of salvation at this time in human history! It can and should be an exciting life-long study for those who are being called by God now!
So, the skeptic says, "Aha. So God gave these days to the Israelites! Christians do not have to keep them - not now, not ever, since God gave them to Israelites only and no other people group."
Not so fast! In Galatians 3:26-28, Paul wrote: 'for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek [gentile]....for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' Note well, spiritually speaking, there is no distinction between Jew and non-Jew when it comes to how we live and obedience to God.
It's a myth to believe gentile Christians are under no obligation to observe the holy days God gave to the Israelites in the wilderness under Moses' leadership. To prove this, note what Paul the apostle to the gentiles wrote in 1 Cor 5:7, 'For Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed. 8. Let us therefore celebrate the festival (Unleavened Bread).....' Corinth was a city in modern Turkey. Almost certainly, most of the church would have been gentile believers. Paul was commanding them to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread right after the Passover, as we read in Lev. 23:4-8.
Many have tried to find excuses for not observing God's holy days. A popular one is: Jesus fulfilled the holy days in His life, death and resurrection. They part-wrongly believe: When Jesus died and rose up to Heaven, all the Old Covenant was fulfilled and therefore everything the Jews were commanded to do was 'nailed to the cross'. That is only partly right!
True, we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices to God in payment for our sins. Jesus did indeed fulfill that requirement through His death on Calvary.
Also, physical circumcision is no longer necessary as we are required to be spiritually circumcised as Paul made clear in Romans 2:29, 'But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter......' In vs.25-28, Paul explains that the one who is uncircumcised who keeps God's law will condemn the one is circumcised but who does not obey the law. To the circumcised one who breaks the law is counted by God as one who is uncircumcised. In v. 28, Paul states, 'For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. All disciples of Jesus are spiritual Jews who are obliged to keep the law of God.
Late in the first century, John, the apostle 'whom Jesus loved' (see John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7 & 20. John wrote of himself in the 3rd person), wrote, 'Sin is the transgression of the law' (1 Jn 3:4). It's nonsense to argue that Christians are free from obeying the Ten Commandments. Read Jesus' words of warning in Matt. 5:17-20.
People like to read and think of John 3:16 but they would do well to meditate Peter's words of warning in 2 Peter 3:15, 16! It's amazing how many deceivers muddy the waters and misinterpret Paul's teachings about God's law. Many who should know better teach (wrongly) with great certainty that Paul taught that Christians are no longer under the law (eg. Gal. 5:18), meaning they are not required to keep it. They claim incorrectly, that keeping the law is no longer an issue for anyone who is 'led by the Spirit' and who has accepted Jesus in their hearts as their personal Saviour but they are false teachers. They ignore Paul's teaching in Romans 6:23: 'For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord'. A major motive for teaching that God's law is no longer binding on Christians is their desire to reject and ignore the 7th day Sabbath that the 4th commandment teaches us about. Paul showed how all Jesus' disciples should accept and agree that we are spiritual Jews and should be true Sabbath-keepers, as well as people who want to observe the biblical holy days that the pre-incarnate Jesus gave to His people from Mount Sinai. Yes, for those who are unaware, Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, not God the Father. For proof, read here.
That's why Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments (John 14:15).
How sad! Untold millions of professing 'Christians' who are not Christians at all according to the Bible are going through life assuming they're right with God but they're not, simply because they have believed lies about God's law 'being nailed to the cross' which is a huge misunderstanding Bible 'experts' have repeated often enough to mislead M-a-n-y biblically uneducated professing Christians. They have been very careless at handling God's Word. They have failed to understand the Bible was not written with 21st century 'Westerners' in mind! To get the correct meaning from the Bible, it is absolutely necessary to read it from the writers point of view! What was the original writer trying to get across? What did he believe? Who was he writing to? You have to get inside the mind of the writer and, if possible, the individual or group he was writing to. The many Bible 'experts' and preachers misunderstand Paul's writings as a result of ignoring this vitally important principle! Re-read 2 Peter 3:15, 16.
Ultimately, the main reason why we are given years to live here on Earth after trusting in the blood of Jesus to save us is to give us time to become very familiar and knowledgeable of God's Word, the Holy Bible. We are wasting our time if we approach the Bible with our own pre-conceived ideas and beliefs in our heads. We should ask God to enable us to abandon our own ideas when proven to be false and honestly embrace what the Bible actually teaches.
We are to read out of the Bible what is in it (exegesis), NOT read into the Bible what we want it to say (eisegesis)! That is a vital principle of Bible study!
So, as we read and study the Bible, may God guide us to understanding more of His priceless Truth, eg. the need to keep His annual Sabbaths such as the Feast of Trumpets which I am observing today, for our spiritual good and the blessing that comes from obeying God.
My prayer is that by next year many more people here in Ireland and around the world will be observing all God's holy days listed in Lev. 23. They are, again: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.
We should seek the hidden gems of Truth concerning God's holy days and other precious doctrines that are scattered throughout the Bible, every day of our lives. It's so true, that the more one studies the Bible with a pure heart and motive, the more hidden Truth and understanding one discovers. Nothing else should be more important to us as individual Christians. God bless.
This is one of the seven annual holy days God gave to His people, the children of Israel* in the wilderness, following their miraculous escape from Egypt.
[* The nation of Israel was the only people group God was working through and dealing with at that time in history. In Lev. 23, we read The Feast of Trumpets and the other annual Sabbaths were given to the Israelites to be observed throughout their generations. Since Israelites still exist today, they are still required to observe the annual holy days of: (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The meaning of these days can be found throughout the entire Bible! Very few understand what these days picture in full. One reason is God is not allowing most people to understand His Word and His wonderful plan of salvation at this time in human history! It can and should be an exciting life-long study for those who are being called by God now!
So, the skeptic says, "Aha. So God gave these days to the Israelites! Christians do not have to keep them - not now, not ever, since God gave them to Israelites only and no other people group."
Not so fast! In Galatians 3:26-28, Paul wrote: 'for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek [gentile]....for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' Note well, spiritually speaking, there is no distinction between Jew and non-Jew when it comes to how we live and obedience to God.
It's a myth to believe gentile Christians are under no obligation to observe the holy days God gave to the Israelites in the wilderness under Moses' leadership. To prove this, note what Paul the apostle to the gentiles wrote in 1 Cor 5:7, 'For Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed. 8. Let us therefore celebrate the festival (Unleavened Bread).....' Corinth was a city in modern Turkey. Almost certainly, most of the church would have been gentile believers. Paul was commanding them to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread right after the Passover, as we read in Lev. 23:4-8.
Many have tried to find excuses for not observing God's holy days. A popular one is: Jesus fulfilled the holy days in His life, death and resurrection. They part-wrongly believe: When Jesus died and rose up to Heaven, all the Old Covenant was fulfilled and therefore everything the Jews were commanded to do was 'nailed to the cross'. That is only partly right!
True, we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices to God in payment for our sins. Jesus did indeed fulfill that requirement through His death on Calvary.
Also, physical circumcision is no longer necessary as we are required to be spiritually circumcised as Paul made clear in Romans 2:29, 'But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter......' In vs.25-28, Paul explains that the one who is uncircumcised who keeps God's law will condemn the one is circumcised but who does not obey the law. To the circumcised one who breaks the law is counted by God as one who is uncircumcised. In v. 28, Paul states, 'For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. All disciples of Jesus are spiritual Jews who are obliged to keep the law of God.
Late in the first century, John, the apostle 'whom Jesus loved' (see John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7 & 20. John wrote of himself in the 3rd person), wrote, 'Sin is the transgression of the law' (1 Jn 3:4). It's nonsense to argue that Christians are free from obeying the Ten Commandments. Read Jesus' words of warning in Matt. 5:17-20.
People like to read and think of John 3:16 but they would do well to meditate Peter's words of warning in 2 Peter 3:15, 16! It's amazing how many deceivers muddy the waters and misinterpret Paul's teachings about God's law. Many who should know better teach (wrongly) with great certainty that Paul taught that Christians are no longer under the law (eg. Gal. 5:18), meaning they are not required to keep it. They claim incorrectly, that keeping the law is no longer an issue for anyone who is 'led by the Spirit' and who has accepted Jesus in their hearts as their personal Saviour but they are false teachers. They ignore Paul's teaching in Romans 6:23: 'For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord'. A major motive for teaching that God's law is no longer binding on Christians is their desire to reject and ignore the 7th day Sabbath that the 4th commandment teaches us about. Paul showed how all Jesus' disciples should accept and agree that we are spiritual Jews and should be true Sabbath-keepers, as well as people who want to observe the biblical holy days that the pre-incarnate Jesus gave to His people from Mount Sinai. Yes, for those who are unaware, Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, not God the Father. For proof, read here.
That's why Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments (John 14:15).
How sad! Untold millions of professing 'Christians' who are not Christians at all according to the Bible are going through life assuming they're right with God but they're not, simply because they have believed lies about God's law 'being nailed to the cross' which is a huge misunderstanding Bible 'experts' have repeated often enough to mislead M-a-n-y biblically uneducated professing Christians. They have been very careless at handling God's Word. They have failed to understand the Bible was not written with 21st century 'Westerners' in mind! To get the correct meaning from the Bible, it is absolutely necessary to read it from the writers point of view! What was the original writer trying to get across? What did he believe? Who was he writing to? You have to get inside the mind of the writer and, if possible, the individual or group he was writing to. The many Bible 'experts' and preachers misunderstand Paul's writings as a result of ignoring this vitally important principle! Re-read 2 Peter 3:15, 16.
Ultimately, the main reason why we are given years to live here on Earth after trusting in the blood of Jesus to save us is to give us time to become very familiar and knowledgeable of God's Word, the Holy Bible. We are wasting our time if we approach the Bible with our own pre-conceived ideas and beliefs in our heads. We should ask God to enable us to abandon our own ideas when proven to be false and honestly embrace what the Bible actually teaches.
We are to read out of the Bible what is in it (exegesis), NOT read into the Bible what we want it to say (eisegesis)! That is a vital principle of Bible study!
So, as we read and study the Bible, may God guide us to understanding more of His priceless Truth, eg. the need to keep His annual Sabbaths such as the Feast of Trumpets which I am observing today, for our spiritual good and the blessing that comes from obeying God.
My prayer is that by next year many more people here in Ireland and around the world will be observing all God's holy days listed in Lev. 23. They are, again: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.
We should seek the hidden gems of Truth concerning God's holy days and other precious doctrines that are scattered throughout the Bible, every day of our lives. It's so true, that the more one studies the Bible with a pure heart and motive, the more hidden Truth and understanding one discovers. Nothing else should be more important to us as individual Christians. God bless.
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