“Heresy” is a word that gets thrown around rather loosely these days. We will cavalierly declare someone a heretic because their views on eschatology differ from our own. It’s famously been said that “heresy is what you believe, while orthodoxy is what I believe.” But heresy is not the same as error. Not all theological errors or false doctrines rise to the level of heresy. A heresy is a belief held by a confessing Christian that is sufficient to damn their soul. To charge someone with heresy is not merely to say that their theology is wrong, but that it is so wrong that they do not qualify as a Christian and are not saved.
Theologians are much more circumspect when it comes to dishing out the heresy label. It is typically reserved for doctrines that define the Christian faith. These doctrines are understood to be the sine qua non of Christianity: doctrines that are so central to the Christian faith, that if you change them, you fundamentally alter what the Christian faith is such that it is no longer Christian. What are those doctrines? Good question! It’s not so easy to define them. Historically, such doctrines have included the Trinity, Chalcedonian Christology, salvation by faith, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and Jesus’ substitutionary atonement. In this post, I want to focus on Chalcedonian Christology. Specifically, I want to explore the question of whether all non-Chalcedonian Christologies are heretical.
Christology is my theological forte. I have long been fascinated with the historical development of Christology. I love studying the theological disputes of antiquity that eventuated in the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451. Personally, I am Chalcedonian in my Christology, which means that I hold Christ to be a single person (the divine person) with two distinct natures (divine nature, human nature). While I am fully persuaded that this is the correct way to understand Jesus, does that mean that all other views are heretical? I will grant that some alternative Christologies such as Adoptionism are heretical, but are all alternative Christologies heretical?
For example, consider Nestorianism. On this view of Jesus, he is two persons (divine person, human person) with two natures (divine, human). I disagree strongly with this view of Christ because, among other things, it undermines the deity of Jesus. Jesus is not God Himself existing as man, but a human person in whom God dwells in an unparalled way. Nevertheless, Nestorians fully affirm the Biblical data that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. The same could be said of the Eutycheans. They confessed the full deity and humanity of Christ, although on a practical level the humanity was subsumed by His deity. Or what about Apollinarianism? Apollinarius seemed to deny that Jesus’ humanity was complete. The question is not whether or not these views are wrong. They are. The question is whether they are so wrong that one who holds to such views is not saved. It is hard for me to think such could be the case. Does one’s view of Jesus have to be that theologically refined in order to be saved? Is Jesus really going to look at a Nestorian on judgment day and say, “I know you trusted in me for your salvation and lived an exemplary life of faithfulness and service, but unfortunately I have to send you to hell because your understanding of the relationship of my deity and humanity was wrong.”?
Just declaring a theological error to be heresy does not make it so. So why should we consider Nestorianism, Apollinarianism, and Eutchyeanism heretical views of Jesus? Are they deficient? Yes. Do they best explain the Biblical data? No. Are there theological deficiencies in them? Yes. But the same could be said of other aberrant theologies that we would not consider heretical. So why think these theological errors rise to the level of heresy and will cause those who believe them to be damned? At present, I see no reason to think so.
May 14, 2015 at 9:35 am
Fantastic post! I think several 5th century councils can be held generally blameworthy for putting loudness and certainty over quietude and unity. The ecclesial fallouts were certainly horrible. Cyril in particular is one of our best examples of how a brilliant leader in the church and a vicious, uncharitable man can share the same body.
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May 14, 2015 at 9:42 am
Interesting topic, Jason. Regarding the following statement:
“I know you trusted in me for your salvation and lived an exemplary life of faithfulness and service, but unfortunately I have to send you to hell because your understanding of the relationship of my deity and humanity was wrong.”?
I’ve often struggled with the same question as it pertains to Acts 2:38. Will a person be damned to hell if they haven’t been baptized in the name of Jesus, despite having trusted in Jesus for salvation all along? Where I stand on the issue right now is, the eternal judgment is up to God. In the meantime, I’m going to do what The Word commands me to do, and that is, exactly what Acts 2:38 commands.
I’ve wondered similar things about a person’s eschatology, whatever it may be. Is salvation contingent on one’s belief of who Jesus is and all that explanation entails? I think, on some level, this has to be true. I think John 8:24 strongly supports this idea. But to what degree must one’s view be “correct”? I don’t know.
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May 14, 2015 at 11:20 am
Heresy is any provocative belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs. A heretic is a proponent of such claims or beliefs: This writing will be considered heresy by some.
The person of Jesus Christ was incarnate (conceived) by the Holy Spirit of Love, through sexual intercourse and was made man. Neither Jesus or Buddha or any other human being was conceived by any other means than the biology of sexual intercourse albeit conception occured without the spirit of Love, necessarily.
All words in every language are coined to describe all manner of objects in all we survey in the material world and all manner of abstractions and concepts in the imaginary world; visual images are also created by imagery for visual reference.
Words such as “divine” attempt to describe a virtual existence outside the realm of humanity but the word itself while conjuring imagery from descriptive other words cannot give existence to the concepts they imagine.
God is one such word formed to convey that beyond which a greater cannot be thought but for all the attempts by mankind the world over no religion, no magic, no deceit can possibly bring such a concept into being.
Jesus was fully human with all the attributes of the human experience but was set apart for the intelligent purpose he chose as a career to improve the conditions of his fellowman.
In the fullfilment of that career to improve the human condition Jesus necessarily became both an advocate for the downtrodden and a provocateur against the establishment that kept the downtrodden living in extreme poverty; namely, the religious leaders of society who gleaned from the people as much wealth, labor and sacrifice as was possible to get from the poor masses after they were forced and coerced into paying tribute taxes to the military rulers for defending the citizens against maurauders.
Jesus became a champion for the poor and the sick, displaced and infirmed and was revered as god-like to describe his character he demonstrated to all people with his knowledge, understanding, common sense, judgment, oratory and organizational skills, caring, compassionate, kindness, gentleness, courtesy and love for everybody he met and with discretion as his companion travelled widely to help all the villagers everywhere in the country with righteous and random acts of charity.
The God-like belief used by many describe Jesus became as a label that tagged Jesus with being so good that only a god figure could be virtuous enough to demonstrate and so the “Divine” label stuck and the myth of Jesus being a God stuck in the folklore of humanity through the religious community centres and private houses that some of his followers formed to carry on the growth of the Jesus campaign that became the ritual religious cult of the Christian Church(*Catholic ) from which Christianity eventually sprang.
* (The word catholic is derived from the Greek word καθολικός (katholikos), which means “universal”. Katholikos is associated with the adverb καθόλου (katholou), a contraction of the phrase καθ’ ὅλου (kath’ holou), which means “according to the whole”. Catholic was first used to describe the Christian church in the early 2nd century. The first known use of the phrase “the catholic church” (he katholike ekklesia) occurred in the letter from St Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, written about 110 AD. In the Catechetical Discourses of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the name “Catholic Church” is used to distinguish it from other groups that also call themselves the Church.)
As far as Heretic goes, the word “heretic” is unknown and disowned by Jesus because it is a term fitting only church dogma which is something Jesus spent many a perilous part of his preaching, railing against the religious authories about; that is, making a farce of the God concept by enforcing as Godly, the doctrines of men.
The Catholic Church eroded exactly into the Pharisee and Scribe Sects of Jesus day as it was the Jewish Christians who hijacked the Jesus following that eventually re-adopted all the ritualisms of the ancient church lured by the “wealth begats wealth” syndrome of pomp and ceremony to the neglect of the poor that Jesus was willing, ready and able to serve.
Heretic became a byword for everything that the self-righteous hated which was everybody and everything outside the True Church like most religous institutions that want to rule the world………… by force if necessary.
Heresy is why witches were burned at the stake; (Deliberately causing death through the effects of combustion, or effects of exposure to extreme heat, has a long history as a form of capital punishment. Many societies have employed it as an execution method for such crimes as treason, rebellious actions by slaves, heresy, witchcraft and demonstrated sexual deviancy, such as incest or homosexuality. The best known type of executions of death by burning is when the condemned is bound to a large wooden stake. This is usually called burning at the stake (or, in some cases, auto-da-fé). But other forms of death resulting from exposure to extreme heat are known, not only by exposure to flames or burning materials. For example, pouring substances, such as molten metal, onto a person (or down their throat or into their ears) are attested, as well as enclosing persons within, or attaching them to, metal contraptions subsequently heated. Immersion in a heated liquid as a form of execution is reviewed in death by boiling. It is difficult to believe that religious people and their leaders were so gruesome as to commit these atrocities.
Heresy is why Galileo was put on trial as a “heretic” ( he agreed with the Copernican Theory that the earth went around the sun and not the sun rotating around the earth.)
In spirit and in truth nobody will ever be rejected by Jesus as a heretic, church dogma that uses such terms as “heretic” and “blasphemy” to imprison, kill and condemn people to hell is merel nonsense that church dogma thrives on to thrust its tyrannical theology to fling its far flung fingers.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Jason,
As to salvation: Yahshua makes two essential declarations when confronting the Jewish leadership in John 8. First He tells them, “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47) Their wickedness stems from their alignment with the devil. They reject the truth of His word because their evil carnal nature proves a barrier to faith and trust in the goodness of the Almighty. Secondly Jesus states, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” (John 8:51) His word is the instruction of God found in Scripture; i.e., fundamentally, love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Believe in God & obey His Word. Faith is the root while obedience produces the fruit of salvation.
Paul explains in Romans: Much more then, having now been justified [declared righteous] by His [Yahshua’s] blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His [resurrected] life. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? Because if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF YHWH WILL BE SAVED [Joel 2:32].” (Romans 5:9-10, 8:24, 10:9, 13)
As to heresy:
Heresy brings division to the Body of Messiah and self-condemnation to its practitioners. Paul expounds on this in (Titus 3:1-11) and Peter does so in (2 Peter 2:1-22). We have examples of heretics today in cults like Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. Heretics twist Scripture to distort the truth for their own ends [Deuteronomy 13:1-3]. That’s why it’s critical to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world [Deuteronomy 13:4].” (1 John 4:1)
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May 14, 2015 at 5:05 pm
Good article.
Because of my RC background I’m not a big fan of the way heretic is used. In most cases, but not all, it is just a difference in interpretation. These differences should be charitably handled and not result in violence. Truth before unity.
Is the Bible really clear on the divine/human nature of Jesus Christ? Was Our Lord a spiritual being before the Incarnation? “And the Word became flesh.” Word and flesh, how are they combined into Jesus Christ? Is Mary Jesus’ biological or surrogate Mother? Is the body (ie. clay vessel) that Jesus Christ walked the earth in a empty clone of Adam He poured Himself into? Did the divine and human both die on the cross? How can an immortal being become mortal?
This heretic is counting on that your conclusion is correct.
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May 15, 2015 at 6:55 am
I think the reason for rejecting these views as heretical can only be understood historically: especially in the early centuries of the Church, any threat to doctrinal unity was perceived as a threat to the faith itself. Tolerance of a diversity of opinions, especially on such an important theological matter, was not something the ancient mind could have conceived. And Christology in particular does have important consequences to our understanding of ourselves, our salvation, and our eternal destiny.
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May 15, 2015 at 7:31 am
FA
“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”
What does this even mean? In your own words please not some convoluted other verses that are as nebulous as usually used to describe everything you don’t know.
At this point the Jews said, “Now we know you’re crazy. Abraham died. The prophets died. And you show up saying, ‘If you practice what I’m telling you, you’ll never have to face death, not even a taste.’ Are you greater than Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you think you are!”
Jesus never answered their question and…..pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him. But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple.
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May 16, 2015 at 10:36 am
And He [Yahshua] said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then BEGINNING WITH MOSES and with ALL THE PROPHETS, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in ALL THE SCRIPTURES. “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones that you see that I have. These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Thus it is written, that Messiah would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:25-27, 38, 39, 44, 46, 47)
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE [Isaiah 29:14].” For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well- pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Messiah crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Messiah the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 21-25)
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May 16, 2015 at 12:17 pm
“…..In your own words please…….”
Using scripture to explain scripture is like using the storyline from Little Red Riding Hood to explain that “The wolf ran to Granny’s house, and ate Granny up.”
AND FEE, FI, FO, FUM EXPLAINS BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE TOO:
Jack & the Beanstalk, the 5 beans represent the 5 highest principles known to man, in Moorish Science, as well as the 5 Pillars of Islam (Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, & Justice). The Giant in the sky is the Asiatic Mandingo Moor, whether in the Holy City of Mecca or in Andalus, ancient Spain, during the middle ages, or on-high in the Heavens, due to the fact that we have reached the pinnacle of wisdom. Jack, being an Englishman, is the European, who steals from the Moor, by charming his wife; how the pale man during slavery times did all his deals thru our women, making them independent, & making us men dependent; This story also shows how like the serpent in the Bible, in Genesis, went to the woman, Eve, and got her to bite the forbidden fruit, and trick Adam into doing the same, thus bringing about their downfall. Like Delilah in the Bible, who betrays Samson, the strongest man who ever lived, the brotha is done in by the very same woman who slept in his arms, so the Giant’s own wife betrays him by lying to him, about who was in his house! Someone, a stranger in your home, with your wife, while u ain’t there, that’s against Islamic & Universal Law! Jack received gold, milk, bread, and music from us, the Moors, and to this day, he gets all the credit, & hides the source from whence it came, thereby chopping down the beanstalk, leading to the fall of the great Moors, the same way Washington chopped down our cherry tree. The Giant smelled Jack, the same way the Prophet said “we will one day smell the Europeans, leaving in their boxcars, going back to Europe!” The man that sold him the beans, was also a Moor, but he was a traitor, for selling to the pale man, his own people’s principles & birthrights, just to satisfy his carnal self. This man, the seller of the beans, was already wealthy, but he wanted to chase after gods of whom he knew nothing, thru Hindu cow worship (no offense to any Hindus out there), or the golden calf worship of Moses’ people in the Bible. Jack did his dirty work while the Giant slept, so now u know why the Prophet said “you Moors sleep to much, wake up you sleepy headed Moors, your bread is being eaten by another!” As far as “Fee, Fi, Fo Fum”, I don’t know what that means yet, but I soon will! Peace!
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May 16, 2015 at 12:53 pm
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (1 Corinthians 10:21; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; Revelation 16:14)
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May 16, 2015 at 2:15 pm
There is a war being waged, the Great War but not against your God Almighty, it’s against your God Almighty Religion not against any god because your knowledge of God is what your ancestors invented and gave the attributes of man to in order to debit the created God with all the responsibility man himself would not admit to or accept himself. So all the deeds of evil and war and killing of enemies were attributed to the invented God as “judgment” for sin from a perfectly good God who has all the opposite “good” attributes of man as well: love, gentleness, kindness, compassion which were the credits of the invented God that man claimed were given to himself, not the bad attributes, just the good attributes therby shirking his own responsibility for the evils men committed as they continue to do today when they do evil in the name of their religion, messenger or God.
In reality all you have is religion that has preached for thousands of years about how to live while living the life of a God rendering judgment through them: devastating death, pestilence, famine and disease upon the enemies outside the “true” religion. We know this even from Jesus in the New Testament about the Samaritan woman asking why he was even talking to a Samaritan and another passage when Jesus compared the Samaritans to “dogs”.
We see this today as you yourself noted in a recent comment claiming that Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons were Heretics by distorting and twisting scriptures which is absolutely no more or less than what you yourself and every other of the thousands of sects and cults that branch off by using some silly and different doctrine to set themselves apart from the others do; and, today the world has an estimated 21,000 to 40,000 Christian sects all preaching they are the true Church, teaching the true ways of God and Jesus and yada yada including Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, it’s just a belief system similar to your own that none of you ever devised yourself, just carrying on scriptural interpretation written by the ancients, and it never changes, just grows in a War that you are losing on every front.
And that will be how religion ends, the end times of religion as described in Revelation when the church, mosque, synagogue, temple, mount Gerizim and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem will be gone leaving only remnants of bricks and mortar for the next generation to reflect on as they see from previous empires. The New Heaven and the New Earth will have NO RELIGION, sorry but it’s bye bye time.
Christians divide and give themselves denominational-type names too easily. Jesus said his followers should be “one”, and many of these separate organisations are the result of serious divisions. Remember, worship in spirit and in truth not in pieces of real estate.
When you criticise other religions you merely mirror the pot calling the kettle black.
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May 16, 2015 at 2:45 pm
ISAIAH CHAPTER 5
(15) So the common man will be humbled and the man of importance abased, the eyes of the proud also will be abased.
(16) But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
(21) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!
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May 16, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Frank Adamick:
How childish and foolish you are. Anyone can throw scriptural verses at others like arrows and firebrands.(of course you believe that God is directing you, tee hee) The fact is you just can’t speak from understanding when you lack common sense; and that’s something you can’t hide; it says more about you than it says about your target.
“We have examples of heretics today in cults like Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons.”
Ipocrite, `do thou out first the beem of thin iye, and thanne thou schalt se to do out the mote of the iye of thi brothir.
– Wycliffe Bible
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?
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May 16, 2015 at 3:38 pm
I do not subscribe to the idea that one’s salvation is Theology or Christology dependent. It is obeying the Gospel dependent. I’ve met many people, from as young as five years old to teens to full grown adults, who received the gift of the Holy Spirit and (sometimes before and sometimes afterward) were immersed in the name of Jesus Christ.
And of them, the vast majority couldn’t, at the time of their real salvation and sealing by the Lord, contribute whatsoever to a discussion on Theology or Christology, nor yet confess a coherent Theology or Christology prior to their salvation.
Rather, their real salvation was tied to repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Some were/are mentally ill or experience a cognitive disability. One I recall was a committed Satanist. Still others were ignorant heathens who, in a time and place, became convinced of God’s love and holiness, and realizing they were sinners, desired to be saved.
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May 16, 2015 at 3:41 pm
The only two anathemas I see in the New Covenant writings are upon those who preach “another Gospel” (Galatians 1:7-9) or for those who do not love the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 16:22).
Again, no accursed condemnations for flawed Theology or Christology, only for those who pervert the Gospel message and for those who refuse to love Jesus Christ.
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May 16, 2015 at 4:36 pm
votivesoul:
I submit you are following Paul’s ideas of accursed condemnations not Jesus’ good news (gospel) and love.
Paul was a Pharisee who grew up promoting the rules and rituals of church dogma, the resurrection of the dead was a tenet of his pharisaical belief and upbringing advancing fast beyond his peers in fervor and fanaticism. This, at the time he pursued doggedly early Church members to persecute and cast his vote to murder them who did not follow the Pharisee tradition.
I actually believe from his writings that Paul was “not all there” in the mental state of reference in all his communications.
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May 16, 2015 at 11:40 pm
And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Yahshua called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Luke 18:15-17)
Then Yahshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your leader, that is, Messiah. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:1, 5-12)
Thus says the LORD [YHWH], the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD [YHWH] of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.” (Isaiah 44:6) “Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD [YHWH], am the first, and with the last. I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4) “Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:13) “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.” (Isaiah 48:12) “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.” (John 13:19) “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24) So when He said to them, “I am He.” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:6) “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” says the Lord, “which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8) “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who became dead, and has come to life, says this:” (Revelation 2:8) “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation 22:13)
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision [mutilation]; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Messiah Yahshua and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eight day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Messiah Yahshua my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Messiah, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through FAITH IN MESSIAH, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH COMES FROM GOD ON THE BASIS OF FAITH, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Messiah Yahshua. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yahshua. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Messiah, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yahshua Messiah; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:1-14, 17-21)
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May 17, 2015 at 1:54 pm
THE CURSE OF CHRISTIANITY:
John 13:19: is so out of context with (Isaiah 44:6), (Isaiah 41:4), (Isaiah 43:13), (Isaiah 48:12).
Isaiah on behalf of God speaks as though God speaks through Isaiah so what Isaiah says, as most of the bible is written in the same way, Christians read it as though it is God speaking: Isaiah uses the phrases “I am the first and I am the last,” and “I am He”, (GOD SPEAKING) as noted in the 4 scripture references above. Jesus on the other hand, in John 13:18-30 uses the phrase “I am He”, but is totally out of context with Isaiah it’s laughable. Jesus is simply telling the disciples at the last supper who would betray him; has nothing to do with “the first and the last”, “the alpha and the omega”; it’s not God speaking when Jesus says “I am He”; it has only got to do with Christians trying to manipulate scripture to conform with their understanding of how to run with dogmatic teaching tricks.
This is the curse of Christianity, charlatanic spewing of religious dogma that vainly attempts to connect every biblical verse together like string theory as if all the verses were saying the same thing, about the same topic, at the same time, despite the texts being chiselled thousands of years apart.
JOHN IN CONTEXT:
Jesus Identifies His Betrayer
The One Who Ate Bread at My Table
18-20 “I’m not including all of you in this. I know precisely whom I’ve selected, so as not to interfere with the fulfillment of this Scripture:
The one who ate bread at my table
Turned on his heel against me.
“I’m telling you all this ahead of time so that when it happens you will believe that I am who I say I am. Make sure you get this right: Receiving someone I send is the same as receiving me, just as receiving me is the same as receiving the One who sent me.” (This is who Jesus said he was, I am He, one sent by the Father, who will be betrayed and I know who the betrayer is beforehand so when it happens you will know that “I am He”.)
I have, in previous posts, given the reason why, how and when Jesus knew that it was Judas who was set betray him and one doesn’t have to be a Christian rocket scientist or brain surgeon to know that, so I won’t repeat it here again because the point I’ m making here is how the Christian Curse of citing random scriptures based on a word or phrase totally out of context trying to pass the random verses off as being connected is false advocacy, a farce against the truth and a black eye for Christian credibility.
21 “After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.”
22-25 The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, “Master, who?”
26-27 Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.
“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.”
28-29 No one around the supper table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Judas, with the piece of bread, left. It was night.
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May 18, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Concerning John 13:9 refer here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/marsh_fe/bible_readings/197.cfm?a=1010019
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May 18, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Correction to Post # 19.
Concerning John 13:19 refer here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/marsh_fe/bible_readings/197.cfm?a=1010019
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May 18, 2015 at 7:26 pm
Reading skills and interpretive skills can get one out of the “common” rut, if one can pry oneself from being lulled erroneously by one’s “common”, comfortable, clerical error that demands consistent weaving of the dogma web. It’s a ritualism, a chanting, a finger beading, a genuflection, a signing, a trance, a seance, a conformity, a religious conformity, an inability to admit a wasted life from the seminary. “Get thee to a nunn’ry, why woulds’t thou be a breeder of sinners?
Seized in the Garden at Night
18 Jesus, having prayed this prayer, left with his disciples and crossed over the brook Kidron at a place where there was a garden. He and his disciples entered it.
Judas, his betrayer, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples went there often. So Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed. They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords. Jesus, knowing by now everything that was coming down on him, went out and met them. He said, “Who are you after?”
They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
He said, “THAT’S ME.” The soldiers recoiled, totally taken aback. Judas, his betrayer, stood out like a sore thumb.
Jesus asked again, “Who are you after?”
They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
“I told you,” said Jesus, “THAT’S ME. I’M THE ONE. SO IF IT’S ME YOU’RE AFTER let these others go.” (This validated the words in his prayer, “I didn’t lose one of those you gave.”)
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May 18, 2015 at 7:35 pm
You know it makes sense!
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May 19, 2015 at 9:33 am
Bloviating proves utterly fruitless. Demonstrate precise substantiation and corroboration for your various claims rather than proffer mongrel interpretations & idle assertions smothered in blather and caustic, bile.
To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of Yahweh [YHWH/LORD] is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. (Proverbs 1:2-10, 15-18)
“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge? Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; and you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of YHWH. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (Proverbs 1:22-33)
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May 19, 2015 at 10:24 am
OMG FA:
In your own words:
“Bloviating proves utterly fruitless. Demonstrate precise substantiation and corroboration for your various claims rather than proffer mongrel interpretations & idle assertions smothered in blather and caustic, bile.”
Hahahahahahahha I love it. It sounds like you regurgitating random scriptures from Deuteronomy to Revelation, one end to the other. Finally you are revealing the real invisible you, the heart and treasure of who resides “within you”?
As to the Proverbs read them again and see if you can glean anything for your own benefit, read how they might apply to you instead of only applying to everybody else.
Have a nice eternity.
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May 19, 2015 at 11:12 am
“Flex Books” and the like don’t cut it as far as meaningful substantiation or corroboration go. From what you’ve demonstrated it’s certain you’ll go into eternity in the same hapless predicament.
-Malachi 2:17
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May 19, 2015 at 2:14 pm
OMG you are so obtuse: Flex Books can’t sut it because you are of the same stock as the Scribes and Pharisees; unyielding to common sense you remain without understanding.
You know I often say that a Mercedes does not a Driver make neither for your much quotes is your academia supporting anywhere near the reasonable smarts of Jesus: Get acquianted while you still have your brain power currently blunted to change by the ritualism causing obtusion.
Matt 19:9:
Jesus speaking: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,” This is the FLEXception KJV
“I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.”
The FLEXception MSG
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication,,,,,,,,,,” ASV THE FLEXception
Now given your rigid view about Adultery as in the commandment “Thou shalt not commit adultery”
Is it not also there among the Top Ten to
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”, widely understood as a moral imperative; no work, for anyone, neither for the beast of burden, sons, daughter, slaves and yet
Who is In Charge?
Matt 12:1-2 One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!”
3 Jesus said, “Really?
6-8 “There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—‘IPREFER A FLEXIBLE HEART TO AN INFLEXIBLE RITUAL’—you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Sabbath was made for Man not Man for the Sabbath, therefore Man is (the Flex Book) Master of the Sabbath. (not religious Text Book decrees)
THESE are the words of Jesus and you are bickering about them because they don’t suit your ritualistic dogma.
You just don’t “get it”. It’s called the blind leading the blind and you both are wallowing in the pit of the Drug of Absolute Certainty.
I rest my case with Jesus words of support.
3-5 Jesus said, “Really? Didn’t you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn’t you ever read in God’s Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it’s not held against them?
HUH!
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May 19, 2015 at 10:32 pm
As always you forfeit any modicum of intelligent reason to satiate your own derelict narcissistic ego. God is Divine, humanity is not. God is Sovereign, humanity is not. God is Incorruptible, humanity is not. God is Perfection, humanity is not. God is Eternal, humanity is not. God is Faithful, humanity is not. God is True, humanity is not.
It’s God’s position to rule in righteous authority. Humanity is to serve Him humbly and obediently.
“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;” (Exodus 19:5)
“If then, you act with hostility against Me [rebel] and are unwilling to obey [submit to] Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins.” (Leviticus 26:21)
“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey YHWH your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey YHWH your God:” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
“But it shall come about, if you do not obey Yahweh your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:” (Deuteronomy 28:15)
“So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey YHWH your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 28:45)
How clear can it be? Obey and be blessed. Disobey or rebel against God and be cursed.
“If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land;” (Isaiah 1:19)
Samuel said, “Has YHWH as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
“But My people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me.” (Psalm 81:11)
“But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice,and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels [fed their own egos {Proverbs 21:2}] and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and they were backward and not forward [corrupted].'” (Jeremiah 7:23-24)
“You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of YHWH their God or accept correction; truth has perished [by the disobedience of humanity] and has been cut off from their mouth.'” (Jeremiah 7:28)
“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one [not one exception], in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not [they proved to be faithless].” (Jeremiah 11:8)
“But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself [for He is Sovereign Lord GOD Almighty],” declares YHWH, “that this house will become a desolation [because you will have broken My covenant {Jer. 22:3}].” (Jeremiah 22:5)
“Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His [Messiah’s] kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him [in fulfillment of Yahweh’s Davidic Covenant].” (Daniel 7:27)
The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him [because He is the LORD of creation]?” (Matthew 8:27)
They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He [Son of David {Mark 5:1-20}] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him [because He is YHWH of hosts].” (Mark 1:27)
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
So much for Jesus and the “flex book”, according to John who baptized.
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” [Who succumb to the cravings of their own lusts and egos while bowing to their own traditions. {Matthew 15:3; Colossians 2:6-8}] (Acts 5:29)
“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:32)
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Yahshua will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire [of the Almighty’s righteous judgment], dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Yahshua. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8) Know God and make Him known.
And having been made perfect, He [Yahshua] became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:9)
For it is time for judgment to begin from the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Yahshua Messiah and be sprinkled with His blood [thereby being put in covenant with Him]: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. (1 Peter 1:2)
Therefore Yahshua also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate [Isaiah 53:1-12]. (Hebrews 13:12)
and to Yahshua, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood [Isaiah 52:13-15], which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)
How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Yahshua our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Yahshua Messiah, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20, 21)
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May 20, 2015 at 1:09 am
Every word you quote is from man and his language even the term God, Divinity etc etc. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the WORD WAS GOD. The word….language. what part of “KNOW” don’t you understand. You can quote the bible for the next thousand days and you will never quote one single word or concept from God for everything is from man as Jesus said Man is Master of the Sabbath and that includes every command even to the extent of groveling worship and kissing the hand of the jailer. Do you think any true God cares if you grovel at his feet to kiss the ring on his finger, that’s what Man himself expects of other men so he tries to make himself the God, like you by trying your darndest to make out that God actually exists in your image. Hahahahaha You just can’t do it and it frustrates your ego to no end because of it. cause you have no power regardless of biblical references because you just don’t know what you’re talking about. No you don’t. Trying to let on that Jesus is something he never claimed nor took credit for..why? because Jesus was not a stupid.
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May 20, 2015 at 1:10 am
Remember the Drug of Absolute Certainty? You’re on it brother.
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May 20, 2015 at 6:54 am
“A heresy is a belief held by a confessing Christian that is sufficient to damn their soul. ”
I find this phrase interesting. Is there a list of things we can do as Christians that will damn our soul ? Would each one of those things be considered a sin?
But I thought Jesus took away my sins, didn’t He ? Will God forgive a really really bad sin that would be “sufficient” to damn our soul ?
I think it was well said in this post that not having a perfect theological understanding of Christ should not be considered heresy. Then what really is heresy ? It seems that a heresy is a wrongly held belief.
With the thousands of heresies and millions of sins that humanity has committed, it comes down to ONE single heresy that will determine our eternal destiny.
If a person does not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and puts his faith in Him for his salvation, that is a sufficient heresy to damn his soul.
If you don’t agree, think about the thief on the cross. He is with Lord in paradise right now.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Naz
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May 20, 2015 at 7:33 am
HERESY:
A basic definition of heresy, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is “adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma.” A second definition is “dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice.” That’s a good starting point for us. These definitions identify two key elements: a dominant position and a contrary position. With regards to religion, any belief or practice that goes against the official position of the church is considered heretical.
Heretic does not appear in the Old Testament and only a few times in NT by the early church opinionators like Peter but again it’s only an opinion about someone who disagrees with your opinion and has a different opinion than church tradition.
Never worry about someone calling you a heretic; it’s merely a Church threat; a non sequitur
Jesus would have been accused of being a heretic many times as he constantly went against prevailing church tradition.
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May 21, 2015 at 11:15 am
Joseph Richardson,
I agree that we must understand it historically, and I agree that how we understand the person of Christ has consequences for other doctrinal issues. My point is simply to ask whether or not we should (or the ancients for that matter) invest soteriological significance to these positions. Should they be identified and condemned as errors? Yes. But can we really say that those who hold to these theological errors are not Christian and not saved? That seems to be a stretch. And yet, the slippery slope can easily crop up here. Where does one draw the line? At some point one can be so mistaken that their views are not Christian and it will affect their ability to be saved. I’m not sure where that line is, but I am pretty confident that it’s not to be drawn at Nestorianism.
Jason
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May 21, 2015 at 11:15 am
Votivesoul,
You raise a point I have argued before. If someone is filled with the Spirit while having a wrong belief about X (or no belief on X), then isn’t that evidence that their theological error or theological ignorance is not related to salvation? I would think so. But one could ask what happens when they are presented with the truth and reject it for their error. Could something change once they have rejected truth?
As for the reference to “another gospel,” Paul is talking about a “gospel” of salvation by good works. Later in Galatians he goes so far as to say that those who are trying to be justified by their good works rather than by Christ have fallen from grace and are severed from Christ. Their theological error was damning because their beliefs about justification prevented them from receiving God’s righteousness.
Jason
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May 21, 2015 at 11:17 am
I think Biblically speaking, a heretic is someone who is dividing the body. It could be a division due to a false teaching, or it could be a division caused by a personality issue. The early church invested heresy with a new meaning not found in Scripture: a false belief that is sufficient to exclude one from Christ. While I think that is a valid concept, it is not the same as the Biblical notion of heresy.
Jason
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May 21, 2015 at 1:37 pm
Blasphemy like heresy is another one of those awful accusatory religious terms determined from the eye of the one beholding to religious dogma. Can you imagine a God looking down upon his creature and muttering, “You do not accept me? What? Infidel! Then I shall command my followers to stone you, that’ll teach you a lesson!” and there are lots of followers at the ready to do the bidding their minds are processing likewise.
OR,
“Oh well”, says God, “live for today and tomorrow but the next day a log will roll off the truck(ox cart depending what era you live in) and fall upon you as you try to pass, crushing you and wiping out any children you may have had going for you, if only, if only, you obeyed the Ancients who knows me better that you and grovelled and licked my feet and kissed my ring and crouched down on bended knees or visited my revered piece of real estate in Jerusalem…..hmmm or what that Mount Gerizim. I can’t remember now with all the volcanos and seimic activity changing the face of my eart; how dare those forces mess with Texas, I mean me, the only and only.”
“I will send the sword upon your head” by the hand of my creatures of course, because I am invisible and cannot hold a sword of material substance”
And so says God, “let verbal abuse and condemnation continue as I condemn nation after nation after nation until you capitulate and get the message that I am not to be trifled with; now, get dressed and stop running around naked. And leave the girls alone until the elders okay your getting things together, to get her. And then I will allow you to multiply your seed in the lands I have given to your fathers….”
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May 21, 2015 at 4:34 pm
According to Scripture 2 Peter 2:1-22 the Biblical parameters & distinctions on heresy are clearly stated regardless of whatever man-made traditions or modern treatises attempt to instill into the matter:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training which is in righteousness; (2 Timothy 3:16)
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as their will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1)
Many will follow their sensuality [carnal disposition to sin and to oppose or omit God from our lives], and because of them the way of the truth [Gospel of God] will be maligned; (2Peter 2:2)
and in their greed they will exploit you with false words [the proverbial prosperity – “blab it and grab it” – gospel; doctrine of demons]; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:3) [Ephesians 4:14-16]
[If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Yahshua Messiah, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he is sick about a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that religion is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment [Psalm 119:2-3]. (1 Timothy 6:3-6)]
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)
and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)
and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; (2 Peter 2:6)
and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (2 Peter 2:7)
(for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), (2 Peter 2:8)
then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, (2 Peter 2:9)
and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, (2 Peter 2:10)
whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. (2 Peter 2:11)
But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, (2 Peter 2:12)
suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, (2 Peter 2:13)
having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; (2 Peter 2:14)
forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor [Numbers chapters 22, 24, 31], who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (2 Peter 2:15)
but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. (2 Peter 2:16)
These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. (2 Peter 2:17)
For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, (2 Peter 2:18)
promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved [Romans 6:16]. (2 Peter 2:19)
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Yahshua Messiah, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. (2 Peter 2:20)
For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment [Law of God] handed on to them [Hebrews 10:29]. (2 Peter 2:21)
It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT [Proverbs 26:11],” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:22)
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May 21, 2015 at 5:04 pm
In keeping with the Biblical premise of two witnesses examine Jude 1:1-25. Its testimony stands identical to that found in 2 Peter 2.
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May 21, 2015 at 7:13 pm
2 Peter 2 means nothing more than what one person says to denigrate others. Who knows who and why and what he is talikng about ; essentially it means nothing without context and there is no context other than speculative imagination thinking that because it is in the bible it must surley be true. However, just Peter’s opinion, which is so typical today of writers who agree with Peter but do not know why, other then in rhetorical generic terms. It is so much caca del toro; give us the Jesus version. Or imagine rhetoric with specifics and reasons and then use the reasoning to support the generic rhetoric. 2 Peter fails totally and absolutely in this regard and so does everyone supporting the rhetoric without any basis other than general statements…like sin will condemn the sinner. Really?
Here’s a clear cut example. What is the context before or after or during the punishment phase? Is there any? That is 2 Peter; no context just rhetoric but rhetoric is any man’s companion in anything he wants to communicate but without context, he casts his aspersions into the wind where they blow hither and thither but lands on nobody’s shoulders. They could return to the shoulders of the commentator so they are nothing more than trivial words of accusation to nobody in particualr and mean, quite seriously, nothing, quite seriously, nothing Frankly, Adamick.
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May 21, 2015 at 7:16 pm
FA:
Grasping at straws……..
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May 21, 2015 at 7:44 pm
A man will be praised according to his insight, but one of perverse mind will be despised. (Proverbs 12:8)
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May 21, 2015 at 8:03 pm
Two modern day heretics: Jim Jones & David Koresh.
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May 21, 2015 at 8:31 pm
Psychopaths maybe but not Heretics; they were never in the league of Galileo.
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May 21, 2015 at 8:40 pm
They fit the Biblical definition.
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May 21, 2015 at 8:46 pm
They fit Peter’s description, there is no biblical description that’s why there is no such term in the Old Testament.
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May 21, 2015 at 8:59 pm
God’s Word consist of both the Old and New Testaments. It’s an integrated message called The Holy Bible.
Here’s a 10 Most Wanted List relevant to the topic: http://listverse.com/2007/08/17/top-10-most-wicked-popes/
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May 22, 2015 at 9:20 am
Integration? Only when conveniemnt to promote dogma. One message? Who told you that?
and yet while both OT and NT are agianst it, you declare Jesus as the “sacrifical lamb for the sins of the world” …..accepted…..! you don’t discount it, you INCLUDE it over all the scritpures that say sacrifices are worthless! From the Old to the New.
There is no delight in sacrifices to God even in the understanding of the concept, as declared in the Old Testament scriptures, 1Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:3, Isaiah 1:11, and in Micah 6:8 what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly neither as Jesus himself declared in Mark 12:33 sacrifices are not worthy or desired but: “love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and (all) sacrifices.” But go and learn what this scripture means means: ‘I desire mercy (compassion), not sacrifice.’ A FLEXIBLE HEART TO AN INFLEXIBLE RITUAL Matt 9:13
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?…. These people, though they neglected the weightier matters of the law, fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—they carelessly take it or leave it for the more substantial duties of religion, as did the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ’s time, Matthew 23:23 yet were they very diligent in the observance of the ceremonial law, and repeated their sacrifices almost without number; the blood of victims however could be of no avail to them, for they could not expiate their sins, or atone for them; and they could not be profitable to God, for he had no need of them; see Psalm 50:10.
I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; to the loathing of them, and therefore would no more eat their flesh, and drink their blood, or accept of them in sacrifice. Why does anyone think offering human sacrifices as in Jesus, would be any more appealing?
It would not, could not and did not, don’t kid yourself with inflexible ritualisms of scriptural references as they themselves become appalling, undesirable and make me fed up with your textually-active nitpicking trying to score brownie points but your clever academia has anemia,
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May 22, 2015 at 9:24 am
OMG FA you are making me dyslexic. lol
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May 22, 2015 at 10:23 pm
The single over-arching message of the Bible is God’s love for His creation and creation’s response to His love. Yahshua demonstrates this in living His life wherein He always fulfills God’s word [Matthew 5:17-19]; i.e., love God with all your heart, soul and might and likewise love your neighbor as yourself [Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:34-40].
“Know therefore that Yahweh your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
The Bible itself is integrated in that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed while the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.
Sacrifices to God present a complex matter. The chief aspect as relates to YHWH remains that they be offered according to His terms with a sincere heart [re: the account of Cain & Abel]. Indeed a genuine sacrifice of thanksgiving will prove pleasing to God while offering our love and gratitude to Him – Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing. (Psalm 107:22) We actually celebrate Thanksgiving Day [Exodus 23:16] in which we offer God our thanks for all He has provided for our well-being. A First Fruits offering is made to YHWH at the start of each year’s harvest [Exodus 34:22] to demonstrate our faith in His promise of everlasting provision [Deuteronomy 31:8; John 14:18]. Our sacrifices to God are to be made in conjunction with our obedience to His will. Sacrifice without obedience to His Word constitutes duplicitous hypocrisy [1 John 2:3-6].
Yahshua becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world by making His own life a guilt offering for sin serves as Yahweh’s unique capstone of His ministry [Isaiah 53]. It fulfills the glorious pivotal essence of Messiah’s work in redeeming His creation [1 John 2:1-2]. The Cross manifests God’s ultimate act of love and provision. It made Yahshua humanity’s Kinsman Redeemer [Psalm 19:14, 78:35; Isaiah 44:6, 24, 48:17, 54:5, 8]. It defines the means by which His eternal unconditional covenant is executed, sustained then being validated upon His resurrection from the dead according to Scripture. It is the way by which a fallen humanity becomes reconciled, regenerated, sanctified and glorified in God’s sight – “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
“Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” (Psalm 50:5) This refers to the covenant God made through Moses. It’s a CONDITIONAL covenant made between God and the nation/people of Israel meaning both parties to the agreement had compulsory stipulations to fulfill. Failure of either party to uphold their promise of fidelity to the terms of the covenant would result in breaking/dissolution of the covenant along with the death of the offending party. Israel broke the covenant by disobedience/transgression/idolatry/unfaithfulness to a gracious, holy, righteous, faithful God. The only option for survival of humanity in the event of their breach would be to have a Kinsman Redeemer who is completely free of any guilt/a Lamb without blemish substitute Himself as an atoning sacrifice [propitiation] to provide for the remission of the offenders’ sins against God. Then YHWH establishes a renewed UNCONDITIONAL EVERLASTING covenant [Jeremiah 31:31-37] with Israel and all those grafted in by grace through faith. This is exactly what Yahshua accomplished. He established through the shedding of His blood an everlasting covenant with God in which all the obligation rests with Him for its fulfillment. God became flesh, became a man, entered into creation, lived His life among us in perfect obedience to God’s Law/Torah/Instructions/Word. Yahshua Messiah is God’s Word. Then He willingly exchanged places with us just as He exchanged places with Barabbas. He took on our guilt/shame and suffered our death penalty while offering us the chance to take on His righteousness and receive God’s gift of everlasting life. In order to accept this gift we must receive it by placing our trust/faith in Yahshua’s name/character, His faithfulness that He paid our total price to reconcile us to God. We could never even approach the Almighty in the sinful state we’re in if it weren’t for Yahshua renewing the covenant. Now we have available to us by God’s grace the blessed hope of being born again. We can die to our old selves through our Savior’s death on the Cross thus be made anew by putting our confidence/trust/belief/faith in Messiah’s resurrected life certain that Yahshua is Yahweh’s Salvation [John 14:1-7].
In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. (Ecclesiastes 12:9)
The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. (Ecclesiastes 12:10)
The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. (Ecclesiastes 12:11)
But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
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May 23, 2015 at 8:52 am
Hebrews 10:8
First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”–though they were offered in accordance with the law.
1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
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May 23, 2015 at 11:42 am
Be it now known to the world that “God” still exists as a non existent entity but is defined herewith as the metaphorical term to describe “good” deeds that benefit humankind individually and collectively; as the concept of good is understood by most of the world’s people; and, be it further known that “Satan” is the metaphorical term that describes the degrees of actions that fall short of deeds of good that benefit humanity individually and collectively as understood by most of humankind.
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May 23, 2015 at 12:20 pm
If anybody wants to know how the common sense Spirit moves, to see what the Son of Man does, how s/he will act, what s/he will say when s/he returns in OWR time?
Watch Senator Elizabeth Warren of the United States.
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May 23, 2015 at 12:50 pm
SCRIPTURE is BEING REPEATED today!
In Elizabeth Warren in parallel scripture.
Through her the wretched of the earth learn that God (Good) is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
“What did you expect when you went out to see? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. S/he is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses Elizabeth Warren. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in Elizabeth teaming up with him in preparing the way. Looked at in this way, Elizabeth Warren is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive to introduce a Champion.
“Are you listening to me? Really listening?
“How can one account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ Elizabeth came fighting the God of Earth, The Beast, Money Greed and they called her crazy. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
Next Elizabeth let fly on the cities where s/he had worked the hardest, Wall Street, but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24 “Doom to you, Wall Street ! Doom, to you HSBC! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Big Banks! With all your peacock strutting and arrogance you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
“Thank you, Father. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
“The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Elizabeth. Get away with and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with with her and work with her—watch how s/he does it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. S/he won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Elizabeth and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11.
Wait no longer for the Return. S/he is here. And s/he is a brilliant life. So what did you expect?
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May 23, 2015 at 12:53 pm
For the Law [Mosaic covenant], since it has only a shadow of the good things to come [Gospel of Messiah Yahshua] and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices they offer [animal sacrifices to cover sin] continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. (Hebrews 10:1)
Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? (Hebrews 10:2)
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. (Hebrews 10:3)
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)
Therefore, when He [Yahshua Messiah] comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED [Under the conditional Mosaic covenant animal sacrifices and meal offerings for humanity’s guilt served only as a foreshadowing of the good news of the mystery of the gospel to come. They did not propitiate sin. They did not provide for the remission of sin.], BUT A BODY YOU [GOD] HAVE PREPARED FOR ME [Yahshua Messiah] [Psalm 40:6};” (Hebrews 10:5)
IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE [God took no pleasure because these did not REMOVE sin. They did not propitiate/satisfy God’s righteous wrath against sin’s defilement.]. (Hebrews 10:6)
“THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I [Yahshua Messiah] HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK [Moses, Prophets and Psalms] IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD [That Messiah would be propitiation for humanity’s sinfulness, pay our price for redemption and take away the sin of the world; thereby establishing the renewed unconditional covenant between God and humanity {Jeremiah 31:31-37; Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12}.] [Psalm 40:7].'” (Hebrews 10:7)
After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), (Hebrews 10:8)
then He [Yahshua Messiah] said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first [The need and purpose for Temple sacrifices under the Mosaic covenant] in order to establish the second [God’s desire to put His law within us; give humanity a new heart upon which He would write His instructions; YHWH forgives us our iniquity and our sin He will remember no more {Jeremiah 31:33-34}] [Hebrews 9:11-15]. (Hebrews 10:9)
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yahshua Messiah once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)
so Messiah also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (Hebrews 9:28)
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)
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May 23, 2015 at 12:54 pm
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May 24, 2015 at 8:38 am
Thus says YHWH, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.” (Isaiah 45:11)
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May 24, 2015 at 4:46 pm
The biblical giant Goliath has an identifiable family tree suggestive of autosomal dominant inheritance. We suggest that he had a hereditary pituitary disorder possibly due to the AIP gene, causing early onset and familial acromegaly or gigantism. We comment on the evidence within the scriptures for his other relatives including a relative with six digits and speculate on possible causes of the six digits. Recognition of a hereditary pituitary disorder in the biblical Goliath and his family sheds additional information on his and other family members’ battles with David and his relatives.
Giants have been around since time began; they are first described in the Bible in the book of Genesis (6:1-4)1. Originally, giants appear to have been regarded positively, often considered as heroes, particularly by the non-Hebrew population. After the great Flood, giants remained present in the scriptural texts, but their good reputation had waned in the eyes of the Hebrews, and they often tended to be seen as the enemy, often fighting in armies. Giants lived together as a number of separate races, before and after the Flood. The exact relations between different families of giants are a little unclear. For example, the Nephilim (Numbers 13:32-33), appear to be present before and after the flood. The Emites, the Ammonites (or Anakites) and the Rephaim (Deuteronomy 2:10-11), existed after the Flood and appear to be separate entities although the chronicler often uses the phrase ‘like’ suggesting they had a similar phenotype. The Anakim seem to be derived from the Nephilim. The Rephaim although similar to the Nephilim, appear to be distinct from them with respect to family lineage. Deuteronomy 2.21 states the Rephaim were largely subdued by the Ammonites which ‘dwelt in their stead’ One of the most prominent Rephaim was Og, King of Bashan, who slept in ‘a bedstead of iron; nine cubits was the length, and four cubits the breadth of it’ (Deuteronomy 3:11). A cubit was the distance from the elbow to the fingertips.
Culture Inch (cent)
Hebrew (short) 17.5 (44.5)
Egyptian 17.6 (44.7)
Common (short) 18 (45.7)
Babylonian (long) 19.8 (50.3)
Hebrew (long) 20.4 (51.8)
Egyptian (long) 20.6 (52.3)
He appears to be one of the last survivors of the Rephaim. A race of giants implies a hereditary element and the origins of some names may indicate the genetic pathway involved. The Hebrew word anaq may mean necklace (Proverbs 1:9), or possibly goitre. This could suggest hyperthyroidism, possibly due to underlying pituitary gland, or other endocrine, dysfunction.
A FAMILIAL ASPECT TO GOLIATH’S GIGANTISM
Goliath, the Gittite, is the most well known giant in the Bible. He is described as ‘a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, whose height was six cubits and a span’ (Samuel 17:4). From Samuel and Chronicles (table I), we have drawn Goliath’s pedigree (figure 1). A literal interpretation of the verses suggests that his brother and three sons were also of giant stature. The name of Goliath’s third son does not appear in the Bible, so we have named him Exadactylus as it was said that ‘he had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes’ (Samuel 21:20-21). Goliath’s family tree is suggestive of a hereditary autosomal dominant pituitary gene, such as AIP2.
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May 26, 2015 at 9:45 pm
But Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH. (Genesis 6:8)
These are the records of the generations of Noah [peaceful comforter]. Noah was a righteous man, blameless [complete, perfect; having integrity] in his generations; Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9)
Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Genesis 6:10)
“Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.” (Genesis 6:17)
“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark – you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” (Genesis 6:18)
Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. (Genesis 6:22)
Then Yahweh said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” (Genesis 7:1)
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. (Genesis 7:11)
The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7:12)
On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, (Genesis 7:13)
So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. (Genesis 7:15)
Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and YHWH closed it behind him. (Genesis 7:16)
Ever since Yahweh God’s promise of the Seed of the woman/Messiah in Genesis 3:15 to crush the head of the serpent; the adversary has sought to thwart God’s plan of redemption. One view based upon Genesis 6:1-4 holds that Satan devised a strategy to corrupt humanity’s gene pool by having fallen angels seduce the daughters of men resulting in Nephilim and their various strains. This corruption became pandemic to the point where God decided to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life upon the earth except for the only remaining clan without genealogical blemish in His sight; i.e., the righteous man Noah and his wife, his three sons and their three wives to preserve the human race.
As Satan becomes aware of how God has fashioned His plan of redemption he continuously employs further attempts to try and defeat it. When YHWH selected the descendants of Abram to carry the bloodline of Messiah [Genesis 12:1-3, 15:4-6, 15:13-21] then Satan focused his attack. Satan reverted to his same ploy which brought the flood; i.e., corrupting the human gene pool to put evil giants in the land to await the Israelites’ arrival to the promised land [Exodus 6:4; Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33].
As we know Satan’s attempts proved futile. Indeed Messiah did come to save the world [John 3:17] for “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil [1 John 3:8].”
As Yahshua Himself tells us, “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: It will be according to the same things on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26, 30)
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law [of God/Torah], so that He might redeem those who were under the Law [of sin and death], that we might receive the adoption as sons [John 1:12-13]. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [Isaiah 9:6-7, 59:20-21; John 15:26] Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through the gracious act of God [1 John 5:5; Revelation 21:7]. (Galatians 4:1-7)
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May 26, 2015 at 10:03 pm
The lame, the sick, the blind, the disabled, the physically challenged, the mentally challenged, the epileptic, the schizo, the psycotic, the deranged, all were the result of genetic defects because Satan polluted the gene pool. This kind of thinking in the religous world was the way church operated when Jesus came to testify against it that its works were evil and religion pursued him for three years to kill him for saying so. Sin was a crutch used by the Church to condemn everybody who was not afflicted with some kind of disease or from being poor, like the Divine Rights of Kings.
When entire religious history is recited, it is the religious way to avoid common sense and justify religious insanity from the flood and the Nephilim; if everyone was killed in the flood where did the new gene pool start again; was it the sin of Ham who had incest with his mother, was it Canaan who was born of the incestuous relationship; if Noah was so righteous how could it have happened again and again and again. Because of religion, not the gene pool. It was religion that was of the devil which is to say that religion had an absence of good intentions, compassion, kindness and everything still missing its myopicism of accepting superstition and supernaturalism ghosts of stoneage past.
Get out of the Book and into common sense.
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May 27, 2015 at 8:50 pm
YHWH said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man revering God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” (Job 2:3)
Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.” (Job 2:4)
It’s a blatant fool that underestimates the diabolical treachery of the adversary.
Knowing the utter hatred & contempt Satan holds for humanity because we are made in the image and likeness of God whom he envies above all else but even he must submit [2 Corinthians 2:11]; common sense dictates he will try every means possible to humiliate, defile and annihilate our physical, mental and spiritual natures [Luke 22:31]. He himself being a powerful creature [Jude 1:9] will use guile to ensnare our very soul and deceitful manipulation to tempt thereby corrupt us even to the very core of our bodily essence; i.e., our unique DNA signature profile. Satan’s the ultimate sadist led by insatiable lust to torment, pervert and drive into deranged oblivion all those who succumb to the flesh. And to all who fall captive in his domain: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”
Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels] came to present themselves before YHWH, and Satan, i.e. the adversary also came among them. (Job 1:6)
Yahweh said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” (Job 1:7)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
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May 28, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Who saw Adam?
Who wrote the story of Adam?
When the story of Adam was written where was Adam?
How long after Adam was made, did the story come about?
And how would that person have known Adam?
Use your brain and ask yourself how anyone could know that Adam existed?
Maybe Adam was just a storybook character used as a symbol to represent man in human race? And maybe Eve was merely the symbol to represent woman of the human race.
Wouldn’t that make more sense? Instead of someone saying that God told them the story of the beginning of the human race.
If god talked to people hundreds and thousands of years ago why not today? Well there are people who say the gods talk to them but most of them are in the Insane Asylum and Churches.
I have my own version of Adam and Eve and it is a work of fiction but I could say that god told me and why would my word be any less credible than the person who wrote about his version of Adam thousands of years ago? However I would rather admit it to be a work of fiction because god and the devil themselves are works of fiction and do not exist outside your own mind and others of like-minds.
And imagine all the prayers that were said on behalf of the Haitians after the earthquake and yet it didn’t do any good for 200,000 people who are estimated to have died, including the Archbishop and Vicar who were both buried in the rubble when their giant church crumbled and killed them both.
When people cannot seem to make sense of the things around them they go into the supernatural looking for explanations but they can’t find explanations there because the supernatural does not exist and if it does exist and if the Jinn exists and if God exists nobody in his right mind has been able to prove it. And if prayer does any good who can prove it? Nobody, because prayer is useless and so is the Jinn and so are the abstractions. These are all useless ways of trying to understand things that don’t always seem to make sense.
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May 28, 2015 at 4:52 pm
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will act wisely. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8, 9)
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June 1, 2015 at 8:30 pm
To those who deny the integrity of the Bible: Name the woman who rides the beast.
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July 12, 2015 at 10:51 am
“And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8)
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July 12, 2015 at 1:32 pm
THE ULTIMATE IRONY:
Only through the accountability to the Creator God who fashioned human beings for moral obedience and high spiritual destiny do we experience the results of human dignity and true freedom. Anything other than that leads to anarchy.
THE DEVILISH IRONY:
consists in the fact that ‘divine judgment’ and ‘damnation’ are themselves the inventions of religion: religion creates and exquisitely perfects the fear, then cynically declares itself the sole and indispensable liberator from it. And yet we are invited to credit religion as the source of true freedom? It is a laughable claim, a disgraceful claim, a claim that makes a mockery of language as well as of truth and of human dignity.
TRUE FREEDOM:
requires us to liberate ourselves from the tyranny of religion as well as from the tyranny of brutal earthly regimes. True freedom involves the freedom to think, to explore, to grow; the freedom to pursue knowledge and learning, wherever they lead; the freedom to be different, not to conform; freedom from bigotry; freedom from ignorance; freedom to love and to express that love as we choose; freedom to be ourselves, to accept ourselves, warts and all, and to accept others on the same terms; freedom to choose our own meaning and purpose in life, and to make our own decisions on the basis of those free choices; freedom to make mistakes; freedom to change our mind; freedom from fear, especially from phoney fears invented by those whose only aim is to control us in word, thought and deed.
Religion claims to set its followers free, while all the time holding them in thrall and insisting they kiss the hand of their jailer. There can be no true freedom so long as religion still keeps the human mind in shackles.
There are no prophets and no psychics. As Chuck Missler just “messes up” completely as he emphasizes in your posted video by his utter misunderstanding about the story of the brass serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert. At 10:47, Missler shows the ignorance of reading “textually” without understanding the truth, so prevalent in Christendom even by preachers who you put your trust in and repeat as if they know what they are talking about and they most certainly do not! They can’t recognize the truth. OMG you need a lesson in truth because you are just perpetuating stupidity of knowing scriptures “textually” but never know the truth.
The serpent that Moses “lifted up” was a metaphorical symbol to remind the people that the “devil” (metaphor for ) “discontent” roamed through the tents sowing “discord.” and “sin” was the metaphor for the devil and devil the metaphor for men sowing discord and discontent. So in the raising up of the serpent was designed to show the people through the symbol to be always vigilant of sowers and discorders operating within the human family and be strong and pay no attention to their malcontent. The Devils weed-merchants.
This symbol of the serpent spoke nothing about the symbol of the cross as a metaphor for God, harmony and contentment, the opposite effects. KNowing the scripture of Moses though simply prompted Jesus to use the cross as a symbol (sign) of the Son of Man as a sign(symbol) for the alternate metaphor as he knew already that he was destined to be crucified when he talked to Nicodemus. Just as Moses raised up the symbol for the negative the cross would become a symbol for the positive. This after the Pharisees demanded a sign from him. That’s all. It does not mean that the Old and the New were written as some secret code to identify scriptural integrity is nonsense dreamed up by religious conspiracists to make stuff up to show something that was never made that way.
If we say thou shalt not kill, that doesn’t prove the integrity of the ancients to the integrity of the modernitees; it simply shows that some old value morals are as valued in today’s life as it was in yesterday’s life. If one cannot understand that simplicity then you are the devil’s dupe to the religious conspiracists like the present day oppponents of genetically modified food crops who use ideology to discredit the technological progress of GM crops by making things up, like “cancer causing” or “leads to infertility” both of which are totally untrue. Generally the Mega Corps are the spreaders of made up stuff like Mega Religion spread myths as fact for the base to toe the loine. The fact is that GM foods yield higher production and higher production leads to decreased prices, 10% to 20% lower, which to the dismay of the BIg Corps eats into their bottom line and they will none of it!
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July 12, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Please note in post 64 there is an error line. This line was inadvertently pasted in but not edited out before posting. It should be deleted “This after the Pharisees demanded a sign from him.” does not belong in this writing.
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July 13, 2015 at 8:41 am
Sane Sermons Serving Simple Saints:
WHY GOD IS WITHIN YOU.
PART ONE
THE NICODEMUS MEETING:
You’re right Nicodemus. I’m quite exceptional. Matter of fact I am the exception. And you’re absolutely right Nicodemus, there’s only one possible explanation for my life, the things I do and what I say and the quality of life I live, God. Don’t misunderstand me Nicodemus; not because I am God though God I am, by the Good (God) I reflect. But because Nicodemus, though God, I’m man. Man as I as God created him to be. The kind of man Nicodemus who’ll let God be God and that’s why since the first time Adam fell into sin when God looks at me he sees on earth Nicodemus, a real man. Because in the totality of my being, my body, my soul, my spirit, my mind, my emotion and my will, I place myself unreservedly at his disposal so that he in me can be the author of everything I do and everything I say and everything I am.
Everyone who makes a practice of speaking evil, of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone speaking, working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen by others as a manifestation of the Good within, for the God-work it is. John 3:20-21
You see Nicodemus, it’s the divine logic.
That you with all mankind were so created that the presence of the creator in the creature is indispensable to your humanity. It’s that proposition, Nicodemus, the divine logic of which is indispensable to your humanity. That every demand that God makes upon a man is from God’s point of view completely logical. It’s only from man’s point of view, Nicodemus, in his fallen condition that’s it’s utterly unreasonable because in the divine logic, Nicodemus, there’s a hidden factor that’s absent in human reason and that hidden factor represents the margin of difference between what is divinely possible and otherwise cannot but be humanly unreasonable. And that hidden factor, God, himself. As indispensable, Nicodemus, to man as my Father is now to me.
As oil is to a lamp, or gas is to a car. You Nicodemus, were made that way. Now these are jusr a few of the things we’ve been considering, just a brief word of recapitulation to refresh your memory. The divine logic. Do you remember what it says in 1Thessolonians 5:24? Faithful is he that calleth you. Who’s that? God. Faithful is he that calleth you. Who? God, will also do it. Well tell me this. If he that calls you to it, as God, is the one who’s going to do it, what would be illogical about anything to which he calls you? Faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it and there’s absolutely nothing to which God calls you which he himself as God in the man is not prepared to do. If you let him.
What about this verse. It’s familiar to you; it’s found in the second chapter of the epistle to the Philippians, Paul addressing these new converts whom it has been his privilege to lead redemptively to the Lord Jesus, so on the grounds of that redemptive transaction being now reconciled to God, forgiven sinners, they might receive the gift to them of that life that was forfeited in Adam in spiritual regeneration, the renewing of the holy ghost, the coming back of the holy spirit, co-equal in deity with the Father and the Holy Spirit so that the whole triune Godhead could invade and occupy and monopolize their humanity, says he to them “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”, and you know what he’s not saying; he’s not saying work for your salvation, that would have been diametrically opposed to everything he ever said or wrote. “Not of works lest any man should boast, by grace you’re saved through faith, that not of yourselves, this salvation is God’s gift to you.” Not by any works of righteousness that you have done, according to his mercy, he saved you, by the washing of regeneration, that renew birth that puts God back into the man. Not for your salvation, he say, “Work out your salvation, more in my absence than in my presence” Don’t lean on me, my presence is not indispensable to your spiritual well being, more in my absence than in my presence, I’m not your crutch. It’s God, who works in you both to will and to do in his good pleasure. And everything that God gave me in the day that I was redeemed and Jesus Christ came to inhabit my humanity, he’s given to you. “the Christ who lives in me said he to the Philippians, is the Christ that lives in you. He says live it up. Just know how wealthy you became in the day that your humanity was invaded by your creator redeemer. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it; work out your own salvation with fear and trembling because it’s God who works in you to will and do of his good pleasure. Tell me this: what would be illogical about anything that God wills for you if He as God in you is prepared to do what he wills?
Remember the verse in the 22nd of Matthew? Many are called but few are chosen. Why do you imagine of the many who are called so few are chosen? Because faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it and of the many who are called, so few will let him, do it! And he’s the only one who can. You see God isn’t looking around for anyone to be man sized for God, this is sort of the sentimental nonsense we hear again and again from the platform, “Be man sized for God”. As though he were waiting breathlessly for you. Poor God. He’s not looking for someone to be man sized for God, he’s just looking for any boy, girl, man or woman, anywhere who’ll let God be God sized in a man. He’s the only one who’s big enough.
Do you know that beautiful verse, 2 Chronicles, Chapter 16 verse 9: “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth looking for a man whose heart is perfect toward him”? Not a perfect man because there was none save God’s incarnate son, a perfect heart. The heart that says I can’t, God never said I could, he can, always said he would. And if you can’t and he can what’s the smartest thing to do? Let him.
This is the whole Christian life in a nutshell. And God says, as he looks throughout the whole earth, his eyes moving to and fro that he might find a man whose heart being perfect toward him, continues that verse, so that he in response in faithfulness to that man’s faith may show himself as God Strong on that man’s behalf. He’s simply saying, “Give me please, any boy, any girl, any man, any woman, anywhere, who’ll let me be God, in the man. And the Lord Jesus you see though never ever less than God coming into this world to behave as though he were never ever more than man, let God do it. Your right Nicodemus, only one possible explanation for my life, my Father, without whom I can do nothing because you see the Father who lives in me, he does the work. I let him.
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July 13, 2015 at 10:34 pm
“So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Messiah was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22-23)
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July 16, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Sane Sermons Serving Simple Saints:
WHY GOD IS WITHIN YOU.
PART TWO
THE STANDARD:
Now listen to this carefully, God is not sinless, God is perfect. And don’t misunderstand or mistake the one for the other. God is not sinless, God is perfect.
You see, by definition sin is that which falls short of God’s perfection. We only know sin in the light of God’s perfection; God is not sinless; he is the absolute by which you can recognize sin for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The glory of God represents God’s perfection. Sin is simply that which falls short of that perfection; God is not sinless; God is perfect. If I say I have a gem here and this gem is flawless, by what standard do I evaluate it’s flawlessness? I can only say a gem is flawless if I have some absolute by which to evaluate, compare. When I’ve got an absolute which is perfect, then I can say this gem does not fall short of the demands of that perfection so God is not sinless, God is perfect. I only know sin in the measure in which it falls short of the demands of that perfection. That’s why we have already seen earlier that sin is the transgression of the law penned by God on tables of stone, presented to Moses on Mount Sinai simply represents the minimal demands that God’s perfection makes of a man who was made in his own likeness. Thou shalt not lie because I am not a liar. Now just in the hypothetical case which of course would be ridiculous that God was a liar then lying would not be sin because God is the absolute. God is perfect. Jesus Christ as God is perfect, Jesus Christ as man is sinless.
We’re told that God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. He was sinless. He could stand up in a public marketplace and say which of you convinceth me of sin and none dare accuse him. He was sinless.
A rich young ruler came and said “Good Master” and the Lord Jesus immediately said “Why do you call me good”. There is only one who is good, God. So please don’t congratulate me, all I am doing, as man, is allowing my Father, in me, to be as good as God is.
So when you look at me, allowing him to be who he is, doing as he pleases, clothing his divine activity with my humanity; when you look at me, you see him. Don’t call me good. I’m simply, as man, discharging that office for which I made man, to give a physical visible representation of an invisible self intimately identified with an invisible God and my Father who lives in me, he does the work, what I do he does, what I say he says, what I am he is, so when you look at me, you see him. That’s sinlessness. Simple isn’t it? “Oh, by the way, says the Lord Jesus, as my Father sent me……..I send you.
I’m anticipating that you will place your humanity at my disposal as I am now placing my humanity at my Father’s disposal. So that there’s only one possible explanation for what I do, for what I say and for what I am, my Father living in me by the holy spirit so henceforth there will be only one possible explanation for what you do, what you say and what you are, my living in you by the same holy spirit. Allowed by you, to be to you what I am allowing my Father now to be to me, God. Now this is the Christian life; this is the gospel, this is the good news; that on the grounds of the redemptive transactions because he lay down his life, a ransom for many, he being risen again from the dead can come and take up residence within your humanity and be now to you all that he allowed for thirty three years the Father to be for him.
How much less is going for you at this moment if you claim to be a redeemed sinner with the Lord Jesus living within you, how much less with Christ as God living in you is there going for you than there was for him as a man with the Father as God living in him? Any less? Is Jesus Christ as God in you less than the Father as God in him? Well of course not. “In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily and you are complete in him”. Colossians 2:9.
Well tell me this. If there’s no less going for you as a forgiven sinner with Christ as God living in you than there was going for him with the Father as God living in him, why the difference in the end product? Very simple. He as man in the sinless of that humanity let the Father as God in the perfection of deity reveal himself through the man because of his total love for God, dependence on God and complete obedience to God so that everything he ever did, said or was, was motivated by the Father living in the son. He let him. And you and I are too pigheaded to do so. We still perpetuate the satanic fraud; we still perpetuate the Adam creed of human self sufficiency; we still belong to the do it yourself club; we’ve never repented. Oh we’ve repented, we’re sorry for what we’ve done, anybody can be sorry for what you’ve done, especially if you’ve been found out. That isn’t repentance. Repentance recognizes that God so engineered me that apart from the presence of God, I am nothing, have nothing and can do nothing; that’s why we’re told Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 onwards, “When the Lord Jesus came into this world, he though God and not considering it robbery to claim total equality with God in that form made himself nothing; he emptied himself and was born a human being. He made himself, Old English Bible. “All that a man is without God, nothing”. So that his Father, as God in the man, can be everything. That’s why the 5th verse of the second chapter of the epistle to the Philippians says, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”, that word mind seems attitude. It means disposition. Let this disposition be in you that was in Christ. He playing the role of man let the Father be everything; you playing the role of men let Christ be everything. As he derived everything he ever did, said or was from the Father in the son so now you derive everything you say and do and are from the son living in you. It’s called sanctification.
Sane Sermons Serving Simple Saints:
WHY GOD IS WITHIN YOU.
PART THREE
SANCTIFICATION.
Beautiful word. Sanctification. We get a bit frightened at the word sanctification because we’ve sort of given it a musty connotation, We made it sort of drip religion. There’s nothing pompous or pious about sanctification, beautiful word. It simply means set apart. That’s what a saint is: not a stain glass window, sort of, with a halo hanging around his neck; a saint, same root word is somebody set apart in sanctification, set apart for the intelligent purpose for which intelligently created, that’s sanctification. Anything can be sanctified. When I put my shoes on my feet and walk down the street with them on my feet, I sanctify them. I could of course put them on my head and go barefoot; you’d think I was a little unusual; you’d be right.
When you look at your watch, you sanctify it; you use it for the intelligent purpose for which it was intelligently created, to tell you how late it is. You’ll probably sanctify your watch several times before this night is out. I could use my glasses to stir my coffee in an emergency but that wasn’t really in the mind of the person who made them; his idea was that I’d stick them on my nose so that I could see the better. Now I’m sanctifying them. These glasses are a little unusual because they have double vision lenses and I don’t need the top half when I’m reading so they’re only half sanctified when I wear them.
The word sanctification simply means that you recognize the intelligent purpose for which God made you and you understand the intelligent way in which he made you so you can implement that intelligent purpose and then you let him as God who created you for that intelligent purpose use you to that end; that’s sanctification. And it will involve your spirit, conjunction, and soul, conjunction, and body. The very God of peace sanctify you holy, I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus; in other words, live on earth the intelligent quality of life which is true fulfillment for which God made you as man so that all, in your presence, will become compellingly aware of what God is like.
Now you see, we’re without excuse because the Lord Jesus deliberately chose to sanctify himself, so that we in him would know the truth whereby we too may be sanctified. Sanctify them through thy word, they word is truth; in other words, God’s word contains a principle; it’s a principle to live by. I don’t mean pretty little bible stories that you simply know, textually, so that you can tell the story of Daniel and the lion’s den; or, David and Goliath, all part of God’s inspired word but you see if you just memorize bible stories or for that matter memorize bible verses but you don’t understand the truth, the principle that God is communicating, then you might just as well recite three blind mice and this is the tragedy with countless evangelical, born again believers, they have a bible that they’ve come to know textually but they’ve never learned the truth!
If I were to come to your home and found you reading a book, and it’s my first visit to your home I probably wouldn’t be discourteous and ask you what the book you were reading. I’d just notice you were reading a book. And you’d look up maybe and engage in conversation. But next time I visit you, you’re still reading the same book. Maybe even on that occasion I don’t happen to mention it but I notice it’s the same book. And I come again and you’re still reading that book, and every time I come you’re still reading the same book; well finally, I’d pluck up enough courage and say that book must be very fascinating.
“Oh yes you see, I get up at six o’clock every morning; I get up and I read several chapters; as a matter of fact I’ve analyzed several chapters.”
“Well”, I’d say, “it must be very, very intriguing and….”
“Oh it is”, you’d say; “as a matter of fact I’ve set several verses to music, I bought a guitar and I sing it”.
“Well great”,
“As a matter of fact I’m training a choir”.
“Well fine. What is the book”?
“Why, it’s the manual on my new car. And you see, we’re going to sing at the next motor show”.
“Well great. Tell me about the car. Tremendous acceleration? Great braking power? Rides smoothly over all the bumps?”
“Uh uh”, you might say, “I, I really don’t know. Because you see it’s in the garage; I’ve never been for a ride”.
Well wouldn’t that be an exercise in stupidity? To analyze a book, read it every morning, sing it, set it to music, memorize it, and never go for a ride.
To be Cont’d::::::
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July 17, 2015 at 3:22 pm
And you shall be holy unto Me: for I YHWH am holy, and have severed you from other people, that you should be Mine. (Leviticus 20:26)
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
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July 30, 2015 at 5:37 pm
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/category/General-Apologetics.aspx
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August 12, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Effectively stemming the heresies, doctrines, traditions and commandments of men:
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August 12, 2015 at 4:15 pm
http://biblehub.com/commentaries/2_peter/2-1.htm Peter predicted in the first century there would be false teachers “among” we believers and churches.
Jude 4 says these false teachers will “paraeisduno”- ‘to slip or settle in alongside’–‘lodge using stealth’-and ‘introduce simultaneously’- ‘sneak in sideways’ through a widow’ as it were into churches, seminaries, etc.
Once ‘inside’ they ‘settle in alongside’ true Christians and with care and ‘stealth simultaneously’ teach ‘false doctrine’ as Peter predicted over time.
These teachers have even taken over entire colleges/universities and seminaries as well as some churches. I have carefully examined the teachings of Dr. Bart Ehrman and I believe he is a good example of what Peter and Jude predicted would come into the church. One can believe otherwise,of course.
Jude 3 has said to “earnestly contend” or ‘put up a hard fight’ or ‘struggle for’ as the Greek says the “faith” or system of teachings that was ‘once for all time’ ( hapex Gk.) ‘permanently delivered to the saints.’ All we need for learning and teaching was forever hapax or ‘once for all time’ given to the true churches in the first century; now we are to fight to defend and protect it while ‘teaching sound doctrine’ as Paul says.
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August 12, 2015 at 4:18 pm
It is hapax not hapex. Here are Peters’ verses.http://biblehub.com/interlinear/2_peter/2-1.htm
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August 12, 2015 at 5:05 pm
It is hapax not hapex. Here are Peters’ predictive verses. http://biblehub.com/interlinear/2_peter/2-1.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/2_peter/2-2.htm
Sad but Peter says “many” will follow these false teacher’s doctrines!
cf. l Timothy 4:3-4
ll Tim. 4:1-5 Paul says in Greek these people who follow these false teachers -whom they’ heap up to themselves’ Gk.-have a “bend” or twist they are ‘out of joint’ as it were Gk. in their minds so true teaching doesn’t take hold in them. They will not as he says’ tolerate or put up with ‘sound healthy’ teaching. It’s like water rolling off of a duck. I see the vast worldwide charismatic movement being a fulfillment of this statement along with all of the religions and various teachers in the church, etc.,that are ‘not of the truth.’
“For the time will arrive when certain people will not tolerate our healthy and sound teaching, they will actually brace themselves against it, ruled by their own personal feelings and ideas, as they listen only with the desire to be satisfied so they gather to themselves a vast array of teachers. (See Acts 17:18-21 as to their thinking ) Actually, from the true teaching they will firmly resist thus receiving a twisted moral concept of the truth thus causing themselves to accept what is fictitious.” Sad Expanded Greek llTim.4:3-4,
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January 18, 2022 at 3:07 pm
[…] example, many consider Nestorianism to be a Christological heresy, whereas others, such as myself, have argued that it should only be considered a Christology error. In other words, I think the doctrine of […]
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