A Shield for the Innocent

I came across a news story on my feed today that definitely grabbed my attention. In San Diego, Security Officer Amin Abdullah lost his life protecting an Islamic school from the armed attack that was meant to take the lives of dozens of children and staff. This article is to honor him, and the thousands of Security Officers that protect the lives of the innocent daily.

Most of the populace see these officers only in respect of the movie Paul Blart Mall Cop or as men and women who are wannabe cops that failed in joining a police department. Here’s the facts. There are an estimated 1.2-1.7 million security professionals in the US. Of those, there are an estimated 15-30% that are ex military and law enforcement.

Yes, there are those in the ranks that are the buffoonish type. Yes, there are those that have a superiority complex. But those are the fringes of the industry. The majority are those that due their duty with honor and pride. I have worked with them. But I have also worked with officers that truly believe they can make a difference.

While most jobs in the field can be mundane, they are still needed positions. And then there are officers that are specialty trained. Those that patrol industrial complexes (petroleum facilities, military contracted manufacturing facilities, etc). There are those that do diplomatic and executive security. There are those that are SRT and Cert trained. They patrol banks, prisons, and housing complexes in some of the worst neighborhoods. And many do it for less than adequate pay, often having to get their gear on their own dime.

I have been in this industry for over a decade. I have worked for the top three known companies: Allied Universal (and a couple they acquired), G4S (best known internationally and now part of Allied Universal), and Securitas. But I have also worked for smaller firms. I currently hold certifications in most major industries, US Court Services, and a plethora of federal certificates like incident command and weapons of mass destruction training. I have secured banks (unarmed) and private military manufacturing. But I have also secured holding lots, factories, hospitals, and college campuses.

And one thing I have learned. Like emergency dispatch, security is a highly underrated profession. The majority of us in the field, do so because we hope we can make a small difference in a world gone mad. And yes, we get the typical reactions, until the person needs us. A good officer has not only the respect of the client and the staff, but also of those we protect.

Take this with you. While there is no national memorial for those that fall in the line of duty, and the majority of the populace look at Security Officers in jest, when you go to NYC and look at the memorials of 9/11, look for the memorial to the 39 Security Officers that died doing a duty that most make fun of. When you travel, look for local memorials to to fallen officers.

And remember this. When you are making fun of them at your local mall, that man or woman you joke about and call Paul Blart, is the first one that will pace it all on the line to protect those that make fun of them.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

A Personal Reflection

Having taken a sabbatical prior to Lent, I realized that the call of God was stronger. So I threw myself into Lent, giving up social media and television to focus on reading and studying. It led me to start a diploma course in Divinity studies and strengthened my desire to be in God’s Holy Scriptures.

While I attend Catholic mass and am a confirmed Roman Catholic, the readings and studies have drawn me closer to my Evangelical roots. I was washed by the blood of Christ in 1996 as a Seventh Day Adventist. I was confirmed Catholic in 1999. But for almost 20 years did not attend mass on a regular basis. Because of rules of the church, I was not allowed to take Eucharist. So for that 20 years, I went to various churches.

Since 2019, I was allowed to receive Eucharist again, but from time to time felt the need to step away from the building of the church but not my faith. So I since that time, I have taken a few personal sabbaticals to immerse myself into scripture and prayer.

That leads me to today. At Easter, me and some of my children went to the local Methodist church that my daughter attends. My 22 year old son was to go but had been placed in the hospital with a life threatening issue. At that point, I did what I could do. I opened up payer warriors from everywhere and everyone I could. Having seen the power of miraculous healing before (during my Evangelical years) I knew it was the only way to fix the situation.

My son was born with a congenital heart defect where he was born without the main pump chamber of the heart. He had various surgeries that remedied it but still lives with complications at times. This night, he was admitted for a saddle embolism and clots in the lungs, A saddle embolism is a massive clot that blocks the aortic entry into both lungs.

I knew that only God Himself could deal with the problem. He was transferred to another hospital where he had his surgeries and was the place his cardiologist was. When they took more x-rays and another CT scan the next day, the prayer had worked. There was no sign that he had ever had the clots or embolism. The doctors could not explain it. There was nothing there. He went from an 80% chance of death to a full removal of all clots and the embolism. There will be nobody that will ever tell me it was not a healing of Divine intervention.

That week, he asked something he had never asked. He wanted to go to church that next Sunday. So, we found a church but something led me to take him to one that I had been to a couple times a few years ago. It is a Pentecostal church. We went.

Another prayer was answered this last Sunday. My son, an avowed Odinist was touched and made the altar call. We were both crying. Me from happiness and him from finally understanding God’s love and forgiveness. Why we went there and not my normal Catholic church or the church we had decided on was because at that time on that day, God was going to deliver my son’s soul only a week after delivering his physical need.

Those two acts by Christ Jesus and the pull on me to go back to the well, so to speak, have led me to a point of not only reaffirming my faith in God through the power of Christ’s cleansing blood, but has started to rekindle that fire I once had inside me.

Praise be to God, in Christ, through the Holy Ghost.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Ang mga Mangangaral ngayon ay Mga duwag

Sa piling ng Diyos at ni Cristo Jesus, na hahatulan ang mga buhay at patay, at dahil sa kanyang paglitaw at kanyang kaharian, binibigyan kita ng singil na ito: Mangaral ng salita; maging handa sa panahon at labas ng panahon; tama, sawayin at hikayatin ang — na may malaking pasensya at maingat na pagtuturo. Para sa oras na darating na ang mga tao ay hindi magtitiis ng mabuting doktrina. Sa halip, upang umangkop sa kanilang sariling mga hangarin, magtitipon sila sa paligid nila ng isang mahusay na bilang ng mga guro upang sabihin kung ano ang nais marinig ng kanilang mga nangangati na tainga. Ilalayo nila ang kanilang mga tainga sa katotohanan at tatalikod sa mga mito. Ngunit ikaw, panatilihin ang iyong ulo sa lahat ng mga sitwasyon, tiisin ang kahirapan, gawin ang gawain ng isang ebanghelista, ilabas ang lahat ng mga tungkulin ng iyong ministeryo. 2 Timoteo 4: 1-5

Ang Amerika ay umalis mula sa Great Awakening hanggang sa henerasyon ng Woke. At ang isang nilalang na, hanggang sa huling ilang dekada ay lumingon sa pagtalikod. Ang simbahan ay ang tagapag-alaga ng moralidad at budhi ng Amerika. Ang mga pews ng simbahan ay puno ng mga nagtatanong sa ‘ bakit walang muling pagbuhay ’ habang binabalewala, demonyo, at tinatanggihan ang mga utos ng ating Lumikha. Tulad ng dati kong sinabi ng lola ‘ hindi mo maaaring bantayan ang bahay ng hen sa pamamagitan ng pagpapaalam sa fox ’, na kung ano mismo ang nagawa ng mga kalalakihan sa likuran ng pulpito.

Ang unang Mahusay na Gumising sa panahon ng Kolonyal na Era ng ating bansa ay dinala sa isang masayang simbahan. Ang mga kalalakihan na tulad ni George Whitfield, na may tinig na sinabi ni Ben Franklin na maaari niyang marinig ang kalahating milya ang layo. At marahil ang pinakadakilang mangangaral ng panahong iyon ng pagbabagong-buhay, si Jonathan Edwards. Ipinangaral niya ang isang sermon na alam bilang pinakadakilang sermon na ibinigay. Ito ay tinawag na ‘ Mga makasalanan sa Kamay ng isang Galit na Diyos ’. Ito ay batay sa banal na kasulatan ng Deuteronomio 32:35 “ Ang kanilang paa ay dapat mag-slide sa takdang oras ”. ( https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/sermons.sinners.html)

Ang unang Great Awakening ay mayroong 5 pangunahing punto ng talakayan:

Lahat ng tao ay ipinanganak na makasalanan

Ang kasalanan na walang kaligtasan ay magpapadala ng isang tao sa impiyerno

Ang lahat ng mga tao ay maliligtas kung aminin nila ang kanilang mga kasalanan sa Diyos, humingi ng kapatawaran at tanggapin ang biyaya ng Diyos

Ang lahat ng mga tao ay maaaring magkaroon ng isang direktang at emosyonal na koneksyon sa Diyos

Ang relihiyon ay hindi dapat pormal at itinatag, ngunit sa halip kaswal at personal

( https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/great-awakening)

Ang pangalawang Great Awakening ay nag-post ng American Revolution at tumagal hanggang sa mga 1830. Dinala nito ang Camp Meeting. Noong 1802 Kentucky ang pulong ng kampo ay binibilang 20,000. ( https://www.ushistory.org/us/22c.asp) Ang pinakamahusay na kilalang konsepto na nagmula sa kilusang pagbabagong-buhay na ito ay ang konsepto na ang freewill ay nanaig. Ang ideya na mapipili ng isang tao na maligtas, at ang kaligtasan ay para sa lahat. Mayroon din itong mas malaking tungkulin para sa mga kababaihan at itim na komunidad.

Ito ay sa oras na ito, natagpuan ng mga kalalakihan na tulad ni Charles Finney ang kanyang kaligtasan. Noong 1821 sinabi niya na pupunta siya sa kakahuyan sa New York upang matukoy ang katotohanan ng kaligtasan ng kanyang kaluluwa. Sinipi niya ang sinasabi na “ Ibibigay ko ang aking puso sa Diyos o hindi ako bababa mula doon ”. Noong 1824 siya ay naorden. Siya ay may natatanging paraan upang maabot ang mga nakarinig sa kanya at isang mensahe na hindi kilitiin ang mga tainga. Ang pagtatapos ng isa sa kanyang mga sermon ay sinabi niya sa mga tagapakinig, “ Ikaw na gumawa ng iyong isip upang maging mga Kristiyano, at bibigyan ang iyong pangako upang gawin ang iyong kapayapaan sa Diyos kaagad, dapat tumaas ”. Umupo pa rin ang kongregasyon. Ang kanyang tugon ay “ Tinanggihan mo si Kristo at ang kanyang ebanghelyo ”. Nagalit ito sa kongregasyon, at sa pamayanan. Sa punto ng galit, sa susunod na gabi ang isang ginoo ay naglalayong patayin siya.

Kinabukasan ay nangaral ulit siya. Sa oras na ito, ang mga naroroon sa pagtatapos ng mensahe ay tumayo upang bigyan ang kanilang pangako. Habang ang iba ay nahulog na umungol at nag-bell. Ang kalungkutan para sa kanilang mga kasalanan at ang nauunawaan na pangangailangan para sa pagsisisi ay pumalit sa kongregasyon. ( https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/evangelistsandapologists/charles-finney.html).

Ang iba pang mahusay na mga pagbabagong-buhay ay tumama sa ating bansa kung kinakailangan sa mga edad mula noon.

Ang Mahusay na Panalangin sa Panalangin ng Panalangin 1857 ( hindi bababa sa 1 milyon ang na-convert )

Civil War Revival ( isang tinatayang 300,000 na na-convert, parehong USA at CSA )

Ang Urban Revivals 1875-1885 ( Nakita ni DL Moody ang pagbabagong loob ng daan-daang libo )

Ang Welsh Revival ng 1904-1905 ay dumating sa Amerika ( Billy Linggo na ipinangaral sa pagbabalik ng hindi bababa sa isang milyong )

Nagsimula ang Azusa Street 1906 bilang isang serbisyo sa pagdarasal sa bahay ( na natikman sa loob ng 3 tuwid na taon, araw-araw sa buong araw at gabi )

Mula sa WW2 hanggang 90s, nakita ng Amerika ang mga magagaling na mangangaral tulad nina Henry Blackaby, William Branham, at Billy Graham.

Ang mga kalalakihan na ito ( at kababaihan ) ay nagtanim ng mga buto na nag-convert ng milyun-milyon sa US lamang. Ipinangaral nila ang pagkilala sa kasalanan at pangangailangan para sa kaligtasan sa pamamagitan ni Kristo. Ang bibliya ay ang kanilang ginamit na materyal lamang. Sinabi ito ng Diyos, isinulat ito ng manunulat, kaya ipinangaral ito ng mga mangangaral. Hindi sila nagbigay ng quarter at hindi nag-aalala sa kanilang sarili tungkol sa kung ano ang iniisip ng mga tao tungkol sa kanila o sa kanilang mensahe. Naunawaan nila na ang mensahe ng kasalanan at pagsisisi ng Diyos ay tulad ng isang tabak, hindi cotton candy.

Ngayon mayroon kaming mahina na mangangaral na naghahangad na punan ang mga pews at hindi masaktan. Nais nilang magustuhan hindi kinapopootan. Nais nilang makita bilang kaibigan sa masa hindi ang pagpapatuloy ng mga Apostol. Dahil sa pagkawala ng kapangyarihan sa mensahe ng pulpito at kompromiso ng Salita ng Diyos, ang mga Kristiyanong simbahan ay naging mga sosyal na club kung saan hindi tinalakay ang kasalanan at pagsisisi, at ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay nangangailangan ng walang anuman kundi maging mabait. At binalaan kami ng mga ganitong uri ng mga mangangaral. ‘ Ang pagkakaroon ng isang anyo ng kabanalan, ngunit ang pagtanggi sa kapangyarihan nito: mula sa gayong pagliko ’. ( 2 Timoteo 3: 5 )

Pinuri ng mga kalalakihan ngayon at halos sumamba ay ang mga kalalakihan tulad nina Kenneth Copeland, Joel Olsteen, at Creflo Dollar. Ang mga uri na ito ay tinatawag na mga mangangaral ng kasaganaan. Ang kanilang mensahe ay simple. Kung hindi ka malusog at mayaman kulang ka sa pananampalataya. Kung kinamumuhian ka ng mga tao, mali ang iyong pangangaral. Ipadala sa amin ang iyong pera bilang isang binhi ( marami ang nawala sa lahat ng mayroon sila sa mga charlatans na ito ) at pagpapalain ka ng Diyos. Walang tawag sa pagsisisi, walang pagtawag sa kasalanan, at hindi na kailangang pumasok sa aparador ng panalangin.

Pinapayagan ng mga simbahan ngayon na umunlad ang homoseksuwalidad dahil hindi mahalaga ang mga patakaran ng moralidad ng Diyos, mahalin lamang ang bawat isa. Sige at gumawa ng pagpapalaglag dahil ang utos na hindi pumatay ng ( pagpatay ) ay hindi nalalapat, maging maganda lang. Ang paggamit ng mga talatang sinasabi na huwag hatulan at madulas sa mata upang bigyang-katwiran ang isang mahina na makamundong mensahe. Mas pinapahalagahan nila ang tungkol sa pag-kiliti sa tainga kaysa sa estado ng kaluluwa.

Siyempre ang mga Kristiyano ay hindi perpekto. Gayunpaman maraming nagsasabing ganoon o naibigay sa konsepto ay ang pag-ibig ang mahalaga. Ang isang tunay na Kristiyano ay maghanap sa kanyang puso, tingnan kung nasaan ang kasalanan, magsisi, humingi ng kapatawaran at biyaya mula sa Diyos. Ang isang tao na nagsasabing isang Kristiyano lamang ang nagsasabing hindi na kailangan dahil “ Mahal ako ng Diyos at sinabi ko sa isang oras na naniniwala ako kaya mabuti akong pumunta ”.

Sinagot ni Kristo at ng mga apostol ang tanong na ito. ‘ Kung mahal mo ako, susundin mo ang aking mga utos ’ ( Juan 14:15 ). ‘ Ang sinumang may Aking mga utos at pinapanatili ang mga ito ay ang nagmamahal sa Akin. Ang umiibig sa Akin ay mamahalin ng Aking Ama, at mamahalin ko siya at ihayag ang Aking Sarili sa kanya. ’ ( Juan 14:21 ). ‘ Namangha ako kung gaano kabilis mong iwanan ang Isa na tumawag sa iyo sa pamamagitan ng biyaya ni Cristo at bumaling sa ibang ebanghelyo – ‘ ( Gal 1: 6 ). ‘ Ngunit kung sanhi ka ng isa sa mga maliliit na taong nagtitiwala sa akin na mahulog sa kasalanan, mas mabuti para sa iyo na magkaroon ng isang malaking millstone na nakatali sa iyong leeg at malunod sa kailaliman ng dagat ’ ( Mateo 18: 6 ).

Ngayon nakikita natin ang Simbahan ng Laodicea. Sa anghel ng simbahan sa Laodicea isulat: Ito ang mga salita ng Amen, ang tapat at tunay na saksi, ang pinuno ng nilikha ng Diyos. Alam ko ang iyong mga gawa, na ikaw ay hindi malamig o mainit. Sana maging isa ka man o iba pa! Kaya, dahil ikaw ay maligamgam — hindi mainit o malamig — malapit na akong iwaksi sa aking bibig. Sabi mo, ‘ Mayaman ako; Nakakuha ako ng kayamanan at hindi kailangan ng isang bagay. ’ Ngunit hindi mo namamalayan na ikaw ay kahabag-habag, walang awa, mahirap, bulag at hubad. Pinapayuhan kita na bumili mula sa akin ng ginto na pino sa apoy, upang maaari kang maging mayaman; at puting damit na isusuot, upang maaari mong takpan ang iyong nakakahiyang kahubaran; at mag-salve upang ilagay sa iyong mga mata, upang makita mo. Ang mga mahal ko ay binabadlong ko at disiplinahin. Kaya’t maging masigasig at magsisi. Narito ako! Tumayo ako sa pintuan at kumatok. Kung may makakarinig sa aking tinig at magbubukas ng pintuan, papasok ako at kakain kasama ang taong iyon, at kasama nila ako. Sa isang matagumpay, bibigyan ko ng karapatang umupo sa akin sa aking trono, tulad ng ako ay nagtagumpay at umupo kasama ang aking Ama sa kanyang trono. Kung sino man ang may mga tainga, pakinggan nila ang sinasabi ng Espiritu sa mga simbahan. ” ( Rev. 3: 14-22 ).

Hindi epektibo ang simbahan dahil patay na ito. Patay ito sapagkat nakompromiso ang mga turo ng mga propeta, apostol, at si Jesucristo mismo. Ang kompromiso na ito ay nangyari dahil sa kahinaan ng mensahe mula sa pulpito. Mahina ang mensahe dahil napagpasyahan ng mga nangangaral na ang pagiging tanyag ay mas mahalaga kaysa sa mga kaluluwa ng mga tupa na inaakala nilang may posibilidad. Sa mga bansa ng Africa at Gitnang Silangan, ang mga Kristiyano ay namatay para sa kanilang walang tigil na pananampalataya sa mensahe ni Cristo. Ang mga apostol ay nabilanggo, binugbog, pinatay, at pinalayas dahil sa kanilang pananampalataya kay Cristo. Sa Amerika, ang mga mangangaral na ito ay natatakot sa panunuya at panlalait. Isipin kung ano ang mangyayari kapag ginawa ni Kristo ang kanyang maluwalhating pagbabalik at nakikita ang simbahan sa Amerika.

‘ Hindi lahat ng nagsasabi sa Akin, ‘ Panginoon, Panginoon, ’ ay papasok sa kaharian ng langit, ngunit siya lamang ang gumagawa ng kalooban ng Aking Ama sa langit. Marami ang sasabihin sa Akin sa araw na iyon, ‘ Panginoon, Panginoon, hindi ba kami nanghula sa Iyong pangalan, at sa Iyong pangalan ay pinalayas ang mga demonyo at gumawa ng maraming mga himala? ’ Pagkatapos ay sasabihin ko sa kanila nang malinaw, ‘ Hindi kita nakilala; umalis ka sa Akin, kayong mga manggagawa ng kawalan ng batas!…’ ( Mateo 7: 21-23 )

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Chasing Dragons

A song released in 2016 is a huge Tik Tok trend tune. The title of this song is Suga Boom Boom. Part of the song says “Suga Boom Boom, I’m chasing dragons, this dragon’s got my hands. Suga Boom Boom, I’m robbing people but I’m an honest man”. The song goes on to talk about being on parole. But when you look at just the first couple lines, it shows the oldest war in human history, God and Satan. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne (Revelation 12:1-5).

So what this song does, without knowing it, tells the plight of man. In this case, man is chasing the dragon (Satan). To understand this, one needs to understand original sin. Although not a popular topic today, original sin is inherent in all sin the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12). For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And because of that inherent sin, man is evil and following Satan’s path.For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5:17).

Today, many people who claim to follow Christ have forgotten His teachings. They say, don’t judge. And in a way they are right. A Christian isn’t to judge the heart of a person, but they are to watch a person’s actions and determine how the person acts, within righteousness or evil. Men like Joel Olsteen preach God’s love. They do forget that love of a parent comes with chastisement. These are false teachers and prophets. And we are warned against them. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:28-30). The ones who fit this description are preachers like the prosperity preachers and preachers who only preach love or say you can get to God ONLY because you are a good person with a good heart.

But, there is true hope in this world. You don’t find it through politics. You don’t find it through any misguided gospel. You find it only through the blood stained cross of Jesus Christ. No man on this rock is, or has been, perfect but God in the flesh, Jesus. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26). For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10).

So here is the question one must ask. Are you going to continue to chase the dragon? Or are you going have faith to ask Jesus Christ to free you from the burdens of sin? Only one leads to Eternity in Heaven.The other leads to destruction. You can be free from original sin through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Defiance, Debosyon, at Bunga

Ang sangkatauhan ay may dalawang pagpipilian na gagawin sa buhay na ito. Ang sumunod sa Diyos o ang suwayin ang Diyos (na sumusunod kay Satanas). Si Jesus na Anak at ang Diyos Ama ay nilinaw sa pamamagitan ng lahat ng banal na kasulatan, na mayroon lamang ang dalawang pagpipiliang ito. Ang isa ay humahantong sa buhay na walang hanggan kasama ang Diyos, ang isa ay humahantong sa walang hanggang kapahamakan.Ngayon ay titingnan natin ang isang kuwento sa Daniel na naglalarawan ng dalawang pagpipiliang ito. Alam natin ang kuwento tungkol kay Haring Nabucodonosor ng sinaunang Babilonya. Alam natin kung paano ang kanyang panaginip tungkol sa multi metal na palatuntunan ay binigyang kahulugan ni Daniel.

Daniel 2At nang ikalawang taon ng paghahari ni Nabucodonosor ay nanaginip si Nabucodonosor ng mga panaginip, na kung saan ang kaniyang espiritu ay nabagabag, at ang kaniyang pagtulog ay naputol mula sa kaniya. Nang magkagayo’y iniutos ng hari na tawagin ang mga salamangkero, at ang mga astrologo, at ang mga mangkukulam, at ang mga Caldeo, sapagka’t upang ipakita sa hari ang kaniyang mga panaginip. Kaya’t sila’y lumapit at tumayo sa harap ng hari. At sinabi ng hari sa kanila, Ako’y nanaginip ng panaginip, at ang aking espiritu ay nabagabag upang malaman ang panaginip. Nang magkagayo’y nagsalita ang mga Caldeo sa hari sa Siria, Oh hari, mabuhay ka magpakailan man: sabihin mo sa iyong mga lingkod ang panaginip, at aming ipapakita ang kahulugan. Sumagot ang hari at sinabi sa mga Caldeo, Ang bagay ay nawala sa akin: kung hindi ninyo ipaaalam sa akin ang panaginip, kasama ng kahulugan niyaon, kayo’y puputolputol, at ang inyong mga bahay ay gagawing isang dumi ng dumi. Datapuwa’t kung inyong ipakita ang panaginip, at ang kahulugan niyaon, kayo’y tatanggap sa akin ng mga kaloob at mga gantimpala at malaking karangalan: kaya’t ipakita ninyo sa akin ang panaginip, at ang kahulugan niyaon. Sila’y sumagot uli at nagsabi, Sabihin ng hari sa kaniyang mga lingkod ang panaginip, at aming ipapakita ang kahulugan nito. Sumagot ang hari at sinabi, Nalalaman ko nang may katiyakan na inyong matatamo ang panahon, sapagka’t nakikita ninyong ang bagay ay nawala sa akin. Datapuwa’t kung hindi ninyo ipaalam sa akin ang panaginip, ay iisa lamang ang utos sa inyo: sapagka’t kayo’y naghanda ng mga kasinungalingan at mga salitang bulok na magsalita sa harap ko, hanggang sa ang panahon ay mabago: kaya’t sabihin ninyo sa akin ang panaginip, at aking malalaman na inyong maipapahayag sa akin ang kahulugan niyaon.Sumagot ang mga Caldeo sa harap ng hari, at nagsabi, Walang lalake sa lupa na makapagpapakita ng bagay ng hari: kaya’t walang hari, panginoon, o pinuno, na humingi ng gayong mga bagay sa sinomang salamangkero, o astrologo, o Caldeo. At ito’y isang bihirang bagay na hinihingi ng hari, at walang ibang makapagpapakita nito sa harap ng hari, maliban sa mga dios, na ang nananahan ay hindi may laman. Dahil dito’y nagalit ang hari at labis na nagalit, at inutusang lipulin ang lahat ng pantas ng Babilonia. At ang kautusan ay lumaganap na ang mga pantas na lalaki ay papatayin; at hinanap nila si Daniel at ang kanyang mga kapwa upang patayin.Nang magkagayo’y sumagot si Daniel na may payo at karunungan kay Arioch na kapitan ng bantay ng hari, na nagsilabas upang patayin ang mga pantas sa Babilonia: Siya’y sumagot at sinabi kay Arioch na kapitan ng hari, Bakit ang utos ay nagmamadali sa hari Pagkatapos ay ipinaalam ni Arioch ang bagay kay Daniel. Nang magkagayo’y pumasok si Daniel, at hiniling sa hari na bigyan siya ng panahon, at ipahayag niya sa hari ang kahulugan. Nang magkagayo’y nagsiparoon si Daniel sa kaniyang bahay, at ipinaalam ang bagay kay Hananias, kay Misael, at kay Azarias, na kaniyang mga kasama: Na sila’y magsisipagnais ng mga awa ng Dios ng langit hinggil sa lihim na ito; upang si Daniel at ang kanyang mga kapwa ay hindi mapahamak kasama ng iba pang mga pantas na tao sa Babilonia.Nang magkagayo’y nahayag kay Daniel ang lihim sa isang pangitain sa gabi. Pagkatapos ay pinagpala ni Daniel ang Diyos ng langit. Sumagot si Daniel at sinabi,

Purihin ang pangalan ng Diyos magpakailanman at walang katapusan:

sapagkat ang karunungan at kapangyarihan ay sa kanya:

At kaniyang binabago ang mga panahon at ang mga kapanahunan:

kaniyang inaalis ang mga hari, at nagtatayo ng mga hari:

siya’y nagbibigay ng karunungan sa mga pantas,

at kaalaman sa mga nakakaalam ng pag unawa:

Inihahayag niya ang malalim at lihim na mga bagay:

alam niya kung ano ang nasa dilim,

at ang liwanag ay nananahan sa kanya.

Pinasasalamatan kita, at pinupuri kita, Oh ikaw na Dios ng aking mga ninuno,

na nagbigay sa akin ng karunungan at kapangyarihan,

at ipinaalam mo sa akin ngayon ang aming ninanais sa iyo:

sapagkat ipinaalam mo na ngayon sa amin ang bagay na hari.Kaya’t pumasok si Daniel kay Arioc, na inordenan ng hari na lipulin ang mga pantas na tao sa Babilonia: siya ay yumaon at nagsabi ng ganito sa kaniya; Huwag mong lipulin ang mga pantas na lalake sa Babilonia: ipasok mo ako sa harap ng hari, at aking ipapakita sa hari ang kahulugan. Nang magkagayo’y isinugod ni Arioch si Daniel sa harap ng hari na nagmamadali, at ganito ang sinabi sa kaniya, Ako’y nakasumpong ng isang lalake sa mga bihag ng Juda, na magpapaalam sa hari ng kahulugan. Sumagot ang hari at sinabi kay Daniel, na ang pangalan ay Beltsasar, Ikaw ba’y makapagbibigay alam sa akin ng panaginip na aking nakita, at ng kahulugan niyaon Sumagot si Daniel sa harapan ng hari, at nagsabi, Ang lihim na hiniling ng hari ay hindi maipakikita ng mga pantas, ng mga astrologo, ng mga salamangkero, ng mga manghuhula, sa hari; Datapuwa’t may Dios sa langit na nagpapahayag ng mga lihim, at nagpapaalam sa haring Nabucodonosor kung ano ang mangyayari sa mga huling araw. Ang iyong panaginip, at ang mga pangitain ng iyong ulo sa iyong higaan, ay ito; Tungkol sa iyo, Oh hari, ang iyong mga pagiisip ay pumasok sa iyong isipan sa iyong higaan, kung ano ang mangyayari sa kabilang buhay: at siya na nagbubunyag ng mga lihim ay nagpapakilala sa iyo kung ano ang mangyayari. Datapuwa’t tungkol sa akin, ang lihim na ito ay hindi inihayag sa akin dahil sa anumang karunungan na mayroon ako nang higit kay sa sinumang nabubuhay, kundi dahil sa kanila na magpapaalam ng kahulugan sa hari, at upang malaman mo ang mga kaisipan ng iyong puso.Ikaw, Oh hari, ay nakakita, at narito ang isang dakilang larawan. Ang dakilang larawang ito, na ang ningning ay napakaganda, ay nakatayo sa iyong harapan; at ang anyo niyaon ay kakila kilabot. Ang ulo ng imaheng ito ay yari sa pinong ginto, ang kanyang dibdib at ang kanyang mga bisig ay pilak, ang kanyang tiyan at ang kanyang mga hita ay tanso, ang kanyang mga binti ay bakal, ang kanyang mga paa ay bahagi ng bakal at bahagi ng putik. Nakita mo hanggang sa ang isang bato ay pinutol nang walang mga kamay, na humampas sa larawan sa kaniyang mga paa na yari sa bakal at putik, at pinagputolputol ang mga ito. Nang magkagayo’y ang bakal, ang putik, ang tanso, ang pilak, at ang ginto, ay pinagputol-putol, at naging gaya ng mga dawag ng mga bakuran ng tag-init; At sila’y dinala ng hangin, na walang dakong nasumpungan para sa kanila: at ang batong humampas sa larawan ay naging malaking bundok, at napuno ang buong lupa.Ito ang panaginip; at sasabihin natin ang kahulugan nito sa harap ng hari. Ikaw, Oh hari, ay hari ng mga hari: sapagka’t binigyan ka ng Dios ng langit ng isang kaharian, kapangyarihan, at lakas, at kaluwalhatian. At saan man nananahan ang mga anak ng tao, ang mga hayop sa parang at ang mga ibon sa langit ay ibinigay niya sa iyong kamay, at ginawa kang pinuno sa kanilang lahat. Ikaw ang ulo na ito ng ginto. At pagkatapos mo ay babangon ang ibang kaharian na mas mababa sa iyo, at ang isa pang ikatlong kaharian na tanso, na siyang maghahari sa buong lupa. At ang ikaapat na kaharian ay magiging matibay na parang bakal: yamang ang bakal ay nagsisira at sumasakop sa lahat ng bagay: at gaya ng bakal na nagsisira ng lahat ng ito, ay magsisipagputol putol at magsisira. At samantalang nakikita mo ang mga paa at daliri ng paa, bahagi ng putik ng mga palayok, at bahagi ng bakal, ang kaharian ay hahatiin; ngunit magkakaroon sa loob nito ng lakas ng bakal, yayamang nakita mo ang bakal na hinaluan ng putik na putik. At kung paanong ang mga daliri sa paa ng mga paa ay bahagi ng bakal, at bahagi ng putik, gayon ang kaharian ay magiging bahagyang malakas, at bahagyang masira. At samantalang ikaw ay nakakita ng bakal na hinaluan ng putik na miry, ay makikihalubilo sila sa binhi ng mga tao: nguni’t hindi sila magkakadikit sa isa’t isa, gaya ng bakal na hindi nahahalo sa putik. At sa mga kaarawan ng mga hari na ito ay magtatayo ang Dios ng langit ng isang kaharian, na hindi kailanman malilipol: at ang kaharian ay hindi iiwan sa ibang bayan, kundi ito’y magsisipagputol putol at lulubusin ang lahat ng kaharian na ito, at ito’y mananatili magpakailan man. Yayamang nakita mo na ang bato ay pinutol mula sa bundok nang walang mga kamay, at na pinutol nito ang bakal, ang tanso, ang putik, ang pilak, at ang ginto; ipinaalam ng dakilang Dios sa hari kung ano ang mangyayari sa kabilang buhay: at ang panaginip ay tiyak, at ang kahulugan niyaon ay tiyak.Nang magkagayo’y nagpatirapa ang haring Nabucodonosor, at sinamba si Daniel, at iniutos na sila’y maghandog ng isang handog at mga mabangong amoy sa kaniya. Sumagot ang hari kay Daniel, at nagsabi, Sa katotohanan nga, ang inyong Dios ay Dios ng mga dios, at Panginoon ng mga hari, at tagapaghayag ng mga lihim, yamang maaari mong ihayag ang lihim na ito. Nang magkagayo’y ginawa ng hari si Daniel na isang dakilang lalake, at binigyan siya ng maraming dakilang kaloob, at ginawa siyang pinuno sa buong lalawigan ng Babilonia, at pangulo ng mga gobernador sa lahat ng pantas na lalake sa Babilonia. Nang magkagayo’y humingi si Daniel sa hari, at kaniyang inilagay si Sadrach, si Mesach, at si Abednego, sa mga gawain ng lalawigan ng Babilonia: nguni’t si Daniel ay naupo sa pintuang daan ng hari.Ngunit tulad ng makikita natin sa kabanata 3, nagpasiya ang hari na hadlangan ang pangitain at nagtayo ng rebultong solidong ginto at iniutos ang pagsamba sa imahen. Ito ay isang foreshadowing ng Apocalipsis 13:15 ‘At siya ay may kapangyarihang bigyan ng buhay ang larawan ng hayop, upang ang larawan ng hayop ay parehong magsalita, at maging sanhi na ang maraming mga ayaw sumamba sa larawan ng hayop ay dapat patayin.’

Daniel 3Si Nabucodonosor na hari ay gumawa ng isang larawang ginto, na ang taas ay tatlong pung siko, at ang lapad niyaon ay anim na siko: kaniyang itinayo sa kapatagan ng Dura, sa lalawigan ng Babilonia. Nang magkagayo’y nagsugo si Nabucodonosor na hari upang tipunin ang mga prinsipe, ang mga gobernador, at ang mga kapitan, ang mga hukom, ang mga ingat yaman, ang mga tagapayo, ang mga sheriff, at ang lahat na pinuno ng mga lalawigan, upang lumapit sa paglalaan ng larawang itinayo ni Nabucodonosor na hari. Nang magkagayo’y ang mga prinsipe, ang mga gobernador, at mga kapitan, ang mga hukom, ang mga tagapagingat yaman, ang mga tagapayo, ang mga serapido, at ang lahat ng pinuno ng mga lalawigan, ay nagtipon-tipon sa paglalaan ng larawang itinayo ni Nabucodonosor na hari; at sila ay tumayo sa harap ng imahen na itinayo ni Nabucodonosor. Nang magkagayo’y sumigaw ng malakas ang isang tagapagbalita, Sa inyo’y iniutos, Oh bayan, mga bansa, at mga wika, Na sa panahong inyong marinig ang tunog ng korneta, plauta, alpa, sakopa, salterio, dulcimer, at lahat ng uri ng musika, kayo’y magpatirapa at sambahin ang larawang ginto na inilagay ni Nabucodonosor na hari: At ang sinomang hindi magpatirapa at sumamba ay ihahagis sa gitna ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno. Kaya’t nang panahong yaon, nang marinig ng buong bayan ang tunog ng korneta, plauta, alpa, sackbutt, psaltery, at lahat ng uri ng musika, ang lahat ng mga tao, ang mga bansa, at ang mga wika, ay nagpatirapa at sumamba sa larawang ginto na itinayo ni Nabucodonosor na hari.Kaya’t nang panahong yaon ay lumapit ang ilang Caldeo, at inakusahan ang mga Judio. Sila’y nagsalita at sinabi sa haring Nabucodonosor, Oh hari, mabuhay ka magpakailan man. Ikaw, Oh hari, ay gumawa ng isang pasiya, na ang bawa’t tao na makaririnig ng tunog ng korneta, plauta, alpa, sakopa, psaltery, at dulcimer, at lahat ng uri ng musika, ay magpapatirapa at sasamba sa larawang ginto: At ang sinomang hindi magpatirapa at sumamba, upang siya’y ihagis sa gitna ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno. May ilang Judio na iyong inilagay sa mga gawain ng lalawigan ng Babilonia, sina Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego; ang mga lalaking ito, Oh hari, ay hindi nagbigay-pansin sa iyo: hindi sila naglingkod sa iyong mga dios, ni sumasamba man sa larawang ginto na iyong itinayo.Nang magkagayo’y si Nabucodonosor sa kaniyang galit at galit ay nag utos na dalhin si Sadrach, si Mesach, at si Abednego. Pagkatapos ay dinala nila ang mga lalaking ito sa harap ng hari. Nagsalita si Nabucodonosor at sinabi sa kanila, Totoo ba, Oh Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego, hindi ba kayo naglilingkod sa aking mga dios, ni sumasamba man sa larawang ginto na aking itinayo Ngayon, kung kayo ay handa na sa oras na inyong marinig ang tunog ng korneta, plauta, alpa, sackbutt, psaltery, at dulcimer, at lahat ng uri ng musika, kayo ay magpapatirapa at sasamba sa larawang aking ginawa; mabuti: subalit kung hindi kayo sasamba, kayo ay itatapon sa oras ding iyon sa gitna ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno; at sino ang Diyos na yaon na magliligtas sa inyo mula sa aking mga kamay? Sina Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego, ay sumagot at nagsabi sa hari, Oh Nabucodonosor, hindi kami maingat na sagutin ka sa bagay na ito. Kung gayon, ang ating Diyos na ating pinaglilingkuran ay may kakayahang iligtas tayo mula sa nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno, at ililigtas niya tayo sa iyong kamay, O hari. Ngunit kung hindi, alamin mo sa iyo, Oh hari, na hindi kami maglilingkod sa iyong mga dios, ni sasamba man sa gintong larawan na iyong itinayo.Nang magkagayo’y si Nabucodonosor ay puno ng galit, at ang anyo ng kaniyang visage ay nabago laban kay Sadrach, kay Mesach, at kay Abednego: kaya’t siya’y nagsalita, at iniutos na kanilang initin ang hurno nang makapitong beses na higit kay sa nakasanayan na mapainit. At kaniyang inutusan ang mga pinakamakapangyarihang lalake na nasa kaniyang hukbo na igapos si Sadrach, si Mesach, at si Abednego, at ihagis sila sa nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno. Nang magkagayo’y ang mga lalaking ito ay iginapos sa kanilang mga balabal, ang kanilang mga hosen, at ang kanilang mga sumbrero, at ang kanilang iba pang mga kasuotan, at itinapon sa gitna ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno. Kaya nga dahil sa ang utos ng hari ay kagyat, at ang hurno ay labis na mainit, ang apoy ng apoy ay pumatay sa mga lalaking yaon na nagdala kina Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego. At ang tatlong lalaking ito, si Sadrach, si Mesach, at si Abednego, ay nahulog na nakatali sa gitna ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno. Nang magkagayo’y nagulat si Nabucodonosor na hari, at nagmadaling bumangon, at nagsalita, at nagsabi sa kaniyang mga tagapayo, Hindi ba’t naghagis tayo ng tatlong lalake na nakatali sa gitna ng apoy Sila’y nagsisagot at sinabi sa hari, Totoo, Oh hari. Sumagot siya at sinabi, Narito, nakikita ko ang apat na lalaking nakawala, na naglalakad sa gitna ng apoy, at wala silang nasaktan at ang anyo ng ikaapat ay katulad ng Anak ng Diyos.Nang magkagayo’y lumapit si Nabucodonosor sa bibig ng nagniningas na nagniningas na hurno, at nagsalita, at nagsabi, Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego, kayong mga lingkod ng Dios na kataastaasan, magsilabas kayo, at magsiparoon kayo rito. Nang magkagayo’y si Sadrach, si Mesach, at si Abednego, ay nagsilabas sa gitna ng apoy. At ang mga prinsipe, mga gobernador, at mga kapitan, at ang mga tagapayo ng hari, na nagkakatipon, ay nakita ang mga lalaking ito, na sa kanilang mga katawan ay walang kapangyarihan ang apoy, ni isang buhok sa kanilang ulo ay inawit, ni ang kanilang mga balabal ay nagbago, ni ang amoy ng apoy ay dumaan sa kanila. Nang magkagayo’y nagsalita si Nabucodonosor, at nagsabi, Purihin ang Dios ni Sadrach, ni Mesach, at ni Abednego, na nagsugo ng kaniyang anghel, at nagligtas sa kaniyang mga lingkod na nagsitiwala sa kaniya, at nagbago ng salita ng hari, at nagbigay ng kanilang mga katawan, upang hindi sila maglingkod o sumamba sa anomang dios, maliban sa kanilang sariling Dios. Kaya’t ako’y gumagawa ng isang kautusan, Na ang bawa’t bayan, bansa, at wika, na nagsasalita ng anomang bagay ay nagkakamali laban sa Dios ni Sadrach, ni Mesach, at ni Abednego, ay puputulin, at ang kanilang mga bahay ay gagawing isang dumi ng dumi: sapagka’t walang ibang Dios na makapagliligtas ayon sa ganitong uri. Pagkatapos ay itinaguyod ng hari sina Sadrach, Mesach, at Abednego, sa lalawigan ng Babilonia.Ang dalawang pagpipilian para sa buong sangkatauhan ay naroroon sa kuwentong ito. Ang dalawang grupo sa kuwentong ito ay nagpapakita ng tatlong bahagi ng pagpili para sa o laban sa Diyos. Ang pagsuway, ang debosyon, at ang resulta.

Pagsuway

Para sa Diyos: Sinuway ng tatlong lalake ng Israel ang utos ng hari, at tumangging yumuko sa rebulto.

Laban sa Diyos: Sinuway ng hari ang utos ng Diyos na Siya lamang ang Diyos.

Debosyon

Para sa Diyos: Sinabi ng tatlo sa Israel na, kahit hindi sila iligtas ng Diyos mula sa kamatayan, sasambahin pa rin nila SIYA.

Laban sa Diyos: Ang mga kawal ng hari, kahit na ang apoy ay mas mainit kaysa dati, ay nakatuon sa pagsunod sa mga utos upang ilagay ang tatlo ng Israel sa apoy.

BungaPara sa Diyos: Sa kabila ng pagkahagis sa nagniningas na impiyerno, hindi napinsala ang tatlo. Ang kanilang mga gapos ay bumaba, ang kanilang mga damit ay hindi nahawakan. Ngunit higit sa lahat, maging ang hari ay nakita ang kanilang pagtubos. Ang Anak ng Diyos bago siya nagkatawang tao. “Narito, nakikita ko ang apat na lalaking nakawala, na naglalakad sa gitna ng apoy, at wala silang nasaktan; at ang anyo ng ikaapat ay katulad ng Anak ng Diyos.” (Daniel 3:25).Laban sa Diyos: Ang pagpili na sundin ang utos ng hari, ay nagdulot ng buhay sa mga kawal. Ang apoy na utos ng hari na gawing mas mainit, ay naging apoy na paghatol ng Diyos sa mga kawal. Ito ay isang foreshadowing ng huling apoy na babagsak sa mundong ito. ‘at pagka ang libong taon ay lumipas, si Satanas ay palalayain sa kaniyang bilangguan, At lalabas upang linlangin ang mga bansa na nasa apat na sulok ng lupa, si Gog at si Magog, upang tipunin sila sa pakikipagdigma: ang bilang nila ay gaya ng buhangin sa dagat. At sila’y umahon sa lawak ng lupa, at pinalibutan ang kampamento ng mga banal sa palibot, at ang minamahal na bayan: at ang apoy ay bumaba mula sa Dios mula sa langit, at sila’y nilamon.’ (Apocalipsis 20:7-9).Nakikita natin sa kuwentong ito ng kasaysayan, nakikita natin ang mga bunga ng ating pinaglilingkuran. Dalawa lang ang pagpipilian: ang Diyos o si Satanas. Kung hindi mo pinili na maligtas sa pamamagitan ng dugo ni Cristo at sumunod sa KANYA, kung gayon sinusunod mo si Satanas. Kahit na naniniwala ka na sinusunod mo lamang ang iyong sarili, ang pagsuway sa Diyos ay ang pagsunod sa Kanyang kaaway, si Satanas.

Ang mga pagpipilian ay: Walang Hanggan kasama ang Diyos sa Langit o Walang Hanggang Kapahamakan sa Impiyerno.Mas maganda ang sinabi ni Joshua. ‘At kung tila masama sa inyo ang maglingkod sa Panginoon, piliin ninyo sa araw na ito kung sino ang inyong paglilingkuran; kung ang mga dios na pinaglingkuran ng inyong mga magulang na nasa kabilang dako ng baha, o ang mga dios ng mga Amorrheo, na sa lupain ay nananahan kayo: nguni’t tungkol sa akin at sa aking sangbahayan, ay maglilingkod kami sa Panginoon.’ (Josue 24:15)

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Desafío, devoción y consecuencias

La humanidad tiene dos elecciones que hacer en esta vida Para seguir a Dios o para desafiar a Dios (que está siguiendo a Satanás).Jesús el Hijo y Dios el Padre han dejado claro a través de toda la escritura, que solo hay estas dos elecciones Una conduce a la vida eterna con Dios, la otra conduce a la condenación eterna.
Hoy veremos una historia en Daniel que ilustra estas dos elecciones Conocemos la historia del rey Nabucodonosor de la antigua Babilonia Sabemos cómo su sueño del estatuto multimetálico fue interpretado por Daniel.
Daniel 2
Y en el segundo año del reinado de Nabucodonosor Nabucodonosor soñó sueños, con los que su espíritu estaba turbado, y su freno de sueño de él Entonces el rey mandó llamar a los magos, y a los astrólogos, y a los hechiceros, y a los caldeos, para mostrar al rey sus sueños Entonces vinieron y se pusieron delante del rey. Y el rey les dijo: He soñado un sueño, y mi espíritu se turbó para conocer el sueño Entonces habló los caldeos al rey en siriaco, oh rey, vive para siempre: di a tus siervos el sueño, y mostraremos la interpretación El rey respondió y dijo a los caldeos: La cosa se ha ido de mí: si no me hacéis saber el sueño, con la interpretación del mismo, seréis cortados en pedazos, y tus casas serán hechas estercolero Pero si muestras el sueño, y su interpretación, recibirás de mí regalos y recompensas y gran honor; por tanto, muéstrame el sueño, y la interpretación del mismo Respondieron otra vez y dijeron: Que el rey diga a sus siervos el sueño, y mostraremos la interpretación del mismo El rey respondió y dijo, Sé con certeza que ganarías tiempo, porque ves que la cosa se ha ido de mí Pero si no me haces saber el sueño, sólo hay un decreto para ti; porque has preparado palabras mentirosas y corruptas para hablar delante de mí, hasta que cambie el tiempo; por tanto, dime el sueño, y sabré que podéis mostrarme la interpretación de ello Los caldeos respondieron delante del rey, y dijeron: No hay hombre sobre la tierra que pueda mostrar el asunto del rey: por tanto, no hay rey, señor, ni gobernante, que pidiera tales cosas a ningún mago, ni astrólogo, ni caldeo Y es raro lo que el rey exige, y no hay otro que pueda mostrarlo delante del rey, excepto los dioses, cuya morada no es con carne Por esta causa el rey se enojó y se enfureció mucho, y mandó destruir a todos los sabios de Babilonia. Y salió el decreto de que los sabios fueran asesinados; y buscaron que mataran a Daniel y a sus semejantes. Entonces Daniel respondió con consejo y sabiduría a Arioc el capitán de la guardia del rey, que había salido a matar a los sabios de Babilonia: Respondió y dijo al capitán del rey Arioc: ¿Por qué es tan precipitado el decreto del rey? entonces Arioc hizo saber la cosa a Daniel Entonces entró Daniel, y deseó del rey que le diera tiempo, y que mostraría al rey la interpretación Entonces Daniel fue a su casa, e hizo saber la cosa a Hananías, a Misael y a Azarías, sus compañeros: Que desearían misericordias del Dios del cielo acerca de este secreto; que Daniel y sus semejantes no perecieran con el resto de los sabios de Babilonia Entonces el secreto fue revelado a Daniel en una visión nocturna. Entonces Daniel bendijo al Dios de los cielos Respondió Daniel y dijo: Bendito sea el nombre de Dios por los siglos de los siglos; porque la sabiduría y el poder son suyos; y cambia los tiempos y las estaciones; quita reyes y establece reyes: da sabiduría a los sabios, y conocimiento a los que saben entendimiento: revela las cosas profundas y secretas: sabe lo que hay en las tinieblas,y la luz mora con él Te doy gracias y te alabo, oh Dios de mis padres, que me has dado sabiduría y poder, y me has dado a conocer ahora lo que deseábamos de ti; porque ahora nos has dado a conocer el asunto del rey Por eso Daniel entró a Arioc, a quien el rey había ordenado destruir a los sabios de Babilonia: fue y le dijo así; No destruyas a los sabios de Babilonia; tráeme delante del rey, y mostraré al rey la interpretación. Entonces Arioc trajo a Daniel delante del rey apresuradamente, y le dijo así: He encontrado un hombre de los cautivos de Judá, que dará a conocer al rey la interpretación. Respondió el rey y dijo a Daniel, que se llamaba Beltesasar: ¿Puedes darme a conocer el sueño que he visto y su interpretación? respondió Daniel en presencia del rey, y dijo: El secreto que el rey ha exigido no pueden los sabios, los astrólogos, los magos, los adivinos, mostrar al rey; Pero hay un Dios en el cielo que revela secretos y hace saber al rey Nabucodonosor lo que será en los últimos días. Tu sueño y las visiones de tu cabeza sobre tu cama son estos; En cuanto a ti, oh rey, tus pensamientos vinieron a tu mente sobre tu cama, lo que sucederá en lo sucesivo: y el que revela secretos te hace saber lo que sucederá Pero en cuanto a mí, este secreto no me es revelado para sabiduría alguna que yo tenga más que ningún viviente, sino por causa de ellos que darán a conocer la interpretación al rey, y para que conozcas los pensamientos de tu corazón Tú, oh rey, viste, y contemplas una gran imagen. Esta gran imagen, cuyo brillo era excelente, estaba delante de ti; y su forma era terrible. La cabeza de esta imagen era de oro fino, su pecho y sus brazos de plata, su vientre y sus muslos de bronce, sus piernas de hierro, sus pies parte de hierro y parte de barro. Tu viste hasta que una piedra fue cortada sin manos, el cual hirió la imagen sobre sus pies que eran de hierro y barro, y los partió en pedazos Entonces fue el hierro, el barro, el bronce, la plata, y el oro, hechos pedazos, y se hizo como la paja de las eras de verano; y el viento se los llevó, que no se les halló lugar; y la piedra que hirió la imagen se convirtió en un gran monte, y llenó toda la tierra Este es el sueño; y diremos su interpretación delante del rey. Tú, oh rey, eres rey de reyes; porque el Dios del cielo te ha dado reino, poder, fuerza y gloria. Y dondequiera que habiten los hijos de los hombres, las bestias del campo y las aves del cielo las ha entregado en tu mano, y te ha puesto por gobernante sobre todos ellos. Tú eres esta cabeza de oro. Y después de ti surgirá otro reino inferior a ti, y otro tercer reino de bronce, que gobernará sobre toda la tierra. Y el cuarto reino será fuerte como el hierro; por cuanto el hierro rompe en pedazos y somete todas las cosas; y como el hierro que rompe todo esto, se romperá en pedazos y moretones. Y mientras viste los pies y los dedos de los pies, parte del barro de los alfareros y parte del hierro, el reino se dividirá; pero habrá en él fuerza del hierro, por cuanto viste el hierro mezclado con arcilla de espejos. Y como los dedos de los pies eran parte de hierro y parte de barro, así que el reino será en parte fuerte, y en parte quebrantado Y mientras viste hierro mezclado con barro de espejos, se mezclarán con la simiente de los hombres: mas no se partirán unos a otros, así como el hierro no se mezcla con barro Y en los días de estos reyes el Dios del cielo levantará un reino, que nunca será destruido: y el reino no será dejado a otros pueblos, sino que romperá en pedazos y consumirá todos estos reinos, y se mantendrá para siempre Por cuanto viste que la piedra fue cortada del monte sin manos, y que rompe en pedazos el hierro, el bronce, la arcilla, la plata, y el oro; el gran Dios ha hecho saber al rey lo que sucederá en lo sucesivo: y el sueño es seguro, y su interpretación segura. Entonces el rey Nabucodonosor cayó sobre su rostro y adoró a Daniel, y mandó que le ofrecieran una oblación y dulces olores. El rey respondió a Daniel y dijo: De cierto es que vuestro Dios es un Dios de dioses, y un Señor de reyes, y revelador de secretos, viendo que podías revelar este secreto Entonces el rey hizo a Daniel un gran hombre, y le dio muchos grandes regalos, y le hizo regidor sobre toda la provincia de Babilonia, y jefe de los gobernadores sobre todos los sabios de Babilonia Entonces Daniel pidió al rey, y puso a Sadrac, Mesac y Abednego, sobre los asuntos de la provincia de Babilonia; pero Daniel se sentó a la puerta del rey.
Pero como veremos en el capítulo 3, el rey decidió frustrar la visión y construyó una estatua de oro macizo y ordenó adoración a la imagen Esto es un presagio de Apocalipsis 13:15 ‘Y tenía poder para dar vida a la imagen de la bestia, que la imagen de la bestia debería hablar ambos, y porque todos los que no adoraran la imagen de la bestia deberían ser asesinados.’
Daniel 3
Nabucodonosor el rey hizo una imagen de oro, cuya altura era de sesenta codos, y su anchura de seis codos: la puso en la llanura de Dura, en la provincia de Babilonia Entonces Nabucodonosor el rey envió a reunir a los príncipes, a los gobernadores y a los capitanes, a los jueces, a los tesoreros, a los consejeros, a los alguaciles y a todos los gobernantes de las provincias, para venir a la advocación de la imagen que Nabucodonosor el rey había puesto Entonces los príncipes, los gobernadores, y capitanes, los jueces, los tesoreros, los consejeros, los alguaciles, y todos los gobernantes de las provincias, fueron reunidos a la advocación de la imagen que Nabucodonosor el rey había puesto; y se pusieron delante de la imagen que Nabucodonosor había puesto Entonces un heraldo clamó en voz alta, A vosotros os está ordenado, oh pueblo, naciones y lenguas, que a qué hora oigáis el sonido de la corneta, la flauta, el arpa, el saco, el salterio, el dulcimer y toda clase de musiqueos, os postráis y adorad la imagen de oro que el rey Nabucodonosor ha puesto: Y el que no caiga ni adore, será arrojado la misma hora en medio de un horno de fuego ardiente. Por tanto, en aquel tiempo, cuando todo el pueblo oyó el sonido de la corneta, flauta, arpa, sacos, salterio y toda clase de musique, todo el pueblo, las naciones, y las lenguas se postraron y adoraron la imagen de oro que había puesto Nabucodonosor el rey, por lo cual en aquel tiempo se acercaron ciertos caldeos, y acusaron a los judíos Hablaron y dijeron al rey Nabucodonosor, oh rey, vive para siempre Tú, oh rey, has hecho un decreto, que todo hombre que oiga el sonido de la corneta, flauta, arpa, cilicio, salterio y dulcémele, y toda clase de musick caerá y adorará la imagen de oro: Y el que no caiga ni adore, para que sea arrojado en medio de un horno de fuego ardiente. Hay ciertos judíos a quienes has puesto sobre los asuntos de la provincia. de Babilonia, Sadrac, Mesac y Abednego; Estos hombres, oh rey, no te han mirado: no sirven a tus dioses, ni adoréis la imagen de oro que habéis puesto Entonces Nabucodonosor en su rabia y furor mandó traer a Sadrac, a Mesac y a Abed-nego Entonces llevaron a estos hombres delante del rey Nabucodonosor habló y les dijo: ¿Es verdad, oh Sadrac, a Mesac y a Abed-nego, no sirváis a mis dioses, ni adoréis la imagen de oro que he puesto? Ahora bien, si estáis preparados para que en qué tiempo oigáis el sonido de la corneta, la flauta, el arpa, el saclo, el salterio y el dulcémele, y toda clase de musique, os postréis y adoréis la imagen que he hecho; bueno; pero si no adoráis, seréis arrojados a la misma hora en medio de un horno de fuego ardiente; ¿y quién es ese Dios que os librará de mis manos? respondieron Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, y dijeron al rey: Oh Nabucodonosor, no tenemos cuidado de responderte en este asunto. Si es así, nuestro Dios a quien servimos puede librarnos del horno de fuego ardiente, y él nos librará de tu mano, oh rey. Pero si no, sé tú, oh rey, que no serviremos a tus dioses, ni adoraremos la imagen de oro que has puesto Entonces Nabucodonosor estaba lleno de furia, y la forma de su rostro fue cambiada contra Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego; por eso habló, y mandó que calentaran el horno una siete veces más de lo que solía calentarse. Y mandó a los hombres más valientes que estaban en su ejército que ataran a Sadrac, a Mesac y a Abed-nego, y que los echaran en el horno de fuego ardiente Entonces estos hombres fueron atados en sus abrigos, en sus mangueras, y en sus sombreros, y en sus otras vestiduras, y fueron echados en medio del horno de fuego ardiente Por lo tanto porque el mandamiento del rey era urgente, y el horno excediendo caliente, la llama del fuego mató a los hombres que tomaron Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego Y estos tres hombres, Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, cayeron atados en medio del horno de fuego ardiente Entonces el rey Nabucodonosor se asombró, y se levantó apresuradamente, y habló, y dijo a sus consejeros: ¿No arrojamos tres hombres atados en medio del fuego? Respondieron y dijeron al rey: Verdadero, oh rey Respondió y dijo: He aquí, veo a cuatro hombres sueltos, caminando en medio del fuego, y no tienen daño; y la forma del cuarto es como el Hijo de Dios Entonces Nabucodonosor se acercó a la boca del horno de fuego ardiendo, y habló, y dijo: Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, vosotros siervos del Dios altísimo, salid, y venid acá Entonces Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, salieron de en medio del fuego Y los príncipes, gobernadores, y capitanes, y los consejeros del rey, estando reunidos, vieron a estos hombres, sobre cuyos cuerpos el fuego no tenía poder, ni un pelo de su cabeza estaba chamuscado, ni se les cambiaban los abrigos, ni el olor del fuego había pasado sobre ellos Entonces Nabucodonosor habló, y dijo: Bendito sea el Dios de Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, que ha enviado a su ángel, y ha entregado a sus siervos que confiaban en él, y han cambiado la palabra del rey, y dado sus cuerpos, para que no sirvan ni adoren a ningún dios, excepto a su propio Dios Por eso hago un decreto: Que todo pueblo, nación, y la lengua, que habla cualquier cosa mal contra el Dios de Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, será cortada en pedazos, y sus casas serán hechas un estercolero; porque no hay otro Dios que pueda librar después de esta especie Entonces el rey promovió a Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego, en la provincia de Babilonia.
Las dos elecciones para toda la humanidad están presentes en esta historia Ambos grupos en esta historia muestran las tres partes de elección a favor o en contra de Dios El desafío, la devoción y la consecuencia.
Desafío
Por Dios: Los tres hombres de Israel desafiaron la orden del rey y se negaron a inclinarse ante la estatua.
Contra Dios: El rey desafió el mandato de Dios de tener sólo a Él como Dios.

Devoción
Por Dios: Los tres de Israel dijeron que, aunque Dios no los salvara de la muerte, todavía lo adorarían.
Contra Dios: Los soldados del rey, incluso después de que el fuego fuera más caliente que nunca, se dedicaron a seguir órdenes de colocar a los tres de Israel en el fuego.

Consecuencia
Para Dios: A pesar de ser arrojados al infierno ardiente, los tres no fueron perjudicados, sus ataduras se desprendieron, su vestimenta intacta Pero lo más importante, incluso el rey vio su redención El Hijo de Dios antes de que se encarnara “Lo, veo a cuatro hombres sueltos, caminando en medio del fuego, y no tienen daño; y la forma del cuarto es como el Hijo de Dios.” (Daniel 3:25).
Contra Dios: La elección de seguir las órdenes del rey, costó la vida a los soldados La llama que el rey ordena que se caliente, se convirtió en el juicio de fuego de Dios a los soldados Esto un presagio del fuego final que caerá sobre esta tierra. ‘y cuando los mil años hayan expirado, Satanás será desatado de su prisión, Y saldrán a engañar a las naciones que están en los cuatro cuartos de la tierra, Gog y Magog, para reunirlos en la batalla; cuyo número es como la arena del mar. Y subieron sobre la anchura de la tierra, y rodearon el campamento de los santos y la ciudad amada; y descendió fuego de Dios del cielo, y los devoró.’ (Apocalipsis 20:7-9).

Al ver en esta historia, vemos las consecuencias de a quién servimos Solo hay dos elecciones: Dios o Satanás Si no eliges ser salvo por la sangre de Cristo y seguirLO, entonces sigues a Satanás Incluso si crees que te sigues solo a ti mismo, el desafío a Dios es seguir a Su enemigo, Satanás.
Las elecciones son: Eternidad con Dios en el Cielo o Eterna Condenación en el Infierno.
Josué lo dijo mejor. ‘Y si os parece mal servir al Señor, escogeos hoy a quién serviréis; ya sean los dioses a los que sirvieron vuestros padres que estaban al otro lado del diluvio, o los dioses de los amorreos, en cuya tierra habitáis; pero a mí y a mi casa serviremos al Señor.’ (Josué 24:15)

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Didache Capítulo 4

DIDACHE

IV –
EL SEÑOR VIENE
de tu vida. No dejes que tus lámparas se consuman, ni que tu cintura se descuelgue,i
sino que estén preparados,
porque no sabéis cuándo vendrá nuestro Señor.j
Y reúnanse con frecuencia, buscando lo que es
de lo necesario para vuestras almas, porque todos vuestros años de fe no servirán de nada si no sois perfeccionados en los
últimos días.k
En los últimos días se multiplicarán los falsos profetas y los corruptores,l
y las ovejas se convertirán en lobos
y el amor se convertirá en odio.m A medida que aumente la anarquía, los hombres se odiarán, se perseguirán y se traicionarán unos a otros
unos a otros.n
Y entonces el Engañador del mundo se presentará como hijo de Dios, y hará señales y prodigios,o
y la tierra será entregada en sus manos. Cometerá abominaciones que nunca se han visto
desde el principio del mundo.p
Entonces toda la humanidad vendrá a la friolera de la prueba,q
y muchos fracasarán y perecerán.r
Pero los que resistan en su fe serán salvados
por el que fue maldecido.t
Y entonces aparecerán las señales de la verdad: primero una señal de una grieta en los cielos,u
luego una señal de una voz de
una trompeta,v
y en tercer lugar la resurrección de los muertos.w Pero no de todos, sino como se dijo:
El Señor vendrá y todos sus santos con él.x
Entonces el mundo verá al Señor venir
sobre las nubes del cielo con poder
y dominio
para pagar a cada hombre
según sus obras,z
con
justicia, ante todos los hombres
y los ángeles.
aM eN.
i Lucas 12:35. j Mat. 24:42, 44; Marcos 13:35; Lucas 12:40. k Epístola de Bernabé 4:9. l Mat. 24:11. m Mat. 24:12. n Mat. 24:10; 2 Pe. 3:3. o Marcos 13:22; 2 Tes. 2:4, 9. p Dan. 12:1; Marcos 13:19; 2 Juan 7; Apocalipsis 12:9, 13:2, 19:20. q 1 P. 4:12. r Mat. 24:10, 13. s Marcos 13:13. t Gal. 3:13. u Mat. 24:30. v Mat. 24:31; 1 Tes. 4:16. w 1 Cor.
15:52. x Zac. 14:5. y Marcos 13:26. z Sal. 62:12; Mat. 16:27

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DIDACHE CHAPTER 3: LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY

APOSTLES AND PROPHETS c oNce rNiNg apostles and prophets,p act according to the Gospel’s teaching.q Receive every apostle as the Lord.r He should not stay for more than a single day, or two days if necessary. But if he remains for three days, he is a false prophet. When he leaves, let the apostle receive nothing except bread, until he fnds a place to stay. But if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.r Do not test or judge any prophet who speaks in the Spirit. Every other sin will be forgiven, but this sin will not be forgiven.s And not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, but only he who follows the ways of the Lord. From his behavior, then, you will know a false prophet from a true prophet.t Any prophet who orders a meal in Spirit will not eat from it, but if he does eat of it, he is a false prophet. Any prophet who teaches the truth, but does not do the things he teaches, is a false prophet. Every true prophet, if he performs a worldly mystery of the Church, but does not teach others to do likewise, he must not be judged by you. He has his judgment in the presence of God, as with the prophets of old. If anyone says in the Spirit, “Give me money,” do not listen to him.u But if he tells you to give to others who are in need, let no one judge him.

HOSPITALITY TO TRAVELERS re ce ive everyone who comes in the name of the Lord.v Examine him and learn the nature of his situ- ation. If he is only passing through, help him as much as you can, but he must not stay with you more than two or three days. If he wishes to settle with you and knows a trade, let him work and earn his bread.w If he does not know a trade, use your judgment to decide how he should live as a Christian among you, but not in idleness. If he will not do this, he is trafcking upon Christ.x Beware of such men.

SUPPORTING GOD’S MINISTERS e ve ry true prophet who desires to settle among you is worthy of his food. Likewise, a true teacher, like the worker, deserves his food.y Take every frstfruit of the winepress and of the threshing foor, of your oxen and of your sheep, and give as the frstfruit to the prophets, for they are your high priests.z But if you do not have a prophet, give your frstfruits to the poor. If you make bread, take the frstfruit and give according to the commandment. Likewise, when you open a jug of wine or oil, take the frstfruit and give to the prophets. And so with money, and clothing, and every possession—take the frstfruit, as it seems appropriate to you, and give according to the commandment.

THE SACRIFICE gaTher together each Sunday,a break bread and give thanks, frst confessing your sins, that your sacrifce may be pure. And let no man, having a disagreement with his brother, join you until they have been reconciled, that your sacrifce may not be defled.b For it was this sacrifce that was spoken of by the Lord: “In every place and at every time ofer me a pure sacrifce;c for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.”d

CHURCH LEADERS ap p oiNT for yourselves bishops and deacons who are worthy of the Lord: men who are meek and not lovers of money, and who are honeste and proven. For they also perform the service of the prophets and teachers.f Therefore, do not hold them in contempt, for they are honorable men along with the prophets and teachers.

COMMUNITY DISCIPLINE re p rove one another, not in anger but in peace, as you fnd in the Gospel. Shun anyone who has sinned against his neighbor; do not say a word to him until he repents.g But say your prayers, and give your alms, and do everything according to the Gospel of our Lord.h

p 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 3:5. q Mat. 7:15f, 10:40-41; Luke 10:4f. r Mat. 10:40; John 13:20. s Mat. 12:31. t 2 Pet. 2:1; John 4:1. u Mat. 10:8. v Ps. 118:26; Mat. 21:9. w 2 Tess. 3:10; Acts 18:3. x 1 Tim. 6:5. y Mat 10:10; 1 Tim. 5:18. z Deut. 18:1-5. Rev. 1:10. b Mat. 5:23. c Mal. 1:11. d Mal. 1:14. e 1 Tim. 3:2-13; Tit. 1:5-9. f Eph. 4:11-12. g Mat. 5:22-26, 18:15-35. h Mat. 6:1-15.

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Didache Chapter 4

DIDACHE
— IV —
THE LORD IS COMING
waTch over your life. Do not let your lamps burn out, nor your waist be ungirded,i
but be ready,
for you do not know when our Lord is coming.j
And gather together frequently, seeking what is
necessary for your souls, for all your years of faith will count for nothing unless you are perfected in the
last days.k
In the last days, false prophets and corrupters will multiply,l
and the sheep will turn into wolves,
and love will be turned into hate.m As lawlessness increases, men will hate and persecute and betray one
another.n
And then the Deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God, and will do signs and wonders,o
and the earth will be delivered into his hands. He will commit abominations which have never been seen
since the world began.p
Then all mankind will come to the fre of testing,q
and many will fail and perish.r
But those who endure in their faith will be saveds
by him who was accursed.t
And then shall the signs of the truth appear: frst a sign of a rift in the heavens,u
then a sign of a voice of
a trumpet,v
and thirdly the resurrection of the dead.w Yet not of all, but as it was said:
The Lord shall come and all his saints with him.x
Then shall the world see the Lord coming
upon the clouds of heaven with power
and dominiony
to repay each man
according to his works,z
with
justice, before all men
and the angels.
aM eN.
i Luke 12:35. j Mat. 24:42, 44; Mark 13:35; Luke 12:40. k Epistle of Barnabas 4:9. l Mat. 24:11. m Mat. 24:12. n Mat. 24:10; 2 Pet. 3:3. o Mark 13:22; 2 Tess. 2:4, 9. p Dan. 12:1; Mark 13:19; 2 John 7; Rev. 12:9, 13:2, 19:20. q 1 Pet. 4:12. r Mat. 24:10, 13. s Mark 13:13. t Gal. 3:13. u Mat. 24:30. v Mat. 24:31; 1 Tess. 4:16. w 1 Cor.
15:52. x Zech. 14:5. y Mark 13:26. z Ps. 62:12; Mat. 16:27

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Didache repost part 2

This is part two of my Didache series. The Didache is the teachings of the original Apostles of Christ. It is also the second oldest Christian writings, only second behind Holy Scripture. Original printing issues are not replaced. All Scriptural references have been moved to bottom of article.

DIDACHE 8 — II — INSTRUCTION FOR CATECHUMENS

CONCERNING FOOD N ow concerning eating, observe the traditions as best you can. But do not eat meat sacrificed to idols, for it is the worship of dead gods.

CONCERNING BAPTISM concerning baptism, baptize in this way. Having instructed him in all of these teachings, baptize the catechumen in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water.v But if you do not have running water, then baptize in other water. And if you cannot in cold water, use warm. But if you have neither, then pour water on the head three times, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And before the baptism, let both the baptizer and the catechumen fast, and also any others who are able. And be sure that the catechumen fasts a day or two before.

CONCERNING FASTING d o NoT let not your fasts fall on the same days as the hypocrites,w for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Keep your fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

CONCERNING PRAYER d o NoT pray as the hypocrites either,x but pray as the Lord commanded in His Gospel: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for thine is the power and the glory unto ages of ages.y Pray this way three times each day.

CONCERNING THE EUCHARIST N ow concerning the eucharistic thanksgiving,z give thanks in this way. First, as concerning the cup: We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of your son David,a which you made known to us through your Son Jesus.b Yours is the glory unto ages of ages. Then as regards the broken bread: We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you made known to us through your Son Jesus. Yours is the glory unto ages of ages. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, u . so may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ unto ages of ages. Do not let anyone eat or drink of this Eucharist who has not been baptized into the name of the Lord, for concerning this the Lord has said, “Do not give the holy things to the dogs.”d And after you have been flled, give thanks as follows: We give you thanks, holy Father, for your holy name, which you have made to dwell in our hearts,e and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which you have made known unto us through your Son Jesus. Yours is the glory unto ages of ages. You, Almighty Master, created all thingsf for your name’s sake, and gave food and drink to men for their enjoyment, that they might give you thanks. And you have given us spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your Son.g Most of all, we give you thanks that you are powerful. Yours is the glory unto ages of ages. Remember, Lord, your Church,h and deliver it from all evili and to perfect it in Thy love. Gather it— the sanctifed one—together from the four windsj into your kingdom which you have prepared for it. For yours is the power and the glory unto ages of ages. May grace come and may this world pass away.k Hosanna to the God of David.l If any man is holy, let him come; if any man is not, let him repent. Mar‘anatha. m Amen. But permit the prophets to ofer thanksgiving as much as they desire.

CONCERNING THE OINTMENT aNd concerning the ointment, give thanks as follows: We give you thanks, our Father, for the fragrant ointment which you have made known to us through your Son Jesus. Yours is the glory unto ages of ages. Amen.

THE APPROVED TEACHER whoever comes and teaches you all these things that have been taught before, receive him. But if the teacher himself turns aside and teaches a diferent doctrine that subverts what has been taught before, do not listen to him.n If his teaching fosters righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.o .

Scriptural references:

U Acts 15:29. v Mat. 28:19. w Mat. 6:16. x Mat. 6:5f. y Mat. 6:9f. z 1 Cor. 11:23-25. a John 15:1. b Acts 3:13, 26. c John 3:15, 5:26, 6:68f

d Mat. 7:6. e John 1:14, 6:56-57. f Rev. 4:11. g John 6:27. h Mat. 16:18. i John 17:15. j Mat. 24:31. k Rev. 22:20. l Mat. 21:9, 15. m Hebrew: “Our Lord has come.” 1 Cor. 16:22. n Gal. 1:6-9. o Mat. 10:40; John 13:20

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Didache: Hymns and Praises

EARLY HYMNS & PRAYERS
T o sup p leM eNT the ancient Christian teachings in the Didache, we have included below a selection
of early Christian hymns and prayers, dating to the frst few generations of the Church. Timeless in
their beauty, many of these are still used and still inspire Christians today.
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST
1st – 3rd century
glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your
great glory.
O Lord, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty, O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Spirit.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
You who take away the sins of the world, accept our prayer.
You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are holy, you alone are the Lord, O Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
MORNING HYMN
1st – 3rd century
e ve ry day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever; yes, forever and ever.
In your goodness, O Lord, keep me from sin today.
You are blessed, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
Your name is praised and glorifed forever. Amen.
EVENING HYMN
1st – 2nd century
ojoy ful Light of the holy glory of the immortal Father,
the heavenly, the holy, the blessed Jesus Christ,
now that we have come to the setting of the sun, and see the light of evening,
we praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: God.
It is right at all times to worship you with joyful voices,
O Son of God and Giver of life: For which the whole world glorifes you.
DIDACHE 16
EASTER HYMN
2nd – 3rd century
c hrisT is risen: Hades is in ruins.
Christ is risen: the demons are fallen.
Christ is risen: the angels rejoice.
Christ is risen: the tombs are empty.
Christ is risen from the dead indeed,
the frst among those who have fallen asleep.
Glory and power are his forever and ever. Amen.
ANAPHORA HYMN
2nd – 3rd century
holy, holy, holy Lord of Hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
COMMUNION HYMN
4th century
T his is his blood, who took fesh of the holy Virgin: Jesus Christ.
This is his blood, who was born of the God-bearing holy one: Jesus Christ.
This is God’s blood, who was seen by men and from whom demons fed: Jesus Christ.
This is his blood, who ofered himself a sacrifce for our sins: Jesus Christ.
A PRAYER OF THE
NEWLY–BAPTIZED
4th century
alM ighTy God, Father of Christ your Son, give me a clean body, a pure heart, a watchful mind, and
knowledge free from error. May your Holy Spirit come to me and bring me truth—yes, to the fullness of truth—through your Christ. The glory is yours, through him, in the Holy Spirit, forever and ever
and ever. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST. IGNATIUS
AT HIS MARTYRDOM
ad 107
I aM the wheat of God. May I be ground up by the teeth of the wild beasts until I become the fne bread
of Christ. My sinful passions are crucifed, there is no burning in my fesh. A stream murmurs and
fows deep down inside me. It says: Come to the Father.
DIDACHE 17
DOXOLOGY
y ou are due praise,
You are due hymns,
You are due glory:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Forever and ever and ever.
Amen.
glory To god for all ThiNgs
aM e

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Dios y mandamiento

Parece haber una controversia en los seguidores de Cristo de que este artículo intentará ayudar a llegar a una conclusión. Es el argumento de no estar bajo la ley debido a la gracia y la misericordia a través de la sangre derramada de Cristo desde la cruz. La gente olvida hacer una distinción entre las leyes escritas en los libros de Moisés. Comencemos por ahí.

Hay dos conjuntos de leyes. Una son las leyes escritas por Dios mismo en el Sinaí. Estos Diez Mandamientos son la ley moral. Divididos al mandamiento cinco, están escritos en dos tabletas de piedra. Los encuentras en Éxodo 20: 1-17. Estas leyes nos dicen cómo lidiar con nuestra relación con Dios ( Tabla 1, Mandamientos 1-4 ) y nuestra relación con nuestro prójimo ( Tabla 2, Mandamientos 5-10 ). Estas leyes no pueden y nunca cambiarán. Estas leyes estaban vigentes antes de que Dios las escribiera en piedra. Las Escrituras nos dicen esto en varios pasajes ( Hebreos 13: 8; Malaquías 3: 6; Isaías 40: 8; Et al ).

Las hay leyes levíticas. Estas leyes fueron dadas a Moisés en palabra, no en piedra, para escribir a los israelitas. Estas leyes cubrieron cuestiones sociales, cuestiones legales y cuestiones de sacrificio destinadas a los israelitas. Estos se ven en todos los libros de Moisés, comenzando después de los Diez Mandamientos. Aquí es donde ocurre el problema.

Veamos la colocación de los dos grupos de leyes ( Comando y Levítico ). Las dos tabletas de piedra ( rotas después de que Moisés encontró que el ternero dorado siendo adorado y reescrito por Dios ) fueron colocados en el Arca del Pacto ( Deut. 10: 1-20…En ese momento, Adonai me dijo: ‘ Talla por ti mismo dos tabletas de piedra como las primeras y ven a Mí en la montaña. Hazte un arca de madera. Escribiré en las tabletas las palabras que estaban en las primeras tabletas que rompiste, y debes ponerlas en el arca. ’ ). Fueron colocados allí con el personal de Aaron y Manna, según la carta a los hebreos de Pablo ( Hebreos 9: 4b… En el arca había un frasco dorado que sostenía el maná, la vara de Aarón que floreció y las tabletas del pacto ). Los tres representan a Jesucristo. Los Mandamientos son las leyes de Dios del legislador Jesús, el personal de Aarón ( que representa a Cristo como nuestro Sumo Sacerdote, y Maná ( el pan de vida Jesús ).

Las Leyes o Leyes Levíticas de Moisés se colocaron de manera diferente ( Deuteronomio 31: 25-26…Moisés ordenó a los levitas, portadores del Arca del Pacto de Adonai, que dijeran: “ Toma este pergamino de la Torá y colócalo junto al Arca del Pacto de Adonai tu Dios. Permanecerá allí como testigo en su contra, ). Este conjunto de leyes fue vinculante como un pacto entre Dios y los israelitas. Mientras que la Ley de Dios ( Diez Mandamientos son vinculantes para toda la humanidad desde el principio hasta el final.

El debate proviene de Romanos 6:14 … ”Porque el pecado no será dueño de ti, porque no estás bajo la ley sino bajo la gracia ”. Y aunque este versículo solo puede mostrar que la gracia, no el argumento de la ley, sería correcto, debe tomarse en contexto y con los otros versículos que lo rodean. Toda la idea es como tal, “ Por lo tanto, no dejes que el pecado gobierne en tu cuerpo mortal para que obedezcas sus deseos. Y no sigas cediendo las partes de tu cuerpo al pecado como herramientas de maldad; pero cúbranse a Dios como los vivos de los muertos, y tu cuerpo se separa como herramientas de justicia para Dios. Porque el pecado no será dueño de ti, porque no estás bajo la ley sino bajo la gracia. ¿Entonces que? ¿Pecaremos porque no estamos bajo la ley sino bajo la gracia? ¡Que nunca sea! ¿No saben que a lo que sea que se entreguen como esclavos de la obediencia, son esclavos de lo que obedecen — ya sea al pecado que resulta en la muerte o a la obediencia que resulta en justicia? Pero gracias a Dios porque aunque eras esclavo del pecado, obedeciste de todo corazón la forma de enseñanza bajo la cual fuiste colocado; y después de que fuiste liberado del pecado, te esclavizaste a la justicia. Hablo en términos humanos debido a la debilidad de tu carne. Así como usted cedió sus partes del cuerpo como esclavas de la impureza y la anarquía, lo que lleva a más anarquía, ahora ceda sus partes del cuerpo como esclavas de la justicia, lo que resulta en santidad. Porque cuando eras esclavo del pecado, eras libre con respecto a la justicia. Entonces, ¿qué resultado tuvo del que ahora está avergonzado? Porque el final de esas cosas es la muerte. Pero ahora, habiendo sido liberado del pecado y esclavizado a Dios, tienes tu fruto resultando en santidad. Y el resultado es la vida eterna. Porque el pago del pecado es la muerte, pero el don amable de Dios es la vida eterna en el Mesías Yeshua nuestro Señor. ” ( Romanos 6: 12-23, TLV )

Toda la lectura muestra que solo porque uno está bajo gracia, no confirma el final de la Ley de Dios ( los Mandamientos ). Pablo reiteró ese punto en algunos versos diferentes. Romanos 3: 19-20 “ Ahora sabemos que lo que diga la Torá, les dice a los que están dentro de la Torá, para que cada boca se cierre y el mundo entero se vuelva responsable ante Dios. Porque ningún humano, sobre la base de la observancia de la Torá, será puesto a su vista — porque a través de la Torá viene la conciencia del pecado. ” Y lo dice de manera diferente, pero con mayor claridad en Romanos 7: 7-12 “ ¿Qué diremos entonces? ¿Es la Torá pecado? ¡Que nunca sea! Por el contrario, no habría conocido el pecado excepto a través de la Torá. Porque no habría sabido sobre codiciar si la Torá no hubiera dicho, “ No codiciarás. ” Pero el pecado, aprovechando una oportunidad, trabajó en mí a través del mandamiento todo tipo de codicia. Porque aparte de la Torá, el pecado está muerto. Una vez estuve vivo aparte de la Torá; pero cuando llegó el mandamiento, el pecado cobró vida y yo morí. Se descubrió que el mandamiento destinado a la vida causaba la muerte. El pecado, aprovechando una oportunidad a través del mandamiento, me engañó y a través de él me mató. Entonces, la Torá es santa, y el mandamiento es santo, justo y bueno. ”

Lo que Pablo dice es que los mandamientos están vigentes incluso después de la gracia. El diablo seguirá tentando y la naturaleza del hombre es seguir pecando. Y una vez que se recibe el perdón de la gracia, el diablo lucha más para recuperar uno que perdió ante Dios.

Pero no solo escuches a Paul. Jesús mismo dijo que las Leyes de Dios siguen siendo válidas. “ Amén, te digo, hasta que el cielo y la tierra pasen, ni la letra o serif más pequeña pasará de la Torá hasta que sucedan todas las cosas. ” ( Mateo 5:18, TLV )

La visión de John en Patmos también lo dice. “ Aquí está la perseverancia de los cedoshim — aquellos que guardan los mandamientos de Dios y la fe de Yeshua. ” ( Apocalipsis 14:12 ). En hebreo texto rabínico, Kedoshim significa ‘ Holy Ones ’. El KJV interpreta esta palabra como santos. Perseverancia significa ir a la distancia, ver algo hasta el final. Como ves en este versículo, para pasar hasta el final de los tiempos, y que su nombre se lea en el Libro de la Vida del Cordero toma tanto la fe de Cristo ( gracia ) como los mandamientos ( Leyes ) de Dios.

Cuando Cristo dijo que se hizo antes de morir en la cruz, significaba que el precio de la redención había sido pagado por quienes lo aceptaron. El apóstol Santiago nos dice en Santiago 2: 14-26 ‘ ¿De qué sirve, mis hermanos y hermanas, si alguien dice que tiene fe, pero no tiene obras? ¿Puede tal fe salvarlo? Si un hermano o hermana está desnudo y carece de comida diaria, y uno de ustedes les dice: “ Entra en shalom, mantente caliente y bien alimentado,” pero no les das lo que el cuerpo necesita, ¿de qué sirve eso? Así también la fe, si no tiene obras, está muerta por sí misma. Pero alguien dirá: “ Tienes fe y yo tengo obras. ” Muéstrame tu fe sin obras y te mostraré fe por mis obras. Crees que Dios es uno. Lo haces bien. ¡Los demonios también creen — y se estremecen! ¿Pero quieres saber, persona vacía, que la fe sin obras está muerta? ¿No fue Abraham nuestro padre justo por las obras cuando ofreció a Isaac su hijo en el altar? Ves que la fe trabajó junto con sus obras, y por las obras su fe se completó. La Escritura se cumplió y dice: “ Y Abraham creyó a Dios, y se le atribuyó la justicia ” — y fue llamado amigo de Dios. Usted ve que un hombre es probado justo por las obras y no solo por la fe. Y de la misma manera, ¿no fue Rahab la prostituta también probada por las obras cuando dio la bienvenida a los mensajeros y los envió de otra manera? Así como el cuerpo sin espíritu está muerto, también la fe sin obras está muerta. ’

Los trabajos de los que se habla son cómo tratamos con nuestro prójimo. Si bien abarca las obras de misericordia ( alimentar a los hambrientos, visitar a los enfermos, et al ) también incluye los mandamientos. Recuerde, que los últimos seis mandamientos nos dicen la forma moral de tratar con nuestro prójimo.

La ley levítica ( sacrificio, ceremonia, etc. ) se terminó en la cruz. Este era el significado de la declaración de Cristo acerca de que se estaba haciendo. La sangre ahora cubría en gracia lo que los sacrificios, las leyes ceremoniales y las leyes legales estaban destinados a … la redención futura en el sacrificio de Cristo. Esto se revela en el desgarro del velo entre el Lugar Santo y el Lugar Santo de los Santos en el templo. ‘ Y Yeshua volvió a gritar en voz alta y abandonó su espíritu. Y he aquí, la cortina del Templo se dividió en dos, de arriba a abajo. ’ ( Mateo 27: 50-51, TLV )

Este desgarro abrió la presencia de Dios a todos sin pasar por el sacrificio en el patio, el sacerdote en el lugar Santo, y la cubierta del arca en la sangre animal del sacrificio. Los Mandamientos ( Ley de Dios ) no las Leyes de Moisés han existido desde antes de que se dieran los Mandamientos en el Sinaí.

Aquí hay una pregunta para reflexionar. Si Cristo mismo, los Apóstoles y los escritores del Antiguo Testamento dicen que la Ley de Dios, como Dios, no cambia, ¿por qué el debate? ¿Y por qué aquellos que afirman seguir a Cristo debaten sobre qué mandamientos seguir? Si se necesita tanto Fe en Cristo ( gracia de redención a través de la sangre ) como los Mandamientos ( Ley de Dios ) para llegar a la resurrección de los justos, ¿No deberíamos seguir a ambos a la gloria?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

From the Darkness

I needed some time to contemplate my life and faith. I was raised with protestant parents, saved in a protestant church but became Roman Catholic in the last year of the 20th century. Since then, there have been times when I have stepped from the church to get air so to speak. But this was different.

Catholics, and maybe protestants as well, have a period known as the dark night of the soul. My definition and tradition, this is where one thinks God has stepped from your life and you seek Him in earnestness. The fall of 2021 was mine.

I had gotten back into my faith fully in the last couple of years after issues that affected me and ended the family unit I had known for 20 years. At that time, the stress had caused my health to falter and my spirit to cry out. For the first time since being a Catholic, I hit my knees, wept, and prayed. It led me into my Catholic Christian faith unlike before.

But for some reason, this fall had played havoc within my mind and spirit and I needed to refresh, think, and clear the cobwebs. So, while not leaving my faith, I stepped away from the building that had become my church home. I had only planned on it being about a month. What it led to was something I had not really expected.

What it led me to, instead of free wheeling life and secular enjoyment, was deeper. It led me to deeper scriptural study. Instead of just one translation, I started using multiple including translations like the King James, New American, and New International. But it also included the Stone edition Tanach and the Douay-Rheims. In the mix of these, I started finding new influence and messages that hit my spirit and mind. It called me to self examination. This then led to a deeper prayer life. And to deeper study.

For all of this time, I had attended a Methodist church with a couple of my children and found that, like the Catholic faith, believed not in only a bread and juice remembrance of the last supper of Christ and His apostles, but in the beautiful truth of the words of Christ himself when He spoke “This is My body…and this is My blood”.

This self imposed sabbatical and longing search went beyond the month I had expected and lasted until the 3rd week of Dec this year. A former priest had passed and I went to his viewing, out of the respect that I had for him. As I stepped into the first parish I ever attended, and my Catholic home for most of my time in the faith, the noise and chaos faded away. There is that sanctuary, among the scent of the decades of incense and visuals of the life of Christ and the saints, that small still voice came. Not like a voice or whisper, but something more distant yet comforting. Only 2 words, “you’re home”.

This, the 4th Sunday of Advent, I returned to the little parish I had stepped out of months ago. As I sat there, taking in the visuals of Advent and the liturgical music and homily, I found myself with an inner peace that I had not had in awhile. Like someone who had left home and traveled the world, only to return to the place he was raised, I had indeed come home. That type of peace can only truly be found in a home.

During my 50 plus years I have been protestant and Catholic, Christian and pagan. During my walks outside of the faith of Christ, the pagan pantheons never answered, spoke, or given me any divine inspiration. And of my 25 years as a Christian, first as a protestant Christian and now as Roman Catholic Christian, this is the first encounter with that small still voice.

While the pagan pantheons are once again raising their heads, and yes infighting between Christians and the Pope himself having and promoting heretical ideas, have I seen for myself that one light and hope in this world of darkness. An old country tradition is to leave a candle lit in a window to guide home those that wander off from the homestead. Mine was the only light brighter than a million suns. When others have dimmed and gone out, this light will shine for an eternity.

The revelation of the Apocalypse witness and recorded by St. John on Patmos said that the Light of God will be so bright in Heaven and the new Jerusalem that there will be no need of a physical sun. That is the light that leads me, that calls me, and the comforts me.

What I thought was to be only a few weeks brought me back at a perfect time for a new beginning. What a better place and time to start a new and refreshed path than at a little cave hewn out as a place of birth for beginning of our Salvation. To behold the One that created the whole of everything and yet started His human life the way we all do.

May God the Father always guide you, bring you unto Himself through Christ the Lord, endow you with the Holy Spirit in wisdom and guidance, and comfort you on your journey through this temporary landscape of life.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Grace At Utos

Tila isang kontrobersya sa mga tagasunod ni Cristo na ang artikulong ito ay tatangkang tumulong sa pagtatapos. Ito ang argumento ng hindi sa ilalim ng batas dahil sa biyaya at awa sa pamamagitan ng malaglag na dugo ni Cristo mula sa krus. Nakalimutan ng mga tao na gumawa ng pagkakaiba sa pagitan ng mga batas tulad ng nakasulat sa mga libro ni Moises. Magsimula tayo doon.

Mayroong dalawang hanay ng mga batas. Ang isa ay ang mga batas na isinulat mismo ng Diyos sa Sinai. Ang Sampung Utos na ito ay ang batas na moral. Hatiin sa utos lima, nakasulat sila sa dalawang mga tablet na bato. Natagpuan mo ang mga ito sa Exodo 20: 1-17. Sinasabi sa amin ng mga batas na ito kung paano haharapin ang aming kaugnayan sa Diyos ( Tablet 1, Mga Utos 1-4 ) at ang aming kaugnayan sa aming kapwa tao ( Tablet 2, Mga Utos 5-10 ). Ang mga batas na ito ay hindi maaaring at hindi kailanman magbabago. Ang mga batas na ito ay nasa lugar bago pa man isulat ng Diyos ang mga ito sa bato. Sinasabi sa atin ng Banal na Kasulatan ito sa iba’t ibang mga sipi ( Hebreo 13: 8; Malakias 3: 6; Isaias 40: 8; Et al ).

Nariyan ang mga batas na Levitical. Ang mga batas na ito ay ibinigay kay Moises sa salita, hindi bato, upang sumulat sa mga Israelita. Sakop ng mga batas na ito ang mga isyung panlipunan, ligal na isyu, at mga isyu sa sakripisyo na inilaan para sa mga Israelita. Ang mga ito ay nakikita sa buong mga libro ni Moises, simula sa Sampung Utos. Narito kung saan nangyayari ang problema.

Hinahayaan tingnan ang paglalagay ng dalawang pangkat ng batas ( Utos at Levitical ). Ang dalawang tapyas na bato ( ay nasira matapos na matagpuan ni Moises ang gintong guya na sinasamba at muling isinulat ng Diyos ) ay inilagay sa Arka ng Tipan ( Deut. 10: 1-20…Sa oras na iyon sinabi sa akin ni Adonai, ‘ Mag-ukit para sa iyong sarili ng dalawang tablet ng bato tulad ng mga una at lumapit sa Akin sa bundok. Gawin ang iyong sarili ng isang arka ng kahoy. Isusulat ko sa mga tablet ang mga salitang nasa unang mga tablet na iyong sinampal, at ilalagay mo ito sa arka. ’ ). Inilagay sila roon kasama ang mga tauhan nina Aaron at Manna, ayon sa liham sa mga Hebreo ni Paul ( Hebreo 9: 4b… Sa arka ay isang gintong garapon na humahawak sa mana, baras ni Aaron na namumuko, at ang mga tapyas ng tipan ). Ang lahat ng tatlo sa mga ito ay kumakatawan kay Jesucristo. Ang mga Utos na mga batas ng Diyos mula sa batas ay nagbibigay kay Jesus, ang mga tauhan ni Aaron ( na kumakatawan kay Cristo bilang ating Mataas na Saserdote, at Manna ( ang tinapay ng buhay na si Jesus ).

Ang Levitical Laws o Batas ni Moises ay inilagay nang iba ( Deuteronomio 31: 25-26…Inutusan ni Moises ang mga Levita, mga tagadala ng Arka ng Tipan ni Adonai na sinasabi, “ Kunin ang scroll na ito ng Torah, at ilagay ito sa tabi ng Arka ng Tipan ni Adonai na iyong Diyos. Mananatili ito doon bilang isang saksi laban sa iyo, ). Ang hanay ng mga batas na ito ay nagbubuklod bilang isang tipan sa pagitan ng Diyos at ng mga Israelita. Sapagkat ang Kautusan ng Diyos ( Sampung Utos ay nakasalalay sa lahat ng sangkatauhan mula sa simula hanggang sa wakas.

Ang debate ay nagmula sa Roma 6:14 …. ”Sapagka’t ang kasalanan ay hindi magiging kapangyarihan sa iyo, sapagkat ikaw ay wala sa ilalim ng batas ngunit sa ilalim ng biyaya ”. At habang ang talatang ito na nakatayo nang nag-iisa ay maaaring ipakita na ang biyaya hindi ang pagtatalo ng batas ay tama, Kailangang makuha ito sa konteksto at sa iba pang mga talata na nakapaligid dito. Ang buong ideya ay tulad ng, “ Samakatuwid huwag hayaan ang kasalanan na mamuno sa iyong mortal na katawan upang sundin mo ang mga nais nito. At huwag mong panatilihin ang iyong mga bahagi ng katawan upang magkasala bilang mga kasangkapan ng kasamaan; ngunit ibigay ang iyong sarili sa Diyos bilang mga buhay mula sa mga patay, at ang iyong katawan ay bahagi bilang mga tool ng katuwiran sa Diyos. Sapagka’t ang kasalanan ay hindi magiging kapangyarihan sa iyo, sapagkat ikaw ay wala sa ilalim ng batas kundi sa ilalim ng biyaya. Ano ngayon? Magkasala ba tayo dahil hindi tayo nasa ilalim ng batas ngunit sa ilalim ng biyaya? Nawa’y hindi kailanman! Hindi mo ba nalalaman na sa anumang ibigay mo sa iyong sarili bilang mga alipin sa pagsunod, ikaw ay alipin sa iyong sinusunod — kung ang kasalanan na nagreresulta sa kamatayan, o sa pagsunod na nagreresulta sa katuwiran? Ngunit salamat sa Diyos na kahit na ikaw ay mga alipin ng kasalanan, buong puso mong sinunod ang anyo ng turo kung saan ka inilagay; at pagkatapos mong malaya sa kasalanan, ikaw ay inalipin sa katuwiran. Nagsasalita ako sa mga termino ng tao dahil sa kahinaan ng iyong laman. Sapagka’t kung paanong ibigay mo ang iyong mga bahagi ng katawan bilang mga alipin sa karumihan at kawalan ng batas, na humahantong sa higit na pagkakasala, kaya’t ibigay mo ngayon ang iyong mga bahagi ng katawan bilang mga alipin sa katuwiran, na nagreresulta sa kabanalan. Sapagka’t noong ikaw ay mga alipin ng kasalanan, malaya kang may kinalaman sa katuwiran. Kung gayon, anong kinalabasan mo na nahihiya ka na ngayon? Para sa pagtatapos ng mga bagay na iyon ay kamatayan. Ngunit ngayon, na napalaya mula sa kasalanan at naging alipin sa Diyos, mayroon kang bunga na nagreresulta sa kabanalan. At ang kinalabasan ay buhay na walang hanggan. Sapagkat ang pagbabayad ng kasalanan ay kamatayan, ngunit ang mabait na regalo ng Diyos ay buhay na walang hanggan sa Mesiyas Yeshua na ating Panginoon. ” ( Roma 6: 12-23, TLV )

Ang buong pagbabasa ay nagpapakita na dahil lamang sa isang tao sa ilalim ng biyaya, hindi nito kinumpirma ang pagtatapos ng Batas ng Diyos ( ang Mga Utos ). Muling inulit ni Pablo ang puntong iyon sa ilang magkakaibang taludtod. Roma 3: 19-20 “ Ngayon alam natin na anuman ang sinabi ng Torah, sinasabi nito sa mga nasa loob ng Torah, upang ang bawat bibig ay maaaring ikulong at ang buong mundo ay maaaring maging mananagot sa Diyos. Para sa walang tao, batay sa pagsunod sa Torah, ay itatakda mismo sa Kanyang paningin — sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng Torah ay may kamalayan sa kasalanan. ” At naiiba ang sinasabi niya, ngunit may mas mahusay na kalinawan sa Roma 7: 7-12 “ Ano ang sasabihin natin noon? Kasalanan ba ang Torah? Nawa’y hindi kailanman! Sa kabaligtaran, hindi ko malalaman ang kasalanan maliban sa pamamagitan ng Torah. Sapagka’t hindi ko malalaman ang tungkol sa pag-iimbot kung hindi sinabi ng Torah, “ Hindi ka mag-iimbot. ” Ngunit ang kasalanan, kumuha ng isang pagkakataon, ay nagtrabaho sa akin sa pamamagitan ng utos ng lahat ng uri ng pag-iimbot. Para sa bukod sa Torah, patay na ang kasalanan. Minsan nabuhay ako bukod sa Torah; ngunit nang dumating ang utos, nabuhay ang kasalanan at namatay ako. Ang utos na inilaan para sa buhay ay natagpuan na magdulot ng kamatayan. Ang kasalanan, na kumukuha ng isang pagkakataon sa pamamagitan ng utos, niloko ako at sa pamamagitan nito ay pinatay ako. Kung gayon, ang Torah ay banal, at ang utos ay banal at matuwid at mabuti. ”

Ang sinasabi ni Pablo ay ang mga utos ay may bisa kahit na pagkatapos ng biyaya. Tutukso pa rin ang diyablo at ang kalikasan ng tao ay ang kasalanan pa rin. At sa sandaling natanggap ang kapatawaran ng biyaya, ang diyablo ay nakikipaglaban nang higit pa upang maibalik ang isang nawala sa Diyos.

Ngunit huwag lamang makinig kay Paul. Sinabi mismo ni Jesus na ang mga Batas ng Diyos ay may bisa pa rin. “ Amen, sinasabi ko sa iyo, hanggang sa mawala ang langit at lupa, hindi ang pinakamaliit na liham o serif ay mawawala sa Torah hanggang sa maganap ang lahat ng mga bagay. ” ( Mateo 5:18, TLV )

Ang pangitain ni Juan sa Patmos ay nagsabi rin. “ Narito ang tiyaga ng kedoshim — yaong mga sumusunod sa mga utos ng Diyos at ang pananampalataya ng Yeshua. ” ( Apocalipsis 14:12 ). Sa teksto ng Hebreong Rabbinical, ang Kedoshim ay nangangahulugang ‘ Holy Ones ’. Isinalin ng KJV ang salitang ito bilang mga banal. Ang tiyaga ay nangangahulugang pagpunta sa distansya, nakakakita ng isang bagay hanggang sa wakas. Tulad ng nakikita mo sa talatang ito, upang dumaan sa katapusan ng oras, at basahin ang iyong pangalan sa Aklat ng Buhay ng Kordero ay tumatagal ng pananampalataya na si Kristo ( biyaya ) at ang mga utos ( Mga Batas ) ng Diyos.

Nang sinabi ni Kristo na tapos na ito bago siya namatay sa krus, nangangahulugan na ang presyo ng pagtubos ay nabayaran para sa mga tumanggap nito. Sinasabi sa atin ni Apostol James sa Santiago 2: 14-26 ‘ Ano ang kabutihan nito, mga kapatid ko, kung may nagsasabing siya ay may pananampalataya, ngunit walang gawa? Maaari bang mailigtas siya ng gayong pananampalataya? Kung ang isang kapatid na lalaki o kapatid na babae ay hubad at kulang sa pang-araw-araw na pagkain, at ang isa sa iyo ay nagsabi sa kanila, “ Pumasok sa shalom, panatilihing mainit at maayos ang pagkain,” ngunit hindi mo sila binibigyan kung ano ang kailangan ng katawan, ano ang mabuti? Gayundin ang pananampalataya, kung wala itong mga gawa, ay patay na mismo. Ngunit sasabihin ng isang tao, “ Mayroon kang pananampalataya at mayroon akong mga gawa. ” Ipakita mo sa akin ang iyong pananampalataya nang walang mga gawa at ipapakita ko sa iyo ang pananampalataya sa pamamagitan ng aking mga gawa. Naniniwala ka na ang Diyos ay iisa. Magaling ka. Naniniwala rin ang mga demonyo — at pag-ungol! Ngunit nais mong malaman, ikaw ay walang laman, ang pananalig na walang gawa ay patay? Hindi ba si Abraham na aming ama ay napatunayan na matuwid sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa nang ihandog niya si Isaac na kanyang anak sa dambana? Nakita mo na ang pananampalataya ay nagtulungan kasama ang kanyang mga gawa, at sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa ay kumpleto ang kanyang pananampalataya. Natupad ang Banal na Kasulatan na nagsasabing, “ At naniniwala si Abraham sa Diyos, at ito ay na-kredito sa kanya bilang katuwiran ” — at tinawag siyang kaibigan ng Diyos. Nakikita mo na ang isang tao ay napatunayan na matuwid sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa at hindi sa pamamagitan lamang ng pananampalataya. At gayon din, hindi ba si Rahab na puta ay nagpatunay din na matuwid sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa nang tanggapin niya ang mga messenger at pinauwi sila sa ibang paraan? Sapagkat tulad ng katawan na walang espiritu ay patay, gayon din ang pananampalataya na walang gawa ay patay. ’

Ang mga gawa na pinag-uusapan ay kung paano namin haharapin ang ating kapwa. Habang sumasaklaw ito sa mga gawa ng awa ( nagawa ang gutom, bisitahin ang may sakit, et al ) kasama rin dito ang mga utos. Tandaan, na ang huling anim na utos ay nagsasabi sa amin ng moral na paraan upang makitungo sa ating kapwa tao.

Ang batas ng Levitical ( sakripisyo, seremonya, atbp ) ay natapos sa krus. Ito ang kahulugan ng pahayag ni Cristo tungkol sa ginagawa. Ang dugo ngayon ay sakop sa biyaya kung ano ang mga sakripisyo, mga batas sa seremonya, at mga ligal na batas na inilaan para sa …. hinaharap na pagtubos sa sakripisyo ni Kristo. Ito ay ipinahayag sa pagpunit ng belo sa pagitan ng Banal na Lugar at ng Banal ng mga Banal sa templo. ‘ At sumigaw muli si Yeshua ng malakas na tinig at isinuko ang Kanyang espiritu. At narito, ang kurtina ng Templo ay nahati sa dalawa, mula sa itaas hanggang sa ibaba. ’ ( Mateo 27: 50-51, TLV )

Ang luha na ito ay nagbukas ng pagkakaroon ng Diyos sa lahat nang hindi dumaan sa sakripisyo sa looban, ang pari sa Banal na lugar, at ang takip ng arka sa dugo ng hayop ng sakripisyo. Ang Mga Utos ( Batas ng Diyos ) hindi ang mga Batas ni Moises ay nasa paligid mula pa bago ibigay ang mga Utos sa Sinai.

Narito ang isang katanungan upang pagnilayan. Kung si Kristo mismo, ang mga Apostol, at ang mga manunulat ng Lumang Tipan ay nagsasabi na ang Kautusan ng Diyos, tulad ng Diyos, ay hindi nagbabago, kung gayon bakit ang debate? At bakit ang mga nagsasabing sumunod kay Cristo ay nagtatalo sa kung aling mga utos na dapat sundin? Kung kukuha ng parehong Pananampalataya kay Cristo ( biyaya ng pagtubos sa pamamagitan ng dugo ) at ang Mga Utos ( Batas ng Diyos ) upang maisagawa ito sa muling pagkabuhay ng mga matuwid, hindi ba dapat nating sundin ang kaluwalhatian?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Healed or Restored?

‘On a different Shabbat, Yeshua entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there, whose right hand was paralyzed. But closely watching Him were the Torah scholars and Pharisees, to see if He heals on Shabbat, so that they might find grounds to accuse Him. But He knew their opinions and said to the man with the paralyzed hand. “Get up and stand in our midst.” And getting up, the man stood.

Yeshua said to them, “I ask you, is it permitted on Shabbat to do good or to do evil, to save or destroy a life?” Then looking around at everyone, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed among themselves what they might do to Yeshua.’ (Luke 6:6-11, TLV)

To start out this article, the Tree of Life Version of Holy Scripture is used. It uses the original Hebrew wording. If you use a different version, you will understand the translation variances.

What is read in most translations is fairly simple. Yeshua (Jesus) healed a man on the Sabbath and the powers that be did not like it. But reading it translated from Hebrew, we find a telling message. So, let’s break it down.

In the KJV, the term Scribes is used. For understanding, Scribes are generally seen as those who write. Many translations use this term, meaning those with the Pharisees were those that wrote Holy Scripture. Using translations from Hebrew, we see that they were actually those that taught and studied the Torah (the 5 books of Moses commonly translated as the law). The Hebrew terminology needs to be understood so the reader can see that those present were the religious leadership and those that taught the law.

This is an important point when Yeshua is asking the question of what is permitted on Shabbat. He asked a specific question, knowing that those around him were well versed in the Mosaic law as opposed to the laws that the Pharisees input as regulation. The fact that the were not quoted as saying anything, shows that they understood Yeshua was silently telling them that their version of Mosaic law was not the true interpretation of the law.

The second thing we see is that mercy by Adoni through Yeshua restores, not heals. The is a difference. To heal means just to fix an issue. While restore means to put back into original form. Ask any car person whether they want a 1956 Thunderbird fixed or restored. You get the point.

This story follows the story of Yeshua and the Apostles in the fields on Shabbat (Luke 6:1-5). Where Yeshua stated that Shabbat was made for man (Genesis 2:1-3) and that the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat.

What we find in this story is that the Torah, while still being in effect for all generations, was tampered with by the religious elite that used their version of the Torah to control the people and get wealthy.

BUT, the most important thing is the restoration of the man’s hand. The story is a foreshadowing of the power of restoration of those who follow Yeshua at the time of our entering into His eternal kingdom. Not only will our bodies be restored but we will be restored to what humanity was meant to be before the fall in the garden.

This is why, the Hebrew translation of restoration is a better wording than just healing. The healing of man’s walk away from the things of Adoni is good. Restoration by Yeshua’s grace and mercy through His shed blood is best. While on this planet we are healed through that sacrifice in faith. In the world to come, we shall be restored to Holy perfection.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

I Went Back to the Well

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”.

We have all seen followers of Christ that have veered off course, started to follow the money and fame, or even left the faith. Something can happen to cause doubt and wandering in a Christian. Whether its the cares of this world, the money that can be had by fame, or simple a wrong turn. The losing of the first love, the fire and zeal one has for the study and preaching/teaching of Jesus and the only means of salvation, the Cross.

That was where I found myself for about the last year. I didn’t walk away or follow some money scheme.I just lost the fire and zeal of the love of Jesus the Christ. A couple years, I left the Catholic church and set out on what turned out to be a journey. I went from the Catholic church back to my Protestant roots.

I went from Roman Catholic to a local Pentecostal church, the Healing Ministries Church of God of Mountain Assembly. I had been there a few times, saw my oldest son saved and baptized there. But felt it wasn’t for me.

And I ended up being a partial Calvinist. I say partial because I could get behind all of the points of TULIP (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Preserving Grace). The petal of this flower I had issue with was the Calvinist view of election. I could merge this with the concept of freewill and the words “Whosoever” from verses like John 3:16 and Acts 10:43. So I knew I could no longer be a Calvinist.

Now I was at at point that I tried the Healing Ministries church again. This time it was an older pastor who had been pastor at the church before. He is an old-timey preacher. Everything in his messages leads one back to the cross. I knew people that went there and figured I need a church, so why not. Pastor Wright became a mentor to me. I suppose you could say more of a grandfather to me, although we are only 30 years apart.

But even that, after awhile, I felt like I needed to be there. So I left the board and church and found myself back in the Roman Catholic Church. I think it was more because I knew the mechanics of the faith. By mechanics, I mean the set prayers (Rosary, Magnificat), the procedure of the service (the ups, downs, kneels, etc), and the celebrations (required Holy days, the Eucharist). But after a time, I found myself being pulled to the Eastern Churches (Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox). Having already determined that the Pope is the Bishop of Rome and not the prime ruler over Christendom, I became an Orthodox Catechumen in the Antiochian Church.

It still had the mechanics (although a slightly different style) and the belief were almost the same as the Roman Church. So I traded the Rosary for the Jesus Prayer, which I still recommend people to pray from time to time because it is the prayer that gives all 4 main points of a prayer and is scriptural. “Lord Jesus Christ (name and position on the faith), Son of God (who He is), Have mercy on me (what we seek), A sinner (what we are)”. But in time, I found myself praying for something more than mechanics.

I found myself prayer for the zeal and the fire I had when I gave myself to Jesus in 1996. During my prayer regime (the Orthodox call it a prayer rule), the point of prayers when the Jesus prayer is said, it is 10 prayers followed by a personal prayer. This is done 5 times for a total of 50 Jesus prayers and 5 personal prayers said in a prostate position. For those who don’t know, the prostate position is face to the ground, forehead touching the floor. A position of submission to God’s sovereignty. During the personal prayers I cried out to God to fix in me what was broken so I could have that fire for Christ and the Cross that I had decades before. It consumed me, this longing for the walk I once had. And while there were times over the decades that it would flicker, it never became full flame again.

This last week, before Sunday last, I was told that Pastor Wright was having health issues, so I decided to o to Healing Ministries so that I could check on him after service. Something in me started to make itself known, so to speak, during the sermon. Not much because of the message, although Pastor Wright always had a way preaching that makes one think the message is for them (that’s the prodding of the Holy Spirit).

Those under the umbrella of Pentecostal faith believe in healing. I also do because I have seen it in my own family. At the end of the service I walked down to see how Pastor Wright was doing. I didn’t even get to ask. I got to the point where I said how great the message was and how I felt like I belonged there (at least for that day) and that’s when things took a different turn. The floodgates opened and I found myself unable to talk.

Pastor Wright laid his hand on my shoulder and started praying. I felt a heat inside that I hadn’t felt in almost three decades. By the time he was done, a small group (including a dear friend) were at my side praying jointly with Pastor Wright. I went to check on his health and the Holy Spirit used him to heal my struggling soul.

The stories of well’s in scripture are a metaphor and symbol of the life giving water that is Jesus. “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:6-14).

I found on that Sunday that sometimes, the best place for a Christian to go is back to the well. For us country folk, going back to the well means going back to the beginning. For me, this meant going back to my Protestant roots to a place and person that are so dear to me. While the fire is still starting to reignite, its no longer smoldering in ash. I had forgotten the Cross and replaced it with church mechanics. I had to be shown the thing that matters in this life. The Cross of Christ, the cleansing blood, and the empty tomb. The Cross and the cleansing blood washes away the sin and the empty tomb is the sign of hope of redemption in Christ. Something I needed reminded of.

People today expect concert style entertainment and a soft message in church. And God may use those (He is Sovereign and does as He wills). But never putdown a grandfatherly Cross/Sin/Hellfire/Need of redemption preacher in a backwoods little throwback church. Because I found that the well in those old country walls has the most refreshing Living Water of Christ one can ever drink.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Immaculate Conception of Mary, is it logically and theoretically possible? My answer is yes. And the truth.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you”. (Luke 1:26-28)

There has been the debate about Mary’s status, particularly on two points. The conception and her perpetual virginity. Today, we will look at the first point. It is the theology of the Holy Catholic Church, that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. The original sin spoken of in this regard is the consequence of the sin of Adam in Eden. ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:’ (Romans 5:12) For the understanding of this article, it means the desire or propensity to sin.

All people are born with a propensity to sin, once they reach the understanding what right and wrong are. One first has to know what is a sin. In simple terms, sin is any action, word, or thought that goes against the will and commands of God. Sin we are born into a fallen world, we have that propensity to do what is right to us. So looking at what sin is, comes the discussion on whether Mary could have been conceived without that original stain.

We will look at scripture and definition to determine, not if she was but if it is theoretically possible. To definitively say if she was (which is the way my belief leans) starts the discussion off with a loss of ability to make a true presentation. The purpose of this article is to make the reader at least come to the conclusion that it is a possibility. Non-Catholics, in general, say a definitive no. Catholics speak with a definitive yes. Both disallow for a truly open discussion.

Scripture says that all have sinned. ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;’ (Romans 3:23) So, to make clear, this statement is not in dispute. So then the question. If all have sinned, how can she be conceived without sin? And the understanding by most Christians that only Jesus himself was conceived and born without sin.That understanding is bionically wrong. Scripture shows three were born without sin. Jesus, God in flesh definitely was since He is God. So who are the other two?

Adam and Eve of course. But you may say, they were created from the dirt and you would be right. But look at the wording about them and then look in anther book of scripture.’And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul’. (Genesis 2:7) ‘And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man’. (Genesis 2:21-22) In these two passages, we see that man is created and given life through the breath of God. This is echoed in David ‘I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well’. (Psalm 139:14) These passages show conception as being made and the breathe of life would be birth. So keep that in mind. Adam and Eve were made (conceived) prior to having the breath of life (birth).

They were made (conceived) sinless. Sin didn’t enter into their being until the whole fruit incident. ‘Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat’. (Genesis 3:1-13)

Now that scripture has shown that Adam and Eve began with no sin, it sets one perimeter of discussion. The knowledge that Jesus was not the only one in the history of man to be born in a sinless state. While Adam and Eve were sinless at the beginning, they still weren’t perfect. Only Jesus was perfect, the whole being God part. The other perimeter for this discussion is God being sovereign. The first understanding of this is the fact He created everything that came into existence. (Genesis) The second understanding of His sovereignty is that He is in charge. ‘Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases’. (Psalm 115:3)

Now, we will look at the greeting by Gabriel. Full of grace. Full, by definition (it has two as an adjective in how it is used in the passage). 1) containing or holding as much as possible; having no empty space. 2) not lacking or omitting anything; complete. Grace, the Greek word used in the original form is ‘charis’. The definition of charis is: divine favor and the gift of salvation. So by definition, Full of Grace means Mary had been given as much divine favor and salvation as she needed. Sinless. That does not mean she no longer has the ability to sin. It means she did not have the desire or will to sin.

So at this point, I can hear the statement, ‘that does not mean she was conceived without sin’. But it also does not prove she wasn’t. Scripture shows us to normal human beings that were born without (created) without sin, since sin was not present at their creation. That combined with the fact, the angel Gabriel said she was Full of Grace, shows that she had all the grace she needed. And the final fact of God’s sovereignty to do as He wills. Unless one knows the mind of God, which one doesn’t. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts’. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Is anyone in the real position to say she was not conceived and born without original sin? Are you willing to place your understanding against the Sovereign God doing what He wants? So historically, logically and theoretically it is possible. I’ll ask when I get there.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Journey of Faith in Battle

It has been a time since I have written and posted. I have been on a journey of transition from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy. This journey has been a long one. I left RC and became more of a Calvinist. Sola Scriptura (scripture alone) led me back to the RC parish I had left. But this was just a step in a direction that God had for me.

I found something still lacking in the western church. It was not the Eucharist, as this is the whole moment that the Mass is about. But I didn’t feel like I belonged there and started attending the Eastern Catholic church. In that, I found the beauty of the ancient of traditions in the way the service (Divine Liturgy) was presented. The fluidity of beginning to end, the scents and aromas, the singing and chants. I started to fell a drawing. But there was something still lacking.

It was this longing that made me seek out the ancient church, Eastern Orthodoxy. A church more in line with style and teaching of the first century Church. The Antiochian Church is where the followers of Christ (the Way) were first called Christians.

I started as an inquirer. This is a section of time to ask questions, attend Divine Liturgy, and seek God’s guidance. A made the decision after this period to become a Catechumen. This is a student’s learning period. It will go from the New Year of the liturgy and find fulfillment of this period at Pascha (Easter).

But here is why I now write. Since making that decision, I have been fighting a spiritual battle that I had not had. I have always struggled between faith and personal desires. All Christians have this fight in varying levels. But for me, it was a fight unlike I have been used to. The desires of my human flesh fought intensely against my faith in God. A battle that consumed my. Passions I didn’t know that cold be that intense and overpowering. Battling my full desire to follow God through Christ.

This fight, I still deal with. Although not as all consuming, but still a hard fight. I know I am in the right church and walk of faith. The powers of darkness do not fight so hard against something that isn’t of God. This is not a message of defeat, nor a message of my abilities. But a message of the fact that it takes God alone in our battle to defeat the powers of darkness and evil. If life gets hard, the battle gets vicious, it means two things. First, you no longer belong to the dark. Second, remember it is God alone that we find our strength.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

La Didaché: Capítulos 1-3

Esta es la Didaché. Son las enseñanzas de los Apóstoles que siguen al Nuevo Testamento. Los cristianos, en su conjunto, hemos dejado que los vientos de los pensamientos políticos y subversivos se conviertan en doctrina. La Didaché es la enseñanza escrita más antigua que se conoce de los Apóstoles fuera de las Epístolas.

Hemos olvidado las enseñanzas de los que siguieron inmediatamente después de los Apóstoles, conocidos como los padres apostólicos. Esta instrucción escrita para los cristianos se sitúa entre las Epístolas y las obras de los Padres Apostólicos. Los Padres Apostólicos fueron los maestros cristianos de primera y segunda generación que siguieron inmediatamente a los Apóstoles originales de Cristo.

Hoy comparto el primer capítulo de la Didajé. Ya sea leyendo o escuchando, encuentra la fe de Cristo.

Cristianos, es hora de que dejemos de lado las interpretaciones personales y sigamos las palabras de los primeros cristianos. En la cultura cancelada, despertada, y el mundo guiado por Satanás de hoy (especialmente aquí en los EE.UU. y la civilización occidental) es vital volver a los fundamentos del principio. Dejar de permitir que el pecado sea levantado y los justos rebajados.

“Ay de vosotros que llamáis al mal bien, y al bien mal; que ponéis las tinieblas por luz, y la luz por tinieblas; que ponéis lo amargo por dulce, y lo dulce por amargo. Ay de vosotros, que sois sabios en vuestros propios ojos, y prudentes en vuestras propias ideas. Ay de vosotros, que sois poderosos para beber vino, y robustos para la embriaguez. Que justificáis al impío por las dádivas, y le quitáis la justicia al justo. Por tanto, como la lengua del fuego devora el rastrojo, y el calor de la llama lo consume, así su raíz será ceniza, y su brote subirá como polvo; porque desecharon la ley del Señor de los ejércitos, y blasfemaron la palabra del Santo de Israel. Por eso se encendió la ira de Jehová contra su pueblo, y extendió su mano sobre él, y lo hirió; y los montes se turbaron, y sus cadáveres quedaron como estiércol en medio de las calles. Por todo esto su ira no se aparta, sino que su mano está aún extendida”. (Isaías 5:20-25) Douay-Rheims

Este es sólo el primer capítulo. Durante las próximas dos semanas, haré un capítulo por semana hasta completar la Didajé.

Leamos, pues, las palabras de los Apóstoles y oremos para que nos guíen.

LA ENSEÑANZA DE LOS DOCE APÓSTOLES A LAS NACIONES, CONOCIDA COMO LA DIDAJÉ

INTRODUCCIÓN L a Didajé, Διδαχή, o Enseñanza de los Doce Apóstoles, es un texto de los primeros tiempos del cristianismo que la mayoría de los estudiosos sitúan en el siglo I o principios del II. La Didaché fue muy apreciada por muchos autores y teólogos de los primeros tiempos del cristianismo. Atanasio de Alejandría (†373) la recomendó a los conversos, y tuvo una gran influencia en las Constituciones Apostólicas (375). Antes de que se estableciera formalmente el canon del Nuevo Testamento en el año 692, varios cánones bíblicos incluían la Didaché; Juan de Damasco (†749) fue también un destacado partidario. El texto desapareció y se perdió durante siglos, hasta que fue redescubierto en 1873 por Philotheos Bryennios, metropolitano de Nicomedia. Hoy en día se suele incluir entre los escritos cristianos de segunda generación conocidos como los Padres Apostólicos. La primera sección de la Didaché, “Los dos caminos”, es un tratado sobre la teología, la moral y la conducta cristianas básicas. Los catecúmenos (conversos en formación) eran instruidos en sus enseñanzas antes de ser bautizados. La segunda sección trata de la administración de varios sacramentos: el bautismo, la eucaristía (santa comunión) y la unción con aceite. La tercera sección trata de las relaciones entre los cristianos, ofreciendo una instrucción práctica sobre diferentes tipos de hospitalidad. También da una idea de la jerarquía clerical de la Iglesia primitiva, que incluía instituciones conocidas como el episcopado (obispos) y el diaconado (diáconos), y también instituciones que cayeron en desuso desde el principio, como los profetas (los que hablaban en lenguas). Hay que tener en cuenta que, en esta época de la historia cristiana, no existía una clase distinta de clérigos que fueran presbíteros (sacerdotes). La comunidad cristiana era pequeña, y todavía no había necesidad de delegar las funciones sacerdotales de un obispo en el clero inferior; los obispos dirigían personalmente la iglesia en el culto en cada comunidad cristiana. La sección final es un breve apocalipsis, o revelación del fin de los tiempos. Esto es notable, ya que la Didaché fue escrita probablemente incluso antes del libro del Apocalipsis, que no fue aceptado universalmente en el Nuevo Testamento hasta el siglo VII. Aunque la Didajé no se incluyó en el canon final del Nuevo Testamento, es un manual útil para la vida cristiana, incluso hoy en día. Las enseñanzas básicas del Evangelio se condensan en piezas de sabiduría e instrucción de fácil comprensión, y se obtiene una visión de la liturgia y el culto cristianos del siglo I. La Didaché es un libro en el que todos los cristianos pueden encontrar apoyo. La Escritura se entrelaza con las claras enseñanzas del texto, demostrando por qué el libro era tan querido y apreciado por la Iglesia primitiva.

LA DIDACHE

Capítulo 1

LOS DOS CAMINOS Hay dos caminos, uno de vida y otro de muerte, y hay una gran diferencia entre los dos caminos.a El camino de la vida es éste. En primer lugar, amarás al Dios que te hizo. En segundo lugar, amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.b Y todo lo que no quieras que te hagan a ti, no lo hagas a otra persona.c Ahora bien, la enseñanza de estas palabras es ésta. Bendecid a los que os maldicen,d y rezad por vuestros enemigos, y ayudad por los que os persiguen.e Porque, ¿qué mérito tenéis si amáis a los que os aman?f ¿No hacen lo mismo los pueblos de las naciones?g Pero amad a los que os odian,h y no tendréis enemigo.i Absteneos de los deseos de la carne y de la carne. j Si alguien os golpea en la mejilla derecha, ponedle también la otra mejilla,k y seréis perfectos. l Si alguien te obliga a recorrer una milla, recorre con él dos millas.m Si alguien te quita el abrigo, dale también la camisa.n Si alguien te quita lo que es tuyo,o no exijas que te lo devuelvan,p porque no puedes.q A cualquiera que te pida algo, dáselo y no le pidas que te lo devuelva,r porque el Padre quiere que se den dones a todos de sus propias riquezas. Bienaventurado el que da caritativamente según el mandamiento, porque es irreprochable. Ay del que recibe. Si un necesitado recibe la caridad, es irreprochable, pero al que no está necesitado se le pedirán cuentas de por qué la aceptó. Y al ser encarcelado, será interrogado sobre sus actos, y no será liberado hasta que haya devuelto hasta el último céntimo.s En efecto, también se ha dicho Deja que tu limosna sude en tus manos, hasta que hayas discernido a quién le darás.

EL SEGUNDO MANDAMIENTO

Este es el segundo mandamiento de la enseñanza. No asesinarás.t No cometerás adulterio.u No serás sexualmente perverso.v No serás sexualmente promiscuo.w No robarás.x No practicarás la magia.

No practicarás la hechicería.z No asesinarás a un niño por medio del aborto, ni matarás a un niño al nacer. No codiciarás las cosas de tu prójimo.a No cometerás perjurio.b No levantarás falso testimonio.c No hablarás mal.d No guardarás rencor.e No serás de doble ánimo ni de doble lengua, porque la doble lengua es un lazo de muerte.f Tus palabras no serán falsas ni vacías, sino que se cumplirán con tus actos. No serás avaro,g ni estafador, ni hipócrita, ni malhumorado, ni orgulloso. No conspirarás contra tu prójimo. No odiarás a nadie, sino que reprenderás a algunos, y orarás por otros, y a otros los amarás más que a tu propia vida.

LAS “CERCAS”

Hijo mío, aléjate de todo lo malo y de todo lo que se le parezca. No te enojes, porque la ira conduce al asesinato. No seas celoso, ni discutidor, ni de mal genio; porque todas estas cosas engendran el asesinato. Hijo mío, no seas lujurioso, porque la lujuria lleva a la promiscuidad sexual. No hables con obscenidad, ni tengas los ojos desviados; porque todo esto da origen a la promiscuidad. Hija mía, no te ocupes de los presagios, pues eso lleva a la idolatría. No seas un encantador, ni un astrólogo, ni un mago; ni siquiera estés cerca de esas cosas; porque todas ellas dan lugar a la idolatría. Hijo mío, no seas mentiroso, pues eso lleva al robo. No seas avaro ni vanidoso, porque todo eso da origen al robo. Hijo mío, no seas quejoso, pues eso lleva a la blasfemia. No seas testarudo ni malvado, pues todo esto da lugar a la blasfemia. Sé manso, pues los mansos heredarán la tierra.i Sé paciente, y misericordioso, y sincero, y tranquilo, y bondadoso, y siempre temeroso de las palabras que has escuchado.j No te alabes a ti mismo, y no dejes que la arrogancia entre en tu alma. No juntes tu alma con una persona pomposa,k sino camina sólo con los justos y los humildes. Todo lo que te ocurra, acéptalo como bueno, sabiendo que nada se hace sin Dios. Hijo mío, acuérdate de aquel que te anuncia la palabra de Dios. Acuérdate de él de noche y de día,l y honralo como al Señor; porque dondequiera que hable, allí está el Señor mismo. Busca cada día la compañía de los santos, para que encuentres descanso en sus palabras. No provoquéis divisiones, sino llevad la paz entre los que disputan. Juzga con justicia.m No favorezcas a una de las partes cuando reprendas a otras. No tengas doble ánimo cuando consideres si una cosa debe ser o no. No extiendas la mano para recibir, para luego retirarla cuando debas dar. Si has ganado algo con tu trabajo, dalo como rescate por tus pecados. No vaciles en dar, ni te quejes cuando des, pues conoces al buen pagador de tu recompensa. No rechaces a nadie que tenga necesidad, sino que comparte todo con tu hermano, y no digas que algo es tuyo.n Porque si todos compartís las cosas celestiales, ¿cuánto más las terrenales? No relajes tu control sobre tu hijo o tu hija, sino que desde su juventud enséñales el temor de Dios. No des una orden en tu ira a tu siervo, que confía en el mismo Dios, para que no deje de temer al Dios que está sobre ambos. Porque él no llama a los hombres según la condición mundana, sino que acude a los que el Espíritu ha preparado. Y vosotros, que sois siervos, obedeced a vuestros amos como a Dios, con respeto y temor.o Abandonad toda hipocresía y todo lo que no sea agradable al Señor. No abandonéis nunca los mandamientos del Señor. Pero guardad las cosas que habéis recibido, sin añadirles ni quitarles nada.p Confesad vuestros pecados en la iglesia, y no vayáis a la oración con mala conciencia. Este es el camino de la vida.

EL CAMINO DE LA MUERTE

Pero el camino de la muerte es éste. En primer lugar, es malo y está lleno de maldiciones: el asesinato, el adulterio, la lujuria, la promiscuidad, el robo, la idolatría, las artes mágicas, la brujería, el robo, el falso testimonio, la hipocresía, la duplicidad, la traición, el orgullo, la malicia, la terquedad, la avaricia, el lenguaje soez, los celos, la arrogancia, el orgullo y la jactancia. q Perseguidores de los hombres de bien, odiando la verdad, amando la mentira, sin conocer la recompensa de la justicia, sin adherirse al bien ni al buen juicio, atentos al mal más que al bien; ni mansos ni pacientes; amando lo que no vale la pena, persiguiendo una recompensa, no teniendo misericordia de los pobres, no trabajando por los oprimidos, no reconociendo al Dios que los hizo, asesinos de niños, corruptores de la creación de Dios, apartándose de los necesitados, oprimiendo a los afligidos, defensores de los ricos, jueces injustos de los pobres: ¡pecadosos en todos los sentidos! Que seáis liberados, hijos míos, de todas estas cosas.

CONCLUSIÓN

Tened cuidado, no sea que alguien os desvíe de este camino de la justicia, porque enseña fuera de Dios. Porque si podéis llevar todo el yugo del Señor, seréis perfectos; pero si no podéis, haced todo lo que podáis.

a Jer. 21:8; Mat. 7:13. b Lev. 19:18; Mat. 22:37-39. c Mat. 7:12. d Luke 6:28; Mat. 5:44. e Luke 6:27-28; Mat. 5:44. f Luke 6:32. g Luke 6:33; Mat. 5:46-47. h Luke 6:27; Mat. 5:44. i 1 Pet. 3:13. j 1 Pet. 2:11. k Mat. 5:39; Luke 6:29. l Mat. 5:48, 19:21. m Mat. 5:41. n Mat. 5:40. o Mat. 5:42; Luke 6:30. p Luke 6:30. q Mat. 5:39. r Luke 6:30; Mat. 5:42. s Mat. 5:25, 18:34; Luke 12:58. t Exod. 20:15(13). u Exod. 20:13(14). v Lit. “You shall not corrupt boys.” w Deut. 23:17. x Exod. 20:14(15). y Deut. 18:10.

z Deut. 18:10. n Mat. 5:40. o Mat. 5:42; Luke 6:30. p Luke 6:30. q Mat. 5:39. r Luke 6:30; Mat. 5:42. s Mat. 5:25, 18:34; Luke 12:58. t Exod. 20:15(13). u Exod. 20:13(14). v Lit. “You shall not corrupt boys.” w Deut. 23:17. x Exod. 20:14(15). y Deut. 18:10. i Ps. 37:11; Mat. 5:5. j Isa. 66:2. k Rom. 12:16; Jas. 2:2-3. l Heb. 13:7. m Deut. 1:16-17; Prov. 31:9.

n Acts 4:32. o Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18–4:1. p Deut. 4:2, 12:32. q Mat. 15:19; Rom. 1:29; Gal. 5:20. r Rom. 12:9. s Ps. 4:2; Isa. 1:23. t Epistle of Barnabas 19:8.

DIDACÍA 8 – II – INSTRUCCIÓN PARA LOS CATECÚMENOS

EN RELACIÓN CON LA COMIDA Ahora bien, en lo que se refiere a la comida, observad las tradiciones lo mejor que podáis. Pero no comáis carne sacrificada a los ídolos, porque es el culto a los dioses muertos.

EN LO QUE RESPECTA AL BAUTISMO En lo que respecta al bautismo, bautizad de esta manera. Después de haberle instruido en todas estas enseñanzas, bautizad al catecúmeno en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, en agua corriente.v Pero si no tenéis agua corriente, bautizad en otra agua. Y si no puedes en agua fría, usa agua tibia. Pero si no tenéis ninguna de las dos, echad agua sobre la cabeza tres veces, en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Y antes del bautismo, que ayunen tanto el bautizador como el catecúmeno, y también los demás que puedan. Y asegúrate de que el catecúmeno ayune un día o dos antes.

No dejéis que vuestros ayunos coincidan con los de los hipócritas, pues ellos ayunan los lunes y los jueves. Guardad vuestro ayuno los miércoles y los viernes.

ORACIÓN d No oréis como los hipócritas,x sino orad como el Señor manda en su Evangelio: Padre nuestro, que estás en los cielos, santificado sea tu nombre; venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, así en la tierra como en el cielo; danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día; y perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden; y no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del maligno, porque tuyo es el poder y la gloria por los siglos de los siglos.y Reza así tres veces al día.

A propósito de la eucaristía, dad gracias de esta manera. En primer lugar, en cuanto al cáliz: Te damos gracias, Padre nuestro, por la santa vid de tu hijo David,a que nos diste a conocer por medio de tu Hijo Jesús.b Tuya es la gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Luego, en cuanto al pan partido Te damos gracias, Padre nuestro, por la vida y el conocimiento que nos diste a conocer por medio de tu Hijo Jesús. Tuya es la gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Como este pan partido fue esparcido por los montes y reunido se convirtió en uno, u . así tu Iglesia sea reunida desde los confines de la tierra en tu reino. Porque tuyos son la gloria y el poder por Jesucristo hasta los siglos de los siglos. No dejéis comer ni beber de esta Eucaristía a nadie que no haya sido bautizado en el nombre del Señor, pues sobre esto ha dicho el Señor: “No deis las cosas santas a los perros”.d Y después de haber sido saciados, dad gracias de la siguiente manera: Te damos gracias, Padre santo, por tu santo nombre, que has hecho habitar en nuestros corazones,e y por el conocimiento y la fe y la inmortalidad, que nos has dado a conocer por medio de tu Hijo Jesús. Tuya es la gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Tú, Maestro Todopoderoso, creaste todas las cosasf por amor a tu nombre, y diste de comer y beber a los hombres para que se divirtieran, para que te dieran gracias. Y nos has dado alimento y bebida espiritual y vida eterna por medio de tu Hijo.g Sobre todo, te damos gracias porque eres poderoso. Tuya es la gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Acuérdate, Señor, de tu Iglesia,h y líbrala de todo mal y perfecciónala en tu amor. Reúnela -la santificada- desde los cuatro vientosj en tu reino que le has preparado. Porque tuyos son el poder y la gloria hasta los siglos de los siglos. Que venga la gracia y que pase este mundo.k Hosanna al Dios de David.l Si alguno es santo, que venga; si no lo es, que se arrepienta. Mar’anatha. m Amén. Pero permitid a los profetas que den las gracias que deseen.

CON RESPECTO A LA UNCIÓN y en relación con el ungüento, dad gracias de la siguiente manera: Te damos gracias, Padre nuestro, por el fragante ungüento que nos has dado a conocer por medio de tu Hijo Jesús. Tuya es la gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

EL MAESTRO APROBADO que venga y os enseñe todo esto que se ha enseñado antes, recibidlo. Pero si el mismo maestro se aparta y enseña una doctrina diferente que subvierte lo que se ha enseñado antes, no le escuchéis.n Si su enseñanza fomenta la justicia y el conocimiento del Señor, recibidlo como al Señor.o .

U Acts 15:29. v Mat. 28:19. w Mat. 6:16. x Mat. 6:5f. y Mat. 6:9f. z 1 Cor. 11:23-25. a John 15:1. b Acts 3:13, 26. c John 3:15, 5:26, 6:68f

DIDACHE CAPÍTULO 3: LA VIDA EN LA COMUNIDAD

APÓSTOLES Y PROFETISTAS c o n s i g u i e n d o a l o s apóstoles y profetas,p actúa de acuerdo con la enseñanza del Evangelio.q Recibe a todo apóstol como al Señor.r No debe quedarse más que un solo día, o dos si es necesario. Pero si se queda tres días, es un falso profeta. Cuando se vaya, que el apóstol no reciba nada más que pan, hasta que encuentre un lugar donde quedarse. Pero si pide dinero, es un falso profeta.r No probéis ni juzguéis a ningún profeta que hable en el Espíritu. Todos los demás pecados serán perdonados, pero éste no lo será.s Y no todo el que habla en el Espíritu es profeta, sino sólo el que sigue los caminos del Señor. Por su comportamiento, pues, conocerás a un falso profeta de un verdadero profeta.t Cualquier profeta que ordene una comida en el Espíritu no comerá de ella, pero si come de ella, es un falso profeta. Todo profeta que enseña la verdad, pero no hace las cosas que enseña, es un falso profeta. Todo profeta verdadero, si realiza un misterio mundano de la Iglesia, pero no enseña a otros a hacer lo mismo, no debe ser juzgado por ustedes. Tiene su juicio en presencia de Dios, como los profetas de antaño. Si alguno dice en el Espíritu: “Dadme dinero”, no le hagáis caso.u Pero si os dice que deis a otros necesitados, que nadie le juzgue.

HOSPITALIDAD A LOS VIAJEROS re ceja a todo el que viene en nombre del Señor.v Examínalo y conoce la naturaleza de su situación. Si sólo está de paso, ayúdale todo lo que puedas, pero no debe quedarse contigo más de dos o tres días. Si desea establecerse con vosotros y conoce un oficio, dejadle trabajar y ganarse el pan.w Si no conoce un oficio, decidid con vuestro criterio cómo debe vivir como cristiano entre vosotros, pero no en la ociosidad. Si no lo hace, está traficando con Cristo.x Tened cuidado con esos hombres.

APOYO A LOS MINISTROS DE DIOS e l verdadero profeta que desea establecerse entre vosotros es digno de su alimento. Asimismo, el verdadero maestro, al igual que el obrero, merece su alimento.y Tomad todos los frutos del lagar y de la era, de vuestros bueyes y de vuestras ovejas, y dadlos como fruto a los profetas, porque son vuestros sumos sacerdotes.z Pero si no tenéis profeta, dad vuestros frutos a los pobres. Si hacéis pan, tomad el fruto y dadlo según el mandamiento. Asimismo, cuando abran una jarra de vino o de aceite, tomen el fruto y dénselo a los profetas. Y así con el dinero, la ropa y toda posesión: toma el fruto, según te parezca, y dalo según el mandamiento.

EL SACRIFICIO: reuníos todos los domingos, partiendo el pan y dando gracias, confesando primero vuestros pecados, para que vuestro sacrificio sea puro. Y que ninguno de vosotros, que tenga un desacuerdo con su hermano, se una a vosotros hasta que se hayan reconciliado, para que vuestro sacrificio no sea defectuoso.b Porque fue este sacrificio del que habló el Señor: “En todo lugar y en todo tiempo ofrézcanme un sacrificio puro;c porque yo soy un gran rey, dice el Señor, y mi nombre es maravilloso entre las naciones”.

LÍDERES DE LA IGLESIA APORTAD para vosotros obispos y diáconos que sean dignos del Señor: hombres que sean mansos y no amantes del dinero, y que sean honestos y probados. Por tanto, no los tengáis en cuenta, pues son hombres honorables junto con los profetas y los maestros.

DISCIPLINA COMUNITARIA re p roveed los unos a los otros, no con cólera, sino con paz, como lo encontráis en el Evangelio. Evitad al que haya pecado contra su prójimo; no le digáis nada hasta que se arrepienta.g Pero rezad vuestras oraciones, dad limosna y hacedlo todo según el Evangelio de nuestro Señor.h

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Lahat tayo ay Bumagsak Mula sa Oras Sa Oras

Hindi ako karaniwang naglalagay ng personal na patotoo sa aking mga artikulo. Ngunit ngayon ay medyo naiiba. Inaasahan na ang mga nagbasa ng artikulong ito ay makahanap ng isa sa dalawang bagay sa loob nito na nagpapahintulot sa Banal na Espiritu na magtrabaho sa kanila.
Sa hindi naniniwala, inaasahan kong simulan mong maunawaan na kahit na ang mga Kristiyano ay nakikipaglaban pa rin sa mga isyung demonyo na lumitaw. Hindi kami perpekto at hindi hanggang sa bumalik si Kristo. Oo, may mga mapagkunwari na nagsasabi ng isang bagay at nabubuhay sa isa pa. Ngunit marami sa tingin mo ay tulad ng, ay mga tagasunod lamang kay Cristo na nabigo at nahuhulog.
Sa mananampalataya, inaasahan kong hindi ka masiraan ng loob kapag nahulog ka o nabigo. Tulad ng nakasaad sa itaas, tao pa rin tayo at lumalaban sa laman. Ang ilan sa pamamagitan ng mga isyu sa sekswal, natitirang ugnayan sa paganism, o sa kasong ito sa pamamagitan ng isang sandali ng galit. Hindi ito nangangahulugang kami ay mga pagkabigo sa pananampalataya. Nangangahulugan ito na hindi pa namin ito ginawa sa isang perpektong bahay.
Nakikipag-usap ako sa isyu ng paninigarilyo at nagtakda ng isang petsa upang maging libre ang nikotina ( kasama ang pag-alis ng ) sa huling araw ng buwan. Kaya’t wala akong sigarilyo sa akin nang gumulong ako sa trabaho. Nagtatrabaho ako sa isang tindahan na na-renovate dahil sa isang bagong may-ari. Kaya mayroon kaming mga kontratista para sa iba’t ibang mga proyekto na nangyayari, at upang sabihin ang hindi bababa sa, abala ang tindahan at lumitaw ang mga isyu.
Ako ang tagatanggap ng ulo at umaasa sa kagamitan sa computer para sa aking trabaho. Naglakad ako ngayon at natagpuan ang aking buong sistema. Ang lahat ng iba pang mga sistema sa tindahan ay pagpapatakbo. Upang ilagay ito nang banayad, umalis ako. Nagpunta ako upang tanungin ang mga tauhan sa pagkontrata sa gabi kung ano ang nangyari upang maipasa ko ang impormasyong iyon sa departamento ng IT. Hindi maayos ang mga bagay. Nagalit ang aking galit at sinabi ko ang ilang mga bagay na hindi ko dapat sinabi. Matapos ang pag-alis na iyon, nagpasya ang kanilang direktang superbisor na ipagtanggol ang kanyang mga manggagawa. Nag-init ito.
Ang aking galit ay hindi lumabo nang ganoon sa loob ng ilang taon, at naisip kong wala na ito. Mali ako. Makalipas ang ilang minuto ng nag-iisa pagkatapos, alam kong kailangan kong magsisi, humingi ng kapatawaran mula sa Diyos, at humingi ng tawad. Pagkatapos ng panalangin, bumalik ako sa aking normal na kalmado sa sarili. Itinataguyod ko ang isyung ito, dahil alam kong hindi ako maaaring maging isang tao lamang na sumusunod kay Kristo at pa rin, minsan, hahanapin na ang dating sa akin ay bumalik nang ilang sandali. Hindi ito madalas na nangyayari, ngunit ginagawa nito.
Pag-uwi ko, napatingin ako sa ilang mga kard ng banal na kasulatan at natagpuan ang isa sa galit. Ang unang taludtod sa kard ay Kawikaan 15: 1 ‘ Ang isang malambot na sagot ay lumiliko sa galit, ngunit ang isang malupit na salita ay nagpukaw ng galit. ’ Ang reaksyon ng superbisor ay dahil sa aking galit sa kanyang mga tauhan. Kung ako ay mahinahon sa pag-iisip, hindi ito lalakas sa puntong iyon.
Sinasabi sa atin ng Efeso 4: 26-27 ‘ Magalit at huwag magkasala: huwag hayaang lumubog ang araw sa iyong galit, o magbigay ng lugar sa diyablo. ’ Ipinagkaloob, sa sandaling tapos na ang sitwasyon, nanalangin ako at nakaramdam ng kalmado. Ngunit sa sandaling iyon, si Satanas ay nasa kanyang lugar sa sitwasyon. Alam niya ang aking estado ng pag-iisip sa sandaling iyon ay hindi pupunta tulad ng dapat na ( dahil ang anumang adik ay maaaring patunayan din ang ) at pinatong lamang ang sitwasyon sa harap ko at kinuha ko ang pain. May posibilidad siyang gawin iyon sa mga tagasunod ni Cristo. Alam niya ang ating kahinaan at ang ating nakaraang buhay. Alam niya kung ano ang makukuha sa amin na bibigyan ng tamang mga pangyayari.
Sinasabi sa atin ni Pablo, ‘ Sa wakas, mga kapatid, maging malakas sa Panginoon at sa kapangyarihan ng Kanyang lakas. Ilagay ang buong sandata ng Diyos, upang maaari kang tumayo laban sa mga wile ng diyablo. Sapagka’t hindi tayo nakikipagbuno laban sa laman at dugo, ngunit laban sa mga pamunuan, laban sa mga kapangyarihan, laban sa mga pinuno ng kadiliman sa panahong ito, laban sa mga espiritwal na hukbo ng kasamaan sa mga makalangit na lugar. Samakatuwid, gawin ang buong sandata ng Diyos, upang ikaw ay makatiis sa masamang araw, at magawa ang lahat, upang tumayo. ” “ Kaya’t, sa gayon, ang pagbigkis ng iyong baywang ng katotohanan, na nakasuot sa dibdib ng katuwiran, na hinimas ang iyong mga paa sa paghahanda ng ebanghelyo ng kapayapaan; higit sa lahat, pagkuha ng kalasag ng pananampalataya na kung saan magagawa mong pawiin ang nagniningas na darts ng masama. At kunin ang helmet ng kaligtasan, at ang tabak ng Espiritu, na siyang salita ng Diyos; nananalangin palagi sa lahat ng panalangin at pagsusumamo sa Espiritu, pagiging maingat hanggang sa wakas na ito sa lahat ng tiyaga at pagsusumamo para sa mga banal. ( Efeso 6: 10-18 )
Ipinaalam sa atin ni Pablo na ang mundo at mga legion ni Satanas ay ipako sa atin kung papayagan natin ito. At ngayon ginawa ko. Ngunit sa daanan, sinabi rin sa atin ni Pablo na makipaglaban sa nakasuot ng sandata ng Diyos at sa tabak ng Diyos. Nakasuot ako ng kuwintas ng isang kalasag na maaari kong laging alalahanin upang umangkop sa pag-atake ng kaaway. Ngayon nakalimutan ko. At pinayagan nito si Satanas na gumapang at atake.
Kailangan nating maunawaan na kapag sinabi ni Pablo sa Roma 3:23 ‘ Lahat ay nagkasala at nahulog sa kaluwalhatian ng Diyos ’ nakikipag-usap siya sa naligtas. Habang iniisip ng marami na ang talatang ito ay nangangahulugang hindi maging malupit sa mga nahuhulog, at ginagawa ito sa isang kahulugan. Nariyan din upang ipaalala sa amin na hindi pa tayo perpekto. Na tayo ay humihina mula sa oras-oras. Ngunit alam din natin, na si Cristo ang ating kanlungan at bato. Upang tayo ay mahulog, ngunit handa siyang maabot at hilahin tayo mula sa mga alon ng kasalanan kapag nagsisisi tayo at humihingi ng kanyang awa at tulong. Ipinapaalala sa atin ni Juan, ang mga tagasunod ni Cristo hangga’t ginagawa niya ang mga hindi naghahanap sa kanya, ‘ Kung aminin natin ang ating mga kasalanan, Siya ay matapat at matuwid na patawarin ang ating mga kasalanan at linisin tayo mula sa lahat ng kawalang-katarungan. ’ ( 1John 1: 9 )
Huwag kumilos, dahil sinusunod mo si Kristo, na ikaw ay napaka-relihiyoso na hindi mo o hindi maaaring magkasala. Hangga’t nasa loob tayo ng laman na porma na ito, at hindi sa ating makalangit na tahanan, ANG DEVIL AY MAAARING MAG-ISIP SA IYO AT AYAW. Kung hindi man ay hindi natin kailangang paalalahanan na ilagay sa sandata ng Diyos. Sinabi ng aking ama, pagkatapos niyang maligtas, ‘ Ngunit para sa biyaya ng Diyos, pumunta sa I ”. Ito ay isang lumang kasabihan ngunit totoo ang singsing. Kami ay hindi mas mahusay kaysa sa makasalanan sa mundo. Binigyan lang tayo ng biyaya at awa sa kabila ng hindi tayo karapat-dapat dito.
Kaya, kapag nahuhulog tayo o nabigo sa ating paglalakad kasama si Kristo, agad na magsisi, humingi ng Kanyang kapatawaran at awa. Pagkatapos ay huwag kalimutan na kailangan natin ang kanyang awa. Naniniwala talaga ako, na kung minsan ang pinakamahusay na patotoo na maibibigay natin sa hindi ligtas na mundo ay ang awa na natanggap natin mula sa Diyos pagkatapos nating mahulog o mabigo. Ang pangangailangan upang makita ang pagkahulog upang maunawaan ang awa at pangangailangan ng sangkatauhan para dito.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Las otras ovejas del pastor

Estoy seguro de que este artículo crujirá la pluma de la mayoría de las denominaciones de la cristiandad. Que así sea, pero hay que decirlo. Y escuchen bien. Ninguna denominación tiene la totalidad de la fe. Incluso la Iglesia Católica, que tiene la mayor parte, carece de algunas cosas que se muestran como partes de la fe en las Escrituras. Y si los cristianos han de ser tomados en serio, debemos recordar que debemos dejar de pelearnos entre nosotros.

Para mostrar este punto, vi un documental sobre Jerusalén hace décadas. Una parte del mismo se me quedó grabada y muestra las fracturas dentro de la comunidad cristiana. Las iglesias de varias partes de Tierra Santa están vigiladas por católicos y ortodoxos (en general). En la iglesia del Santo Sepulcro, el patriarca ortodoxo y el obispo católico se enzarzaron en una acalorada discusión. En un momento dado, el Patriarca gritó “al diablo con tu dios”. Lo cual me pareció, incluso entonces, indignante. La mayoría de los cristianos (dependiendo de las enseñanzas y la doctrina de los que se dicen cristianos) adoran al mismo Dios por medio de Cristo en el poder del Espíritu Santo. Por lo tanto, voy a tratar de arrojar algo de luz en mi introducción.

Si usted leyó mi último artículo, me identifiqué como evangélico católico. Y pasé a explicar por qué. Así que para entender este artículo, y la razón de lo que hay en él desde mi perspectiva, hay que ir a leer ese. Así que, enciendan sus antorchas, tomen sus horcas y piedras. Porque este artículo sólo hará una de dos cosas. O te hará gritar por mi lapidación o te hará querer investigar la plenitud de la fe cristiana.

Aquí hay una pequeña historia para aquellos que dicen que las iglesias católica romana y ortodoxa están equivocadas por las tradiciones. Muchas denominaciones protestantes todavía leen los Padres Apostólicos y los padres de la Iglesia que escribieron antes del evento de Lutero. Y si los leen, defenderán las enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica. Dicho esto, soy católico por las enseñanzas de las Escrituras sobre la Verdadera Presencia de Jesús en la Eucaristía. Cuerpo, Sangre, Alma y Divinidad. Y debe ser tomado como tal, porque nuestro Salvador Jesús el Cristo lo dijo. En Juan 6:53-59 Jesús dijo estas palabras (y para la gente de la Escritura solamente, aquí está) “Entonces Jesús les dijo: De cierto, de cierto os digo, que si no coméis la carne del Hijo del Hombre, y no bebéis su sangre, no tenéis vida en vosotros. El que come mi carne y bebe mi sangre, tiene vida eterna; y yo lo resucitaré en el último día. Porque mi carne es verdadera comida, y mi sangre es verdadera bebida. El que come mi carne y bebe mi sangre, habita en mí, y yo en él. Como el Padre viviente me ha enviado, y yo vivo por el Padre, así el que me come, vivirá por mí. Este es el pan que ha bajado del cielo; no como vuestros padres que comieron el maná, y están muertos; el que coma de este pan vivirá para siempre.Estas cosas decía en la sinagoga, mientras enseñaba en Cafarnaúm.”

He escrito sobre otros aspectos de la fe en la Iglesia Católica Romana, y seguiré haciéndolo. Pero para mí, la Eucaristía es el punto principal de esta parte de mi fe. Sentarse de verdad a la comida del Señor, como Él pretendía. Hay un par de otras denominaciones que creen de la misma manera, tal vez no de la misma manera litúrgica, pero la presencia real.

Pero otras denominaciones tienen áreas de fe como se prescribe en los Evangelios que los católicos no tienen. Los ortodoxos dirigen sus iglesias como lo hicieron los Apóstoles. Un Obispo (Patriarca) sobre cada grupo. Todos ellos creen en la ortodoxia pero tienen una cabeza de cada iglesia (Antioquía, Damasco, Rusia, Grecia, Ucrania, etc). La Santa Sede (Papa) es el Obispo de Roma. Pero también tiene una posición más alta como líder de la fe dada a sus predecesores todo el camino de vuelta a Simón Pedro. Él era el Apóstol principal. Desde que los Apóstoles transmitieron su autoridad, por así decirlo, a los que vinieron después, como hacen todos los pastores cuando se retiran o pasan a mejor vida (Lester Sumerall a Rod Parsley, Billy Graham a Franklin Graham, etc). Este derecho de sucesión en realidad se remonta a los antiguos israelitas cuando la autoridad del Templo y de las Sinagogas pasaba a una persona para dirigir al pueblo en la fe.

Ahora, vienen los grupos que tienen su nacimiento fuera de la reforma. Hay algunas denominaciones que tienen muy pocos cambios desde Roma. Los grupos que mencionaré tienen partes específicas de la creencia apostólica que los católicos romanos parecen no tener. Y aquí, no debatiré ni discutiré las áreas con las que encuentro problemas bíblicos, sino que señalaré las partes de su creencia con las que estoy de acuerdo.

Para los evangélicos esto es fácil. He visto el poder de la imposición de manos y las oraciones por los enfermos, echando fuera demonios, y creo en la capacidad de edificación a través de las lenguas angélicas (aunque la mayoría no sigue las reglas establecidas para su presencia). Los evangélicos tienen la parte maravillosa de la fe comúnmente conocida como seguimiento de los suspiros. Estos son bíblicos. (Juan 16:14-20) “Después se apareció a los once mismos, mientras estaban sentados a la mesa; y les reprochó su incredulidad y dureza de corazón, porque no habían creído a los que le habían visto después de resucitar. Y les dijo: “Id por todo el mundo y predicad el Evangelio a toda la creación. El que haya creído y se haya bautizado se salvará; pero el que no haya creído se condenará. Estas señales acompañarán a los que hayan creído: en mi nombre expulsarán demonios, hablarán nuevas lenguas; cogerán serpientes, y si beben algún veneno mortal, no les hará daño; impondrán las manos a los enfermos, y sanarán.” Entonces, cuando el Señor Jesús les hubo hablado, fue recibido en el cielo y se sentó a la derecha de Dios. Y ellos salieron a predicar por todas partes, mientras el Señor colaboraba con ellos, y confirmaba la palabra con las señales que se producían.”

Los Adventistas del Séptimo Día (SDA de los cuales fui antes de ser confirmado en la Iglesia Católica) entienden la necesidad de que los cristianos también crean en las raíces judías de la fe cristiana. Siguen las leyes dietéticas, celebran el Shabat, etc. Juan también habló de estas cosas en la Isla de Patmos. (Apocalipsis 14:12) “Aquí está la paciencia de los santos; aquí están los que guardan los mandamientos de Dios y la fe de Jesús”.

La razón por la que traigo a colación esta parte de la doctrina ASD es porque la mayoría de los cristianos olvidan que Jesús y los Apóstoles eran judíos. Ellos siguieron la tradición, la fe, y cuando Jesús habló, enseñó y predicó, fue a través de la fundación de la fe de los Patriarcas (Abraham, Isaac y Jacob). No condenó su fe como judío. Pidió cuentas a los que enseñaban y gobernaban a través de la letra de la ley y olvidaban el espíritu de la ley. Hay que recordar, que Él celebraba las fiestas (la mayoría de sus momentos más pronunciados en los Evangelios fue alrededor de la época de una fiesta).

Esta también es una razón por la que empecé a estudiar la fe judía de mi Salvador. Porque Él y sus seguidores eran judíos. Y si realmente se estudian los Evangelios y el Apocalipsis a la luz de las Escrituras Judías (el Antiguo Testamento o Tanach) se vería que sólo las leyes del sacrificio se terminaron con Su venida. El ceremonial terminó pero el resto permaneció. Esto es evidente cuando se mira la construcción y colocación de los Mandamientos y leyes. Los Mandamientos estaban en el Arca mientras que las leyes estaban fijadas fuera del Arca. Pero escribiré sobre eso en una fecha posterior.

Cada denominación de la cristiandad olvida 2 declaraciones de Cristo cuando tratan de demostrar que son los únicos cristianos “verdaderos”. Y terminaré este artículo con esas declaraciones.

Juan 10:16 “Y tengo otras ovejas que no son de este redil; también a ellas debo traer, y oirán mi voz; y habrá un solo redil, y un solo pastor.”

Lucas 9:49-50 ” Respondiendo Juan, dijo: “Maestro, hemos visto a uno que echaba los demonios en tu nombre, y se lo prohibimos porque no sigue con nosotros. Pero Jesús le dijo: “No se lo prohibáis, porque el que no está contra nosotros está de nuestra parte”.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, Theology, Uncategorized

No hay mujeres en el púlpito

Mujeres en la iglesia moderna
En las iglesias y denominaciones de hoy, las mujeres tienen una variedad de roles. Enseñan, escoltan, sirven. Pero también tienen posiciones que NO les pertenecen. Sabemos a través del Tanach ( Antiguo Testamento ) que las mujeres no eran sacerdotes ni trabajaban dentro del templo. Y las iglesias que defienden esa posición se llaman legalistas y sexistas. Sin embargo, esa posición es la posición de los Apóstoles también. Se menciona en varias epístolas. Entonces, este artículo es para poner a la vanguardia, el lugar de una mujer dentro del ministerio y las áreas en las que no están ordenadas.

Personas como Paula White, Gloria Copeland y otras, mientras proclaman que están llamadas a predicar, muestran que realmente desafían las enseñanzas de la primera iglesia cristiana dirigida por los Apóstoles.

Escrituras sobre el papel de una mujer en la Iglesia
En Hechos 2:17, el escritor habla las mismas palabras que el Profeta Joel. “ En los últimos días, Dios dice, derramaré mi Espíritu sobre todas las personas. Tus hijos e hijas serán profecías … ” Entonces los profetas pueden ser hombres o mujeres. Los profetas son aquellos que hablan los edictos de Dios, generalmente en una situación específica.

Hay múltiples escrituras que dicen que pueden enseñar, tanto hombres como mujeres. Tales como Colosenses 3:16, Lucas 24:44, Colosenses 1:28 y Efisios 5: 18-20. Entonces tienen varios roles dentro de la iglesia y el hogar ( 1 Timoteo 5:10, Tito 2: 3-5 ) Pero, como veremos, el púlpito no es uno de ellos.

Escritura sobre mujeres en el púlpito
Estos versículos se establecen en las Escrituras y deben tomarse como la Palabra inspirada de Dios ( 2 Timoteo 3: 16-17 ), así como los cristianos deben aceptar todo de principio a fin.

Pablo nos dice en su primera carta a los corintios capítulo 14 versículos 33 a 35, “ porque Dios no es un Dios de confusión sino de paz, como en todas las iglesias de los santos. 34 Que las mujeres guarden silencio en las iglesias; porque no se les permite hablar, sino que se sometan a sí mismas, tal como también lo dice la Ley. 35 Y si desean aprender algo, que les pregunten a sus propios maridos en casa; porque es inapropiado que una mujer hable en la iglesia. ”
1er Timoteo 2: 11-15, “ Una mujer debe recibir instrucciones en silencio con sumisión completa. Pero no permito que una mujer enseñe o ejerza autoridad sobre un hombre, sino que permanezca callada. Porque fue Adán quien fue creado por primera vez, y luego Eva. Y no fue Adam quien fue engañado, sino que la mujer engañada cayó en transgresión. Pero las mujeres serán preservadas a través de la porte de los niños si continúan en la fe, el amor y la santidad con autocontrol. ”

Entonces, si bien este artículo es corto, es directo al punto dentro de las Escrituras. Las mujeres no deben estar detrás del púlpito o al frente de una iglesia / congregación. Tienen deberes dentro de la iglesia: profecía, enseñanza, orientación, líder de canciones, etc. Pero una mujer no puede ser ordenada por una denominación porque no está ordenada por Dios para ese puesto.
Las Escrituras nos dicen en Hebreos 13: 8 que Jesucristo es el mismo ayer, hoy y mañana. Siendo ese el caso, las reglas establecidas en el Antiguo Testamento sobre las mujeres en puestos de liderazgo en la iglesia ( incluyendo el pastorado ) no cambian. Hebreos continúa diciendo en 13: 9 “ No te dejes llevar por buzos y doctrinas extrañas. ”

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Old and New Pentecost

This past Sunday, Christians around the world celebrated Pentecost Sunday. And as I heard various messages on this Holy day, what I did not hear was the story of the original Pentecost. Nor did I hear how the two play together. One was a foreshadowing of the other. So here, the reader will be given a quick tour of Pentecost. And to show how three different remembrances and celebrations blend together for a beautiful understanding of this day.

Christians know that the book of Acts is about the birth of the church in its mission to spread the Gospel of Christ to the world. But for those who may not know it, a quick catchup.

In the Gospels, Jesus had been taken prisoner by the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the Jewish people) on the night of Passover. ‘While Yeshua was still speaking, here came Judah, one of the Twelve, and with him a big crowd with swords and clubs, from the ruling kohanim and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The One I kiss, He’s the One—seize Him!’And immediately Judah drew near[k] to Yeshua and said, “Shalom, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.“Friend,” Yeshua said to him, “do what you’ve come to do.” Then they came up and threw their hands on Yeshua and seized Him.And suddenly, one of those with Yeshua stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and he struck the kohen gadol’s servant and cut off his ear.Then Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.Or do you suppose that I cannot call on My Father, and at once He will place at My side twelve legions[m] of angels?How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?[n] Every day I sat teaching in the Temple, and you didn’t seize Me.But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples fled, abandoning Him.Now those who had seized Yeshua led Him away to Caiaphas, the kohen gadol, where the Torah scholars and elders had gathered.’ (Matthew 16:47-57, TLV)

This was in remembrance of the Israelites being freed from bondage in Egypt by God through the various plagues, including the last one…death of all firstborn.‘Then came the day of matzah when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.Now Yeshua sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so we may eat.”Then they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters.And say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’And with that, he will show you a large upper room, fully furnished. Make preparations there.”So they left and found just what Yeshua had told them, and they prepared the Passover.When the hour came, Yeshua reclined at table, and the emissaries with Him.And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”And when He had taken a cup and offered the bracha, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.For I tell you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine from now on, until the kingdom of God comes.”And when He had taken matzah and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.”In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’ (Luke 22:7-20, TLV)

That first meal was eaten ready for flight as everyone stayed in their homes, protected by the markings of blood on the doorway. The angel of death would see the blood and ‘Pass Over’ the house, leaving all inside alive. God then made this meal (the Passover Seder) an annual remembrance for the children of Israel. ‘The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,“This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[a] for his family, one for each household.If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel.Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested.Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing.The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years.At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt.Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal: “No foreigner may eat it.Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him,but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it.“It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.“A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it.The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.(Exodus 12, TLV)

The reader may wonder why I brought up the Passover meal instead of the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. The reason is fairly simple, The Jewish nation counts days from the Passover to Pentecost. Fifty days from Passover is Pentecost. For the Jewish faith, it is the Feast of Weeks. Originally, this feast was known as the Festival of Harvest (Feast of Firs Fruits). I will bring this point into the story later.

The gathering of the faithful in that room was at the command of Jesus. They knew something was going to occur because Christ said so.‘But the Helper, the Ruach ha-Kodesh whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I said to you.’ (John 14:26, TLV). Ruach ha-Kodesh translates as this – the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the universe or over God’s creatures. And something great happened. We will break it down point by point. Linking things to the Old Testament.

‘When the day of Shavuot had come, they were all together in one place.Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.And tongues like fire spreading out appeared to them and settled on each one of them.They were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak in other tongues as the Ruach enabled them to speak out.’ (Acts 2:1-4, TLV)

I highlighted 3 parts of this set of verses. I’ll break each down in order. When the day of Shavuot had come, they were all together in one place, I’ve already mentioned that they were together because of the God set festival. Some will say that they were huddled and scared but scripture shows, that as Jewish believers, they were to celebrate this festival.

Mighty rushing wind can be viewed as the Holy Spirit that gave life in the beginning. ‘Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life—so the man became a living being.’ (Genesis 2:7, TLV) The might rushing wind and the breath of life are indicative of the Holy Spirit creating life. First into man as a being and then into the church as the bride.

Tongues like fire. Fire has been used in various forms in scripture. In that room it was the indication of God’s presence, like it was with Moses, ‘Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb.Then the angel of Adonai appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. So he looked and saw the bush burning with fire, yet it was not consumed.’ (Genesis 3:1-2, TLV)

As it was the Festival of First Fruits- we can see this act of God through the Holy Spirit as the first fruits of the church.

After the Temple was demolished in 70 AD and sacrifices could no longer be made, the Jewish people also understood that the giving of the Torah to Moses was done on this festival day. So they spend the night studying the Torah. That brings another point to the Pentecostal Day message.

‘Then I will give them one heart. I will put a new Spirit within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…’ (Ezekiel 11:19, TLV)

‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Adonai. I will put My Torah into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write it. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ (Hebrews 8:10, TLV)

As one can see, The Christian Day of Pentecost was more than just the Christian view we have today. It was grounded in the Old Testament. Every aspect of it was foreshadowed and came into play for those that believed in Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) on that day.

To understand the life of a Christian, we must look at the Jewish Covenant. Everything then came to fullness in Christ. We tend to forget that Jesus and the Apostles and writers of the New Testament (except Luke) were Jewish. They kept the Old Testament in their hearts and actions. We need to start seeing the importance of the Old in the New. I have started to learn and love the Jewish roots of our faith in Christ. Because their faith gave us our faith.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Old Faith, New Renewal

Last night, I finally got around to watching a service from Pentecost Sunday at the Field Church in Bluffton, Indiana. I had been there a few times and it is my son’s church of choice. It was where he finally was washed in the blood of Christ at the altar. It was where he was given a watery death and and a rebirth in Christ.

While you may not think this too amazing, he was 22 years old and had been an Odinist. That was until he was healed by God through the power of the Holy Spirit that was brought on by prayers across the country. So to me, it is important. And in some way, this post is about him, but what happened after the Pentecost service.

Pastor Zach Petree had a guest pastor that Sunday. I’ve seen people filled with the Holy Ghost, but this gentleman was overflowing. My son said you could fill the electricity in the air, a different feeling he had truly had there before. My son was called to the altar, and was laid out by the Power of the Holy Ghost when he had hands laid on him. Not once, not twice, but three times.

For someone not in the Pentecostal church, this usually seems either weird or ridiculous. And as a Catholic of over 20 years, I might agree with you. After all, the Catholic Christians don’t really go in for emotionalism and the signs following. But, I’m not your average Catholic. Before I was confirmed, I started as a Seventh Day Adventist and then more of an Evangelical. So I understand and believe in the signs following.

My last post pointed out, in a small way, that I am a mix of Pentecostal and Catholic. If you choose to, go read Paradox Christian. But for this article, I will go over a few series of events that hit me. The first was watching my son at the Pentecost service.

I fully understand that the Catholic Church does not accept Scripture alone but also relies on traditions that go back over the last two thousand years. But like many denominations, there are things they agree and disagree with in biblical concept. And that’s fine. Considering Heaven will not be denominational in makeup, I don’t generally adhere to the sign out front.

Anyway, I still hold to many of my Evangelic beliefs. The signs following are those, as well as study, prayer, and service. After watching the replay of the service, I was looking around You Tube and found Pastor Greg Locke. If you haven’t heard of him, and I would be surprised if you haven’t, he was speaking about the biblical scriptures on witchcraft bad divination. The context was because he has been threatened a few times by local practitioners of the black arts (and yes, they come from the devil). Leviticus tells us in chapter 20 verse 6: ‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.’

So finishing that short video, not the first I have watched from him, I was presented with a flash from the past. Back in the late 1990’s (my Evangelical days), I watched Breakthrough with Rod Parsley. But at the time of this particular viewing, it had been between 20 and 25 years since I had watch Pastor Parsley preach. This episode came from the recent Dominion Camp Meeting. This is a week or so of varying pastors and speakers. Pastor Parsley was the last to speak, and the message hit like a brick.

He was preaching about the weakness of today’s preachers and the compromises they have made. The weakness of a pulpit allows for sin to openly be within the church. I have written about this and the message was energetic and filled with power when pastor Parsley spoke. There are preachers that have a silver tongue and sound eloquent. There are those that sound like they belong in the halls of academia. But Pastor Locke and Pastor Parsley are the throwback that is more than needed for today. They pull no punches, and as Pastor parsley said, does not worry about Twitter or Facebook likes or being Tik Tok famous. What they care about are the souls that are headed for Hell.

Pastor Parsley spoke of many things in that sermon. But more importantly, it brought my mind and spirit back to a time from long ago. A time where I had a fire and a passion to see souls saved through the power of the Holy Ghost. It brought understanding and a clarity that even the Catholic Church with all of it’s history and traditions have not brought back to me.

They say what most pastors and priests are afraid to. That man sin’s and needs repentance. That things like homosexuality, sexual immorality, and compromising the commands and teachings of God will send your soul to hell. In today’s political and self-serving climate, men like these are a fresh wind of an old power. A wind that entered a room 2000 years ago and transformed not only that age, but every age since.

The feeling that I have felt before, I am starting to feel again. Where the breath and will of God will take me, I have yet to see. What God will have me do, I have yet to now. But I do know that I am reminded of a couple of verses that fit this situation.

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8. 18)

For the message 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 bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ 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. (1Corintians 1:18-25)

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Our Dark Nights

All Christians go through a period of wondering why things go bad for them when the world gets what it wants or when they pray and those they prayed for are helped. I have gone through it more times than I care to count. So we ask, why? I have come to realize that reasons vary.

One of the greatest stories to illustrate this question is the story of Job. After having everything, he lost it. The story goes through friends and his wife trying to give advice. His friends told him that it must be because he had unforgiven sin. His wife said to curse God and die. We all feel like Job at some point. Try to do what we should and still get the worst end of it.

The reason Job was harshly dealt with was through no fault of his own. In this instance, Satan wanted to prove to God that man would disavow Him if everything was taken from them. God allowed that trial to prove that there are people that would not deny God, no matter the trials they faced. (Job 1:6-12, Job 2:1-7)

Another view is that God allows His children to suffer, because what comes from it is better. Take Joseph, the son of Israel. Sold as a slave by his brother’s. (Genesis 37:12-36). Accused of rape by the wife of a high ranking official in Egypt (Genesis 39:7-20). Had Joseph not been allowed to suffer, Egypt and the family of Israel would have died from famine. (Genesis 41, Genesis 45:3-7).

Then there is the reason of chastisement (Hebrews 12:6-11). This can best be seen in the Babylonian exile. (Kings, Chronicles, the prophetical books). They moved away from God by idolatry and by foregoing the laws of a rest for the land every 7 years. They were taken by Nebuchadnezzar, a Babylonian king (who destroyed Solomon’s temple) and returned by the Persian king, Darius. (Ezra 6:1-22). The total of the time in exile from Israel was 70 years. This was to make up the time the land needed to be come usable again.

The one that is hardest to understand is when God says NO. In modern Christianity (especially the Evangelical and Prosperity movements), it is said that with enough prayer and faith, God will answer all your prayers and give you what you ask for. They take a simple set of verses out of it true understanding (John 16:23-24). If we ask for anything, it does not mean it will be given in all circumstances. Sometimes, the request goes against the edicts of God. Sometimes, the request is not what God wants for us. What is meant by the verses in John is simple. The request must fit within God’s plan and not be against the laws and dictates He has given.

Jesus asked for the coming crucifixion to be taken from him. (Matthew 26:39). He understood that God, the Father, knew best. God told him no. And he was crucified. The reason was that the unanswered prayer was the best decision for all of mankind.

In 2019, I ended up 49 and divorced. I went through the emotions and finally did what I had not done in 20 years. I hit my knees and cried out to God to fix my family. It was not to be answered the way I asked. Nineteen years early, I married and because of that, left the church and my faith. After the prayers and tears, and a re-dedication to God, I came to realize that the one thing that kept me from him needed removed. And that my prayers received a NO from God, because it was what was best for me. It took away the things that had been placed between me and him.

Just because things are going the way you think they should, or that God has said No or is delaying an answer, does not mean he has left you. Sometimes, bad happens for good reasons. It is to get us back on the right track, the devil is allowed to try and draw us away, or there is something better coming.

We can learn a couple lesson about how to deal with it. We can let it destroy us and turn from God’s grace and care. OR we can be like Jacob wrestle God. (Genesis 32:22-32) until our breakthrough and blessing comes.

Nobody said becoming a follower of Christ made life easier (except for the prosperity gospel preachers). Nor is that walk with God going to be fair (Matthew 5:45). But we can always be comforted no matter what the darkness seems like to us at the moment, that something better is coming (Psalm 30:5).

I saw this in a post somewhere and it fits this issue when you think God is not answering your prayer. I hope it helps.

5 Things to do when it feels like God isn’t listening

Check Your Heart (Psalm 24:3-4).

Check Your Motives (Matthew 6:10).

Check Your Focus (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Ask for a Belief Increase (Mark 9:24).

Keep Praying (Luke 18:1-8).

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Piliin Ngayon Kung Sino ang Paglilingkuran Mo

Si Josue ay nakipag-usap sa mga anak ni Israel samantalang siya’y naghahanda na mamatay sa pinagpalaang pag-asang iyon na darating pa. Kaya’t ngayo’y matakot kayo sa Panginoon, at maglingkod kayo sa kaniya sa katapatan at sa katotohanan: at inyong alisin ang mga dios na pinaglingkuran ng inyong mga magulang sa kabilang dako ng Ilog, at sa Egipto; at maglingkod kayo sa Panginoon. At kung sa inyong mga mata ay masama na maglingkod sa Panginoon, piliin ninyo sa araw na ito kung sino ang inyong paglilingkuran, kung ang mga dios na sinambaan ng inyong mga magulang na nasa kabilang dako ng baha, o ang mga dios ng mga Amoreo na inyong tinatahanan sa lupain nila: nguni’t tungkol sa akin at sa aking sangbahayan, ay maglilingkod kami sa Panginoon. (Josue 24:14-15).

Ang simbahan ngayon ay talagang nakagugulat sa akin. Hindi laging sa mabuting paraan. Iyan ang dahilan ng artikulong ito. Kung titingnan ng isa ang mga lugar na gaya ng Aprika, at Silangan, makikita natin ang dalawang magkakaibang grupo na tinatawag ang kanilang sarili na Kristiyano. Sa mga lugar na hindi kanluranin, ang mga Kristiyano ay nahaharap sa araw-araw na pagkamartir.

Hindi lamang tinatrato ng Islamikong pinamumunuan ang mga Kristiyano bilang isang uri ng alipin, wala silang problema sa pagwasak ng mga simbahan, paaralan, at mga tahanan. Tingnan ang Pakistan noong nakaraang taon. Dahil sa isang maling ulat na isang ministro ang nagpakapahamak sa Qur’an, ang malalaking grupo ng mga gusali at ang kanilang mga nilalaman ay sinunog nang buo. Ang mga Kristiyano ay walang mga simbahan, walang mga tahanan, at nawalan ng kanilang mga ari-arian. Kahit na ang mga bata ay napipilitang magtrabaho sa mga lugar ng mga hurno ng ladrillo kasama ng kanilang mga magulang.

Sa India, sila’y nahaharap sa mga pag-atake mula sa parehong mga tagasunod ng Hindu at Islam. Kung hindi pinatay, ang mga Kristiyanong ito pagkatapos ng pag-atake ay patuloy na nangangaral ng ipinako sa krus na Kristo. Sila’y nakaharap sa dalawang kaaway sa bansang iyon. Dalawang frontong ipagtanggol.

Sa mga lugar sa Aprika, ang mga Islamikong grupo na gaya ng Boko Haram ay hindi lamang pumatay ng mga Kristiyano. Sinasakop nila ang mga nayon ng mga Kristiyano at dinukot ang mga estudyante na Kristiyano. Ang ilan ay tinubos, ang ilan ay natagpuan, ang ilan ay tumakas, at ang ilan ay pinatay.

Sa Tsina, sinasabi ni Pangulong Xi Jinping at ng kanyang kinokontrol na administrasyon sa mga simbahan kung sino ang maaaring maging mga pastor, pari, atbp. Kailangan nilang ilagay ang kaniyang larawan sa mga simbahan, walang mga krus, at ayon sa ilang ulat, ay nagpaplano na muling isulat ang Banal na Kasulatan. Sa bagong pamumusong ito, ang estado ang magiging tagapagligtas at si Jesus ang anti-Kristo.

Kaya ano ang nangyayari sa Kanluran? Ang makasalanang ideolohiya ay nakaupo sa pulpito at mga bangko. Yaong mga nangangaral ng Kristo na ipinako sa krus ay tinutuya, tinutukso, “kinansela” at ikinulong dahil sa pulisya ng kaisipan. Oo, kung minsan sila’y sinasalakay at pinapatay, ngunit hindi sa pangkalahatan.

May tatlong kampo sa Kanluran na nagngangalang Christian. Ang una ay yaong mga hindi sumasalungat sa lahat ng pagsuway at kasalanan, sapagkat ang kanilang ipinangangaral ay ang Diyos ay pag-ibig at samakatuwid tinatanggap ka Niya at hindi ka hinihiling na magbago. Ang mga ito ay hindi mga Kristiyano ni ipinapangaral ang Kristo ng Kasulatan. Nagbabala si Pablo tungkol sa mga ito (Galacia 1:8-9). Ang mga ito ay ang mga lobo (Mateo 7:15). Sila’y maliwanag na nagpapahamak sa Soberanong Diyos at sa Kaniyang Anak. Sila, gaya ng sanlibutan, ay tumatawag sa masama na mabuti at sa mabuti na masama (Isaias 5:20).

Pagkatapos ay mayroon ding kampo ng mga debotadong Kristiyano. Ito ang mga nangangaral ⁇ kung gayon ang sabi ng Panginoon ⁇ . Naniniwala sila na ang bawat salita ng Kasulatan ay totoo. Naniniwala sila na ikaw ay dumating kay Kristo kung ano ka, ngunit hindi ka iiwan ni Kristo kung paano ka dumating (2 Corinto 5:17). Sila’y nangangaral gaya ni Jesus, ni Juan Bautista at ng mga Apostol. Tinatawag nila ang tao na magsisi (Mateo 3:2, Marcos 1:15, Gawa 2:3). Ang pagsisisi ay pagbabago ng isip at puso. Isang bagay na tanging ang Soberanong Diyos lamang ang maaaring gawin. Sila’y nangangaral ng Krus ni Kristo na ipinako sa krus (1 Corinto 2:2). Ipinapangaral nila na ang tanging daan sa walang hanggang kaligtasan sa Diyos ay sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Kristo (Gawa 4:12).

Pagkatapos ay may ikatlong grupo. Ito ang mga naniniwala na katulad ng ikalawang grupo. Ngunit magngangalit kapag dumating ang mga suliranin. Habang ang mga Kristiyano ay ipinatapon sa bilangguan dahil sa pulisya ng pag-iisip (Inglatera) at dahil sa pagtatanggol sa kanilang mga karapatan (Canada at E.U.A.), sila’y nag-aayuno at nagrereklamo. Ang pagpunta sa bilangguan dahil sa pananampalataya ay dapat na maging isang kagalakan. Kung ikulong ka nila sa bilangguan, kung gayon sila’y nagtagumpay sa kanilang sariling layunin. Binigyan ka nila ng isang nakabilanggo na madla. Isaalang-alang ito. Isinara ka nila dahil sa pagsasabi mo sa ilang tao tungkol sa kapangyarihan ni Kristo na magliligtas, pagkatapos ay inilalagay ka nila sa isang naka-lock na gusali ng maraming tao na hindi makaiwas sa iyo. Tulad nina Pablo at Silas. Ang pagtangis at pagiging tahimik ay ipinagbabawal sa Kasulatan (Mateo 10:33). Ito ang mga taong matatakot sa pagkawala at panganib upang sabihin ang pangalan ni Jesus (Mateo 15:8).

Sinabi ni Jesus sa atin, bilang tunay na mga alagad, kung ano ang ating haharapin. “Kung magkagayo’y kayo’y ibibigay nila upang kayo’y madusa at papatayin kayo; at kayo’y mangapopoot sa lahat ng mga bansa dahil sa aking pangalan. At sa panahong iyon marami ang masisira, at magtataksil sa isa’t isa, at magkapoot sa isa’t isa ⁇ (Mateo 24:9-10). Kung kinapootan nila ang mga propeta, si Jesus, at ang mga Apostol, kung gayon bakit hindi maniniwala ang mga Kristiyano na tayo’y kinapootan din? Si Jesus ay dumating upang iligtas tayo mula sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ng kaligtasan ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng Kaniyang sarili. Hindi niya sinabi na magiging madali ang buhay. Hindi niya sinabi na siya ay nagmamahal sa lahat at pinapayagan silang mabuhay ayon sa kanilang nais. ⁇ Huwag ninyong isipin na ako’y naparito upang magpadala ng kapayapaan sa lupa: hindi ako naparito upang magpadala ng kapayapaan, kundi ng tabak. Sapagkat ako’y naparito upang paghiwalayin ang anak na lalaki laban sa kaniyang ama, at ang anak na babae laban sa kaniyang ina, at ang manugang na babae laban sa kaniyang biyenan. At ang mga kaaway ng tao ay ang mga nasa kaniyang sariling sambahayan. Ang nagmamahal ng ama o ina higit sa akin ay hindi karapat-dapat sa akin; at ang nagmamahal ng anak na lalaki o babae higit sa akin ay hindi karapat-dapat sa akin. At ang hindi tumatagal ng kaniyang krus, at sumunod sa akin, ay hindi karapatdapat sa akin. Sinumang makahanap ng kanyang buhay ay mawawala ito: at sinumang mawawala ng kanyang buhay dahil sa akin ay makakahanap ito ⁇ (Mateo 34-39).

Ang Pastor na si Adrian Rogers ang pinakamahusay na nagsabi nito. Ang kaligtasan ay walang bayad. Ang pagiging alagad ay magugugol sa iyo ng lahat. Kailangan mong magpasya ngayon, kung aling kampo ng Kristiyano ang nasa iyo bago ang digmaan. Kami’y nakikipaglaban sa maliliit na labanan ngayon, ngunit ang digmaan ay darating pa. Isusuot ang armadurang ibinigay sa atin ng Diyos. Sa wakas, mga kapatid ko, maging malakas kayo sa Panginoon at sa kapangyarihan ng kanyang kapangyarihan. Magsuot kayo ng buong sandata ng Dios, upang kayo’y makapagtakda laban sa mga panlilinlang ng diyablo. Sapagkat tayo’y nakikipaglaban hindi laban sa laman at dugo kundi laban sa mga pamumuno, laban sa mga kapangyarihan, laban sa mga pinuno ng kadiliman ng sanlibutang ito, laban sa mga espiritu ng kasamaan sa kataas-taasang dako. Kaya’t magsuot kayo ng buong sandata ng Dios, upang kayo’y makapaglaban sa masamang araw, at pagkatapos na gawin ninyo ang lahat, ay makatatayo. Kaya’t kayo’y tumayo, na ang inyong mga baywang ay nakasuot ng katotohanan, at nakasuot ng kalasag sa dibdib ng katuwiran; at ang inyong mga paa ay nasusukat ng paghahanda sa ebanghelyo ng kapayapaan; higit sa lahat, na ang inyong hawak ay ang kalasag ng pananampalataya, na sa pamamagitan nito ay inyong mapapalag ang lahat ng nagniningning na mga baril ng masama. At tanggapin ninyo ang helmet ng kaligtasan, at ang tabak ng Espiritu, na siyang salita ng Diyos: na lagi kayong nananalangin sa lahat ng panalangin at pagsusumamo sa Espiritu, at sa pag-iingat na ito ay magpatuloy kayo sa lahat ng pagtitiyaga at pagsusumamo para sa lahat ng mga banal; at para sa akin, na ako’y bigyan ng pananalita, na aking buksan ang aking bibig nang may katapangan, upang ipabatid ang hiwaga ng ebanghelyo, na kung saan ako’y isang embahador na nasa mga tanikala; upang sa pamamagitan nito’y ako’y makapagsalita nang may katapangan, gaya ng dapat kong pagsalita. ⁇ (Efeso 6:10-20)

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Prosperity and Healing Preaching Wolves

Over the next two days I am going to touch on two subjects. The first is the prosperity preaching of the Gospel. The second will be the falling and failings of Christians. Today it will be on the false narrative of the Prosperity gospel. But you may ask why these two subjects. That is a good question. Both of these issues have a great detriment to the body of Christ and the world as a whole. So today, let us look at the Prosperity gospel, some of those that preach it, and the consequences. And yes, the followers of these ‘preachers’ if they see this, will be out for my head. So be it.

The whole of the prosperity gospel is this, with enough faith, life will be wine and roses. You will have more finances than you can imagine, never be sick, etc, etc. There are two main texts taken from Scripture that they use to support their position on prosperity and health through faith. We will look at these and see the true meaning behind the texts.

2 Corinthians 8:9 Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. The real meaning of this verse is not that Christ became destitute in finances or position so through his death we will have finances and position. What is meant by Paul is simply this, Christ took a position of humanity (leaving behind his heavenly throne and the position of which he belonged) so that as humanity (wretched and poor in sin) could obtain the richness of heaven.
Isaiah 53:5 The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his woulds we are healed. This is one of the many verses used to promote the idea that faith will bring full healing and no longer will you be sick or without bodily or mental issue. This verse speaks of spiritual healing and the ability to obtain heaven through the price paid at the cross. Nothing more, nothing less.

To prove the responsible preaching of these two verses, let us look at those whole believe both and see where they stand. I will say this first and foremost, I DO BELIEVE that God in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit does still help financially and with healing. But not to the abundance promoted by charlatans and wolves (Matthew 7:15) that pretend to be prophets and preachers. I have written already about healing that I have seen in my own family and I know that people and churches have had amounts needed coming through grace. That doesn’t mean that faith is a cure all for every ill and financial issue. Remember that even the devil can produce results to lead folks astray.

Financial: There is a woman who lives not far from here that is a devout follower of Kenneth Copeland (the richest prosperity pastor of the group) She send money faithfully. So if the prosperity gospel was real, she should be more than well to do. Yes, she owns some rentals. BUT, those properties are in need of refurbishment and repair. Her own home is falling apart and she has issues cover bills and maintenance costs. Guess her faith isn’t as prominent as her faith seeds.

Health: Benny Hinn is probably the best known faith healer today. After all, he has millions of faithful that plant financial seed and seek his ‘healing’ ability. I mean. Who else can wave a coat and knock a hundred people out in the spirit at the same time (never heard one time that Jesus or the Apostles did such a thing). Let’s look at one healing of Benny Hinn where the person must not have had enough faith. William Vandenkolk is legally blind. At 9 years old he went to Benny Hinn at a healing service. Benny Hinn told him his faith had healed him and all would be fine. By the end of that evening, he still couldn’t see and remains legally blind to this day. Christ gave a warning to preachers and prophets that gave a child a false belief, Matthew 18:6 If anyone cause one of these little ones, those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

All of that being pointed out, I’ll share two verses that dismantle the entirety of the Prosperity gospel.

Luke 10::1-4After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.This speaks of very few preaching the true gospel and that wealth is not to be had by and pastor or follower. We are told this in the gospels through the story of the prince that asked what he needed to do (the camel through the eye of a needle story) and being care for by god (the birds and flowers story).
1 Timothy 5:22-23 Do not be hasty in the j laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)Paul had been shown to be able to heal others. But here, he says not to be quick to lay on hands (the description of divine healing) but instead to use medicine of a type. This does not mean that divine healing does not occur. It does. However, miracle healing is not always the answer. One must remember that modern medicine (like ancient medicine) and doctors (like Luke) are granted knowledge to be able to aid others in medical needs.

I am going to showcase both the financial results of Prosperity preachers Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn.

Kenneth Copeland is the richest Prosperity preacher in the world. He is worth a cozy 300 million dollars. Yes he is an author and owns cattle ranches and oil properties. And I’m sure invests well. He also owns multiple jets and homes. The place he resides is worth an estimated 6.3 million dollars. How is this wealth protected from income taxes? It is all under the heading of his ministry. So he bilks millions from his followers in ‘faith seed’ and lines his own financial coffers. Here is a link to an investigation into Kenneth Copeland and his ministries by the Senate Finance Committee a little over a decade ago. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EMIC%20Copeland%2001-5-11.pdf

Benny (Benedictus) Hinn is another top elite in the prosperity gospel arena. He is ranked 4th in the top 10 richest preachers list. His wealth is reported at around 60 million dollars. He too has been investigated by the Senate Finance Committee. It has been noted in video proof, that Mr. Hinn also had questionable get togethers at his home over the years. https://youtu.be/bmGwCJABTR0

Many of these Prosperity ‘preachers’ have been investigated and found wanting. This is a perfect example of ‘let the buyer (faith seed giver) beware.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

The Cross’s Price

Many western Christians have not truly been tried in the fires. Not to say that they don’t face a few hardships. But compared to the Christians of the East, the West has it easy. To a point. This article will take a look at what it will cost to walk with Yeshua. The cross a true believer will need to carry and the things that it can cost in terms of lifestyle, family relations, and life itself.

In today’s western society, Christianity has merged with paganism and sin, and yet go to church, sing praise and worship songs, and claim they (the modern hip ‘Christians’) know what the bible actually means. They will tell of how certain things were left or put into scripture my men to keep the patriarchy. How words used don’t mean what they say. How the scriptures are man’s construct and less reliable than a cookbook.

And when those that follow God, in Yeshua, through the power of the Holy Spirit, try to correct misconceptions, fail to go with the societal norms, and preach the faith that has stood the test of time for thousands of years, they are ridiculed, blasted, and attacked. And these attacks don’t come from the ungodly, They come from ‘Christians’ that have been enlightened to a special understanding and truth.

In this article, we will look at what scripture says, what great theologians and preachers have said through the ages, and show the difference of what western society thinks a Christian should be, how they should act, and what the truth is.

There is no prosperity gospel in scripture. There is no ‘you get everything you want’ in scripture, and there is NO easy path when walking in the righteous grace and mercy of God. Yeshua points this out at different times.

He spoke against the prosperity gospel. ‘And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no travel bag, no bread, no money, nor even to have two shirts.Whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there.And whoever does not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a witness against them.” (Luke 9:3-5)

Again when talking to rich young man. ‘Yeshua said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you own, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving, for he had much property.Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Amen, I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:21-23)

And a third time. ‘Yeshua tells him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:20)

Through these verses, we see that Christians won’t always be worth millions and have personal jets. In fact, ‘Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.’ (Acts 3:6)

In fact, the opposite is true. It is not being said that wealth may not be part of God’s plan for a believer. But Yeshua did say that it hard for a rich man to get to heaven. So as we go through a few points about what will happen when a Christian follows Yeshua like scripture says, take a look at how the Gospel has been distorted in western society, what Yeshua and scripture writers taught on that point, and look at real world consequences of following the Scripture based Gospel instead of modern man’s anti-gospel.

In June of 2015, the liberal leaning US Supreme Court legalized homosexual marriage. Former President Obama said that ‘love is love’. As you look through the last eight years, a mass of ‘churches’ jumped on the gay pride ship. They preach God is all loving (and He is) so He would never send a member of the lgtbq to hell for being a homosexual.

In the last few years, mainline Protestant denominations have started to have infighting and breakups over acceptance of homosexual unions and lgtbq ordainment. One of the largest fights is within the United Methodist Church. This denomination is the second largest in the US, with Roman Catholic being the largest. The have agreed to split the two factions. https://theweek.com/religion/1024883/the-united-methodist-church-has-lost-20-of-us-congregations-in-schism-over-lgbtq. The one’s that stayed with the General Conference are more allowable for this pro-gay agenda.

Scripture says specifically what God’s views on the LGTBQ are. Here are a few.

God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, and they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be on them. (Leviticus 20:13)
Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, those who practice homosexuality,thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. (1st Corinthians 6:9-10)

Since it can be seen what God’s views are on the lgtbq, let’s look at what it can cost a follower of Yeshua for defending God’s position. https://www.christianpost.com/news/street-preacher-arrested-in-england-for-preaching-during-pride.html

Staying in the lgtbq frame, look at the next run which includes transgender (not a real thing) and actions like drag queens. Trans is the concept that a person was born with the wrong sexual parts. So Eve becomes Steve and Adam becomes Amy. Then there is a special grouping, drag queens. And while it is a tradition in acting (Mary Martin as Peter Pan, Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, or Tyler Perry as Madea. These two actions can be combined into one for looking into scripture.

Posted above was the creation of mankind, so need to repeat it. So look at these verses on cross-dressing. God’s view can be seen on both cross dressing and transgender in light of these verses.

A man’s apparel is not to be on a woman, nor is a man to wear woman’s clothing—for whoever does these things is detestable to Adonai your God.(Deuteronomy 22:5)
Likewise, women are to adorn themselves in appropriate clothing with modesty and sound judgment… (1st Timothy 2:9)

Since God’s views on this are written, let’s see what happens to those that go against this part of the lgtbq as a Christian. https://www.theblaze.com/news/pastor-shoved-out-door-knocked-flat-on-his-back-after-protesting-librarys-drag-queen-event-for-children-now-canadian-cops-have-charged-pastor-with-hate-crime

These are just a few things that have happened to those who present the Gosspel of Yeshua and the commands of God about these ideologies in the west. We also see faithful Christians in other areas of the world enslaved, brutally attacked, imprisoned, and killed because of there faith in Yeshua.

Yeshua has told us that being a Christian won’t be easy.“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues.You will be brought before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles.But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you should say, for it shall be given to you in that hour what you should say.For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end shall be saved.Whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next. Amen, I tell you, you will never finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

“So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed and nothing hidden that will not be made known.What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in your ear, proclaim from the housetops!And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them shall fall to the ground apart from your Father’s consent.But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.So do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“Therefore whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father who is in heaven.But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

“Do not think that I came to bring shalom on the earth; I did not come to bring shalom, but a sword.For I have come to set ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.’ (Matthew 10:16-36)

Yeshua tells us we are to carry our cross. That can men facing persecution, prosecution, and death. It can also mean taking the chance on losing a job or position, losing friends, and even losing family. When the scripture above quotes Yeshua about family turning against a family member for his/her faith, He understand that family is one thing that would make someone question between faith and their spouse or child.

Yeshua, after the statement above, tells us where Christians must stand. Even if the believer becomes the pariah of the family, and his/her family turns there backs on them. “He who loves father or mother more than Me isn’t worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me isn’t worthy of Me.And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me isn’t worthy of Me.He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39)

So, to pick up the cross and follow Yeshua, may cost you everything this planet can give you: money, fame, friends, and family. But one thing comes from it that none of those things can give….eternal salvation in Yeshua. It’s not an easy walk. It’s not for the timid, so to speak. Because it is a battle in the spiritual war zone. That’s why Paul writes in Ephesians.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation[d] and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Ruach on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

The Didache repost, part one

This is the Didache. It is the teachings of the Apostles that follow after the New Testament. We Christians, as a whole, have allowed the winds of political and subversive thoughts turn into doctrine. The Didache is the oldest known written teachings of the Apostles outside of the Epistles.

We have forgotten the teachings of those that followed immediately after the Apostles, known as the Apostolic fathers. This written instruction to Christians falls between the Epistles and the works of the Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers were the first and second generation Christian teachers immediately following the original Apostles of Christ.

Today, I share chapter one of the Didache. Whether reading or listening, find the faith of Christ.

Christians, it is time we lay aside personal interpretations and follow the words of the first Christians. In today’s cancel culture, woke, and Satan guided world (especially here in the US and Western civilization) it is vital to get back to the basics of the beginning. To quit allowing sin to be lifted up and the righteous lowered.

“Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits. Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine, and stout men at drunkenness. That justify the wicked for gifts, and take away the justice of the just from him. Therefore as the tongue of the fire devoureth the stubble, and the heat of the flame consumeth it: so shall their root be as ashes, and their bud shall go up as dust: for they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched out his hand upon them, and struck them: and the mountains were troubled, and their carcasses became as dung in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 5:20-25) Douay-Rheims

This is only the first chapter. For the next couple of weeks, I will be doing a chapter a week until the completion of the Didache.

So let us now read the words of the Apostles and pray for guidance.

THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES TO THE NATIONS, KNOWN AS THE DIDACHE

INTRODUCTION T he Didache (did-a-key), Διδαχή, or Te Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is an early Christian text that most scholars date to the frst or early second century. The Didache was highly regarded by many early Christian authors and theologians. Athanasius of Alexandria (†373) recommended it to converts, and it had a great infuence on the Apostolic Constitutions (375). Before the New Testament canon was formally settled in 692, a number of Biblical canons included the Didache; John of Damascus (†749) was also a noted supporter. The text disappeared and was lost for centuries, until it was rediscovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios, Metropolitan of Nicomedia. Today it is usually included among the second-generation Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers. The Didache’s frst section, “The Two Ways,” is a treatise on basic Christian theology, morality, and conduct. Catechumens (converts in training) were instructed in its teachings before they were baptized. The second section deals with the administration of several sacraments: baptism, the Eucharist (holy communion), and anointing with oil. The third section discusses relations among Christians, ofering practical instruction in different types of hospitality. It also gives insight into the clerical hierarchy of the early Church, which included familiar institutions like the episcopacy (bishops) and the deaconate (deacons), and also institutions that fell out of use early on, such as prophets (those who spoke in tongues). It should be noted that, at this time in Christian history, there was no distinct class of clergy who were presbyters (priests). The Christian community was small, and there was not yet a need to delegate a bishop’s priestly duties to lower clergy; bishops personally lead the church in worship in each Christian community. The final section is a brief apocalypse, or revelation of the end times. This is notable, as the Didache was likely written even before the book of Revelation, which was not universally accepted into the New Testament until the 7th century. Even though the Didache itself did not fnd its way into the fnal canon of the New Testament, it is nevertheless a useful manual for Christian living, even today. The basic teachings of the Gospel are condensed into easily-understood pieces of wisdom and instruction, and insight is gained into frst-century Christian liturgy and worship. The Didache is a book that all Christians can fnd proft in. Scripture weaves through the text’s clear teachings, demonstrating why the book was so well-loved and appreciated by the early Church.

THE DIDACHE

Chapter 1

THE TWO WAYS T he re are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great diference between the two ways.a The way of life is this. First of all, you shall love the God who made you. Second, love your neighbor as yourself.b And all things you would not want done to you, do not do to another person.c Now the teaching of these words is this. Bless those who curse you,d and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you.e For what credit is it to you, if you love those who love you?f Do the people of the nations not do the same?g But you should love those who hate you,h and you will not have an enemy.i Abstain from the desires of the fesh and of the body. j If anyone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him also,k and you will be perfect.l If anyone compels you to go one mile, go with him for two miles.m If anyone takes away your coat, give him your shirt also.n If anyone takes away what is yours,o do not demand its return,p for you cannot.q To anyone who asks something of you, give it to him, and do not ask for it back,r for the Father desires that gifts be given to all from His own riches. Blessed is he who gives charitably according to the commandment, for he is blameless. Woe to him who receives. If a needy man receives charity, he is blameless, but anyone is not in need will be called to account for why he accepted it. And being imprisoned, he will be interrogated concerning his actions, and he will not be released until he has repaid every last penny.s Indeed, it has also been said: Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you have discerned to whom you will give.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

This is the second commandment of the teaching. You shall not murder.t You shall not commit adultery.u You shall not be sexually perverse.v You shall not be sexually promiscuous.w You shall not steal.x You shall not practice magic.

You shall not practice sorcery.z You shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill a child at birth. You shall not covet your neighbor’s things.a You shall not commit perjury.b You shall not bear false witness.c You shall not speak evil.d You shall not bear a grudge.e You shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for the double tongue is a snare of death.f Your words shall not be false or empty, but fulflled in your actions. You shall not be greedy,g nor a swindler, nor a hypocrite, nor bad-tempered, nor proud. You shall not plot against your neighbor. You shall not hate any man, but you shall reprove some, and you shall pray for others, and others you shall love more than your own life.

THE “FENCES”

My child, fee from every evil thing, and everything that is like it. Do not be angry, for anger leads to murder. Do not be jealous, nor argumentative, nor hot tempered; for all of these things give birth to murder. My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to sexual promiscuity. Do not speak obscenely, and do not have wandering eyes; for all of these things give birth to promiscuity. My child, do not deal in omens, since it leads to idolatry. Do not be an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a magician—do not even be around such things; for all of these things give birth to idolatry. My child, do not be a liar, since it leads to theft. Do not be greedy or vain; for all of these things give birth to theft. My child, be not a complainer, since it leads to blasphemy. Do not be stubborn nor evil-minded; for all of these things give birth to blasphemy. Be meek, since the meek shall inherit the earth.i Be patient, and merciful, and sincere, and quiet, and kind, and always fearing the words which you have heard.j Do not praise yourself, and do not let arrogance enter your soul. Do not join your soul with a pompous person,k but walk only with the righteous and the humble. Whatever happens to you, accept it as good, knowing that nothing is done without God. My child, remember him who proclaims to you the word of God. Remember him night and day,l and honor him as the Lord; for wherever he speaks, the Lord himself is there. Every day, seek out the company of the saints, that you may find rest in their words. Do not cause division, but bring peace between those who dispute. Judge righteously.m Do not favor one side when you reprove others. Do not be double-minded when you consider whether or not a thing should be. Do not hold out your hand to receive, only to pull your hand back when you should give. If you have gained something through your work, give it away as a ransom for your sins. Do not hesitate to give, nor complain when you give, for you know the good paymaster of your reward. Do not turn away from anyone who is in need, but share everything with your your brother, and do not say that anything is your own.n For if you all share in the heavenly things, how much more in earthly things? Do not relax your control over your son or your daughter, but from their youth teach them the fear of God. Do not give a command in your anger to your servant, who trusts in the same God, lest he ceases to fear the God who is over both of you. For he does not call men according to worldly status, but he comes to those whom the Spirit has prepared. And you who are servants, be obedient to your masters as to God, in respect and fear.o Hate all hypocrisy, and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord. Never forsake the Lord’s commandments. But you shall guard the things which you have received, neither adding to them nor taking away from them.p Confess your sins in church, and do not go to prayer with a guilty conscience. This is the Way of Life.

THE WAY OF DEATH

BuT the way of death is this. First of all, it is evil and full of curses: murder, adultery, lust, promiscuity, theft, idolatry, magical arts, witchcraft, robbery, false testimony, hypocrisy, duplicity, treachery, pride, malice, stubbornness, greed, foul language, jealousy, arrogance, pride, and boasting.q Persecutors of good men, hating truth, loving a lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not adhering to the good nor to good judgment, alert to evil rather than to good; neither gentle nor patient; loving worthless things,s pursuing a reward, not having mercy on the poor, not working for the downtrodden, not recognizing the God who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of God’s creation, turning away from the needy, oppressing the aficted, advocates of the rich, unjust judges of the poor—sinful in every way! May you be delivered, my children, from all these things.

CONCLUSION

Beware, lest anyone lead you astray from this way of righteousness, for he teaches apart from God. For if you can bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you cannot, do as much as you can.

Corresponding Scriptures to the first chapter:

n Acts 4:32. o Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18–4:1. p Deut. 4:2, 12:32. q Mat. 15:19; Rom. 1:29; Gal. 5:20. r Rom. 12:9. s Ps. 4:2; Isa. 1:23. t Epistle of Barnabas 19:8.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

The Journey Seeking God’s Forgiveness

Being a Catholic means Eucharist and Confession. The two work together, for without confession, one cannot partake in the Eucharist. This article is about a journey to understand forgiveness in the biblical sense of how to obtain it.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has regulations on how forgiveness is to be administered. While they do teach that only God can forgive sin, they also adhere to the clergy are the one’s to administer the rite (sacrament). This is found in the Catechism. Part Two Section Two Article 4 No. 1441, “ Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: “Your sins are forgiven.” The second part of No. 1441 states “Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.”

They take this ‘authority’ for two reasons. The first is a single line in scripture (John 20:23) “After His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”. The second is the belief that the power of the Catholic Church derives straight from the Apostles and Peter as the first designated Pope. It must be understood that other denominations (and Latin Rite Catholic is a denomination of non-Protestants) also make this claim. This article is not about their claims of authority. Although through it, that authority may be questioned.

Let us look at the history of priestly confessions. The Fathers of the Church (those after the Apostles) did speak on confession. But not always to a priest. Barnabas in his letter (AD 74) simply states “you shall confess your sins”. Since he was an Apostles he would be referring to this verse (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. The he that is spoken of here is God.

Tertullian (AD 203) states, “The Church has the power of forgiving sins.” Hippolytus (AD 215) states while speaking of a new appointed bishop in the church, “and by the Spirit of the high priesthood to have the authority to forgive sins, in accord with your command.” John Chrysostom (AD 387) states John 20:23 and then says this. “The Father has give all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men”.

So this belief dates back to at least the third century. The command to receive forgiveness and penance from a priest, was not placed into the rules and regulations of the church until the 4th Lateran Council in 1215. Two things came out of this council, in relation to this article. The first being the Eucharist, the real presence in the communion wafer and wine after a priest consecrates the host. The second point relating to this article is the addition to canon (law) that confession must be made to a priest once a year at the minimum. So, for the first 1200 years of the church, confession to a priest was not commanded.

There is the first issue with the ‘need of a priestly mediator, instead of God’s omnipotent grace and ability. The second is that none of the Apostles ever forgave a sin. The book of Acts in the New Testament is the continuing story of the post resurrection disciples (some now given the term of Apostle). They heal, the teach, they preach, but nowhere in the entire accounting of their ministries and travels do they once forgive a sin.

The third thing to discuss in this, is the supposed need for a human mediator between man and God. We are told in 1 Timothy 2:15 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” If one sees the bible as the true word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by the various writers over the various centuries from Moses to John, then this statement in itself eliminates a priest as mediator in which is needed by the canon of the Church of Rome. It also calls into question of Mary as co-mediatrix. This article is not to condemn or deny the mother of Christ. But does put into light any source as a mediator between man and God that is not Christ.

Martin Luther gave the reformative concept of salvation and grace through Christ alone. So, as the Bereans would do, let us search scripture.

In Acts 2:38, Peter said “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

It is also stated in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Through the words of the Apostle Peter and Jesus the Christ, it is only through Jesus that a man can be saved and forgiven his sins. And being the only mediator between man and God, Jesus does not relinquish or share that ability with anyone.

And let us take the warning of the Apostle Paul when it comes to teaching. “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9) So as my journey in faith with Christ continues, I see an opening of possibilities in faith and ministry, as well as the possible ending of part of this path. Never take as gospel what you hear or read. Always search it for yourself. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. And be ready to defend your faith. And never let tradition take the place of scripture.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

The Journey Seeking God’s Forgiveness

A biblical answer to the confessional: part two on confession

They take this ‘authority’ for two reasons. The first is a single line in scripture (John 20:23) “After His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”. The second is the belief that the power of the Catholic Church derives straight from the Apostles and Peter as the first designated Pope. It must be understood that other denominations along with the Latin Rite Catholic also make this claim. This article is not about their claims of authority. Although through it, that authority may be questioned.

Let us look at the history of priestly confessions. The Fathers of the Church (those after the Apostles) did speak on confession. But not always to a priest. Barnabas in his letter (AD 74) simply states “you shall confess your sins”.Since he was an Apostles he would be referring to this verse (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sin,he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. The he that is spoken of here is God.

Martin Luther gave the reformative concept of salvation and grace through Christ alone. So, as the Bereans would do, let us search scripture.

In Acts 2:38, Peter said “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

It is also stated in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

And let us take the warning of the Apostle Paul when it comes to teaching. “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)

So as my journey in faith with Christ continues, I see an opening of possibilities in faith and ministry, as well as the possible ending of part of this path. Never take as gospel what you hear or read. Always search it for yourself. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. And be ready to defend your faith. And never let tradition take the place of scripture.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

The Shepard’s Other Sheep

I’m sure that this article will rustle the feather of most denominations in Christendom. So be it, but it needs to be said. And listen close. Not one denomination has the wholeness of the faith. Even the Catholic Church, which has most of it, lacks a few things that are shown as parts of the faith in Scripture. And if Christians are to be taken seriously, we must remember to quit fighting amongst ourselves.

To show this point, I watched a documentary on Jerusalem decades ago. Part of it stuck with me and shows the fractures within the Christian community. The churches in various parts of the Holy Land are watched over by Catholics and Orthodox (generally). At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Orthodox Patriarch and the Catholic Bishop got into a heated shouting match. At one point, the Patriarch yelled ‘to hell with your god’. Which I though even then was outrageous. Most Christians (depending on the teachings and doctrine of those saying they are Christians) worship the same God through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, I’m going to try and shed some light on my introduction.

If you read my last article, I identified myself as Evangelically Catholic. And I went on to explain why. So to understand this article, and my reason for what is in it from my perspective, one needs to go read that one. So, let your torches be lit, grab your pitchforks and stones. Because this article will do only one of two things. It will either make you cry out for my stoning or it will make you want to investigate the fullness of the Christian faith.

Here is a small history for those that say the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches are wrong because of traditions. Many Protestant denominations still read the Apostolic Fathers and the Church fathers that wrote prior to the Luther event. And if you read them, they will uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church. That being said, I am Catholic because of the Scriptural teachings of the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And it must be taken as such, because our Savior Jesus the Christ said so. In John 6:53-59 Jesus spoke these words (and for Scripture alone people, here it is) “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.”

I have written on other aspects of faith in the Roman Catholic Church, and will continue to do so. But for me, the Eucharist is the main point of this part of my faith. To truly sit at the Lord’s meal as He intended. There are a couple other denominations that believe the same way, maybe not in the same liturgical manner, but the real presence.

But other denominations have areas of faith as prescribed in the Gospels that Catholics don’t have. The Orthodox run their churches like the Apostles did. A Bishop (Patriarch) over each group. These all believe Orthodoxy but Have a head of each church (Antioch, Damascus, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, etc). The Holy See (Pope) is the Bishop of Rome. But he also holds a higher position as the leader of faith given to his predecessors all the way back to Simon Peter. He was the lead Apostle. Since the Apostles handed down their authority, so to speak on those that came after, like all pastors do when they retire or pass on (Lester Sumerall to Rod Parsley, Billy Graham to Franklin Graham, etc). This right of succession actually goes back to the ancient Israelites when authority of the Temple and Synagogues would be passed to one person to lead the people in faith.

Now, comes the groups that have their birthing out of the reformation. There are a few denominations that have very little changes from Rome. The groups I will mention have specific parts of Apostolic belief that Roman Catholics seem not to. And here, I will not debate nor discuss the areas that I find scriptural issue with but instead point out the parts of their belief that I agree with.

For Evangelicals this is an easy one. I have seen the power of the laying on hands and prayers for the sick, casting out demons, and believe in the ability for edification through angelic tongues (although most don’t follow the rules set forth for their presence). Evangelicals have the wondrous part of faith commonly known as sighs following. These are scriptural. (John 16:14-20) “Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”

The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA of which I was prior to being confirmed into the Catholic Church) understands the need for Christians to also believe in the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. They follow the dietary laws, celebrate Shabbat, etc. John also spoke of these things on the Isle of Patmos. (Revelation 14:12) “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The reason I bring up this part of SDA doctrine is because most Christians forget that Jesus and the Apostles were Jewish. They followed tradition, the faith, and when Jesus talked, taught, and preached, it was through the founding of the faith of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). He didn’t condemn his faith as a Jew. He called to account those that taught and ruled through the letter of the law and forgot the spirit of the law. You have to remember, He celebrated the feasts (most of his most pronounced moments in the Gospels was around the time of a feast).

This also a reason I started to study the Jewish faith of my Savior. Because He and his followers were Jewish. And if you truly study the Gospels and Revelation in light of the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament or Tanach) you would see that only the laws of sacrifice were ended by His coming. The ceremonial ended but the rest stayed. This is evident when you look at the construction and placement of Commandments and laws. The Commandments were in the Ark while the laws were attached out side of the Ark. But I’ll write about that at a later date.

Every denomination of Christendom forget 2 statements of Christ when they try to prove that they are the only “true” Christians. And I will end this article with those statements.

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

Luke 9:49-50 “ Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us. But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

上帝與誡命

基督的追隨者似乎有爭議,本文將試圖幫助得出結論。這是關於因基督從十字架上流下的鮮血而因恩典和憐憫而不受法律約束的論點。人們忘記了區分摩西書中寫的法律。讓我們從那裡開始。

有兩套法律。其中之一是上帝親自在西奈半島制定的法律。這十誡是道德法則。按照誡命五分開,寫在兩個石碑上。您可以在出埃及記20:1-17中找到這些。這些法律告訴我們如何處理與上帝的關係(表1,誡命1-4 )以及我們與同胞的關係(表2,誡命5-10 )。這些法律不能也不會改變。這些法律是在上帝用石頭寫成之前製定的。聖經在各節(希伯來書13:8中告訴我們;瑪拉基書3:6;以賽亞書40:8;等)。

有利未法。這些法律是以言語而非石頭的方式賦予摩西的,以寫給以色列人。這些法律涉及社會問題,法律問題以及對以色列人的犧牲問題。從十誡開始,在摩西的書中都看到了這些。這是問題發生的地方。

讓我們看一下兩組法律(命令和利未)的位置。摩西發現上帝敬拜和重寫的金牛犢後,兩個石碑(破裂了,被放置在約櫃)申命記中。10:1-20…當時阿多奈(Adonai)對我說,‘像第一片一樣為自己雕刻兩片石頭,然後上山去。讓自己成為木方舟。我將在平板電腦上寫下您粉碎的第一批平板電腦上的文字,然後將其放入方舟中。’ )。根據保羅(希伯來書9:4b給希伯來人的信,他們與亞倫和曼納的工作人員一起被安置在那裡… 在方舟中是一個金罐,上面裝有甘露,發芽的亞倫竿和約中的片劑)。這三個代表耶穌基督。誡命是上帝從律法賜予者耶穌的法律,亞倫(的工作人員代表基督為我們的大祭司,而曼納(生命之糧耶穌)。

摩西的利未律法或律法被不同地放置(申命記31:25-26…摩西命令亞多奈約櫃的載體利未人說:“拿這卷律法書,放在你神亞多奈約櫃旁邊。它將作為您的證人,)。這套法律作為上帝與以色列人之間的盟約具有約束力。而上帝的律法(十誡從始至終對全人類具有約束力。

辯論來自羅馬書6:14 …. ”因為罪不算是掌握你的,因為你不是法律,而是恩典”。儘管這節經文單獨存在可能表明恩典而不是法律的論點是正確的,但必須在上下文中以及圍繞它的其他經文中加以考慮。整個想法都是這樣,“因此,不要讓罪惡統治您的凡人身體,以便您服從罪惡的慾望。不要繼續使自己的身體部位成為邪惡的工具。卻把自己當成死者活著的人, 和你的身體部位作為對上帝的公義的工具。因為罪不掌握你,因為你不在法律之下,而是在恩典之下。然後怎樣呢? 我們是否應因為我們不在法律之下而是在恩典之下而犯罪? 願永遠不會! 您是否不知道自己屈服於服從的奴隸,您是服從於TAG1>的奴隸,無論是犯罪導致死亡還是服從導致公義? 但是要感謝上帝,儘管你是罪的奴隸,但你全心全意地服從了被置於你之下的教導形式。在你擺脫罪惡之後, 你被奴役了。我用人的話說是因為你的肉虛弱。就像您將身體部位作為不潔和無法無天的奴隸一樣,導致更多的無法無天,因此現在將您的身體部位作為正義的奴隸,導致聖潔。因為當你是罪的奴隸時,你在公義上是自由的。那麼,您現在感到羞恥的結果是什麼? 這些事情的結局是死亡。但是現在,你擺脫了罪惡,被奴役了上帝,你的果子就產生了聖潔。結果就是永生。因為罪的報酬是死亡,但上帝的恩賜是我們主彌賽亞(Yeshua)的永生。” (羅馬書6:12-23,TLV )

整個閱讀表明,僅僅因為一個人處於恩典之下,它並不能確認上帝律法(誡命)的終結。保羅在幾句不同的經文中重申了這一點。羅馬書3:19-20 “現在我們知道,無論《摩西五經》怎麼說,它都對《摩西五經》中的那些人說, 這樣就可以閉上嘴,整個世界都可以對上帝負責。在遵守律法的基礎上,沒有人會在他眼前被設定為TAG1>,因為通過律法會意識到罪惡。— 他說的有所不同,但在羅馬書7:7-12 “中更清晰地說,那我們該怎麼說呢? 律法書是罪過嗎? 願永遠不會! 相反,除了通過律法書,我不會知道罪。因為如果律法書沒有說“,我不會垂涎三尺。”但是罪惡趁機通過誡命在我裡面做了各種令人垂涎的事情。因為除了律法書之外,罪已經死了。一旦我除了律法書還活著;但是當誡命來臨時,罪惡就復活了,我死了。發現這條命為生命的誡命導致死亡。罪惡藉著誡命抓住機會,欺騙了我,並通過它殺死了我。因此,律法是聖潔的,誡命是聖潔,公義和善良的。”

保羅說的是,即使寬限期,誡命也有效。魔鬼仍然會誘惑,人的本性仍然是犯罪。一旦得到恩典的寬恕,魔鬼就會為爭取回到他輸給上帝的人而奮鬥。

但是,不要只是聽保羅的話。耶穌本人說上帝的律法仍然有效。“阿們,我告訴你,直到天地消逝,直到萬物都過去之前,最小的字母或襯線都不會從律法中消失。” (馬太福音5:18,TLV )

約翰在拔摩島的願景也證明了這一點。“這是kedoshim —的毅力,他們遵守上帝的誡命和耶穌的信仰。” (啟示錄14:12 )。在希伯來語拉比語中,Kedoshim的意思是‘聖人’。KJV將此詞解釋為聖人。毅力意味著走遠,看到最後的東西。正如您在這節經文中所看到的,要經歷時間的盡頭, 在羔羊的生命冊中讀出你的名字既有信仰基督(恩典),又有上帝的誡命(律法)。

當基督說這件事是在他死在十字架上之前完成的,這意味著已經為接受它的人支付了贖回的代價。使徒雅各在雅各書2:14-26 ‘中告訴我們,如果有人說他有信心但沒有工作,那有什麼好處? 這樣的信仰可以拯救他嗎? 如果一個兄弟姐妹是赤裸裸的,缺乏日常食物,而你們中的一個對他們說:“進入沙洛姆,保持溫暖和飽食,”但是您不給他們身體需要的東西,那有什麼好處? 因此,如果沒有信仰,信仰本身也會死亡。但是有人會說,“你有信心,我有作品。” 給我看你的信仰而沒有工作,我會通過我的作品向你展示信仰。您相信上帝是一。你做得很好。惡魔還相信—和顫抖! 但是,您想知道,您是空虛的人,沒有行為的信念已經消亡了嗎? 當我們的父親亞伯拉罕在祭壇上獻出兒子以撒時,難道不是通過工作證明是義的嗎? 您會看到信仰與他的作品一起工作,而通過這些作品,他的信仰得以完善。聖經說:“亞伯拉罕相信上帝,這被認為是公義” —,他被稱為上帝的朋友。您會看到一個人通過工作而不是單憑信仰被證明是正義的。同樣,當妓女拉哈卜(Rahab)歡迎使者並以另一種方式將他們送出時,難道不是通過工作證明是正義的嗎? 就像沒有靈的身體已經死了一樣,沒有行為的信仰也就死了。’

所談論的作品是我們如何與同胞打交道。雖然它包含了憐憫(餵養飢餓者的作品,但拜訪了病人,等等)也包括誡命。請記住,最後六條誡命告訴我們與我們同胞打交道的道德方式。

(犧牲,儀式等利未法在十字架上結束。這就是基督關於這樣做的說法的含義。現在,鮮血籠罩著犧牲,禮儀法和法律法的含義……未來在基督的犧牲中得救。這在聖殿和聖殿之間的面紗撕裂中得以揭示。‘耶穌再次大聲喊叫,放棄了他的精神。看哪,聖殿的窗簾從上到下一分為二。’ (馬太福音27:50-51,TLV )

這種眼淚向所有人開放了上帝的同在,而沒有經過院子裡的祭司,聖所的祭司, 以及犧牲動物血液中方舟的覆蓋。自從在西奈下達誡命以來,就一直存在著《誡命》 (《上帝律法》 )而不是摩西律法。

這是一個需要思考的問題。如果基督本人,使徒和舊約的作家說上帝的律法像上帝一樣沒有改變,那為什麼要辯論呢? 為什麼那些自稱跟隨基督的人辯論要遵循的誡命? 如果通過血液(救贖基督的信仰)和上帝的誡命(上帝的法律)使它成為義人的複活, 我們不應該都遵循榮耀嗎?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

ईश्वर और आज्ञा

मसीह के अनुयायियों में एक विवाद प्रतीत होता है कि यह लेख निष्कर्ष पर आने में मदद करने का प्रयास करेगा. यह क्रूस से मसीह के बहाए गए रक्त के माध्यम से अनुग्रह और दया के कारण कानून के तहत नहीं होने का तर्क है. लोग मूसा की किताबों में लिखे गए कानूनों के बीच अंतर करना भूल जाते हैं. चलो वहाँ शुरू करते हैं.

कानूनों के दो सेट हैं. एक सिनाई में स्वयं भगवान द्वारा लिखे गए कानून हैं. ये दस आज्ञाएँ नैतिक कानून हैं. कमांड पांच में विभाजित, वे दो पत्थर की गोलियों पर लिखे गए हैं. आप इन्हें एक्सोडस 20: 1-17 में पाते हैं. ये कानून हमें बताते हैं कि भगवान के साथ हमारे संबंधों से कैसे निपटें ( टैबलेट 1, कमांड 1-4 ) और हमारे साथी आदमी के साथ हमारा संबंध ( टैबलेट 2, कमांड 5-10 ). ये कानून कभी नहीं बदल सकते और न ही बदल सकते हैं. ये कानून तब लागू हुए जब भगवान ने उन्हें पत्थर पर लिखा था. पवित्रशास्त्र हमें विभिन्न मार्गों में बताता है ( हिब्रू 13: 8; मलाकी 3: 6; यशायाह 40: 8; एट अल ).

वहाँ Levitical कानून हैं. ये कानून मूसा को शब्द में दिए गए थे, पत्थर नहीं, इस्राएलियों को लिखने के लिए. इन कानूनों ने सामाजिक मुद्दों, कानूनी मुद्दों और बलिदान के मुद्दों को इजरायल के लिए कवर किया. ये मूसा की किताबों में देखे जाते हैं, जो दस आज्ञाओं के बाद शुरू होते हैं. यहाँ वह जगह है जहाँ समस्या होती है.

कानून के दो समूहों ( कमांड और लेविटिकल ) की नियुक्ति को देखें. मूसा द्वारा स्वर्ण बछड़े की पूजा की जाने और फिर से लिखे जाने के बाद दो पत्थर की गोलियाँ ( टूट गई, उन्हें वाचा के सन्दूक में रखा गया ) Deut. 10: 1-20…उस समय अडोनई ने मुझसे कहा, ‘ अपने लिए पत्थर की दो गोलियां पहले की तरह तराशें और पहाड़ पर मेरे पास आएं. अपने आप को लकड़ी का एक सन्दूक बनाओ. मैं उन गोलियों पर लिखूंगा जो पहले गोलियों पर थीं जिन्हें आपने तोड़ दिया था, और आप उन्हें सन्दूक में डाल देंगे। ’ ). पॉल ( इब्रानियों 9: 4b द्वारा इब्रियों को लिखे गए पत्र के अनुसार, उन्हें हारून और मन्ना के कर्मचारियों के साथ वहां रखा गया था… सन्दूक में एक सुनहरा जार था, जो कि हारून की छड़ी थी, जो कि नवोदित थी, और वाचा की गोलियाँ ). ये तीनों यीशु मसीह का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं. आज्ञाओं को कानून दाता यीशु से भगवान के कानून, हारून के कर्मचारी ( हमारे उच्च पुजारी के रूप में मसीह का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं, और मन्ना ( जीवन की रोटी यीशु ).

मूसा के कानून या कानून को अलग तरीके से रखा गया था ( व्यवस्थाविवरण 31: 25-26…मूसा ने लेवियों को आज्ञा दी, अदोनै की वाचा के सन्दूक के वाहक ने कहा, “ टोरा के इस स्क्रॉल को लें, और इसे अदोनै के वाचा के सन्दूक के पास रखें. यह आपके खिलाफ एक गवाह के रूप में रहेगा, ). कानूनों का यह सेट भगवान और इस्राएलियों के बीच एक वाचा के रूप में बाध्यकारी था. जबकि परमेश्वर का कानून ( दस आज्ञाएँ शुरू से अंत तक मानवता के सभी के लिए बाध्यकारी हैं.

बहस रोमियों 6:14 से आती है …. ”क्योंकि पाप तुम्हारे ऊपर नहीं होगा, क्योंकि तुम कानून के अधीन नहीं हो, लेकिन अनुग्रह के अधीन हो ”. और जबकि यह कविता अकेले खड़ी हो सकती है, यह दिखा सकती है कि अनुग्रह कानून तर्क सही नहीं होगा, इसे संदर्भ में और इसके आसपास के अन्य छंदों के साथ लेना होगा. पूरा विचार इस तरह का है, “ इसलिए अपने नश्वर शरीर में पाप का शासन न करें ताकि आप उसकी इच्छाओं का पालन करें. और अपने शरीर के अंगों को दुष्टता के उपकरण के रूप में पाप करने के लिए न रखें; लेकिन अपने आप को भगवान से उपज के रूप में उन लोगों से जीवित करें, और आपका शरीर भगवान की धार्मिकता के उपकरण के रूप में है. क्योंकि पाप तुम्हारे ऊपर नहीं होगा, क्योंकि तुम कानून के अधीन नहीं हो, बल्कि अनुग्रह के अधीन हो. फिर क्या? क्या हम पाप करेंगे क्योंकि हम कानून के अधीन नहीं हैं बल्कि अनुग्रह के अधीन हैं? यह कभी नहीं हो सकता है! क्या आप नहीं जानते कि आप जो कुछ भी आज्ञाकारिता के लिए खुद को गुलाम के रूप में उपजते हैं, आप गुलाम हैं जो आप मानते हैं — चाहे पाप मृत्यु के परिणामस्वरूप हो, या आज्ञाकारिता के परिणामस्वरूप धार्मिकता हो? लेकिन भगवान के लिए धन्यवाद कि यद्यपि आप पाप के गुलाम थे, आपने पूरे दिल से शिक्षण के रूप का पालन किया जिसके तहत आपको रखा गया था; और तुम्हारे जाने के बाद पाप से मुक्त हो गए, आप धार्मिकता के गुलाम बन गए. मैं आपके मांस की कमजोरी के कारण मानवीय शब्दों में बोलता हूं. जैसे ही आपने अपने शरीर के अंगों को अशुद्धता और अधर्म के गुलाम के रूप में उतारा, जिससे अधिक अधर्म हो गया, इसलिए अब अपने शरीर के अंगों को धार्मिकता के दास के रूप में उपजें, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप पवित्रता प्राप्त हुई. जब आप पाप के गुलाम थे, तो आप धार्मिकता के संबंध में स्वतंत्र थे. तो फिर, आपके पास क्या परिणाम था जिससे आप अब शर्मिंदा हैं? उन चीजों के अंत के लिए मृत्यु है. लेकिन अब, पाप से मुक्त हो गए हैं और भगवान के गुलाम बन गए हैं, आपके पास पवित्रता के परिणामस्वरूप आपका फल है. और परिणाम शाश्वत जीवन है। पाप के भुगतान के लिए मृत्यु है, लेकिन भगवान का अनुग्रह उपहार हमारे प्रभु मसीहा येशुआ में अनन्त जीवन है। ” ( रोमन 6: 12-23, TLV )

संपूर्ण रीडिंग से पता चलता है कि सिर्फ इसलिए कि कोई अनुग्रह के अधीन है, यह भगवान के कानून ( आज्ञाओं ) के अंत की पुष्टि नहीं करता है. पॉल ने उस बिंदु को कुछ अलग कविता में दोहराया. रोमियों 3: 19-20 “ अब हम जानते हैं कि टोरा जो भी कहता है, वह टोरा के भीतर के लोगों से कहता है, ताकि हर मुंह बंद हो सके और पूरी दुनिया भगवान के प्रति जवाबदेह बन सके. किसी भी इंसान के लिए, टोरा पालन के आधार पर, उसकी दृष्टि में सही सेट नहीं किया जाएगा — टोरा के माध्यम से पाप के बारे में जागरूकता आती है। ” और वह इसे अलग तरह से कहता है, लेकिन रोमियों 7: 7-12 “ में बेहतर स्पष्टता के साथ हम तब क्या कहेंगे? क्या टोरा पाप है? यह कभी नहीं हो सकता है! इसके विपरीत, मुझे टोरा के अलावा पाप का पता नहीं था. अगर टोरा ने यह नहीं कहा होता तो मैं लोभ के बारे में नहीं जानता होता, “ आप लोभ नहीं करेंगे. ” लेकिन पाप, एक अवसर लेते हुए, आज्ञा के माध्यम से सभी प्रकार के लोभ में काम किया. टोरा के अलावा, पाप मर चुका है. एक बार जब मैं टोरा से अलग था; लेकिन जब आज्ञा आई, तो पाप जीवन में आया और मैं मर गया. जीवन के लिए आज्ञा का अर्थ मृत्यु का कारण पाया गया. पाप ने आज्ञा के माध्यम से एक अवसर लेते हुए, मुझे धोखा दिया और इसके माध्यम से मुझे मार डाला. तो, टोरा पवित्र है, और आज्ञा पवित्र और धर्मी और अच्छी है। ”

पॉल जो कह रहा है वह यह है कि आज्ञाएँ अनुग्रह के बाद भी प्रभावी हैं. शैतान अभी भी लुभाएगा और मनुष्य का स्वभाव अभी भी पाप करना है. और एक बार अनुग्रह की क्षमा प्राप्त होने के बाद, शैतान एक और लड़ाई लड़ता है जिसे वह भगवान से हार जाता है.

लेकिन सिर्फ पॉल को मत सुनो. यीशु ने स्वयं कहा था कि परमेश्वर के नियम अभी भी मान्य हैं. “ आमीन, मैं आपको बताता हूं, जब तक कि स्वर्ग और पृथ्वी नहीं गुजरते, तब तक सबसे छोटा पत्र या सेरिफ़ कभी भी टोरा से दूर नहीं होगा जब तक कि सभी चीजें पास न हो जाएं। ” ( मैथ्यू 5:18, TLV )

पटमोस में जॉन की दृष्टि इसे भी कहती है. “ यहाँ केडोशिम — की दृढ़ता है जो लोग ईश्वर की आज्ञाओं और येशुआ के विश्वास को बनाए रखते हैं। ” ( रहस्योद्घाटन 14:12 ). हिब्रू Rabbinical पाठ में, केडोशिम का अर्थ है ‘ पवित्र लोग ’. KJV इस शब्द की व्याख्या संतों के रूप में करता है. दृढ़ता का अर्थ है दूरी तय करना, अंत तक कुछ देखना. जैसा कि आप इस कविता में देखते हैं, समय के अंत तक जाने के लिए, और आपका नाम मेमने की बुक ऑफ लाइफ में पढ़ा गया है, दोनों विश्वास मसीह ( अनुग्रह ) और आज्ञाओं ( कानून ) भगवान के दोनों लेता है.

जब मसीह ने कहा कि यह क्रूस पर मरने से पहले किया जाता है, तो इसका मतलब है कि इसे स्वीकार करने वालों के लिए मोचन की कीमत का भुगतान किया गया था. प्रेरित जेम्स हमें जेम्स 2: 14-26 ‘ में बताता है कि यह क्या अच्छा है, मेरे भाइयों और बहनों, अगर कोई कहता है कि उसे विश्वास है, लेकिन काम नहीं करता है? क्या ऐसा विश्वास उसे बचा सकता है? यदि कोई भाई या बहन नग्न है और उसके पास दैनिक भोजन की कमी है, और आप में से कोई उनसे कहता है, “ शालोम में जाओ, गर्म और अच्छी तरह से खिलाओ,” लेकिन आप उन्हें वह नहीं देते जो शरीर को चाहिए, वह क्या अच्छा है? इसलिए विश्वास भी, अगर इसमें काम नहीं है, तो यह अपने आप मर चुका है. लेकिन कोई कहेगा, “ आपको विश्वास है और मेरे पास काम है। ” मुझे बिना काम के अपना विश्वास दिखाओ और मैं तुम्हें अपने कामों से विश्वास दिखाऊंगा. आप मानते हैं कि भगवान एक है. आप अच्छा करते हैं. राक्षसों का मानना है कि — और कंपकंपी! लेकिन क्या आप जानना चाहते हैं, आप खाली व्यक्ति हैं, बिना काम के विश्वास मर चुका है? क्या अब्राहम हमारे पिता ने काम से धर्मी साबित नहीं किया जब उसने इसहाक को अपने बेटे को वेदी पर चढ़ाया? आप देखते हैं कि विश्वास ने उनके कार्यों के साथ मिलकर काम किया, और कार्यों से उनका विश्वास पूरा हुआ. पवित्रशास्त्र पूरा हुआ जो कहता है, “ और अब्राहम भगवान को मानते थे, और इसे उन्हें धार्मिकता के रूप में श्रेय दिया गया था ” — और उन्हें भगवान का दोस्त कहा जाता था. आप देखते हैं कि एक आदमी काम से धर्मी साबित होता है न कि अकेले विश्वास से. और इसी तरह, जब वह दूतों का स्वागत करती थी और उन्हें दूसरे तरीके से बाहर भेजती थी, तो वेश्या भी काम से धर्मी साबित नहीं होती थी? जैसे आत्मा के बिना शरीर मर चुका है, वैसे ही बिना काम के भी विश्वास मर चुका है। ’

जिन कार्यों के बारे में बात की जा रही है, वे हैं कि हम अपने साथी के साथ कैसे व्यवहार करते हैं. हालांकि यह दया के कार्यों को शामिल करता है ( भूखे को खिलाता है, बीमारों की यात्रा करता है, एट अल ) इसमें आज्ञाएँ भी शामिल हैं. याद रखें, कि अंतिम छह आज्ञाएँ हमें अपने साथी आदमी से निपटने का नैतिक तरीका बताती हैं.

Levitical कानून ( बलिदान, समारोह, आदि ) क्रॉस पर समाप्त हो गए थे. यह मसीह के कथन का अर्थ था कि यह किया जा रहा है. रक्त अब अनुग्रह में शामिल हो गया है जो बलिदान, औपचारिक कानून और कानूनी कानून के लिए थे …. भविष्य में मसीह के बलिदान में मोचन. यह मंदिर में पवित्र स्थान और पवित्र के पवित्र के बीच घूंघट के फाड़ में प्रकट होता है. ‘ और येशुआ ने फिर से तेज आवाज के साथ पुकारा और अपनी आत्मा को त्याग दिया. और देखो, मंदिर का पर्दा दो से ऊपर से नीचे तक विभाजित था। ’ ( मैथ्यू 27: 50-51, TLV )

इस फाड़ ने आंगन में बलिदान के माध्यम से जाने के बिना सभी के लिए भगवान की उपस्थिति को खोल दिया, पवित्र स्थान में पुजारी, और बलिदान के पशु रक्त में सन्दूक को ढंकना. आज्ञाएँ ( परमेश्वर का कानून ) मूसा के कानून सिनाई पर आज्ञाओं को दिए जाने से पहले के आसपास नहीं हैं.

यहाँ विचार करने के लिए एक प्रश्न है. यदि स्वयं मसीह, प्रेरित और पुराने नियम के लेखक कहते हैं कि परमेश्वर का कानून, ईश्वर की तरह, नहीं बदलता है, तो बहस क्यों? और जो लोग मसीह की बहस का पालन करने का दावा करते हैं, उन्हें किस आज्ञा का पालन करना है? यदि यह मसीह में विश्वास ( रक्त के माध्यम से मोचन का अनुग्रह ) और आज्ञाओं ( भगवान का कानून ) इसे धर्मी के पुनरुत्थान के माध्यम से बनाने के लिए लेता है, क्या हमें महिमा दोनों का पालन नहीं करना चाहिए?

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ہم سب وقت سے وقت تک گر جاتے ہیں

میں عام طور پر اپنے مضامین میں ذاتی گواہی نہیں دیتا ہوں. لیکن آج تھوڑا سا مختلف ہے. امید ہے کہ جو لوگ اس مضمون کو پڑھتے ہیں وہ اس میں دو چیزوں میں سے ایک تلاش کرتے ہیں جو روح القدس کو ان میں کام کرنے کی اجازت دیتا ہے.
غیر مومن کے ل I ، میں امید کرتا ہوں کہ آپ یہ سمجھنا شروع کردیں گے کہ یہاں تک کہ عیسائی بھی اب بھی پیدا ہونے والے شیطانی مسائل کا مقابلہ کرتے ہیں. ہم کامل نہیں ہیں اور جب تک مسیح واپس نہیں آتا تب تک نہیں ہوگا. ہاں ، منافق ہیں جو ایک بات کہتے ہیں اور دوسری چیز کرتے ہیں. لیکن بہت سے لوگوں پر آپ کو یقین ہے کہ ایسا ہی ہے ، صرف مسیح کے پیروکار ہیں جو اب بھی ناکام اور زوال پذیر ہیں.
مومن کے ل it ، یہ میری امید ہے کہ جب آپ گرتے ہیں یا ناکام ہوجاتے ہیں تو آپ کی حوصلہ شکنی نہیں ہوتی ہے. جیسا کہ اوپر بیان کیا گیا ہے ، ہم اب بھی انسان ہیں اور گوشت سے لڑتے ہیں. کچھ جنسی مسائل کے ذریعے ، کافر ازم سے بقیہ تعلقات ، یا اس معاملے میں غصے کے ایک لمحے کے ذریعے. اس کا مطلب یہ نہیں ہے کہ ہم ایمان میں ناکامی ہیں. اس کا مطلب ہے کہ ہم نے ابھی تک اسے کامل گھر نہیں بنایا ہے.
میں تمباکو نوشی کے معاملے سے نمٹ رہا ہوں اور اس نے نیکوٹین فری ( کی تاریخ طے کی ہے جس میں ماہ کے آخری دن تک ) واپس لینا بھی شامل ہے. لہذا جب میں کام میں داخل ہوا تو مجھ پر سگریٹ نہیں تھا. میں ایک اسٹور پر کام کرتا ہوں جس کی تزئین و آرائش ایک نئے مالک کی وجہ سے کی جارہی ہے. لہذا ہمارے پاس مختلف منصوبوں کے ٹھیکیدار موجود ہیں ، اور کم سے کم یہ کہنا کہ اسٹور مصروف ہے اور معاملات پیدا ہوتے ہیں.
میں ہیڈ وصول کرنے والا ہوں اور اپنی ملازمت کے لئے کمپیوٹر کے سامان پر انحصار کرتا ہوں. میں آج اندر چلا گیا اور اپنا پورا نظام نیچے پایا. اسٹور میں موجود دیگر تمام سسٹم آپریشنل تھے. اسے ہلکے سے ڈالنے کے لئے ، میں چلا گیا. میں رات کے معاہدہ کرنے والے عملے سے پوچھنے گیا تھا کہ کیا ہوا ہے تاکہ میں اس معلومات کو آئی ٹی ڈیپارٹمنٹ کو بھیج سکوں. چیزیں ٹھیک نہیں ہوئیں. میرا غصہ بھڑک اٹھا اور میں نے کچھ ایسی باتیں کہی جو مجھے نہیں کہنا چاہئے تھے. اس تکرار کے بعد ، ان کے براہ راست سپروائزر نے اپنے کارکنوں کا دفاع کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا. یہ گرم ہوگیا.
میرے غصے نے کچھ سالوں میں اس طرح بھڑک نہیں اٹھایا ، اور میں نے سوچا کہ یہ ختم ہوچکا ہے. میں غلط تھا. اس کے بعد صرف چند منٹ کے بعد ، میں جانتا تھا کہ مجھے توبہ کرنا ہے ، خدا سے معافی مانگنا ہے ، اور معافی مانگنا ہے. دعا کے بعد ، میں اپنے معمول کے پرسکون نفس پر واپس آگیا. میں اس مسئلے کو سامنے لاتا ہوں ، کیوں کہ میں جانتا ہوں کہ میں واحد شخص نہیں ہوسکتا جو مسیح کی پیروی کرتا ہے اور پھر بھی ، تھوڑی دیر میں ، اس بوڑھے کو ایک لمحے کے لئے واپس آتا ہوں. ایسا نہیں ہے کہ یہ اکثر ہوتا ہے ، لیکن ایسا ہوتا ہے.
جب میں گھر پہنچا تو میں نے کچھ صحیفے کارڈ دیکھے اور غصے میں ایک پایا. کارڈ پر پہلی آیت امثال 15: 1 ‘ ایک نرم جواب قہر کو دور کرتا ہے ، لیکن ایک سخت لفظ غصے کو بھڑکاتا ہے۔ ’ سپروائزر کا رد عمل اس کے عملے کے ساتھ میرے غصے کی وجہ سے تھا. اگر میں سوچ کر پرسکون ہوتا تو ، یہ اس مقام تک نہیں بڑھتا تھا.
افسیوں 4: 26-27 ہمیں بتاتا ہے ‘ ناراض رہیں اور گناہ نہ کریں: سورج کو اپنے قہر پر نیچے جانے نہ دیں ، اور نہ ہی شیطان کو جگہ دیں۔ ’ عطا کی گئی ، ایک بار صورتحال ختم ہونے کے بعد ، میں نے دعا کی اور پرسکون محسوس کیا. لیکن اس لمحے میں ، شیطان کی صورتحال میں اپنی جگہ تھی. وہ جانتا تھا کہ اس وقت میری ذہن کی حالت اس وقت نہیں جا رہی تھی کیونکہ اسے ( ہونا چاہئے کیونکہ کوئی بھی عادی بھی ) کی تصدیق کرسکتا ہے اور صرف میرے سامنے کی صورتحال کو گھٹا سکتا ہے اور میں نے لے لیا بیت. اس کا رجحان مسیح کے پیروکاروں کے ساتھ ایسا کرنے کا ہے. وہ ہماری کمزوری اور ہماری ماضی کی زندگی کو جانتا ہے. وہ جانتا ہے کہ صحیح حالات کے پیش نظر ہمیں کیا ملے گا.
پولس ہمیں بتاتا ہے ، ‘ آخر کار ، بھائی ، خداوند میں اور اس کی طاقت کے اختیار میں مضبوط ہوں. خدا کے پورے کوچ کو رکھو ، تاکہ آپ شیطان کے پردہ کے خلاف کھڑے ہوسکیں. کیونکہ ہم آسمانی مقامات پر شرارت کے روحانی میزبانوں کے خلاف ، اس عمر کے اندھیرے کے حکمرانوں کے خلاف ، جسمانی اور خون کے خلاف نہیں ، بلکہ سلطنت کے خلاف ، طاقتوں کے خلاف ، لڑائی کرتے ہیں. لہذا ، خدا کا پورا کوچ اٹھائیں ، تاکہ آپ برے دن میں برداشت کرسکیں ، اور سب کچھ کرنے کے بعد ، کھڑے ہوں۔ ” “ لہذا ، اپنی کمر کو سچائی کے ساتھ باندھ کر ، راستبازی کی چھاتی پر ڈال کر ، امن کی خوشخبری کی تیاری کے ساتھ اپنے پیروں کو ہلا کر رکھ دیا۔ سب سے بڑھ کر, ایمان کی ڈھال لینا جس کے ساتھ آپ شریر کے آتش گیر ڈارٹس کو بجھانے میں کامیاب ہوجائیں گے. اور نجات کا ہیلمیٹ ، اور روح کی تلوار لے لو ، جو خدا کا کلام ہے۔ روح میں ہر دعا اور دعا کے ساتھ ہمیشہ دعا کرنا, سنتوں کے لئے تمام ثابت قدمی اور دعا کے ساتھ اس مقصد پر نگاہ رکھنا. ( افسیوں 6: 10-18 )
پولس ہمیں یہ بتانے دیتا ہے کہ اگر ہم نے اسے جانے دیا تو شیطان کی دنیا اور لشکر ہمیں کیل لگائیں گے. اور آج میں نے کیا. لیکن گزرنے میں ، پولس ہمیں خدا کے کوچ اور خدا کی تلوار سے ملبوس لڑنے کے لئے بھی کہتا ہے. میں ڈھال کا ایک ہار پہنتا ہوں جسے میں ہمیشہ دشمن کے حملے کے مطابق رکھنا یاد رکھتا ہوں. آج میں بھول گیا تھا. اور اس نے شیطان کو گھس کر حملہ کرنے کی اجازت دی.
ہمیں یہ سمجھنے کی ضرورت ہے کہ جب پولس رومیوں 3:23 ‘ میں بیان کرتا ہے تو سب نے خدا کی شان سے گناہ کیا ہے اور اس کی کمی واقع ہوئی ہے ’ وہ بچ جانے والوں سے بات کر رہا ہے. اگرچہ بہت سے لوگوں کا خیال ہے کہ اس آیت کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ گرنے والوں کے ساتھ سخت نہ ہوں ، اور یہ ایک لحاظ سے ہوتا ہے. ہمیں یہ یاد دلانے کے لئے بھی موجود ہے کہ ہم ابھی تک کامل نہیں ہیں. کہ ہم وقتا فوقتا چھیڑ چھاڑ کریں گے. لیکن ہم یہ بھی جانتے ہیں کہ مسیح ہماری پناہ گاہ اور چٹان ہے. کہ ہم گر سکتے ہیں ، لیکن جب ہم توبہ کرتے ہیں اور اس کی رحمت اور مدد مانگتے ہیں تو وہ ہمیں گناہ کی لہروں سے نکالنے اور کھینچنے پر راضی ہے. جان ہمیں یاد دلاتا ہے ، مسیح کے پیروکار جتنا وہ ان لوگوں کو کرتا ہے جنہوں نے اس کی تلاش نہیں کی ہے ، ‘ اگر ہم اپنے گناہوں کا اعتراف کرتے ہیں تو, وہ وفادار اور صادق ہے کہ ہمارے گناہوں کو معاف کرے اور ہمیں تمام بے رحمی سے پاک کرے۔ ’ ( 1 جان 1: 9 )
کبھی عمل نہ کریں ، کیوں کہ آپ مسیح کی پیروی کرتے ہیں ، کہ آپ اتنے متقی ہیں کہ آپ گناہ نہیں کرسکتے ہیں یا نہیں کرسکتے ہیں. جب تک ہم اس مانسل شکل میں ہیں ، اور ہمارے آسمانی گھر میں نہیں ، شیطان آپ کو مار سکتا ہے اور کرے گا. بصورت دیگر ہمیں خدا کے کوچ کو رکھنے کی یاد دلانے کی ضرورت نہیں ہوگی. میرے والد کہتے تھے ، بچانے کے بعد ، ‘ لیکن خدا کے فضل کے لئے ، میں ” جاتا ہوں. یہ ایک پرانی قول ہے لیکن سچ بجتا ہے. ہم دنیا کے گنہگار سے بہتر نہیں ہیں. ہمارے قابل نہ ہونے کے باوجود ہمیں ابھی فضل اور رحمت دی گئی ہے.
لہذا ، جب ہم مسیح کے ساتھ اپنی سیر میں گر جاتے ہیں یا ناکام ہوجاتے ہیں تو ، فورا. توبہ کریں ، اس کی مغفرت اور رحمت کی تلاش کریں. پھر یہ مت بھولنا کہ ہمیں اس کی رحمت کی ضرورت ہے. میں واقعتا believe یقین کرتا ہوں ، کہ بعض اوقات ہم غیر محفوظ دنیا کو جو بہترین گواہی دے سکتے ہیں وہ رحمت ہے جو ہم خدا کی طرف سے گرتے یا ناکام ہونے کے بعد وصول کرتے ہیں. رحمت اور انسانیت کی ضرورت کو سمجھنے کے لئے زوال کو دیکھنے کی ضرورت.

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خدا اور حکم

مسیح کے پیروکاروں میں یہ تنازعہ معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ یہ مضمون اختتام پر آنے میں مدد کی کوشش کرے گا. یہ قانون کے تحت نہ ہونے کی دلیل ہے کیونکہ مسیح کے خون کو صلیب سے بہا کر فضل اور رحمت کی وجہ سے. لوگ موسیٰ کی کتابوں میں لکھے گئے قوانین کے مابین فرق کرنا بھول جاتے ہیں. آئیے وہاں سے شروع کریں.

قوانین کے دو سیٹ ہیں. ایک وہ قانون ہیں جو خود سینا میں خدا نے لکھے تھے. یہ دس احکام اخلاقی قانون ہیں. پانچ حکم نامے پر تقسیم کریں ، وہ پتھر کی دو گولیاں پر لکھے گئے ہیں. آپ کو یہ خروج 20: 1-17 میں مل گیا ہے. یہ قوانین ہمیں بتاتے ہیں کہ خدا کے ساتھ ہمارے تعلقات سے کیسے نمٹنا ہے ( ٹیبلٹ 1 ، احکام 1-4 ) اور ہمارے ساتھی آدمی کے ساتھ ہمارے تعلقات ( ٹیبلٹ 2 ، احکام 5-10 ). یہ قوانین کبھی نہیں بدلے اور نہیں بدل سکتے ہیں. خدا نے انہیں پتھر پر لکھا تھا اس سے پہلے یہ قوانین موجود تھے. صحیفہ ہمیں مختلف حصئوں میں یہ بتاتا ہے ( ہیبروز 13: 8؛ ملاکی 3: 6؛ یسعیاہ 40: 8؛ ایٹ ال ).

قانونی قوانین موجود ہیں. یہ قوانین موسیٰ کو بنی اسرائیل کو لکھنے کے لئے الفاظ میں ، پتھر نہیں ، دیئے گئے تھے. ان قوانین میں اسرائیلیوں کے لئے معاشرتی امور ، قانونی امور اور قربانی کے امور کا احاطہ کیا گیا ہے. یہ دس احکام کے بعد شروع ہونے والے موسیٰ کی کتابوں میں دیکھے جاتے ہیں. یہاں مسئلہ ہوتا ہے.

آئیے قانون کے دو گروہوں کی جگہ ( تشکیل اور قانونی ) کو دیکھیں. دو پتھر کی گولیاں ( موسیٰ کے بعد ٹوٹا ہوا سنہری بچھڑا کی عبادت اور خدا کے ذریعہ دوبارہ لکھا گیا ) عہد نامہ ( Deut میں رکھا گیا تھا. 10: 1-20…اس وقت اڈونائی نے مجھ سے کہا ، ‘ اپنے لئے پتھر کی دو گولیاں پہلے کی طرح نقش کریں اور پہاڑ پر میرے پاس آئیں. اپنے آپ کو لکڑی کا صندوق بنائیں. میں گولیوں پر وہ الفاظ لکھوں گا جو آپ نے توڑ دیئے پہلی گولیوں پر تھے ، اور آپ انہیں صندوق میں ڈالیں گے۔ ’ ). پال ( ہیبروز 9: 4b کے عبرانیوں کو لکھے گئے خط کے مطابق ، انہیں ہارون اور مینا کے عملے کے ساتھ وہاں رکھا گیا تھا… صندوق میں ایک سنہری جار تھا جس میں مینا ، ہارون کی چھڑی تھی جو بولی تھی ، اور عہد کی گولیاں ) تھیں. یہ تینوں یسوع مسیح کی نمائندگی کرتے ہیں. احکام خدا کے قانون کی طرف سے عیسیٰ کے قوانین ہونے کی حیثیت سے ، ہارون ( کا عملہ مسیح کو ہمارے اعلی کاہن کی حیثیت سے پیش کرتا ہے ، اور مینا ( زندگی کی روٹی یسوع ).

لاویتیکل قوانین یا موسیٰ کے قوانین کو مختلف انداز میں رکھا گیا تھا ( استثنا 31: 25-26…موسیٰ نے اڈونائی کے عہد نامہ کے صندوق کے کیریئر لاویوں کو حکم دیا ، “ تورات کا یہ طومار لے لو ، اور اسے اپنے خدا کے عہد نامہ کے صندوق کے پاس رکھ دو. یہ آپ کے خلاف گواہ کی حیثیت سے موجود رہے گا ، ). قوانین کا یہ مجموعہ خدا اور اسرائیلیوں کے مابین عہد کے طور پر پابند تھا. جبکہ خدا کا قانون ( دس احکام شروع سے آخر تک تمام انسانیت پر پابند ہیں.

بحث رومیوں 6:14 سے آتی ہے …. ”کیونکہ گناہ آپ پر عبور نہیں ہوگا ، کیونکہ آپ قانون کے تحت نہیں بلکہ فضل کے تحت ” ہیں. اور جب کہ یہ آیت تنہا کھڑی ہے تو یہ ظاہر ہوسکتا ہے کہ فضل قانون کی دلیل درست نہیں ہوگا ، اس کو سیاق و سباق میں اور اس کے آس پاس کی دوسری آیات کے ساتھ لیا جانا چاہئے. سارا خیال اس طرح ہے ، “ لہذا آپ کے فانی جسم میں گناہ پر حکمرانی نہ کریں تاکہ آپ اس کی خواہشات کو مانیں. اور اپنے جسم کے اعضاء کو برائی کے اوزار کے طور پر گناہ کے ل. نہ رکھیں۔ لیکن اپنے آپ کو خدا کے سامنے مردہ لوگوں کی طرح زندہ کرو, اور آپ کے جسم خدا کے لئے راستبازی کے اوزار کے طور پر حصے ہیں. کیونکہ گناہ آپ پر عبور نہیں ہوگا ، کیونکہ آپ قانون کے تحت نہیں بلکہ فضل کے تحت ہیں. پھر کیا? کیا ہم گناہ کریں گے کیوں کہ ہم قانون کے تحت نہیں بلکہ فضل کے تحت ہیں? یہ کبھی نہیں ہوسکتا! کیا آپ نہیں جانتے کہ آپ جو بھی اطاعت کے لئے غلام بن کر اپنے آپ کو حاصل کرتے ہیں ، آپ اس کے غلام ہیں جس کی آپ اطاعت کرتے ہیں — چاہے موت کے نتیجے میں گناہ کریں ، یا راستبازی کے نتیجے میں اطاعت کریں? لیکن خدا کا شکر ہے کہ اگرچہ آپ گناہ کے غلام تھے ، آپ نے پوری دل سے اس تعلیم کی شکل کی تعمیل کی جس کے تحت آپ کو رکھا گیا تھا۔ اور آپ کے گناہ سے پاک ہونے کے بعد, آپ راستبازی کے غلام بن گئے. میں آپ کے گوشت کی کمزوری کی وجہ سے انسانی لحاظ سے بات کرتا ہوں. جس طرح آپ نے اپنے جسم کے اعضاء کو ناپاک اور لاقانونیت کے غلام کی حیثیت سے حاصل کیا ، جس سے زیادہ لاقانونیت پیدا ہوتی ہے ، لہذا اب آپ اپنے جسم کے حصے راستبازی کے غلام کی حیثیت سے حاصل کرتے ہیں ، جس کے نتیجے میں تقدس پیدا ہوتا ہے. جب آپ گناہ کے غلام تھے تو آپ راستبازی کے حوالے سے آزاد تھے. تو پھر ، آپ کو کیا نتیجہ ملا کہ اب آپ کو شرم آتی ہے? ان چیزوں کے خاتمے کے لئے موت ہے. لیکن اب ، گناہ سے پاک ہوکر اور خدا کے غلام بننے کے بعد ، آپ کا پھل ہے جس کے نتیجے میں تقدس پیدا ہوتا ہے. اور نتیجہ ابدی زندگی ہے۔ کیونکہ گناہ کی ادائیگی موت ہے ، لیکن خدا کا احسان مند تحفہ ہمارے رب مسیحا یشوع میں ابدی زندگی ہے۔ ” ( رومیوں 6: 12-23 ، TLV )

پڑھنے کا سارا حصہ یہ ظاہر کرتا ہے کہ صرف اس وجہ سے کہ کوئی فضل کے تحت ہے ، اس سے خدا کے قانون کے خاتمے کی تصدیق نہیں ہوتی ( احکام ). پولس نے کچھ مختلف آیت میں اس نکتے کا اعادہ کیا. رومیوں 3: 19-20 “ اب ہم جانتے ہیں کہ تورات جو کچھ بھی کہتا ہے ، وہ تورات کے اندر والوں سے کہتا ہے, تاکہ ہر منہ بند ہو اور پوری دنیا خدا کے سامنے جوابدہ ہو. تورات کی پابندی کی بنیاد پر ، کسی بھی انسان کو اس کی نظر میں ٹھیک نہیں رکھا جائے گا — کیونکہ تورات کے ذریعے گناہ کے بارے میں آگاہی آتی ہے۔ ” اور وہ اسے مختلف انداز میں کہتا ہے ، لیکن رومیوں 7: 7-12 “ میں بہتر وضاحت کے ساتھ ہم پھر کیا کہیں گے? کیا تورات گناہ ہے? یہ کبھی نہیں ہوسکتا! اس کے برعکس ، میں تورات کے علاوہ گناہ نہیں جانتا تھا. کیونکہ اگر تورات نے یہ نہیں کہا ہوتا تو میں لالچ کے بارے میں نہیں جانتا تھا ، “ آپ کو لالچ نہیں ملے گا. ” لیکن گناہ ، ایک موقع لیتے ہوئے ، حکم کے ذریعہ مجھ میں ہر طرح کی لالچ میں کام کرتا تھا. تورات کے علاوہ ، گناہ مر گیا ہے. ایک بار جب میں تورات کے علاوہ زندہ تھا۔ لیکن جب حکم آیا تو گناہ زندہ ہوا اور میں مر گیا. زندگی کے لئے حکم کا مقصد موت کا سبب پایا گیا تھا. گناہ ، حکم کے ذریعہ ایک موقع لیتے ہوئے ، مجھے دھوکہ دیا اور اس کے ذریعے مجھے مار ڈالا. تو پھر ، تورات مقدس ہے ، اور حکم مقدس اور صادق اور اچھا ہے۔ ”

پال جو کچھ کہہ رہا ہے وہ یہ ہے کہ احکام فضل کے بعد بھی نافذ العمل ہیں. شیطان اب بھی لالچ دے گا اور انسان کی فطرت اب بھی گناہ کرنا ہے. اور ایک بار فضل کی معافی ملنے کے بعد ، شیطان خدا سے کھو جانے والے کو واپس لینے کے لئے زیادہ لڑتا ہے.

لیکن صرف پولس کی بات نہ سنو. یسوع نے خود کہا تھا کہ خدا کے قوانین ابھی بھی درست ہیں. “ آمین ، میں آپ کو بتاتا ہوں ، جب تک کہ جنت اور زمین ختم نہ ہوجائے ، سب سے چھوٹا خط یا صراف کبھی بھی تورات سے دور نہیں ہوگا جب تک کہ تمام چیزیں نہ آئیں۔ ” ( میتھیو 5:18 ، TLV )

پیٹموس میں جان کا وژن بھی کہتا ہے. “ یہاں کیڈوشیم — کی ثابت قدمی ہے جو خدا کے احکام اور یشوا کے عقیدے کو برقرار رکھتے ہیں۔ ” ( مکاشفہ 14:12 ). عبرانی رابنیکل متن میں ، کیڈوشم کا مطلب ہے ‘ ہولی اونس ’. کے جے وی نے اس لفظ کی ترجمانی سنتوں کی حیثیت سے کی ہے. تسلسل کا مطلب ہے فاصلہ طے کرنا ، آخر تک کچھ دیکھنا. جیسا کہ آپ اس آیت میں دیکھتے ہیں ، وقت کے اختتام تک جانے کے لئے, اور آپ کا نام میمنے کی کتاب زندگی میں پڑھا ہے مسیح ( فضل ) اور احکام ( خدا کے ) دونوں عقائد لیتا ہے.

جب مسیح نے کہا کہ یہ صلیب پر مرنے سے پہلے ہی کیا جاتا ہے ، تو اس کا مطلب یہ تھا کہ چھٹکارے کی قیمت ان لوگوں کے لئے ادا کردی گئی تھی جنہوں نے اسے قبول کیا. رسول جیمز ہمیں جیمز 2: 14-26 ‘ میں بتاتا ہے ، میرے بھائی بہن ، اگر کوئی کہتا ہے کہ اسے ایمان ہے ، لیکن کیا کام نہیں ہے? کیا اس طرح کا ایمان اسے بچا سکتا ہے? اگر کوئی بھائی یا بہن ننگا ہے اور اس میں روزانہ کھانا نہیں ہے ، اور آپ میں سے ایک ان سے کہتا ہے ، “ شالوم میں جاؤ ، گرم اور اچھی طرح سے کھلایا,” لیکن آپ انہیں جسم کی ضرورت کی ضرورت نہیں دیتے ، یہ کیا اچھا ہے? لہذا یہ بھی ایمان ، اگر اس کے کام نہیں ہیں تو ، خود ہی مر گیا ہے. لیکن کوئی کہے گا ، “ آپ کو اعتماد ہے اور میرے پاس کام ہے۔ ” مجھے بغیر کام کے اپنا ایمان دکھائیں اور میں آپ کو اپنے کاموں سے ایمان دکھاؤں گا. آپ کو یقین ہے کہ خدا ایک ہے. تم ٹھیک کرو. شیطانوں نے — اور کپک پر بھی یقین کیا! لیکن کیا آپ جاننا چاہتے ہیں ، آپ خالی شخص ، کام کے بغیر ایمان مر گیا ہے? کیا ابراہیم ہمارے والد نے قربانی پر اسحاق کو پیش کرتے وقت کام سے صادق ثابت نہیں کیا تھا? آپ نے دیکھا کہ ایمان نے اپنے کاموں کے ساتھ مل کر کام کیا ، اور ان کاموں سے اس کا ایمان مکمل ہوگیا. کلام پاک پورا ہوا جس میں کہا گیا ہے ، “ اور ابراہیم خدا پر یقین رکھتے تھے ، اور اسے راستبازی ” — کے طور پر پیش کیا گیا تھا اور اسے خدا کا دوست کہا جاتا تھا. آپ دیکھتے ہیں کہ انسان صرف ایمان کے ذریعہ نہیں بلکہ کاموں سے صادق ثابت ہوتا ہے. اور اسی طرح ، کیا راہاب طوائف بھی کاموں سے صادق ثابت نہیں ہوئی جب اس نے قاصدوں کا استقبال کیا اور انہیں کسی اور طرح سے بھیجا? جس طرح روح کے بغیر جسم مر گیا ہے ، اسی طرح کام کے بغیر بھی ایمان مر گیا ہے۔ ’

جن کاموں کے بارے میں بات کی جارہی ہے وہ یہ ہیں کہ ہم اپنے ساتھی سے کس طرح نمٹتے ہیں. اگرچہ اس میں رحمت کے کاموں کو شامل کیا گیا ہے ( بھوکے کو دیکھا ، بیماروں سے ملیں ، اور ) اس میں احکام بھی شامل ہیں. یاد رکھیں ، کہ آخری چھ احکام ہمیں اپنے ساتھی آدمی سے نمٹنے کا اخلاقی طریقہ بتاتے ہیں.

لیویٹیکل قانون ( قربانی ، تقریب وغیرہ ) صلیب پر ختم ہوا. یہ مسیح کے بیان کے بارے میں ہونے کے بارے میں معنی تھا. اب خون فضل سے ڈوبا ہوا ہے کہ قربانیوں ، رسمی قوانین اور قانونی قوانین کا کیا مطلب تھا …. مسیح کی قربانی میں مستقبل کی فدیہ. یہ ہیکل میں مقدس جگہ اور ہولی آف ہولی کے درمیان پردہ پھاڑنے میں انکشاف ہوا ہے. ‘ اور یشوہا نے ایک تیز آواز سے دوبارہ چیخ کر اپنی روح ترک کردی. اور دیکھو ، ہیکل کا پردہ دو میں تقسیم ہوا ، اوپر سے نیچے تک۔ ’ ( میتھیو 27: 50-51 ، TLV )

اس آنسو نے صحن میں قربانی کے بغیر ، مقدس جگہ پر پجاری ، ہر ایک کے لئے خدا کی موجودگی کا آغاز کیا, اور قربانی کے جانوروں کے خون میں صندوق کا احاطہ. احکام ( خدا کا قانون ) سینا پر احکام دینے سے پہلے ہی موسیٰ کے قوانین کے آس پاس نہیں ہیں.

غور کرنے کے لئے ایک سوال یہ ہے. اگر مسیح خود ، رسول ، اور عہد نامہ کے مصنفین کہتے ہیں کہ خدا کا قانون ، خدا کی طرح ، تبدیل نہیں ہوتا ہے ، تو پھر بحث کیوں? اور وہ لوگ جو مسیح کی بحث پر عمل کرنے کا دعوی کرتے ہیں اس پر کس احکام پر عمل پیرا ہونا ہے? اگر یہ مسیح میں دونوں عقیدے کو لیتا ہے ( خون کے ذریعے چھٹکارے کا فضل ) اور احکام ( خدا کا قانون ) تاکہ اسے راستبازوں کے جی اٹھنے تک پہنچا دیا جاسکے, کیا ہمیں دونوں کی شان و شوکت کی پیروی نہیں کرنی چاہئے?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

نافرمانی، عقیدت اور نتیجہ

انسان کو اس زندگی میں دو انتخاب کرنے ہیں۔ خدا کی پیروی کرنا یا خدا کی نافرمانی کرنا (جو شیطان کی پیروی کر رہا ہے)۔ یسوع بیٹا اور خدا باپ نے تمام صحیفوں کے ذریعے یہ واضح کر دیا ہے کہ صرف یہ دو انتخاب ہیں۔ ایک خدا کے ساتھ ابدی زندگی کی طرف لے جاتا ہے، دوسرا ابدی موت کی طرف لے جاتا ہے.آج ہم دانیال کی ایک کہانی دیکھیں گے جو ان دو انتخابوں کی وضاحت کرتی ہے۔ ہم قدیم بابل کے بادشاہ نبوخدنیسر کی کہانی جانتے ہیں۔ ہم جانتے ہیں کہ ڈینیئل نے ملٹی میٹل قانون کے اپنے خواب کی تشریح کیسے کی تھی۔

دانیال 2اور نبوخدنیسر کے دور حکومت کے دوسرے سال میں نبوخدنیسر نے خواب دیکھے، جس سے اس کی روح پریشان تھی، اور اس کی نیند اس سے دور تھی۔ تب بادشاہ نے جادوگروں، نجومیوں، جادوگروں اور کلدیوں کو بادشاہ کو اس کے خواب دکھانے کے لیے بلانے کا حکم دیا۔ پھر وہ آئے اور بادشاہ کے سامنے کھڑے ہو گئے۔ بادشاہ نے ان سے کہا کہ میں نے ایک خواب دیکھا ہے اور میری روح اس خواب کو جان کر پریشان تھی۔ پھر کلدیوں کو سریانی کے بادشاہ سے کہہ دو، اے بادشاہ، ہمیشہ زندہ رہو۔ اپنے خادموں کو یہ خواب سناؤ اور ہم اس کی تعبیر سنائیں گے۔ بادشاہ نے جواب دیا اور کلدیوں سے کہا کہ یہ چیز مجھ سے چلی گئی ہے۔ اگر تم مجھے خواب نہیں دکھاو گے تو اس کی تعبیر کے ساتھ تم ٹکڑے ٹکڑے کر دیے جاؤ گے اور تمہارے گھروں کو گوبر کی پہاڑی بنا دیا جائے گا۔ اور اگر تم خواب اور اس کی تعبیر دیکھو گے تو تم مجھ سے تحفے اور اجر و ثواب اور بڑی عزت حاصل کرو گے پس مجھے خواب اور اس کی تعبیر سنا دو۔ انہوں نے پھر جواب دیا کہ بادشاہ اپنے خادموں کو یہ خواب سنائے اور ہم اس کی تعبیر سنائیں گے۔ بادشاہ نے جواب دیا، میں یقین سے جانتا ہوں کہ تمہیں وقت مل جائے گا، کیونکہ تم دیکھتے ہو کہ یہ چیز مجھ سے چلی گئی ہے۔ اور اگر تم مجھے یہ خواب نہ دکھا سکو تو تمہارے لیے صرف ایک ہی حکم ہے کیونکہ تم نے میرے سامنے جھوٹ بولنے کے لیے تیار کر رکھا ہے یہاں تک کہ وقت بدل نہ جائے۔ پس مجھے خواب بتاؤ اور میں جان جاؤں گا کہ تم مجھے اس کی تعبیر سنا سکتے ہو۔ کلدیوں نے بادشاہ کے سامنے جواب دیا اور کہا کہ زمین پر کوئی ایسا آدمی نہیں ہے جو بادشاہ کی بات سن سکے۔ اس لئے کوئی بادشاہ، مالک یا حاکم نہیں ہے جو کسی جادوگر، نجومی یا کلدیان سے ایسی باتیں پوچھے۔ اور یہ ایک نایاب چیز ہے جس کی بادشاہ کو ضرورت ہوتی ہے، اور کوئی اور نہیں ہے جو بادشاہ کے سامنے اسے پیش کر سکے، سوائے دیوتاؤں کے، جن کا گھر گوشت کے ساتھ نہیں ہے۔ اس وجہ سے بادشاہ کو بہت غصہ آیا اور اس نے بابل کے تمام عقلمندوں کو تباہ کرنے کا حکم دیا۔ اور حکم چلا گیا کہ عقل مندوں کو قتل کر دیا جائے۔ اور انہوں نے دانی ایل اور اس کے ساتھیوں کو قتل کرنے کی کوشش کی۔ تب دانی ایل نے بادشاہ کے محافظ کے سردار اریوک کو نصیحت اور حکمت کے ساتھ جواب دیا، جو بابل کے دانشمندوں کو قتل کرنے کے لیے روانہ کیا گیا تھا۔ اس نے جواب دیا اور بادشاہ کے سردار اریوک سے کہا، بادشاہ کی طرف سے یہ حکم اتنی جلد بازی میں کیوں دیا گیا ہے؟ پھر عریق نے دانی ایل کو یہ بات بتا دی۔ تب دانی ایل اندر گیا اور بادشاہ سے خواہش کی کہ وہ اسے وقت دے اور وہ بادشاہ کو اس کی تشریح سنائے۔ پھر دانی ایل اپنے گھر گیا اور اس نے حننیاہ، مشعال اور عزریاہ اور اس کے ساتھیوں کو بتا دیا کہ وہ اس راز کے بارے میں آسمان کے خدا کی مہربانی چاہتے ہیں۔ تاکہ دانی ایل اور اس کے ساتھی بابل کے باقی عقلمندوں کے ساتھ ہلاک نہ ہوں۔ پھر یہ راز رات کے نظارے میں دانی ایل پر ظاہر ہوا۔ تب دانی ایل نے آسمان کے خدا کو برکت دی۔ دانی ایل نے جواب دیا کہ خدا کا نام ہمیشہ کے لئے مبارک ہو کیونکہ حکمت اور قدرت اس کی ہے۔ وہ وقت اور موسم وں کو بدل دیتا ہے۔ وہ بادشاہوں کو ہٹاتا ہے اور بادشاہوں کو پیدا کرتا ہے۔ وہ عقل مندوں کو حکمت دیتا ہے اور ان کو علم دیتا ہے جو عقل کو جانتے ہیں۔ وہ گہری اور پوشیدہ چیزوں کو ظاہر کرتا ہے۔ وہ جانتا ہے جو اندھیرے میں ہے۔ اور روشنی اس کے ساتھ رہتی ہے۔ میں تیرا شکر ادا کرتا ہوں اور تیری حمد کرتا ہوں اے میرے باپ دادا کے خدا جس نے مجھے حکمت اور قدرت بخشی اور اب جو کچھ ہم تجھ سے چاہتے ہیں وہ مجھے بتا دیا۔ کیونکہ تو نے اب ہمیں بادشاہ کا معاملہ بتا دیا ہے۔ اس لئے دانی ایل آریوک کے پاس گیا جسے بادشاہ نے بابل کے عقلمندوں کو تباہ کرنے کا حکم دیا تھا۔ اس نے جا کر اس سے یہی کہا۔ بابل کے عقلمندوں کو تباہ نہ کرو۔ مجھے بادشاہ کے سامنے لے آؤ اور میں بادشاہ کو اس کی تعبیر بتاؤں گا۔ تب اریوق عجلت میں دانی ایل کو بادشاہ کے سامنے لے آیا اور اس سے کہا کہ میں نے یہوداہ کے قیدیوں میں سے ایک آدمی پایا ہے جو بادشاہ کو اس کی تعبیر بتائے گا۔ بادشاہ نے جواب دیا اور دانی ایل سے کہا، جس کا نام بیلتشر ہے، کیا تو مجھے وہ خواب بتا سکتا ہے جو میں نے دیکھا ہے اور اس کی تعبیر؟ دانی ایل نے بادشاہ کے سامنے جواب دیا، اور کہا، “بادشاہ نے جس راز کا مطالبہ کیا ہے وہ عقل مند، نجومی، جادوگر، سادھو بادشاہ کو نہیں بتا سکتے۔ لیکن آسمان میں ایک خدا ہے جو راز وں کو ظاہر کرتا ہے، اور بادشاہ نبوخدنیسر کو بتاتا ہے کہ آخر الذکر میں کیا ہو گا۔

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الله والوصية

يبدو أن هناك جدلًا في أتباع المسيح بأن هذه المقالة ستحاول المساعدة في التوصل إلى نتيجة. إنها حجة عدم الخضوع للقانون بسبب النعمة والرحمة من خلال دم المسيح المسفوك من الصليب. ينسى الناس التمييز بين القوانين كما هو مكتوب في كتب موسى. لنبدأ هناك.

هناك مجموعتان من القوانين. أحدها القوانين التي كتبها الله نفسه في سيناء. هذه الوصايا العشر هي القانون الأخلاقي. انقسام في الوصية الخامسة ، مكتوبة على لوحين من الحجر. تجد هذه في خروج 20: 1-17. تخبرنا هذه القوانين كيف نتعامل مع علاقتنا بالله ( الجدول 1 ، الوصايا 1-4 ) وعلاقتنا مع إخواننا ( الجدول 2 ، الوصايا 5-10 ). هذه القوانين لا يمكن ولن تتغير أبدا. كانت هذه القوانين سارية قبل أن يكتبها الله على الحجر. يخبرنا الكتاب المقدس بذلك في مقاطع مختلفة ( عبرانيين 13: 8 ؛ ملاخي 3: 6 ؛ اشعياء 40: 8 ؛ وآخرون ).

هناك قوانين لاويين. أعطيت هذه القوانين لموسى بالكلام وليس الحجر للكتابة للإسرائيليين. غطت هذه القوانين القضايا الاجتماعية ، والقضايا القانونية ، وقضايا الذبيحة الموجهة للإسرائيليين. هذه تظهر في كتب موسى ، بدءاً من الوصايا العشر. هنا حيث تحدث المشكلة.

دعونا نلقي نظرة على وضع مجموعتي القانون ( القيادة واللاويين ). تم كسر اللوحين الحجريين ( بعد أن وجد موسى العجل الذهبي الذي يعبده ويعيد كتابته من قبل الله ) في تابوت العهد ( تثنية. 10: 1-20…في ذلك الوقت قال لي أدوناي ، ‘ نحت لنفسك قرصين من الحجر مثل الأول واصعد إلي على الجبل. اصنع لنفسك تابوتًا من الخشب. سأكتب على الأجهزة اللوحية الكلمات التي كانت على الأجهزة اللوحية الأولى التي حطمتها ، وعليك وضعها في الفلك. ’ ). تم وضعهم هناك مع موظفي آرون ومانا ، وفقًا للرسالة إلى العبرانيين من قبل بولس ( العبرانيين 9: 4 ب… في الفلك كان جرة ذهبية تحمل المن ، وقضيب آرون الذي برز ، وأقراص العهد ). كل هؤلاء الثلاثة يمثلون يسوع المسيح. الوصايا هي قوانين الله من القانون تعطي يسوع ، طاقم هارون ( يمثلون المسيح ككاهننا الأعلى ، ومانا ( خبز الحياة يسوع ).

تم وضع قوانين أو قوانين موسى اللاويين بشكل مختلف ( تثنية 31: 25-26…أمر موسى اللاويين ، حاملو تابوت عهد أدوناي قائلين: “ خذ هذا التمرير من التوراة ، وضعه بجانب تابوت عهد أدوناي إلهك. سيبقى هناك كشاهد ضدك ، ). كانت هذه المجموعة من القوانين ملزمة كعهد بين الله والإسرائيليين. في حين أن شريعة الله ( الوصايا العشر ملزمة للبشرية جمعاء من البداية إلى النهاية.

يأتي النقاش من رومية 6:14 …. ”لان الخطية لا تتقن عليك لانك لست تحت الناموس بل تحت النعمة ”. وبينما قد تظهر هذه الآية وحدها أن حجة النعمة وليس القانون ستكون صحيحة ، يجب أن تؤخذ في سياق ومع الآيات الأخرى المحيطة بها. الفكرة كلها على هذا النحو ، “ لذلك لا تدع الخطيئة تحكم في جسدك البشري حتى تطيع رغباته. ولا تستمر في تخلي جسدك عن الخطيئة كأدوات للشر. ولكن استسلموا لله مثل الأحياء من بين الأموات, وأجزاء جسدك كأدوات للبر لله. لان الخطية لا تتقن عليك لانك لست تحت الناموس بل تحت النعمة. ماذا بعد? هل نخطئ لأننا لسنا تحت القانون ولكن تحت النعمة? نرجو أن لا يكون! ألا تعلم أنه لكل ما تعطيه لأنفسك كعبيد للطاعة ، فأنت عبيد لما تطيعه — سواء كان ذلك للخطيئة التي تؤدي إلى الموت ، أو إلى الطاعة التي تؤدي إلى البر? ولكن الحمد لله أنه على الرغم من أنك عبيد للخطيئة ، فقد أطعت بكل إخلاص شكل التدريس الذي وضعت بموجبه ؛ وبعد أن تحررت من الخطيئة, أصبحت مستعبدا للبر. أتكلم من الناحية الإنسانية بسبب ضعف لحمك. لأنه مثلما أنتجت أجزاء جسمك كعبيد للنجاسة وغياب القانون ، مما أدى إلى المزيد من الفوضى ، لذا فأنت الآن تعطي أجزاء جسمك كعبيد للبر ، مما يؤدي إلى القداسة. لأنه عندما كنت عبيدا للخطيئة ، كنت حرا فيما يتعلق بالبر. إذن ، ما هي النتيجة التي خجلت منها الآن? في نهاية هذه الأشياء هو الموت. ولكن الآن ، بعد أن تحررت من الخطيئة وأصبحت مستعبداً لله ، لديك ثمارك التي تؤدي إلى القداسة. والنتيجة هي الحياة الأبدية ، لأن دفع الخطيئة هو الموت ، لكن هبة الله الكريمة هي الحياة الأبدية في المسيح يشوع ربنا. ” ( الرومان 6: 12-23 ، TLV )

تظهر القراءة بأكملها أنه لمجرد أن المرء تحت النعمة ، فإنه لا يؤكد نهاية شريعة الله ( الوصايا ). كرر بولس هذه النقطة في بضع آيات مختلفة. رومية 3: 19-20 “ الآن نعلم أنه مهما كانت التوراة ، تقول لأولئك داخل التوراة, حتى يغلق كل فم ويصبح العالم كله مسؤولاً أمام الله. لأنه لا يوجد إنسان ، على أساس مراعاة التوراة ، سيتم وضعه في عينيه — لأنه من خلال التوراة يأتي الوعي بالخطيئة. ” ويقولها بشكل مختلف ، ولكن بوضوح أفضل في رومية 7: 7-12 “ ماذا نقول بعد ذلك? هل التوراة خطيئة? نرجو أن لا يكون! على العكس من ذلك ، لم أكن لأعرف الخطيئة إلا من خلال التوراة. لأني لم أكن لأعرف عن الطمع إذا لم تقل التوراة ، “ لا تطمع. ” لكن الخطيئة ، اغتنام الفرصة ، عملت في داخلي من خلال الوصية جميع أنواع الطمع. لأنه بصرف النظر عن التوراة ، ماتت الخطيئة. ذات مرة كنت على قيد الحياة بعيدا عن التوراة. ولكن عندما جاءت الوصية ، جاءت الخطيئة إلى الحياة وماتت. تم العثور على الوصية المخصصة للحياة لتسبب الموت. الخطيئة ، اغتنام الفرصة من خلال الوصية ، خدعتني ومن خلالها قتلتني. إذن ، التوراة مقدسة ، والوصية مقدسة وصالحة وطيبة. ”

ما يقوله بولس هو أن الوصايا سارية حتى بعد النعمة. سيظل الشيطان يغري وطبيعة الإنسان هي أن تخطئ. وبمجرد تلقي مغفرة النعمة ، يحارب الشيطان أكثر لاستعادة واحدة فقدها لله.

لكن لا تستمع فقط إلى بولس. قال يسوع نفسه أن قوانين الله لا تزال صالحة. “ آمين ، أقول لكم ، حتى تزول السماء والأرض ، لن يمر أصغر حرف أو سيف من التوراة حتى تتحقق كل الأشياء. ” ( متى 5:18 ، TLV )

تقول رؤية جون في باتموس ذلك أيضًا. “ هنا مثابرة kedoshim — أولئك الذين يحفظون وصايا الله وإيمان يشوع. ” ( رؤيا 14:12 ). في النص الحاخامي العبري ، يعني Kedoshim ‘ Holy Ones ’. يفسر KJV هذه الكلمة على أنها قديسين. المثابرة تعني قطع المسافة ورؤية شيء حتى النهاية. كما ترى في هذه الآية ، للذهاب حتى نهاية الوقت, وقراءة اسمك في كتاب حياة الحمل يأخذ الإيمان المسيح ( نعمة ) والوصايا ( قوانين ) الله.

عندما قال المسيح أنه تم قبل أن يموت على الصليب ، يعني أن ثمن الفداء قد دفع لمن قبله. يخبرنا الرسول يعقوب في يعقوب 2: 14-26 ‘ ما هو الخير يا إخوتي وأخواتي ، إذا قال أحدهم أن لديه إيمانًا ، ولكن ليس لديه أعمال? هل يمكن لهذا الإيمان أن ينقذه? إذا كان الأخ أو الأخت عاريا ويفتقر إلى الطعام اليومي ، ويقول أحدهم لهم ، “ اذهبوا في شالوم ، حافظوا على الدفء والتغذية الجيدة,” لكنك لا تعطيهم ما يحتاجه الجسم ، ما هو الخير? كذلك الإيمان ، إذا لم يكن لديه أعمال ، مات من تلقاء نفسه. لكن شخصًا ما سيقول ، “ لديك إيمان ولدي أعمال. ” أرني إيمانك بدون أعمال وسأريك الإيمان بأعمالي. أنت تؤمن أن الله واحد. أنت بخير. الشياطين تؤمن أيضا — والارتجاف! ولكن هل تريد أن تعرف أيها الفارغ أن الإيمان بدون أعمال قد مات? ألم يثبت إبراهيم أبانا أنه صالح من خلال الأعمال عندما قدم إسحاق ابنه على المذبح? ترى أن الإيمان عمل مع أعماله ، ومن خلال الأعمال اكتمل إيمانه. تم تحقيق الكتاب الذي يقول ، “ وآمن إبراهيم بالله ، وكان له الفضل في البر ” — وكان يسمى صديق الله. ترى أن الإنسان يثبت أنه صالح بالأعمال وليس بالإيمان وحده. وبالمثل ، ألم تثبت راحاب العاهرة أيضًا أنها صالحة من خلال الأعمال عندما رحبت بالرسل وأرسلتهم بطريقة أخرى? لأنه مثلما مات الجسد بدون الروح ، هكذا مات الإيمان بدون أعمال. ’

الأعمال التي يتم الحديث عنها هي كيف نتعامل مع زميلنا. في حين أنه يشمل أعمال الرحمة ( إطعام الجياع ، قم بزيارة المرضى ، وآخرون ) كما يتضمن الوصايا. تذكر أن الوصايا الست الأخيرة تخبرنا بالطريقة الأخلاقية للتعامل مع إخواننا.

تم إنهاء التضحية والاحتفال وما إلى ذلك ( على الصليب. كان هذا هو معنى بيان المسيح حول القيام به. الدم المغطى الآن بنعمة ما كانت القرابين والقوانين الاحتفالية والقوانين القانونية تهدف إلى …. الفداء المستقبلي في ذبيحة المسيح. وقد ظهر ذلك في تمزق الحجاب بين المكان المقدس و قدس الأقداس في الهيكل. ‘ وصرخ يشوع مرة أخرى بصوت عال وتنازل عن روحه. واذا ستارة الهيكل مقسمة إلى قسمين من الأعلى الى الأسفل. ’ ( متى 27: 50-51 ، TLV )

فتح هذا التمزق حضور الله للجميع دون المرور بالتضحية في الفناء ، الكاهن في المكان المقدس, وتغطية الفلك في دم الذبيحة الحيوانية. الوصايا ( قانون الله ) لم تكن قوانين موسى موجودة منذ ما قبل إعطاء الوصايا على سيناء.

هنا سؤال للتفكير. إذا قال المسيح نفسه ، الرسل ، وكتاب العهد القديم أن شريعة الله ، مثل الله ، لا تتغير ، فلماذا النقاش? ولماذا أولئك الذين يدعون اتباع المسيح يناقشون الوصايا التي يجب اتباعها? إذا كان الأمر يتطلب الإيمان في المسيح ( نعمة الفداء من خلال الدم ) والوصايا ( قانون الله ) للوصول إلى قيامة الصالحين, ألا يجب أن نتبعهما للمجد?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Why the World Mocks God

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10

When one looks around today, we see every evil deed spoke about in the Holy Scriptures. Both old and new testaments show what constitutes evil in God’s eyes, the only definition allowable. And until our society (globally) became woke in to many areas, these positions and thoughts of evil were preached against by the pulpits of our nations.

What comes next in the article will make people mad and bring with it vehement attitudes. Most will be from the non-Christian society in our nation. But what will be worse is that it will also come from those that say they follow Jesus Christ. The mindset of the American Christian Church has become one of including the allowance of sin, even within the confines of the church. This is not to say that certain people or groups are not allowed to come to God. Nor do they have to be perfect. But what does need to occur is this. They have to be told the truth of God. Does God love everyone and want them to turn to him. Of course. Did Jesus deny a person’s coming to Him because of their sin. No. That’s the reason He came, died, and rose from the grave, so that we would have a means by which to make sure our souls are saved from sin.

Never once in Scripture did Jesus say, be saved and continue in your sin. He said Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14). She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:11).So by allowing sin to reign, these ‘Christians’ defy and deny the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. For a person who claims salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ but continue to sin, there is no more hope.For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26). This doesn’t mean that if a truly repentant sinner does fall that there is no hope. Mankind isn’t perfect so we do make mistakes. But it is expected to ask for forgiveness and strength. What the verse means is that you sin by choice after being saved, the sacrifice is not enough to cover it.

A gay preacher is loved by God. However, God does not approve of the sin. And since the preacher has claimed to be saved through the blood, he/she must seek forgiveness not continue in the sin. And yes, being any part of the LGTBQ+ community, engaging in the acts, and either not seeking forgiveness or continuing in the sin by choice is a sin. I know lovely people that are within this community, and I love the people, but have no option but to call the sinful act what it is…A SIN. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 9-10). Also included are cross-dressers The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God (Deuteronomy 22:5).

The reason God gave us a moral code in the 10 Commandments was to help us understand that God loves us. The punishment that comes from sin without repentance is seen in how we raise our own children and deal with the criminal element. Why? Because like a parent, God chastises those who choose not to follow moral codes, laws, rules, whatever name you chose to give them. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebrews 12:6).

It needs repented for and turned from. I will not turn my back on those that sin, but I will tell them it needs fixed. And for those in the LGTBQ+ community, God doesn’t make mistakes. He made you genetically what you are, male or female. The rest of the gender discussion is one of a sin sickness not a mental health issue or crossed wires in the brain. To say it is either of those things is strictly the devil playing games and stealing souls.

We are to pull ourselves out of the ways of the world. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).So when preachers are seen and heard saying things like, God looks on the heart, that statement is only right up to a point of understanding and redemption. The only time that the sin is not looked at is when a person is saved through grace and turns from the sinful nature of the world. A person who does not understand because he/she has not been taught will be looked at with that in mind at judgment. But for those that know and still refuse to turn from their sin will be judged according to that choice.

Romans chapters 2-4 tell us we are not to judge whether a person is good or bad. We are to show them the path to Christ and the need for redemption. No man has the ability of say this one will go to heaven or that one will go to judgment of the damned. We are to preach Christ crucified and risen. We are to lead the non-believer (and in today’s society the believer as well) to understand that God has said in the Scriptures what actions will not make it to judgment of the saved. A person can only no what sin is by biblical description. The knowing of the sin brings with it the understanding for the need of Christ’s redemptive power.

How will those that do not believe learn form those that teach error and blasphemy? Those that preach the Gospel message are warned against teaching false doctrines. I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive (Romans 16:17-18). Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians 5:11).I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9).

In this woke wilderness, we are searching for ways to make things better. Here’s the best way to do so. Read the bible, repent from sin, and follow Christ. We are told how to make things the way we should, without sending our nation into a tailspin of no return. We are told how to conduct business. We are told how to treat people. We are told how to raise our families. And we are told what it takes to make that trip into a heavenly home at His coming.

If you haven’t made that choice to follow Christ as a believer and follower, OR you have but still live with sin you refuse to give up and turn from, NOW IS THE TIME. Jesus Christ is coming back in all His glory. And it will be soon. When that time comes, it will be too late. Please consider your eternal future. It only takes a moment to make that choice to be covered by the soul cleansing blood of Jesus.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

אלוהים ומצווה

נראה שיש מחלוקת בקרב חסידיו של ישו כי מאמר זה ינסה לעזור להגיע למסקנה. זה הטענה של אי-היות תחת החוק בגלל חסד ורחמים דרך דמו השופך של ישו מהצלב. אנשים שוכחים להבחין בין החוקים כפי שנכתבו בספרי משה. נתחיל שם.

יש שתי מערכות חוקים. האחד הם החוקים שכתב האל עצמו בסיני. עשרת הדיברות הללו הן החוק המוסרי. מפוצלים במצווה חמש, הם כתובים על שני לוחות אבן. אתה מוצא את אלה בשמות 20: 1-17. חוקים אלה מספרים לנו כיצד להתמודד עם מערכת היחסים שלנו עם אלוהים ( לוח 1, מצוות 1-4 ) והקשר שלנו עם אחינו ( לוח 2, מצוות 5-10 ). חוקים אלה אינם יכולים ואף לא ישתנו. חוקים אלה היו קיימים לפני שאלוהים כתב אותם אי פעם על אבן. הכתוב מספר לנו זאת בקטעים שונים ( העברים 13: 8; מלאכי 3: 6; ישעיהו 40: 8; Et al ).

יש את החוקים הלוויטיים. חוקים אלה ניתנו למשה במילה, לא באבן, לכתוב לבני ישראל. חוקים אלה כיסו סוגיות חברתיות, סוגיות משפטיות וסוגיות הקרבה המיועדות לבני ישראל. אלה נראים לאורך ספרי משה, החל מעשרת הדיברות. כאן מתרחשת הבעיה.

בואו נסתכל על מיקומם של שתי קבוצות החוק ( פיקוד ולוויטית ). שתי לוחות האבן ( שנשברו לאחר שמשה מצא את העגל המוזהב שסגד ונכתב מחדש על ידי האל ) הוכנסו לתיבת הברית ( Deut. 10: 1-20…באותה תקופה אדונאי אמר לי, ‘ גילף לעצמך שתי טבליות אבן כמו הראשונות ובוא אלי על ההר. הכינו לעצמכם ארון עץ. אני אכתוב על הטבליות את המילים שהיו בטבליות הראשונות שניפצת, ואתה צריך להכניס אותן לתיבה. ’ ). הם הוצבו שם עם צוות אהרון ומנא, על פי המכתב לעברים מאת פול ( העברים 9: 4b… בתיבה היה צנצנת מוזהבת שהחזיקה את המן, מוטו של אהרון שהתחיל, ולוחות הברית ). שלושתם מייצגים את ישוע המשיח. הדיברות הן חוקי האל מאת נותן החוק ישוע, צוות אהרון ( המייצג את ישו ככהן הגדול שלנו, ומנא ( לחם החיים ישוע ).

החוקים או החוקים הלוויטיים של משה הוצבו באופן שונה ( דברים 31: 25-26…משה ציווה על הלויים, נשאי ארון הברית של אדוני באומרו, “ קחו את מגילת התורה הזו והניחו לצד ארון הברית של אדוני אלוהיך. זה יישאר שם כעד נגדך, ). מערכת חוקים זו הייתה מחייבת כברית בין אלוהים לבני ישראל. ואילו חוק האל ( עשר הדיברות מחייבות את האנושות כולה מההתחלה ועד הסוף.

הוויכוח מגיע מרומאים 6:14 …. ”כי החטא לא יהיה אדון בך, כי אינך תחת חוק אלא תחת חסד ”. ובעוד שפסוק זה העומד לבדו עשוי להראות שהטיעון של החסד ולא החוק יהיה נכון, יש לקחת אותו בהקשר ועם שאר הפסוקים הסובבים אותו. הרעיון כולו הוא ככזה, “ לכן אל תתנו לחטא לשלוט בגופכם התמותי כך שתצייתו לרצונותיו. ואל תמשיכו להניב את חלקי גופכם לחטא ככלי רשעות; אך תוותרו לעצמכם לאלוהים כחי מהמתים, וחלקי גופך ככלי צדקות לאלוהים. כי החטא לא יהיה אדון עליכם, כי אינכם תחת החוק אלא תחת חסד. מה אז? האם נחטא כי איננו תחת החוק אלא תחת חסד? מי ייתן ולעולם לא יהיה! האם אינך יודע שלכל מה שאתה נותן לעצמך כעבדים לצייתנות, אתה עבדים למה שאתה מציית — אם לחטא שמביא למוות, או לצייתנות המביאה לצדק? אך תודה לאל שלמרות שהיית עבדי חטא, צייתת מכל הלב לצורת ההוראה שתחתיה הוצבת; ואחרי שהשתחררת מחטא, השתעבדת לצדק. אני מדבר במונחים אנושיים בגלל חולשת בשרך. שכן כשם שהספקת את חלקי גופך כעבדים לטומאה וחוסר החוק, מה שהוביל ליותר הפקרות, אז עכשיו תנידי את חלקי גופך כעבדים לצדק, וכתוצאה מכך קדושה. כי כשהיית עבדי חטא היית חופשי ביחס לצדק. אז אם כן, באיזו תוצאה הייתה לך שאתה מתבייש עכשיו? כי סוף הדברים האלה הוא המוות. אבל עכשיו, לאחר שהשתחררת מחטא והשתעבדת לאלוהים, יש לך את הפירות שלך וכתוצאה מכך קדושה. והתוצאה היא חיי נצח. לתשלום החטא הוא מוות, אך המתנה החיננית של אלוהים היא חיי נצח במשיח ישוע אדוננו. ” ( הרומאים 6: 12-23, TLV )

כל הקריאה מראה כי רק מכיוון שאחד נמצא תחת חסד, הוא אינו מאשר את סיום חוק האל ( הדיברות ). פול חזר על נקודה זו בכמה פסוקים שונים. הרומאים 3: 19-20 “ עכשיו אנו יודעים שכל מה שהתורה אומרת, היא אומרת לאלה שבתורה, כך שכל פה יכול להיות סגור וכל העולם עשוי לתת דין וחשבון לאלוהים. כי אף אדם, על בסיס קיום תורה, לא יוגדר ממש בעיניו — שכן דרך התורה מגיעה המודעות לחטא. ” והוא אומר את זה אחרת, אבל בבהירות טובה יותר ברומאים 7: 7-12 “ מה נגיד אז? האם התורה חוטאת? מי ייתן ולעולם לא יהיה! נהפוך הוא, לא הייתי יודע חטא אלא דרך התורה. כי לא הייתי יודע על חמוד אם התורה לא הייתה אומרת, “ לא תחמוד. ” אבל החטא, תוך ניצול הזדמנות, עבד בי דרך המצווה כל מיני נחשק. כי מלבד התורה, החטא מת. פעם הייתי בחיים מלבד התורה; אבל כשהמצווה הגיעה, חטא התעורר לחיים ומתתי. המצווה המיועדת לכל החיים נמצאה כגורמת למוות. חטא, ניצל הזדמנות באמצעות המצווה, הוליך אותי שולל ודרכו הרג אותי. אז התורה קדושה והמצווה קדושה וצדיקה וטובה. ”

מה שפול אומר הוא שהמצוות בתוקף גם לאחר החסד. השטן עדיין יפתה וטבעו של האדם הוא עדיין לחטוא. וברגע שמתקבלת סליחת החסד, השטן נלחם יותר כדי להחזיר אחד שאיבד לאלוהים.

אבל אל תקשיב רק לפול. ישוע עצמו אמר כי חוקי האל עדיין תקפים. “ אמן, אני אומר לך, עד שהשמיים והארץ יעברו, לא האות או הסריף הקטנים ביותר יעברו אי פעם מהתורה עד שכל הדברים יתרחשו. ” ( מתיו 5:18, TLV )

גם החזון של ג’ון בפטמוס אומר את זה. “ הנה ההתמדה של הקדושים — אלה השומרים על מצוות האל ואמונתו של ישוע. ” ( התגלות 14:12 ). בטקסט רבני עברי פירושו של קדושים ‘ קדושים ’. ה- KJV מפרש את המילה הזו כקדושים. התמדה פירושה ללכת למרחק, לראות משהו עד הסוף. כפי שאתה רואה בפסוק זה, לעבור לסוף הזמן, וקרא את שמך בספר החיים של הכבש לוקח גם את האמונה המשיח ( חסד ) וגם את המצוות ( חוקים ) של האל.

כאשר המשיח אמר שזה נעשה לפני שמת על הצלב, פירושו ששולם מחיר הפדיון עבור אלה שקיבלו אותו. השליח ג’יימס אומר לנו בג’יימס 2: 14-26 ‘ מה זה טוב, אחיי ואחיותיי, אם מישהו אומר שיש לו אמונה, אבל אין לו עבודות? האם אמונה כזו יכולה להציל אותו? אם אח או אחות עירומים וחסרי אוכל יומיומי, ואחד מכם אומר להם, “ היכנסו לשלום, התחממו ואכלו היטב,” אבל אתה לא נותן להם את מה שהגוף צריך, מה זה מועיל? כך גם האמונה, אם אין לה יצירות, מתה מעצמה. אבל מישהו יגיד, “ יש לך אמונה ויש לי עבודות. ” הראה לי את אמונך ללא יצירות ואני אראה לך אמונה על ידי העבודות שלי. אתה מאמין שאלוהים הוא אחד. אתה מצליח. השדים גם מאמינים — וצמרמורת! אבל האם אתה רוצה לדעת, האדם הריק, שהאמונה ללא העבודות מתה? האם אברהם אבינו לא התגלה כצדיק בעבודות כשהציע את יצחק את בנו על המזבח? אתה רואה שהאמונה עבדה יחד עם יצירותיו, ועל ידי העבודות אמונתו הושלמה. הכתוב התגשם שאומר, “ ואברהם האמין באלוהים, וזה נזקף לזכותו כצדק ” — והוא נקרא חברו של אלוהים. אתה רואה שאדם מוכח כצדיק על ידי יצירות ולא על ידי אמונה בלבד. וכמוהו, האם גם רהב הזונה לא הוכיחה את עצמה כצדיקה בעבודות כאשר קיבלה את פני השליחים ושלחה אותם בדרך אחרת? שכן כשם שהגוף ללא הרוח מת, כך גם האמונה ללא העבודות מתה. ’

העבודות המדוברות הן כיצד אנו מתמודדים עם עמיתנו. אמנם זה מקיף את עבודות הרחמים ( מאכילים את הרעבים, בקרו בחולים, ואח ‘) זה כולל גם את המצוות. זכרו ששש המצוות האחרונות מספרות לנו את הדרך המוסרית להתמודד עם אחינו.

החוק הלוויתי ( הקרבה, טקס וכו ‘. ) הסתיים בצלב. זו הייתה המשמעות של אמירתו של ישו על כך שהיא נעשית. הדם כיסה כעת בחסד את מה שנועדו הקרבנות, חוקים טקסיים וחוקים משפטיים …. גאולה עתידית בהקרבתו של ישו. זה מתגלה בקריעת הרעלה בין המקום הקדוש לקודש הקודשים במקדש. ‘ וישוע צעק שוב בקול רם וויתר על רוחו. והנה וילון המקדש פוצל לשניים, מלמעלה למטה. ’ ( מתיו 27: 50-51, TLV )

קריעה זו פתחה את נוכחותו של אלוהים לכולם מבלי לעבור את ההקרבה בחצר, הכומר במקום הקדוש, וכיסוי התיבה בדם החיה של ההקרבה. הדיברות ( חוק האל ) לא חוקי משה קיימים מאז לפני שניתנו הדיברות בסיני.

הנה שאלה להרהר. אם המשיח עצמו, השליחים וכותבי הברית הישנה אומרים שחוק האל, כמו אלוהים, אינו משתנה, אז מדוע הוויכוח? ומדוע מי שטוען כי הוא עוקב אחר הדיון במשיח על אילו מצוות לעקוב? אם זה לוקח גם אמונה במשיח ( חסד של גאולה דרך הדם ) וגם את הדיברות ( חוק האל ) כדי לעבור לתחיית הצדיקים, האם לא עלינו ללכת אחרי שניהם לתהילה?

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

When the Holy Spirit says something is not right

It has been awhile since I have written. I have been posting shortened messages on social media and getting the ministry podcast going. But today I went to a different church than I normally go to. I was there last week as well. Both of these Sunday’s I had children give their life to Jesus Christ and make the public profession of faith (baptism).

While last weeks message was a great spirit filled message, this week was a bit different. Who has been somewhere are hearing a message and you get that little feeling that something is off in the message? Something is said that makes you go home, grab scripture and start studying the content of the message given. That was today.

There were two points of the message that I had a hard time accepting at that moment. I’ll explain both in a moment. But there are times that we must trust that tingling in our sense, because it could be the Holy Spirit nudging you. Today, that was what happened.

The first point I want to hit on was taken from Joshua 4:10-14. The content of the message at this point was that, like the priests, we are to stand and rest so others can have the ability to run forward. In the case of this passage, those running forward were running into the land to battle the enemy as God commanded.

That did not set right in my spirit. Isaiah does tell us to wait on God and then to run and God gives us the strength. Paul mentions running in a few Epistles. In his letter to the Philippians he says ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?’ (1 Cor 9:24). He tells the Galatian church ‘Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?’ (Galatians 5:7). And he tells us in Hebrews ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us’ (Hebrews 12:1).

We are to run the race given us not stop nor let others run in our stead. When we get tired, God has already said he will give us the needed strength. The prize we run after is not of gold or silver. It is doing God’s will until Christ comes back or when we fall asleep in Him, awaiting the resurrection to come where we will be eternally with Him.

Another point that got to me was when the the pastor was talking about salt. She made the comment that to be healed, we need to be away from salt (she used the idea of saltwater). Her statement was that we needed to get out of the salt water so our wounds would be healed. First and foremost, Christ already did that. Isaiah prophesied ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5). And it came to pass at the pillar with Pontius Pilate (Mark 15:15, John 18:28-19:11). And culminated at the cross (Matthew 27:33-61, Mark 15:21-47, Luke 23:33-56, John 19:17-42).

Since she used the word salt, I want to make a non scriptural point and then move into what the scriptures say about salt in the view of our faith. Any meat-cutter can tell you, they have a container of curing salt near them in case they get cut. Why? Because even though the salt burns when it is in a wound, it also heals the wound. I learned this through experience. So the idea that one needs to avoid salt for healing, on a purely non-faith level is in error.

Now lets look at how salt is viewed in a few areas of scripture. In Leviticus, the area of scripture that has the different offerings set by God, we are told that salt is to be used as an offering. ‘And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from the meat offering’ (Leviticus 2:13). Here, salt at the offering is a seasoning. This corresponds with the seasoning of the words of the Gospel in the letter to the Colossians. ‘Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that they may know how ye ought to answer every man’ (Colossians 4:6).

There is a former Anglican priest that I watch from time to time that uses salt as his sign off. He incorporates a couple different verses. These are Matthew 5:13 ‘Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cats out, and be trodden under foot of men.’ And Mark 9:50 ‘Salt is good; but if the salt has lost his saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.’

These two small points in a full message may have been a misinterpretation or a fumbling. I would assume that a pastor of the Gospel of Christ would not intentionally go against scripture when scripture plainly contradicts the points in a message.

I bring this to the reader for a few reasons. The first being that pastors can make mistakes, they are not perfect and need our prayers. The second is, that false preachers and teachers will appear as sheep but are actually wolves in disguise to mislead the followers of Christ. Matthew 15:17 says this ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves’.

We are also warned of false messages that will come. ‘But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you that that ye have received, let him be accursed’ (Galatians 1:8-9).

I fully understand that mistakes can happen. A pastor being tired, misreading or misquoting, etc can make a message seem different than it is meant to be. And this article is not to bash the pastor. What it is meant to do is remind us of two things. The first being, pay attention to the Holy Spirit. It will set of a bell in your spirit if something is not quite right. The second is to be like the Bereans and check everything that is said. ‘And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so’ (Acts 17:10-11)

The messages we give, as a pastor, teacher, or evangelist has to be in direct relation and not contradictory to the Scriptures. The Scriptures are God’s letter to mankind. So when a message is given it must be given in full truth. When received, it must be checked against the word of God for truth.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

What is the biblical celebration of the Resurrection of Christ?

While sitting in service, on this day that the majority of Christendom celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ, it made me wonder and contemplate the celebration. As I approached the church, outside along the sidewalk, there were brightly colored easter eggs. As I walked into the sanctuary, there were flowers on the mourner’s bench, a board cutout of the tomb, and I wondered what would transpire.

The church I attended was a United Methodist Church. I have been to it many times and I enjoy hearing the pastor. But today, a retired preacher was giving the message. It started out with memories of Easter Sunday’s gone by. Eggs, baskets, bunnies. And for the next 10 minutes or so, we were taken down that bunny trail. Then the message turned to Jesus and the story from John 20:1-18. This is the telling of the Mary’s visiting the tomb and finding it empty. Then Mary Magdalene speaking with Jesus at the tomb.

This part of the message was expected. However, starting the story of rabbits and eggs didn’t feel right. Not that these images have been used for centuries, if not longer. But because we understand that these images have a meaning older than our faith. The various uses of signs of new birth and fertility have been used in many pre-Christian cultures and belief systems. Even the term Easter has its roots in paganism. It was originally celebrated through the pagan cultures that celebrated the spring equinox. The equinoxes and solstices were the pagan ways of determining the seasons and held festivals in response to them. I’m not going to debate that the Catholic Church incorporated many pagan beliefs and festivals into the ‘Christian faith’. That part doesn’t need debating, its true.

But what I do choose to present, is the biblical celebration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because when you look at Holy Scripture, you don’t see the Christian festivals we now support in the church. I have already written an article on the aspects associated with Halloween. So now, let’s see in Scripture, if an celebration from cross to empty grave exists.

Romans 6:3-5 states. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection”

So, there is the answer to how the early Christian Church celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. BAPTISM. Some see it as a public announcement of our faith. Many see it as a sign of new birth. It is both. But more importantly, it is the celebration of the resurrection.

Let us look at the three parts of baptism. Going into the water shows our reenactment of the death of Christ on the cross. Then when submerged and underwater, we have been entombed. Coming back up out of the water is our personal symbol of Christ’s resurrection. Jesus told told Nicodemus that to be made a part of the Kingdom of God, one must be born again. (John 3:1-21). So the rebirth (like our original birth) happens as we come out of a fluid (amniotic/baptismal). The actions themselves are the biblical celebration of the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ.

While man has sought to through the ages to use non-faith ideologies and actions to celebrate various aspects of the Gospel accounts, Easter is, and always will be, pagan in origin and imagery. Just because on slaps the identity of Christian and a picture of Jesus on something, does not make it biblical or Christian.

This is the last easter celebration I will partake in. Having explained the paganism to my children, it will be up to them and their mother/stepfather to either reinforce the true biblical steps we are to take in Christ. When they are with me, from now until time ends, this is the way it has to be. For those believers in Christ as their Savior, I ask only this. That you study Scripture and history together to see where many ‘Christian’ traditions came from.

Have a wonderful and blessed day.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Walang Babae sa Pulpit

Babae sa Modern Church
Sa mga simbahan at denominasyon ngayon, ang mga kababaihan ay may iba’t ibang tungkulin. Nagtuturo sila, escort, naglilingkod. Ngunit may hawak din silang mga posisyon na HINDI kabilang sa kanila. Alam namin sa pamamagitan ng Tanach ( Lumang Tipan ) na ang mga kababaihan ay hindi pari o nagtrabaho sa loob ng templo. At ang mga simbahan ngayon na nagtataguyod ng posisyon na iyon ay tinatawag na legalista at sexist. Gayunpaman, ang posisyon na iyon ay ang posisyon din ng mga Apostol. Nabanggit ito sa iba’t ibang mga epistles. Kaya ang artikulong ito ay ilalagay sa unahan, lugar ng isang babae sa loob ng ministeryo at mga lugar na hindi nila inorden na mapasok.
Ang mga taong tulad ni Paula White, Gloria Copeland, at iba pa, habang ipinapahayag na tinawag silang mangaral, ipinakita nila na tunay na nilalabanan ang mga turo ng pinakaunang Kristiyanong simbahan na pinamumunuan ng mga Apostol.
Mga Banal na Kasulatan sa Papel ng Babae sa Simbahan
Sa Mga Gawa 2:17, ang manunulat ay nagsasalita ng parehong mga salita tulad ni Propeta Joel. “ Sa mga huling araw, sabi ng Diyos, ibubuhos ko ang aking Espiritu sa lahat ng tao. Ang iyong mga anak na lalaki at babae ay manghuhula … ” Kaya ang mga propeta ay maaaring maging kalalakihan o kababaihan. Ang mga propeta ay ang nagsasalita ng mga utos ng Diyos, karaniwang sa isang tiyak na sitwasyon.
Mayroong maraming mga banal na kasulatan na nagsasabing maaari silang magturo, kapwa lalaki at babae. Tulad ng Colosas 3:16, Lucas 24:44, Colosas 1:28, at Ephisians 5: 18-20. Kaya mayroon silang iba’t ibang mga tungkulin sa loob ng simbahan at tahanan ( 1 Timoteo 5:10, Tito 2: 3-5 ) Ngunit, tulad ng makikita natin, ang pulpito ay hindi isa sa kanila.
Banal na Kasulatan sa Babae sa Pulpit
Ang mga talatang ito ay nakalagay sa Banal na Kasulatan at dapat gawin bilang inspiradong Salita ng Diyos ( 2 Timoteo 3: 16-17 ), tulad ng mga Kristiyano na tanggapin ang lahat mula sa takip hanggang sa takip.
Sinasabi sa amin ni Pablo sa kanyang unang liham sa mga taga-Corinto kabanata 14 na talata 33 hanggang 35, “ sapagkat ang Diyos ay hindi isang Diyos ng pagkalito ngunit ng kapayapaan, tulad ng sa lahat ng mga simbahan ng mga banal. 34 Tumahimik ang mga kababaihan sa mga simbahan; sapagka’t hindi sila pinahihintulutang magsalita, ngunit hayaan silang magpasakop sa kanilang sarili, tulad ng sinasabi din ng Kautusan. 35 At kung nais nilang matuto ng anupaman, hilingin nila ang kanilang sariling asawa sa bahay; sapagkat hindi wasto para sa isang babae na magsalita sa simbahan. ”
Ika-1 Timoteo 2: 11-15, “ Ang isang babae ay dapat na tahimik na makatanggap ng pagtuturo nang buong pagpapasakop. Ngunit hindi ko pinapayagan ang isang babae na magturo o mag-ehersisyo ng awtoridad sa isang lalaki, ngunit upang manatiling tahimik. Sapagkat ito ay si Adan na unang nilikha, at pagkatapos ay si Eva. At hindi si Adan ang nalinlang, ngunit ang babaeng nalinlang, ay nahulog sa paglabag. Ngunit ang mga kababaihan ay mapangalagaan sa pamamagitan ng pagdala ng mga bata kung magpapatuloy sila sa pananampalataya at pag-ibig at kabanalan na may pagpipigil sa sarili. ”
Kaya, habang ang artikulong ito ay maikli, diretso ito sa punto sa loob ng Banal na Kasulatan. Ang mga kababaihan ay hindi dapat nasa likod ng pulpito o sa pinuno ng isang simbahan / kongregasyon. Mayroon silang mga tungkulin sa loob ng simbahan: hula, pagtuturo, gabay, pinuno ng kanta, atbp. Ngunit ang isang kababaihan ay hindi maaaring maorden ng isang denominasyon dahil hindi siya inorden ng Diyos para sa posisyon na iyon.
Sinasabi sa atin ng Banal na Kasulatan sa Hebreo 13: 8 na si Jesucristo ay pareho kahapon, ngayon, at bukas. Dahil dito, ang mga patakaran na itinakda sa Lumang Tipan tungkol sa mga kababaihan sa mga posisyon sa pamumuno sa simbahan ( kasama na ang pastor ) ay hindi nagbabago. Nagpapatuloy ang mga Hebreo sa 13: 9 “ Huwag magdala ng iba’t ibang at kakaibang doktrina. ”

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Todos caemos de vez en cuando

No suelo poner testimonio personal en mis artículos. Pero hoy es un poco diferente. Es de esperar que quienes lean este artículo encuentren una de las dos cosas que le permite al Espíritu Santo trabajar en ellas.
Para los no creyentes, espero que comiencen a comprender que incluso los cristianos aún luchan contra los problemas demoníacos que surgen. No somos perfectos y no lo seremos hasta que Cristo regrese. Sí, hay hipócritas que dicen una cosa y viven otra. Pero muchos de los que parece creer son como tales, son solo seguidores de Cristo que aún fallan y caen.
Para el creyente, espero que no se desanime cuando cae o falla. Como se indicó anteriormente, todavía somos humanos y luchamos contra la carne. Algunos a través de problemas sexuales, lazos restantes con el paganismo, o en este caso a través de un momento de ira. No significa que somos fracasos en la fe. Significa que aún no hemos llegado a un hogar perfecto.
Estoy lidiando con el tema del tabaquismo y he establecido una fecha libre de nicotina ( que incluye retiros ) el último día del mes. Así que no tenía cigarrillos cuando llegué al trabajo. Trabajo en una tienda que está siendo renovada debido a un nuevo propietario. Por lo tanto, tenemos contratistas para varios proyectos en curso, y por decir lo menos, la tienda está ocupada y surgen problemas.
Soy el receptor principal y confío en el equipo informático para mi trabajo. Entré hoy y encontré todo mi sistema abajo. Todos los demás sistemas en la tienda estaban operativos. Para decirlo suavemente, me fui. Fui a preguntarle al equipo de contratación nocturna qué sucedió para poder transmitir esa información al departamento de TI. Las cosas no salieron bien. Mi ira estalló y dije algunas cosas que no debería haber dicho. Después de ese altercado, su supervisor directo decidió defender a sus trabajadores. Se calentó.
Mi ira no ha estallado de esa manera en unos años, y pensé que se había ido. Estaba equivocado. Después de unos minutos de tiempo a solas, supe que tenía que arrepentirme, buscar el perdón de Dios y disculparme. Después de la oración, volví a mi estado tranquilo normal. Menciono este problema, porque sé que no puedo ser la única persona que sigue a Cristo y aún así, de vez en cuando, encuentro que ese viejo yo regresa por un momento. No es que ocurra a menudo, pero lo hace.
Cuando llegué a casa, miré algunas cartas de las Escrituras y encontré una sobre la ira. El primer verso en la tarjeta es Proverbios 15: 1 ‘ Una respuesta suave rechaza la ira, pero una palabra dura despierta la ira. ’ La reacción del supervisor se debió a mi ira con su tripulación. Si hubiera estado tranquilo en sus pensamientos, no se habría intensificado hasta ese punto.
Efesios 4: 26-27 nos dice ‘ Enojarse y no pecar: no dejes que el sol se ponga sobre tu ira, ni le des lugar al diablo. ’ De acuerdo, una vez que se hizo la situación, recé y sentí calma. Pero en ese momento, Satanás tenía su lugar en la situación. Sabía que mi estado mental en ese momento no iba a ser como debería ( como cualquier adicto también puede dar fe ) y simplemente colgó la situación frente a mí y tomé el cebo. Tiene tendencia a hacer eso a los seguidores de Cristo. Él conoce nuestra debilidad y nuestra vida pasada. Él sabe lo que nos llegará dadas las circunstancias correctas.
Pablo nos dice: ‘ Finalmente, hermanos, sean fuertes en el Señor y en el poder de su poder. Ponte toda la armadura de Dios, para que puedas resistir las artimañas del diablo. Porque no luchamos contra la carne y la sangre, sino contra los principados, contra los poderes, contra los gobernantes de la oscuridad de esta época, contra las huestes espirituales de maldad en los lugares celestiales. Por lo tanto, tome toda la armadura de Dios, para que pueda resistir en el día malo, y habiendo hecho todo lo posible, para ponerse de pie. ” “ Por lo tanto, párate, ceñiéndote la cintura con verdad, poniéndote el peto de la justicia, calzando los pies con la preparación del evangelio de la paz; sobre todo, tomando el escudo de fe con el que podrás apagar los dardos ardientes del malvado. Y toma el casco de salvación, y la espada del Espíritu, que es la palabra de Dios; orando siempre con toda oración y súplica en el Espíritu, estar atento a este fin con toda perseverancia y súplica para los santos. ( Efesios 6: 10-18 )
Pablo nos hace saber que el mundo y las legiones de Satanás nos clavarán si lo dejamos. Y hoy lo hice. Pero en el pasaje, Pablo también nos dice que luchemos vestidos con la armadura de Dios y con la espada de Dios. Llevo un collar de escudo que siempre recordaré para vestirme para el ataque del enemigo. Hoy lo olvidé. Y permitió que Satanás se arrastrara y atacara.
Necesitamos entender que cuando Pablo declara en Romanos 3:23 ‘ Todos pecaron y no alcanzaron la gloria de Dios ’, él está hablando con los salvos. Si bien muchos piensan que este versículo significa no ser duro con los que caen, y lo hace en un sentido. También está ahí para recordarnos que aún no somos perfectos. Que fallaremos de vez en cuando. Pero también sabemos que Cristo es nuestro refugio y roca. Para que podamos caer, pero él está dispuesto a alcanzarnos y sacarnos de las olas del pecado cuando nos arrepentimos y pedir su misericordia y ayuda. Juan nos recuerda a los seguidores de Cristo tanto como a los que no lo han buscado, ‘ Si confesamos nuestros pecados, Él es fiel y justo para perdonar nuestros pecados y purificarnos de toda injusticia. ’ ( 1 Juan 1: 9 )
Nunca actúes, porque sigues a Cristo, que eres tan piadoso que no puedes o no puedes pecar. Mientras estemos en esta forma carnosa, y no en nuestra casa celestial, EL DIABLO TODAVÍA PUEDE ATACARTE Y LO HARÁ. De lo contrario, no necesitaríamos que se nos recordara ponernos la armadura de Dios. Mi padre solía decir, después de ser salvo, ‘ Pero por la gracia de Dios, ahí va I ”. Es un viejo dicho pero suena cierto. No somos mejores que el pecador del mundo. Se nos acaba de dar gracia y misericordia a pesar de que no somos dignos de ello.
Entonces, cuando caemos o fallamos en nuestro camino con Cristo, arrepiéntete inmediatamente, busca su perdón y misericordia. Entonces no olvides que necesitamos su misericordia. Realmente creo que a veces el mejor testimonio que podemos dar al mundo no salvado es la misericordia que recibimos de Dios después de caer o fallar. La necesidad de ver la caída para comprender la misericordia y la necesidad de la humanidad.

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

This World Stands Condemned By A Holy and Just God

Let me make this clear so all may understand. ALL of humanity was born into the sin of Adam. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). And despite how good we may act, no man on this planet has been good. “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God. They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They hove together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one” (Psalm 14:1-3). Isaiah tells us how good our works are without God being the center of our everything. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). This includes those of us who are saved and that forget we are wretched creatures in a sin filled world, only are we saved by the grace of a Holy God.

Scripture tells us that ‘the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life’ (Romans 6:23). And multiple verses in Scripture talk about the result of sin. So let’s take a trip through scripture and find what death by sin means and the punishment it entails. We need to start right after creation.

We know the story of Eve, Adam, the devil, and the serpent. The lie told by Satan through the serpent was that she would not die for eating the fruit (Genesis 3:4). Now, two deaths occurred because of the one action that gave sovereignty of the earth to Satan. The first is bodily death. The original intention was for man to live eternally on this rock.

After a period of time,God set man’s age at 120 years (Genesis 6:3). The oldest person to live since Methuselah, was a gentleman named Jiroemon Kimura, who died at the age of 116 years and 54 days. The oldest female to live was Jeanne Calmet, who lived to be 122 years and 164 days. She is the only person to ever live beyond 120 years since the time of Methuselah. So we can ascertain that the 120 years is fairly set. Proving that physically God told the truth about age and death.

This brings us to the point of the Second coming and the two step resurrection. (John 5:29) The first resurrection will be of the righteous. And despite popular opinion, it won’t be a quiet and secret thing. ‘Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed’ (1 Cor 15:51-52).

The second resurrection will be of the unrighteous. This occurs after the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:5). “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.read more. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Those that follow the commandments of God (Exodus 20:1-17) and have the faith of Jesus the Christ (Galatians 2:16) will not endure the trials of the tribulation and be taken to their heavenly reward. (Revelation 14:12).

If you truly KNOW Jesus, there will be no Hell. But if you have NO Jesus, then you will know Hell. We all need to know we are sinners. Even the saved need to be reminded that our days of repenting will not end until we gain our heavenly reward.

Joel Olsteen and others say that people are really good people that make bad mistakes. The bible says different. Many in the church now say that all religions lead to the saving and Holy God. The bible says different. If your God and your Jesus tell you that since He loves all that nobody will be condemned, run the other way because it is not the God or Jesus of the Holy Scriptures. He is loving and graceful. But He is also Holy and Just.

Jesus came the first time to be the Christ and Savior. He will come again with an army to deal out Justice and Condemnation for those who did not seek His grace and mercy. When He comes back to place His judgment on the wicked, they too will acknowledge that He is the Son of God. But then it will too late. Because at that, end of the millennial reign, He will come with a consuming fire that will make the unrighteous ashes (Malachi 4:1-3) (Isaiah 24) (Revelation 21:8) (Revelation 20:7-10)

Joshua 24:15 says it best.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

faith, Christianity, Current events, Human Right

A Look At Our Past Evil To Envision Our Future Good

Welcome to CPNP. I was going to make this week’s article about the US President. He has said and acted in a manner that further embarrasses the nation among our fellow nations and further widens the gap between his administration and the majority of the US populace. So that will be the main content of the next article,

This week, I have decided to take a stroll down the nation’s memory lane. With all the hype over two hundred and fifty years, which is actually an error, I thought it would be good to go through the nation’s past. I will give a trigger warning, especially for those that hold the current right sided ideology. But, I am a center of the road person. I’m neither left or right. I understand that there is good and bad on both sides of the political aisle. So within this article, both may get angry, a little squirmy in their eats. And I will be doing this article without detailing a particular side. Just some historical facts.

Let’s start with our founding. The date we celebrate is actually wrong. True, the Declaration of Independence was written on June 11th and 28th of 1776 and ratified on July 4th of 1776. But it had not started to be signed until August 2nd of 1776 when John Hancock was the first to sign. The final signature did not occur until January 1777. Here is what will upset people. That 1776 document was nothing more than our written declaration of desire to be an independent nation. The war ended on September 3rd in 1783 at the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

So, to accurately celebrate the independence of the United States, the date should be the date of the treaty. Here’s why. Without French aiding the colonies and the combination of France, Spain, and the Netherlands causing a two front conflict with Britain, the colonies would have lost. That means, the great heroes and leaders of the insurrection of the colonies toward the crown, would have been tried and hung for treason. It was the day in Paris that is the true day of independence. So the nation is only two hundred and forty three years old, this coming August.

Now that you are probably starting to feel that patriotic blood boil, lets get you really upset.

First, let’s start with the fact of the founding of the nation not being as open as the declaration states. We all know the second paragraph. “We hold these truth’s to be self-evident, that All men are created equal, that endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

We will start here. All men. Interesting since an estimated 500,000 Africans were in the colonies (with an estimated 10% being free). There were also an estimated 24,000-51,000 indigenous slaves in the colonies. And while not being chattel slaves (permanent lifelong enslavement), there were an estimated 350,000 European white indentured slaves (those who had the ability to buy or earn their freedom) including about 55,000 prisoners (criminals) from Britain. So, not ALL men were equal.

In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln started the ending of slavery. That wouldn’t officially come until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. But it came with a caveat. Prisoners could still be used as slave for labor. But freedom didn’t mean equal. That came in steps, thanks to Jim Crow laws. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave them full citizenship and equal rights (on paper not in practice). In 1864, the 14th Amendment was ratified, making every person born on US soil, US citizens. The 15th Amendment, in 1870, gave Black Men the right to vote. However, the ruling powers decided that, to vote, a person had to pass testing. Guess who seldom passed.

In 1924, the Snyder Act gave Indigenous peoples citizenship and the right to vote. On paper. But like the black community, testing and others issues barred them from that right.

In 1954, the case of Brown vs the Board of Education, determined that there would be no more segregated schools. However, that was the second court case for non-whites being allowed to enter any school of their choosing. The first was Mendez vs Westminister School District of Orange County California (1947). It determined that those of Mexican descent could not be disallowed entry into the white public school systems. From the earliest days in the 1700s through the mid 1900s, Indigenous students were barred from White schools, but forced to live and study at white ran boarding schools.

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act allowed the inclusion of the black community in all facets of life. On paper. Then came the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that disallowed any barring of black citizens from voting. And in 1968, the Fair Housing Act put an end to housing discrimination. On paper.

Now we see, under this administration, and the latest ruling by the US Supreme Court, start tearing apart those hard earned rights of the minority communities that they were created to protect. But in reality, those Congressional Acts were good on paper but not in life. Even prior to the current administration, prejudice and bigoted ideology still created the problems that the Acts were suppose to remedy.

These issues were then had attempted to level the playing field with things like DEI initiatives and Affirmative Action. This administration has eliminated these initiatives, And the like minded bigotry consuming part of the populace cheers. I suppose they forget that, these initiatives only opened the door. Students still had to achieve academically. Women still had to learn the trade or business they were to work in. Minorities still had to work hard, prove their ability, and earn the spots in their respective professions.

President Trump said he wanted to take us back to the gilded age. And that statement alone proves his ideology and the mental inability to govern with respect to the populace he now governs. The gilded age was both great and horrible. The 1920s gaped the rich and the poor further than it had been up to that point. Then in 1929, the rich became the poor in many cases. Jim Crow was the standard minority political prison. So, he did keep that promise.

Now, a few small notes of miscarriages of justice and mercy (and pure evil) of this nation’s history. Since we already looked at slavery and the political fights. We will look at other areas and actions. While not listing all (as it would take volumes, and others do a better job of writing about the finer points of the nation’s evils), I will hit on some. I will trust the reader to have the academic fortitude to look up details of the things to be mentioned.

From 1787 to 1871, the US government ratified and signed 374 treaties with the Indigenous peoples of the land. All to the deterioration of those same indigenous. And guess how many were either broken or ignored. Any guesses? All of them. They took the different nations, placed them on tiny plots, gave them rancid provisions, disease infested materials, committed genocide (Wounded Knee, Trail of Tears, California Genocide) and tried eliminating their respective culture (banning rituals, banning language, and kidnapping the children and forcing them into boarding schools). To this day, not all nations have recognized tribal status.

A small look at the Mexican population. Erasure from record books throughout history. The previously mentioned issues listed that affected every minority group. Operations like Wetback in under the Eisenhower administration and the current national sweeps by ICE and Border Patrol. Both parties have been involved with this. It was started by President Trump. This current set of events is because of the progression of events. A period of gassing Mexicans in El Paso started around 1917. They were forced to bath in gasoline. Then in the 20s and 30s, Zyklon B was used to ‘fumigate’ them. This product was cyanide based. It went on to have a huge historical significance. It was used by the Nazi regime to kill millions in the death camps. (Wonder where they got the idea from). The from the 1940s through the 1960s, the government used DDT. They also used various other chemical compounds.

This brings us to a few other areas of ‘medical’ interest. The original abortion program was placed around interurban (minority prominent areas). Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger said it was for these reasons. “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population” (1939). “Advocate the stoppage of procreation of those deemed diseased and feeble-minded” (1921). “certain populations spawning a class of human beings who never should have been born” (1921). Proposal of sterilization of Dysgenic (the deterioration of hereditary qualities of a population) groups. (1932). Can you guess what it was never meant for? Women’s Heath. It was, and is, nothing more than population elimination control system.

The black community, like other minority communities, had more than its share of the elimination of the Hippocratic Oath in medicine.

The 1840s brought the gynecological experiments of Dr. J Marion Sims. He did procedures without anesthetics because ‘black people felt no pain’. Forced sterilizations of the 20th Century. The longest running STD test of the 20th Century. Called the Tuskegee Study (1932-1972), this tested the untreated effects of Syphilis on black men. A cure came in 1947 but was not used. In 1951, John Hopkins took cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks, without consent, to develop what is known as the HeLa cell line. Cellular treatment came from this. And in the 1950s, radiation was used on members of the black community. Just to see what the effects would be.

And while we are talking about the evils toward the black community, let us not forget names like Black Wall Street, Strange Fruit, Rosewood, Colfax, Wilmington, East St Louis, Memphis and all the pre and post Jim Crow lynchings. That 2nd point is important to me. My great grandfather was at the last official lynching recorded in Indiana. He is front (and almost center0 in the memory postcard of that lynching of two black men in Marion. Poet Abel Meeropol (Lewis Allen) wrote about the scene in the postcard. The Song was later done by Billie Holiday.

A country that, at one time, placed itself as the last beacon of light in a dark world, has its own shadows. And while things had started to be on a better track, we have gone backwards. Elimination of needed programs, elimination of aid, soldiers on the streets, the government law enforcement agencies defying the laws that guard against abuse in duty, dehumanization, and other evils that cause the deterioration of civilization.

As I said toward the beginning, this current administration is the result of issues that have been within the US psyche since in foundation as a nation. All great civilization throughout the eons of time have fallen because of the issues within, more than the issues without. Political ideologies have switched places over the years. Democrats formed the original Klan and less than a hundred years later, brought in civil rights.Republicans that gave freedom and equality to the black community, now end equality initiatives and treat those they deem unworthy as trash to disposed of. The conservative today forces their version of Christianity (which it isn’t) while the liberal advocates a vast majority of things that are unethical and immoral.

While this nation was found on the biblical foundation of the Creator and the last six commandments were the basis for our laws, the founding fathers (despite their evils) saw fit to make sure that the government DID NOT force one faith over another by demand adherence to one.

The Right demands judgment without mercy while the Left demands mercy without judgment. Both are wrong. There has to be Justice and Judgment but it must be done with Mercy. Christ wast one or the other, conservative or liberal. He was both. Conservative on the Laws of God (Matthew 5:18) and Liberal on how to treat our fellow man, friend and enemy (the entirety of the Gospels).

Ill leave you with this to ponder. First we are not a Democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic. Our voice can be heard in protest, but our say is truly in the ballot box. Second, The Constitution is not a set of God given rights. If they were, they could not be taken. They are only privileges that can be amended and removed. So elect those that will protect them.And last, whether you agree or disagree with another. Do it civilly. Do it ethically and morally. Remember. Every person born, whether or not you agree with their politics, ideologies, religions, gender issues, etc….they are worthy of dignity, just by the fact they were born. Not whether they were born here or elsewhere…..BUT because they were born.

Christianity, faith

But For Grace, There Go I

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16).

Today, the pastor did a switch of sermon. I don’t know if he was led by the Holy Spirit to do so or if he had seen something from one congregants that caused it. But it was a message that was needed. Not just today, not just our church. But by the body of Christ globally.

You see churches like Westboro Baptist, evangelical churches, and others today forgetting that they were sinners at one point. They seem to have forgotten that they had a calling to kneel at the altar rail and ask for forgiveness. That they are still not worthy of grace but are given that grace because of the love of God through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Somewhere along the line, they forgot about hating the sin and loving the sinner. Members of the church as a whole have gotten to a point where they condemn a person instead of simply explaining sin and redemption through the shed blood of Christ. Or like my grandmother would have said in her sweet southern/midwestern mixed Ozarks voice, you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar.

The passage for his message was Matthew 20: 1-16. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

He reminded us that, like the ones who had worked all day, those that have been in the faith for a long time, tend to forget that the redemption of Christ’s blood covers everybody who asks. He reminded us that it has the same exact value for those that came to that altar 50 years ago as well as those that hit the altar yesterday or have yet to hit it. He could have just as easily used the verse of the Pharisee and the sinner. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14).

Having spoke with him after service, I told him that switching a message to one that calls the faithful to account is very seldom welcomed. The Pharisees had grown so pompous, that they ran their Messiah ragged and eventually to the Cross because of their inflated self-worth. Many Christians today have that same self inflation. But this pastor had an inspiration to remind them that their time in God’s service doesn’t equate for more love than new Christians or even those who yet have the calling to come to the Savior.

After his message, he did something I have never seen a pastor do in the 51 years I have been alive and the 40 plus years I have been going to services. He went and knelt at the altar while the final hymn was sung. I found it amazing that even a pastor realized he still isn’t perfect. Many congregants in all denominations need to see his example and remember the old adage, ‘but for the grace of God, there go I’.

I understand that this may not seem like much to most. But seeing how the pulpits have become compromised and even desecrated by soft wording and no fire by the pastors, a person doesn’t need to look hard to see why our neighborhoods, towns, nations, and world are in the position that they are in.

This pastor doesn’t preach with the flair or flame of men like Billy Sunday or Billy Graham. But he speaks with the humility and humbleness of a saint. He allows the words to be like arrows of the Holy Spirit. May this man’s ministry be blessed and a blessing, calling even the saved to repentance. Because no matter how long ago you knelt at that altar, tears of regret flowing down your cheeks, and asked for Christ to be the master of your life, we all still need repentance and the renewing of Christ’s saving grace.

Uncategorized, Current events, Human Right, immigration

New Intro, New Blog, Same Account

Welcome to Center Porch News and Perspective. For those that have read my blog, Center Porch Ministries, this new blog will be OP/ED articles about news events. It will cover many things including the things that are important to me and global events. Many will be in the areas of the Persecution of Christians globally, US immigration issues, and yes, politics. But I thought I would give a small background so that you will understand why these subjects are my main focus.

I have been a journalist, in various media styles, for thirty years this July. I started in newsprint. I have also been with online journalism outlets, as well as, independent articles wherever I could get the published. I also have four published books, and currently working on my first fiction attempt.

While today’s society fights, especially in the US, about places of origin, genetics, skin color, and the social construct of race, I am a walking UN. The majority of my being is European. But over the past few years, I was more interested in what lies beneath. And while it would seem that I would embrace the majority, I don’t. A small backstory to show why.

I grew up around migrant farm workers. Like the ones that the current administration seems to joyfully sweep up, place in cages before shipping them from our borders. It was from an early age I fell in love with the people and the culture. Having lived and worked with those of that culture for the majority of my life, I found it interesting that, through genetics, I found a connection that warmed my heart and further drove me to aid these people I learned to love.

I found three interesting points of genetics. Mestizo, the first generation of mixed blood of Indigenous and Spanish blood. And my markers in this genetic area seem to pinpoint to somewhere in the pre-US Los Angeles area.As well as Taino from the Caribbean. Although it is through the Islands (Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc), being from the US, I am going to assume it comes from Puerto Rico. Mainly because genetic similarities are closer to PR than any of the other islands. And yes, I know its not a perfect science, but its what we need to work with at this time.

But I also found a few more interesting points in the various testing results. Middle Eastern from Lebanon and the mTdna from Turkey. Punjabi, linked to genetics from Lahore Pakistan. And of course, the Irish link from Northern Ireland I already knew of (Antrim and Derry).

The Irish is the only European bloodline I acknowledge. As for the genetics listed above, I accept them as well. And this is the reasoning behind the passions I have behind the causes that affect these different grouping of people. While the issues facing the Mexican American community have always been a passion for me, before finding it in me, the others have become important enough to me to help fight for. Those, added to my Christian (I’m Catholic) faith demands that I be a voice of some type in their struggles.

The old Minsitries blog had been read globally. And yes, I can provide the proof if desired. That’s not to pat myself and say great work. It simply means that one can have some type of impact, even if microscopic, outside of his own little sphere. And while I may never see desired changes in my lifetime, I do believe in the Butterfly Effect.

To end this article, I say this. Comment on an article on the actual blog page. Yes, I use Facebook to promote my work. But answering on the blog itself tells me you actually read it and not just the Headline. Second, my articles will come with the data to back up my position. So I won’t debate. If you answer with an opposing rebuttal, please use data. Most that have tried to give an opposing opinion use memes and unverified rhetoric. And let be known. I’m neither Democrat or Republican. You find I am Liberal where needed and Conservative where needed. My views haven’t changed in decades. That won’t start being a thing now. Also, I believe that the Constitution applies for both sides. And don’t quote it only when it fits your narrative.

As for monetization. Many write and post with the intent on being paid. I have a job so their will be no monetization. That is for the simple fact that I want nobody to be able to claim that opinions are swayed by financial gain from one side or the other. If I write and post it, its because I believe it.

Have a wonderful day.

Christianity, Current events, faith, Human Right, Uncategorized

CHURCH IN NEED

The other day, I was contacted by Pastor Emmanuel Mezu with a request for aid for his church, The Vessel Of The Lord’s Assembly International in Nigeria. Here is the request and reason in his words.

Please permit me to explain a little bit of our Ministry’s present condition:

For a long time now, our Ministry has been operating as a Fellowship in my compound, even before we were advised by the Government to register it with them, through their Corporate Affairs Commission, hence we are duly registered with the Federal Government of Nigeria as THE VESSEL OF THE LORD’S ASSEMBLY INTERNATIONAL. Note, this Certificate can be verified through your embassy here in Nigeria.

Since after the registration in 2018, we are yet to operate as a church because of the stipulated rules and regulations guiding the estate where I live, and that is where we do our fellowship on every Thursday. The rules and regulations was that, there will be no church nor mosques in the community in other to avoid such incident that happened in the past (Religious Clash). But, as a fellowship we were allowed only on Thursday and between the hours of 9:00Am to 12:00Noon.

Now, to your question; early last month, the estate management came and gave us a quit notice, and we demanded to know why, and they said that our numbers has grown so much that they cannot allow us to continue in the estate, but advised that we should relocate out of the estate. And considering the timing of the notice, after going through the Christian Leaders alliance Minister Directory, I deemed it fit to contact you for help on how to get a place outside the estate. During our last week’s Thursday program, the estate management came and which I saw as an embarrassment when our new converts left in anger. Please, we need your assistance at this time because we do not want to lose both our new and old members.

Beloved brother, it might sound strange for us to ask that you to send us money when you do not know us, but no, we would rather ask, if you really want to assist raise the money to either buy a land or building for us, you can arrange with your consulate here in Nigeria, so that they can invite us to meet with them in their office with all proves. Though, your professional advise is highly needed here, because I know that it takes process. Or if you would be willing to either come or send a representative that can help to oversea all.

And finally, you may wish to checkout some of our activities through Facebook, YouTube or google for your scrutiny.

Yours in service.

Pastor Emmanuel.

While I do not have the personal funding for his mission and request, I do reach out to others in hopes that God will use His people to aid this church in need. Below are pictures and verification of his church. If you have the ability, or can forward this to someone who does, I pray that you will.

This is his contact information:

Pastor Emmanuel Mezu

Leader, The Vessel Of The Lord’s Assembly International

Resident/Church addresses:

House 1, D Close Home Foundation Estate Lagos Nigeria.

Tel/WhatsApp: +2348020925724

Christianity, Current events, faith, Human Right, Uncategorized

Persecution in Pakistan: A Place of my Heart

Within the last year, I wrote an article on the suffering Christians in Pakistan and the persecution and martyrdom they face daily. The past weeks have been hard for these wonderful people of our Lord Jesus Christ. So this weeks article is going to be a bit different. Not only was another Christian martyred, the organization Persecution.org, International Christian Concern did their monthly magazine on those in Pakistan. So this article is going to contain links to the organization’s website and all of their social media accounts.

At the bottom will be 8 links. One to my former article, one to their main page, one to their newsletter, one to their magazine, one to their prayer calendar, one to their podcast, and one to their donation information.

We speak so much today of human slavery and the need for it to end. Most of the time, sex slavery comes to mind. But modern day slavery comes in many forms. And the children of Jesus Christ are in modern day slavery around the world.

I know a few wonderful preachers and ministries in Pakistan. I want to give special honor to them before I post the the articles below. Please check out their pages. The content in them shows both the wonders of God’s glory and the evil of man’s heart.

Pastor Ravi in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

https://www.facebook.com/psravidaniel.daniel

Evangelist Mariam in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073638895836

Evangelist Farah in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069345996262

Pastor Shakeel in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

https://www.facebook.com/shakeel.bhatti.3551

Now, Let’s get to the article. First is the news story of the latest attacks.

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 25 (Reuters) – At least 10 members of a minority Christian community were rescued on Saturday after a Muslim crowd attacked their settlement on a blasphemy accusation in eastern Pakistan, police and a community leader said.

The crowd, which accused the Christian group of blasphemy, also hurled stones and bricks at the police, said Shariq Kamal, the police chief of Sargodha district.

At least one house and a small shoe factory was set on fire by protesters who had gathered after neighbours alleged that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated by a minority community member, according to a police spokesman and Akmal Bhatti, a Christian leader.

“They burned one house” and several Christians were badly beaten, Bhatti said.

A large contingent of police cordoned off the settlement, Kamal said, adding that the crowd had been pushed back. One member of the Christian community who was taken to hospital was later said to be in a stable condition.

Some 25 of the protesters have been arrested, said police official Assad Malhi, adding that 11 police officers suffered injuries during the operation to rescue the Christian community members from the crowd.

The situation had calmed down by late evening, with leaders from both sides calling for peace, police said.

A Christian rights group – Minority Rights March – said a 70-year-old man accused of the blasphemy was beaten and dragged by the mob.

It said video footage showed that the police did not intervene. The police have denied the claim.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters looting items from burning properties. Others were seen throwing the items in a heap on fire in a street.

Bhatti said the videos were images from the scene.

Reuters could not independently verify the pictures.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the Christian community was “at grave risk to their lives at the hands of the charged mobs”.

Blasphemy is a sensitive subject in conservative Muslim- majority Pakistan, where just an accusation can lead to a street lynching.

Human rights groups say Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal scores.

While blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, no one has been executed by the state for it, though numerous accused have been lynched by outraged mobs.

A Muslim crowd attacked a Christian community in eastern Pakistan last year, vandalizing several churches and setting scores of houses on fire after accusing two of its members of desecrating the Koran.

Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Mike Harrison and David Gregorio

The Store owner recently died from his injuries.

From Militia to Faith

Having watched a VICE program on the militia in this country, I was brought back to my time in two militias. And the reason I left both. So, in this article you will see some of the inner workings of both, a national militia and a local statewide militia.

First a small background. I was in the US Infantry (11B) and the Mechanized Infantry (11M). I left the Infantry in 1989. In 1995, I joined the SC National Guard as 11M with a Mech Inf unit. This is infantry that is mobilized. When 9/11 hit, I was still on inactive status but was not reactivated. The shock and awe phase of Operation Freedom occurred after my full enlistment time has ended. In 2019, I felt the urge to serve again but was over the age of acceptance. So, having a co-worker that was part of a national militia suggested applying. I did and was accepted into the III% Defense Militia (DM), Indiana unit.

There were no real issues and I earned a bit of rank (CPL) and attained the position of Chaplain. But, when the BLM, Antifa storm him in 2020, I started to see a mentality in many personnel that did not go with my faith as a Christian. It started with the forming of the NFAC.

For those that do not remember, the NFAC was an all black militia. They first came to prominence at Stone Mountain Georgia. But the big coming up was in Louisville, Kentucky during the protests over the Brianna Taylor killing. Yes, I remember her name. And my personal thought in this matter is that the actions following the no-knock raid, and her death, could have been avoided. As a former EMT-A in Indiana, I felt her death but not only for that reason.

While the protests were warranted, the DM was watching the situation and many units were responding, although it was left to the KY unit to deal with it and Indiana to hold at the Ohio River in case of spill over. And at that point, I argued with command stating we should have been on the side of the protesters. This thought was because one of our fell during a no-knock raid that also wounded his pregnant girlfriend.

The position of the DM was that armed BLM supporters would follow the steps of places like Ferguson, MO. It became heated in debate. My reasoning was this. We had a member fall in the same manner. We should have supported the protest. And I started to learn the mentality of the national group. They, like both liberal and conservative, choose to demand their Constitutional protects while denying the same for the side they don’t agree with. The had an issue with the protest (1st Amendment) and militia/arms (2nd Amendment) because they were against the ideology of the other side. Instead of supporting the same rights for others, I saw the racist mentality in those that I called my brothers in arms.

And let me make this clear so there is no misunderstandings about the makeup of my unit. We were 90% ex military. Some like me who never saw action, but the majority were combat vets. The XO having started his service in the first Gulf War in the 90’s and the rest from Operation Freedom. So it was not the typical non-schooled backwoods redneck. Most of us were trained infantrymen and some truly born in the flames of combat.

I resigned my position because I believe that the rights of protest/free speech and militia/arms belong to everyone with our borders. They are the guaranteed rights by which our nation was forged.

In 2021, the Indiana unit went independent and became the 19th Volunteer Militia. Personnel had changed a bit and I joined the state group, with my son, with the hope that things would be better without the national command. I was wrong. I found that looking back, despite the mentality and command by national hq, they were actually holding those racist soldiers back and somewhat in line. My son left first and I transferred into intelligence gathering. I would run the dark web and minute news sources, as well as social media, to gather information need for operations. Two things made me leave this group and call against militias. The first was personally related. My son, after leaving, outed the group including locations, names, and handles. They put cross hairs on his back. That brought the defiant parent out in me. Discussing it with command, the target was removed because I let them know that a strike against him would bring a vengeance from me.

The second reason was the lock down. While I did not agree with forced closures and masks, I knew enough of how disease worked throughout US history, I did not let it bother me. But during that close down here in Indiana, the racist hatred reared its head.

The Indianapolis group of BLM had set up emergency distribution. They did not discriminate but aided those who needed it. In intelligence, I was tasked with gathering the information the group needed to shut it down permanently (I’ll let you determine the meaning of that).I refused. This caused an issue to erupt. On comms (how we talked and had meetings) the XO and I went at it over my refusal. This then got my squad leader to personally call and read me the riot act for going against command’s order and doing so vehemently over an open meeting.

One light in the whole of this episode was my intelligence commander. He told command that they should be a bit more proud that they had a member that refused to go against his faith and ideals. The call from my squad leader was proof that they expected robots not individuals. I tendered my resignation.

What I did then was a spur of the moment decision, but the right one. I gathered all intel I had gathered from the group and notified the Indianapolis BLM of the groups intentions. Giving away names and handles, and operations. One may ask why I would have gone to this extreme. It’s simple. Evil on exists when good men choose to do nothing. I could not have allowed an operation to occur in my absence an look at myself. My faith would not allow me to go after BLM just because I disagreed with their politics. I support humanitarian aid no matter where it comes from. And despite my disagreements with much of BLM’s ideology, I saw them doing the works that Christ told us to do. Help those in need.

All of these things only led to Jan 6th. These were the precursors. Mix that hatred with the perceived wrongs of an election and the rantings of a demigod and it was only a matter of time. I do not know if my former comrades in arms went to that insurrection. But the mentality was the same as those who did. And through all of this, we have seen the rise of Christian Nationalism. Which, can not co-exist. Should one love where they come from? Of course. But Christians are held to a standard set by Christ and the Apostles. It only has two precepts (commandments). Love God and man. It does not say if they agree with you. It does not say if the look like you. Nationalism led to the National Socialist Party (NAZI) in Germany and we see how that went.

I still hold to the right to protest and speak your grievances. I still hold to the right of free speech. I still hold to the right to keep and bear arms and form a militia. What I do not believe in is the using of those rights to terrorize those you disagree with. And that goes for both liberal and conservative. Polarization from both ideological camps have caused the majority of the trouble our nation sees now. But it is not going to get any better.

The prophets of the Tanach, Christ himself, and the visions given to John on Patmos all speak of the times we see now. And whether one believes or not, Christ is the only way to turn to save your soul and help you deal with everything going bad globally. Because, even though all of this (and worse) was prophesied, we are also told the way to overcome it. Thos who have the faith of Christ and the commandments of God and endure to the end will be saved.

Now is the appointed time. Seek Christ.

Christianity, Current events, faith, Human Right

Pakistani Christians

Pakistan started as part of India until the split in 1947. I won’t go into detail of U.S. policies concerning Pakistan because this is not information on Pakistan in that manner. But here is a brief reason we, as Americans, know about Pakistan. We know that they have ‘known terrorists’ as per the press releases over the years, brought to us by our ‘unbiased’ American news agencies. I won’t dispute this fact. We also know of Pakistan because of their fight with Indiana over the region of Kashmir. No need to go into that here.

What most do not know, is that despite being predominately Muslim, there are a multitude of Christians throughout the country. While the official Pakistani government policy is one of religious tolerance, looking at the situation without a biased lens, one can see thing differently.

A former co-worker who had been in the US Navy, had ported there a few times. He stated, that during his visits to the port city of Karachi, he noticed the squalor and lack of wealth by the majority of the population he encountered. He recalled one instance where he met a woman begging for food for a child she was carrying. But then noticed, that the child was deceased. Out of all the ports of Liberty, this was the one encounter he remembered. Although not part of the Christian tale of this article, it does relay some of the conditions of the populace.

Over the last year or so, I have gotten to meet, through online means, two Christian pastors in different regions of the country. Both had different educational pursuits. But the common denominator between them, is their desire to share the Love of Christ to a people not only with a desire for a better life, but a hunger for a hope that only Christ can bring.

Here is a little background on the Pakistani legal view of religious tolerance in the Muslim dominate nation. The Pakistani Constitution states: ‘Subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion’. They also have the right to freedom of speech, but is ‘reasonably’ restricted in accordance to the glory of Islam. Essentially, it is believe what you want but follow Islamic law and do not speak against Allah (which is a term used for God in the Middle East no matter the God spoke of) and do not desecrate the name of their beloved, yet false prophet, Muhammad.

Because of the way the law is written, those of non-Islamic faiths are basically second class citizens. The way Pakistani Muslims deal with Christians is by forced conversion, forced marriages, assaults, menial jobs (including abhorrent child labor), and conviction of blasphemy laws that result in prison time or death.

But two men, among others, risk martyrdom by gladly and boldly proclaiming Christ and teaching of His love for everyone.

Pastor Shakeel Samuel heads a Christian organization named United’s Christian Welfare’s Society for Children (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063562256551). Pastor Samuel is from Malaysia and now lives in Lahor, Pakistan. His coverage area for the ministry is in Gulistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Pastor Samuel studied at Forman Christian College in lahore.

As you can tell by the name of the organization, pastor Samuel takes to heart the words of Christ. ‘Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”. (Matthew 19:14)

His mission is not only to feed and cloth them physically, but feed them with the Living Bread and the Water that will never allow thirst.

If you would like to help Pastor Samuel his contact information is:

+923054332249 shakeelbhattibhatti8@gmail.com.

The second pastor I have a pleasure to know is PS Ravi Daniel Daniel. His location is undisclosed at this time. He studied at Christian Brothers University in Memphis Tennessee. He also has an affinity for bring children to Christ. If you view many of his congregation photos, you will find adults and children in attendance. His church was recently damaged from a nearby explosion, but that has not deterred him from his mission. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”. (Matthew 28:19,20).

If you would like to aid Pastor Ravi, you can contact him at his Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/psravidaniel.daniel)

Besides the normal hardships they face from a lacking economy and dangers of martyrdom for being Christian, Pakistan was recently hit with the worst flooding years.

You can also donate to relief efforts at (https://www.gofundme.com/f/njgt3-flood-relief-for-pakistan?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR0AMLGFfsLR4ktjoe9nNH2O92Z0A3GEDnusGS5PwrmAKp_SiLV-M2Mh9uM).

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)

Current events, Human Right

Abortion is NOT a Human Right

It has come to my attention, that today (July 17th, 2022) in Huntington Indiana, there is a so called Human Rights rally to defend a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy. So, in that, I feel the need to bring some education to those that believe the termination of the unborn is a Human Right.

And to clarify my ability to speak on this, despite being an older white male, I have fought for Human Rights for over 2 decades. Earning my certification in Human Rights Education from the USIDHR. I have supported and worked through various organization such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and currently stand with groups like HIAS, Exodus, among others. Some based within the Christian faith and some that are fully secular. So, let’s begin.

Prior to fertilization, both the egg and he sperm contain half of the genetic coding of a human. Upon fertilization that combination creates a human life. This has been reported and documented as far back as 1974. But to show that, even with updates to modern medicine and research, that this offical declaration has not changed I’ll use more modern declarations. Such as T.W. Sadler’s 2006 declaration in Langman’s Medical Embryology text. It states “Development begins with fertilization, the process by which the male gamete (sperm) and the female gamete (oocyte) unite to give rise to a zygote”.

It was also stated in the 3rd version of Human Embryology and Teratology, “Although life is a continuous process, fertilization (which, incidentally, is not a ‘moment’) is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new genetically distinct human organism is formed when the chromosomes of the male and female pronuclei blend in the oocyte”.

In 2004, the American College of Pediatrics definitively stated that human life begins at conception. Now that I have shown that the unborn is truly a human life by definitive science and not by Christian belief, we can move on from the whole concept of ‘Keep your religion out of my ovaries’ chants and the dis-allowance of science.

Let’s now quickly look at the U.S. legal definition of murder. Under the United States legal code Title 18, Part I, Chpater 51 a it states “Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Every murder perpetrated by poison, lying in wait, or any other kind of willful, deliberate, malicious, and premeditated killing; or committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate, any arson, escape, murder, kidnapping, treason, espionage, sabotage, aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse,child abuse, burglary, or robbery; or perpetrated as part of a pattern or practice of assault or torture against achildor children; or perpetrated from a premeditated design unlawfully and maliciously to effect the death of any human being other than him who is killed, is murder in the first degree.Any other murder is murder in the second degree”.

Now that we have scientifically determined that a fertilized human egg is a living being and legally defined the term murder, logic and law dictates that the unborn human is in fact a life. This is where the Human Rights part comes in.

On December 10, 1948, shortly after the founding of the United Nations, the member nations determined thirty articles of Human Rights that are to guaranteed in response to the Genocide of over eleven million (roughly six million Jews and roughly five million non-Jews) during the Nazi holocaust in the mid Twentieth Century. The Full declaration can be found at UN DOHR.

The Preamble is as follows. “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. ”

I will write articles on each of the thirty declarations independently. Each declaration in this declaration is an issue in itself and warrants expounding upon. So lets start with the very first declaration.

The Right to Life

The right to life is the very first because with it, none of the others have a need to exist. The Declaration states this rights as such. ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood’. Now, a bit of a note. This was not the original wording. The original wording used the term ‘all men’ instead of ‘all humans’. That wording was changed so that there would be no misunderstanding that these thirty declarations were meant for everyone to be born on this planet during every future generation. The two people credited with this change was Eleanor Roosevelt of the US (widow of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and Hansa Mehta of India.

Now, the argument will come, ‘but it says born free’. Yes it does. And to be born, the conceived need to grow to fruition and delivered. And since science has determined that the fertilized oocyte is a living being and the US government has determined that murder is the ending of a life with malice and forethought (containing one but not both of these is a lesser degree of murder known as second degree murder) then logic dictates that the unborn are also protected under this declaration.

So let’s review the four main points of this article so there is no misunderstanding.

Life begins at fertilization
Murder is the taking of life with malice or forethought
All life is protected as a human right as defined by the nations of the world
Abortion is NOT a Human Right.

Ronan O’Rahilly and Fabiola Müller, Human Embryology and Teratology, 3rd edition. New York: Wiley-Liss, 2001. p. 8.

T.W. Sadler, Langman’s Medical Embryology, 10th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. p. 11

Current events, faith, Human Right, Uncategorized

The Nation that Killed Itself

There are a few things I have learned in the 5 decades I have been on this rock. And usually, that wisdom tends to upset quite a few. One learns that when you speak through gained wisdom or a truth, that those that yell the loudest fit into 2 categories. The first is the ones who have to face in themselves what they have tried to hide. The other is one who has no true concept of decency or compassion beyond themselves. And nothing brings that out of people more than the discussion of Human Rights or faith.

For me, they go together, which tends to upset both liberal and conservative. I have defended Human Rights for decades. My generation started with things like the end of nuclear weapons, end of Apartheid in South Africa, AIDS research, and famine. And for the younger generation, this was the things Gen X stood for. The term Boomers actually is the generation before mine. Please get it right. Because they fought for things like Civil Rights, the end of the war in Vietnam, and Women’s Rights. The generation before that (The Greatest Generation) stopped the regimes that slaughtered millions of Jews and Gentiles.

You are not the first generation to see an issue and demand change. But, the change you seek will not be won through the burning of cities, the ending of law enforcement, or screaming like fools because your safe space and preferred gender are not respected. And to be honest, there are more important things in this world to deal with than your feelings and self imposed ego of pretend superiority.

Why a people and culture that is almost 200 years removed from slavery, it is still a global issue. Things like forced child labor and the Caste system in India, the sex trade, forced domestic and farmer workers, and the mines that produce blood diamonds. So while you have the freedom to act like babies wanting a bottle because you can’t be called by the pronoun you choose, people truly suffer and die at the whim of those that think they have the right to commit these atrocities against mankind.

You scream that abortion is a Human Right. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 list the number one Human Right as the Right to Life. Because without life, no other right can exist. It matters because every life matters. You have no problem screaming that no life matters until all lives matter yet willingly defy science and demand the right to the most innocent lives on this planet.

The original founding of this nation and the laws they placed for the safety and common good, are solely based upon the Ten Commandments of God. For those who deny that fact need to read the words, speeches, and letters of our Founding Fathers.

And Conservatives you are just as bad. Nationalism, in historical context, has bred nothing but hatred. Germany during the early to mid 20th century is the best example of the evil that comes from a nationalist mindset. And no matter how you want to view it, the assault on the hallowed halls of Congress was not only insurrection, but treason. For the veterans and politicians that were involved in the assault, you defied your oath. Those that got jail time, probation, or nothing should feel extra happy about the light sentence. Treason against the government is a death penalty offense.

And Christians, you are the worst of all. The far right church has come to the point that you not only love the sinner but condone the sin. The far right church has come to the point of hating both. Yes, God loves everyone, hence the price of the Cross for redemption of man. But, like all other systems of justice, there is punishment as well as reward based upon actions of the person. But I find the far right church has forgotten whom they follow. As followers of Christ we are suppose to help those in need. Christ did not say only if they agree with you, only if they are from the same nation, the same color, the same gender, or the same anything as you. All he said was go help. Love those that hate and persecute you. Aid those that are hungry, weak, in jail, etc.

I am appalled at the people of this nation. The extremes on both sides scream and yell to force their viewpoint without regard how it affects the whole. But I’m more appalled at the majority in the center. Those that see the good options that lean both left and right as is warranted depending on the issue. Why? Because they are the majority but choose to remain quiet.

In another article, I will explain what I believe would be a good and centered position is on many things that cause contention in today’s political climate. And why they would work and the benefits. But right now, both sides need to get their heads out of their backside orifices and the center needs to get their heads out of the sand.

Every great power as fallen into the sands and abyss of time. Many from the inside not an outside enemy. And this nation is going the same way. I see and hear, God make this nation great again. He has lifted his hand of protection from this land because we have become what we once, as a nation, fought against. The Scriptures say there will come a time when man will be left to his reprobate mind and God will allow a nation to feel his wrath. We are there.

This nation will eventually fade into history and another shall take our place on the world stage. And it will not be from an attack or natural disaster. It will be from the combined extreme egos and mindset this nation now holds above logic and compassion. We used to be a nation that believed in the words on the Statue of Liberty in the poem, The Tempest. We used to fight for liberation of the oppressed. But we have allowed hatred of those from outside our borders and systems of injustice inside our borders to overrule common sense and common decency.

So when this nation falls, as it will if we don’t change our path and actions as a whole people, we shall have nobody to blame but ourselves.

The Store owner recently died from his injuries.

More stories of Pakistani Persecutions can be found at https://www.persecution.org/?s=&cat=64.