Catholic mirror citations.

 [From the Catholic Mirror of Sept. 2, 1893.]

Our attention has been called to the above subject in the past week by the receipt of a brochure of twenty-one pages published by the International Religious Liberty Association entitled, "Appeal and Remonstrance." embodying resolutions adopted by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists (Feb. 24, 1893). The resolutions criticize and censure, with much acerbity, the action of the United States Congress, and of the Supreme Court, for invading the rights of the people by closing the World's Fair on Sunday.

The Adventists are the only body of Christians with the Bible as their teacher, who can find no warrant in its pages for the change of day from the seventh to the first. Hence their appellation, "Seventh-day Adventists". Their cardinal principle consists in setting apart Saturday for the exclusive worship of God, in conformity with the positive command of God Himself, repeatedly reiterated in the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, literally obeyed by the children of Israel for thousands of years to this day and endorsed by the teaching and practice of the Son of God whilst on earth.

Per contra, the Protestants of the world, the Adventists excepted, with the same Bible as their cherished and sole infallible teacher, by their practice, since their appearance in the sixteenth century, with the time honored practice of the Jewish people before their eyes have rejected the day named for His worship by God and assumed in apparent contradiction of His command, a day for His worship never once referred to for that purpose, in the pages of that Sacred Volume.

What Protestant pulpit does not ring almost every Sunday with loud and impassioned invectives against Sabbath violation? Who can forget the fanatical clamor of the Protestant ministers throughout the length and breadth of the land against opening the gates of the World's Fair on Sunday? The thousands of petitions, signed by millions, to save the Lord's Day from desecration? Surely, such general and widespread excitement and noisy remonstrance could not have existed without the strongest grounds for such animated protests.

And when quarters were assigned at the World's Fair to the various sects of Protestantism for the exhibition of articles, who can forget the emphatic expression of virtuous and conscientious indignation exhibited by our Presbyterian brethren, as soon as they learned of the decision of the Supreme Court not to interfere in the Sunday opening? The newspapers informed us that they flatly refused to utilize the space accorded them, or open their boxes, demanding the right to withdraw the articles, in rigid adherence to their principles, and thus decline all contact with the sacrilegious and Sabbath-breaking Exhibition.

Doubtless, our Calvinistic brethren deserved and shared the sympathy of all the other sects, who, however, lost the opportunity of posing as martyrs in vindication of the Sabbath observance.

They thus became "a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men," although their Protestant brethren, who failed to share the monopoly, were uncharitably and enviously disposed to attribute their steadfast adherence to religious principle, to Pharisaical pride and dogged obstinacy.

Our purpose in throwing off this article, is to shed such light on this all important question (for were the Sabbath question to be removed from the Protestant pulpit, the sects would feel lost, and the preachers be deprived of their "Cheshire cheese".) that our readers may be able to comprehend the question in all its bearings, and thus reach a clear conviction.

The Christian world is, morally speaking, united on the question and practice of worshipping God on the first day of the week.

The Israelites, scattered all over the earth, keep the last day of the week sacred to the worship of the Deity. In this particular, the Seventh-day Adventists (a sect of Christians numerically few) have also selected the same day.

Israelites and Adventists both appeal to the Bible for the divine command, persistently obliging the strict observance of Saturday.

The Israelite respects the authority of the Old Testament only, but the Adventist, who is a Christian, accepts the New Testament on the same ground as the Old: viz..an inspired record also. He finds that the Bible, his teacher, is consistent in both parts, that the Redeemer, during His mortal life, never kept any other day than Saturday. The gospels plainly evince to him this fact; whilst, in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse, not the vestige of an act canceling the Saturday arrangement can be found.

The Adventists, therefore, in common with the Israelites, derive their belief from the Old Testament, which position is confirmed by the New Testament, endorsing fully by the life and practice of the Redeemer and His apostles the teaching of the Sacred Word for nearly a century of the Christian era.

Numerically considered, the Seventh-day Adventists form an insignificant portion of the Protestant population of the earth, but, as the question is not one of numbers, but of truth, fact, and right, a strict sense of justice forbids the condemnation of this little sect without a calm and unbiased investigation: this is none of our funeral.

The Protestant world has been, from its infancy, in the sixteenth century, in thorough accord with the Catholic Church, in keeping "holy," not Saturday, but Sunday. The discussion of the grounds that led to this unanimity of sentiment and practice for over 300 years must help toward placing Protestantism on a solid basis in this particular, should the arguments in favor of its position overcome those furnished by the Israelites and Adventists, the Bible, the sole recognized teacher of both litigants, being the umpire and witness. If, however, on the other hand, the latter furnish arguments, incontrovertible by the great mass of Protestants, both classes of litigants, appealing to their common teacher, the Bible, the great body of Protestants so far from clamoring, as they do with vigorous pertinacity for the strict keeping of Sunday, have no other recourse left than the admission that they have been teaching and practicing what is Scripturally false for over three centuries, by adopting the teaching and practice of the what they have always pretended to believe an apostate church, contrary to every warrant and teaching of sacred Scripture. To add to the intensity of this Scriptural and unpardonable blunder, it involves one of the most positive and emphatic commands of God to His servant, man: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

No Protestant living today has ever yet obeyed that command preferring to follow the apostate church referred to than his teacher, the Bible which from Genesis to Revelation, teaches no other doctrine, should the Israelites and Seventh-day Adventists be correct. Both sides appeal to the Bible as their "infallible" teacher. Let the Bible decide whether Saturday or Sunday be the day enjoined by God. One of the two bodies must be wrong, and , whereas a false position on this all-important question involves terrible penalties, threatened by God Himself, against the transgressor of this "perpetual covenant," we shall enter on the discussion of the merits of the arguments wielded by both sides. Neither is the discussion of this paramount subject above the capacity of ordinary minds, nor does it involve extraordinary study. It resolves itself into a few plain questions easy of solution:

1st. Which day of the week does the Bible enjoin to be kept holy?

2nd. Has the New Testament modified by precept or practice the original command?

3rd. Have Protestants, since the sixteenth century, obeyed the command of God

by keeping "holy" the day enjoined by their infallible guide and teacher, the Bible? and if not, why not?

To the above three questions, we pledge ourselves to furnish as many intelligent answers, which cannot fail to vindicate the truth and uphold the deformity of error.


https://www.romeschallenge.com/

The Custody Battle

God made Adam in Genesis. From Adam, all nations came to be. They spread out all over the world and settled and started tribes. When God said in the garden the promise that the Savior would crush the head of the serpent - that was a promise of Christ and that message was for all humanity that believed. Yet, as people spread out across the world, many rejected God and decided to engage in paganism and idol worship. Does that mean that God abandoned the promise that whomever should believe should be saved? Not at all.  

Adam was neither Jew or Gentile, and neither was Abraham 

Genesis 11:31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there

From Abraham is the promise of the line of Messiah that would come through Abraham's great grandson Judah. Abraham also had other sons after the death of his first wife. 

 Genesis 25: 1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.

One of these descendants of Abraham was Midian, who fathered the Midianites and the men of the east. Job is a descendant of Abraham and Job is a gentile. This isn't about Job, this is about gentiles and the picture that arises in these parallels. Abrahams grandson had sons that became the tribes of Israel. 

The first of the tribes is the line of which the Messiah came- Judah. 
The last of of the tribes which came from Joseph but Jacob adopted was - Ephraim 

Joseph when he was betrayed by his brothers ( like Christ was betrayed by His brothers in Judah) and went out as though dead ( like Christ literally died) was lifted up as God (like Christ who is God) and his brothers (Jews) did not recognize Joseph ( as Jews don't recognize Christ). Joseph had sons that looked different than the rest of Josephs brothers, Manasseh and Ephraim.  Jacob/ Israel ( representing the Father) is restored to them and when he sees the sons of Joseph ( Christ) he adopts them as his own. Of Israel/ Jacob the firstborn is Judah, and then last born would be Ephriam.

Why does that matter? What is its significance?  Lets look at something profound as it pertains after God led all of Israel out of Egypt and commanded them to take the promised land. Of ALL the spies sent, only two returned with full confidence in the LORD. Two spies, two men, Joshua- and Caleb. 

Joshua was Judah, which represents the Firstborn of the sons of Jacob/Israel. Caleb who was Ephraim- a gentile. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, a Kenizzite.  Caleb, a Gentile, was grafted into Israel of the tribe of Ephraim by his faith.

The two spies that gave favorable report are Judah and Ephraim. Judah was first and Ephraim was the last. In Ezekiel 37:15-28  as cited below, we can see the subject is about the Savior taking the two sticks, Judah= Jews  and Ephraim = Gentiles and making them one in His hand and He being over them and ruling on the throne of David forever. Just as God brought a mixed multitude out of Egypt to dwell in Israel. These gentiles are part of Israel, part of the tribes, and not by natural birth but faith in God. 

The dynamic of   Jacob the father= Israel, His firstborn Judah= Jews, Joseph= the picture of Christ who was dead and then ascended to rule, Ephraim = the youngest who is looking like the nations but is the son of the one who was betrayed by his brothers - becomes adopted by the father Jacob/Israel , Ephraim is grafted in. 

Now I don't want anyone to be unaware of this, but through Christ alone, we are part of Israel through faith. 

Romans 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved

Romans 11:13-18 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you

Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Ephesians 2:16-19 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith

Gentiles are part of Israel the same way Job was a gentile but was offering sacrifices, and called one of the holiest people ever. Gentiles are part of Israel the same way that the mixed multitude came out of Egypt and agreed at the base of Mount Sinai. Gentiles are part of Israel the same way Ephraim was a son of Jacob. 

Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Now, read Matthew 20:1-16.

Matthew 20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

I want you to think about this statement about Gentiles and the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Judah is the one born first, but Ephraim is the one of preeminence at the time of regathering: 

Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. 9“With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.

The Jews and Gentiles in Christ are Israel. What does this mean because most of the tribes have been lost. They have been cut off. Aren't the tribes lost forever since they were cut of by genealogy? 

Ezekiel 37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”

15 The word of the Lord came again to me saying, 16 “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 When the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ 20 The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

24 “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. 28 And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”

Christ has only come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. That is comprised of Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles are the stick of Joseph who looks like the nations. The Jews are the believing Jews who are the stick of Judah.  Christ unites us in His hand and He rules on the throne of David forever- and leads us INTO THE LAND WHERE HE DWELLS. When Adam sinned , mankind spread all over the earth in separation and forgot who they were and their purpose is to glorify God. In forgetting they became nations that forgot God and were destroyed in their unbelief. Yet, in God's grace, He has allowed those in the nations to hear the truth of restoration by Faith in Christ, and return from the grave where our identity was lost and scattered among the nations and Christ has made us ONE people again in His hands. Not based on heredity but based on Christ- the second Adam without sin. 

Remember who you are, Remember who your Father is. Do not let people defraud you or deny your identity as a son of God.  Gentiles aren't grafted into Judah, They're grafted into Israel 

 Matthew 9:16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

This suggests distinction of tribe, while unity of Israel. Our identity isn't in being Jewish, our identity is in Christ, and Christ makes us Israel, not us being Judah. 

Gentiles are Israel

Romans 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved

Romans 11:13-18 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you

Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Ephesians 2:16-19 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith

Jews and Gentiles are BOTH Israel in Christ with no distinction. This means that the New Covenant that Gentiles are a part of is for them 

Hebrews 8:10-12 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. 11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For all will know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. 12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 10:15-17   And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”  He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

If there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, then the New Covenant cannot be with only Jews or Only Gentiles.  The idea that Jews are saved by being Jewish is contrary to Christ. There is no Gentile covenant, only the Covenant with Israel -of which a mixed multitude always was comprised.  

Don't Kill the Messenger

 There is a quote that I first heard from Paul Washer that said:

"Your real friend is the one that tells you the most truth" 

This quote and one other have been stuck in my mind the past few days. Why? Because love, the real kind, is telling the truth. The real kind of love, is saying to someone who is playing on the subway tracks that death is the outcome and you don't want that for them. Not loving them, is to ignore the detriment to them and the disastrous outcome that is impending. What do believers do? They tell people about Christ, because they love him, and they love those who He loves. Christ, the Savior, the Messiah... the one that redeems us from sin. He's the one that tells us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. Your REAL friend, tells you the most truth, and the truth of Christ is the most absolute. I guess that leads me to the second quote that has been in my mind, probably also from Paul Washer:

God is not who you think He is, God is who HE says He is. 

Many people profess faith in Christ, and say that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. Many people say that, but, can we see if its true? Many people "Go to church every sunday" and they "pray all the time" and they "believe in God". Does that make them Christian? 

Matthew 24:23-26 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

How do we differentiate between real Christ and fake christs. How do we differentiate between authentic prophets and false prophets? 

James 2:19  You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Even the Demons believe. What separates Demon belief from authentic belief? I often hear people tell me things like "I'd die for my faith in God" and I don't know what they mean because many of these same people wont stop doing something that scripture states is a clear provocation to God. I'm not even talking about struggling against clear sin where we stumble in it knowing its wrong and we're in the process of repentance and sanctification- I'm talking about the outright refusal to acknowledge the scriptures that say that its a sin- or the commonly distorted scriptures people use to justify them. 

John 16:1-3“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2 They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.

God is not who you think He is. God is who HE says He is. Church people thinking that they are honoring GOD are the ones kicking others out of Church-WHY?  Because they DO NOT KNOW HIM. These people are holding to a god of their own minds and their own wills and their own passions. Do we know God, the God of the Bible- and equally as important is does He know us? You might read this an ask, "what do you mean He's God of course He knows me." I hope so, because there is something that He mentions in Matthew 7 

Matthew 7:15-23 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits. 

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

What's that? Christ is saying that believers who were casting out demons in His name and called Him Lord wont make it even though many miracles are done in Christ's name? Why? Because He says He never knew them- because the PRACTICE lawlessness.  If your god is not calling you to REPENTANCE in response to His Grace- your god is not the God of the Bible. False prophets that LOOK LIKE SHEEP have bad fruit. What is this fruit that Christ is talking about that we are suppose to bear? 

Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance

Thats an ugly word for a lot of people, Repentance. Why is it so problematic? Because there are teachers and pastors that get up and teach that repentance is something that is to of no effect. That there is no need for repentance. Christ said this to the Pharisees

Mark 7:6-9 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” 9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

Hypocrites are professing a belief in God and disregarding God's commandments. They're speaking all kinds of spiritual things, and reading scriptures, and going to church, and Christ said its vain worship because they're NOT obeying HIS commands, and instead instituting their OWN traditions- just like so many pastors do today. 

 James 2:18-20 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 

OBEDIENCE. Repentance is OBEDIANCE. The flesh wants to relabel obedience as legalism. Paul tells us this very thing in Romans 8 

 Romans 8:5-7 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

What was that one more time? The flesh refuses to submit to what? The law of God? Those are in the flesh are contrary to the Spirit and cannot please God?  That sounds an awful lot like

Proverbs 28:9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

The flesh is hostile to the Law of God and turning away from the law makes your prayer an abomination? Don't they know we're part of a new Covenant and that NEW Covenant has none of that Law stuff because we live by the Sprit? 

Hebrews 10:5 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord:I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”

 That  Law, that Law is going to be in ... Heaven?

Isaiah 66 22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord, “So your offspring and your name will endure. 23 “And it shall be from new moon to new moon  And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord. 24 “Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.

Might wanna brush up on that chapter a little bit, especially like, these verses 

For behold, the Lord will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For the Lord will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the Lord will be many. 17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

...That is still to come by the way. We know that because 2 Peter 3 tells us that, and so does Revelation 21.  There is also the part where Christ tells the angels to gather OUT of the kingdom all who are doing Lawlessness.

 Matthew 13:40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

IF only Christ- the real one in the Bible and not the made up one- had told us to Obey God's Law and to teach others to do the same. Wait..

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So all the idea that God's law is divided up into 3 parts, civil ceremonial, and moral and then Christ took those smallest parts and annulled them... That's not accurate. Thats error. Thats doing JUST like the Pharisees when they were setting aside the Commands of God for the sake of  their OWN TRADITIONS?  That means that its not those who are OBEDIANT to the Law of God who are like the Pharisees, its those who teach others to obey MEN instead of the Commands of God are like the Pharisees. Again, I'm not talking about stumbling and shortcomings. I'm talking about the refusal to admit that what GOD says is sin, is SIN.

1 John 3:4 4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 

 I'm talking about those that teach that it doesn't matter what God said in the past, our unchanging God who was provoked by all the ways that HE expressly tells us are a provocation to Him... surely He changed and there is peace peace right?

Jeremiah 6:14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,  Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’But there is no peace. 15 “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the Lord. 16 Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’18 “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. 19 “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

False prophets say what? Peace when there isn't peace? Huh... 

  2 Timothy 4:1-4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

They will turn aside from God and seek out pastors and preachers that only tell them what they want to hear? 

Jeremiah 14:14  Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! 16 The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters—for I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

Surely that's all Old testament right, there is nothing like that in the New Testa-

2 Peter 2:2-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Oh ok. So same stuff. Jeremiah talks about those that teach people to disregard God's law, and Christ says that people that say that they know Him will have a problem on judgement day when He ( not me) says "Depart from me you who practice Lawlessness, I never knew you".  We're to live like Christ right, so... what is the opposite of Christ? What is- Anti-Christ?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

The anti-christ is the man of Lawlessness? ...not obeying the law of God? Lawlessness- not obeying the commands of God... that is the activity of ... satan? 

Revelation 12:17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

We're to be obedient AND hold to the testimony of Christ who is the one who saves us alone by His work and our OBEDIANCE is the fruit of REPENTANCE and demonstrates that we love Him back?  
Thats love for God? 

1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

So all the times that people cry that its some great legalism to not go out to the store and buy pig flesh and shove it in their face- they're either mistaken, have been misinformed as to what the scriptures say, or are lying.  Loving God is walking in the way that He asked us to. Love is walking like Christ, who obeyed the Law of God ( Because to say that God's law and Christs law are different is to deny the Deity of Christ), which is contrary to the flesh. That sounds contrary to what we hear from a lot of people and a lot of pulpits. Sometimes it feels like people hate me when I tell them the truth. 

Matthew 24:9-12  “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

Your real friend tells you the most truth. 

Psalm 119:151-152 You are near, O Lord, And all Your commandments are truth. 152Of old I have known from Your testimonies, That You have founded them forever.

Psalm 119:160-163 The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.  161 Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your words. 162 I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great spoil. 163 I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Your law.

Princes persecute me without cause... 

John 7: 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” 25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 

The more like Christ you are, the more people want to kill you. The more church people, will want to kill you.  We are to judge with righteous judgement, how else are we supposed to make sure that there aren't wolves spoon feeding us a false doctrine because we're too entertained and in love with the world to read our Bibles and see if our god is the the God of the Bible? 

 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

If you've read this far and I hope you have, I hope you know that I tell the truth because I love you, but I love God more than I love you, and you matter to him so- don't be Biblically stupid

Proverbs 12:1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,But he who hates reproof is stupid.

 

...and don't kill the messenger. 










P.s. The idea that we should accept everyone's beliefs isn't Biblical. Paul wrote letters telling people to not listen to Alexander. 

2 Timothy 4:14- 15 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.

Also, Yes I have read Galatians. In Context. You want to know why that was written? Here. Read it. 

scrap thoughts

 Gen 1 God 

gen 2 man 

gen 3- the bride and the fall....

God commands Adam, 

Adam is head over Eve

The serpent inverses this order

The serpent gives Eve the doctrine 

Eve eats 

Eve gives to Adam and he eats...

The authority dynamic shifts backwards away from what God established. 

In light of this... we see a direct parallel to the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. 

Satan tries to give Christ doctrine, 

Christ refuses the doctrine of the serpent 

Christ places GODS dominion back in right order.
-

I wonder about the Singular Plurality of God as Elohim and how we conceptualize people as Singular beings, but they consist of Mind, Body and Soul.

"Let us make man in Our own image "

- 

Jeremiah 8

20“Harvest is past, summer is ended, And we are not saved.”

This may be rudimentary... but the reason that there are winter gaps in the Holy times is because all of the feasts parallel the seasons 

Meaning  that from the beginning we have time of growth and labor, but in the end, there will be death and destruction- and only what we have done will remain. 

The seasons themselves are a testament of the gospel- that death is coming for us all, but faithfulness and obedience in Christ will allow us to stand in the end. 

We are laborers in the field, in the harvest, at the end of the harvest- the separation of the wheat and the chaff and the tares...

Christ is the seed that the Spirit produces into fruit of the harvest.

- 

Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone  isn't just adam stating that Eve came out of his side but is a statement of Marital naturalization into the family. 

This concept parallels gentiles to Israel 

Adoption.