@evavirg, your rules and standards are good. They have a place for the society. But realize at best all those rules and standards be as it may be good, was not enough to save man from the holocaust of sin and the sin consciousness in men. Don't we have men who are unregenerated, non-degenerates and unsaved yet more pious and even have stricter and more stringent rules and standards than you listed above.
All those rules are good, but they couldn't save man from the hands of sin. It was the atoning blood of Jesus that saved mankind.
Christianity purchased for man at he expense of the Life Of Jesus terminated on the cross transcend the levels of "Dos and Don't s". It far outweighs it. Nevertheless good morals were not discouraged in the New Birth. But it will never be enough to equal the New Birth realities.
@Apostelle, that was something you did to your cousin 6'2" brother. Lolz.
@Mason22, that was a good serve of the Word you spoke there. It will be a slap on Redemption if we attempt to parallel and tower it side by side with the Death of Jesus!
Good morals are not frowned at by God. Moralistic ordinances and stands are not discouraged by God, but its with His goodness that he had provided mankind a better way into redemption which Moral Ethics/Rules of Opinions for over 2000 years couldn't do in saving man from the throngs and pain of pains caused be sin!
@dljrn04, thank you for this post. Its edifying. The only thing that count is the worthless filth of a rag we used to parade that Christ now had removed far away from us and worn his righteousness upon us. And if there is any glory and thoughts of pleasure, that should be in it the Glory of REDEMPTION.
Again, as regards Moderation, In the new Birth, The man Born Again had been given the grace of a good Conscience.This Good Conscience makes us know what is good and what is bad. This makes us know how do conduct our moderacy before fellow saints and among the children of this world.
I Tim. 1:18,19 - �This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck�. when we neglect a goodly and godly conscience, we are planning on making a shipwreck of our faith!
Again Philippians 4:5 - Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
The Lord Jesus And Divorce- (Sexual Immorality Is His Focus)
Posted : 9 Dec, 2012 08:41 AM
Exceeding Joy, thanks for the post. One foundational truth the gospel is hinged on when it comes to divorce is immorality being the bane between two people in marital covenant.
Looking at the concept of Matthew and Mark rendition of this account, Jesus referred to what was going on in the days and time of Moses up before the time Jesus finally died for mankind. So its understandable that Moses condition clause for annulling a marriage held those wishing to do so on frivolity back from doing.
Its is funny to know that Jesus never endorse the rule, neither did he contempt the same rule. He only rehearsed into their hearing what was written by Moses from the beginning.
Take a look at Matthew 19:3-12, New International Version (NIV)
[3] Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, �Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?�
[4] �Haven�t you read,� he replied, �that at the beginning the Creator �made them male and female,�[a][ 5] and said, �For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh�[b]? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.� [7] �Why then,� they asked, �did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?� [8] Jesus replied, �Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. [9] I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.� [10] The disciples said to him, �If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.� [11] Jesus replied, �Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. [12] For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others�and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.�
From the verses above, especially verse 6, he made them realize that the power in marriage union is such that 2 people eventually enmeshed into one unit. And the essence of that singular unit makes them supposedly indivisible. Then verse 6 went on to say WHAT GOD HAD JOINED TOGETHER, NO MAN DARE TEAR APART....NO MAN! Be it the man or woman or families. This is to say that Jesus meant that because the court or families dissolves marriages does not mean its His WILL. Left to HIM, he ordained marriages to last, because he had given those in the marriage power to do right and maintain the marital covenant until their dying days! But many of us are not sightful of these vested abilities in us by God to sustain marriages. Little wonder we work our marriages to fail, because none is ready to work!
Look at what Jesus told his disciple after the crowd dispersed in verse 11. He said its not everyone who can accommodate this kind of doctrine. Which makes us to understand that when it comes to man/woman itching to have a divorce, then it portrays again, they are not willing to work as expected of them by God. This is reflected not only in marital aspect of their lives but other areas of their lives in time do catch the brunt of such fires as this. Haven't we seen believers who failed in school, work, church, ministry, business? There are. Its not only in marriage. The same reason they fail in marriage (which is because they are not ready to fight and use the resources God had given them to nurture the union like the as it was the first day they fell in love) is also the same reason they fail in other endeavor of life!
To the sister who recieved this email, i say its a "big" one you got.
@Armin, respectful dear brother, sometimes your quotations and renditions of the bible verse makes it hard for anyone to say where exactly you are on this rampant issue. You wrote and I quote "Apostelle, you posted that 'This is not the OT times and Jesus said nothing about harems being ok.' Maybe he didn't, but did he at least say that it is -not ok-, and why it isn't?" Again, your bracing up, using the parable of the 10 virgins was something of unusual. The parable of ten virgin in Mathew 25:1-13, first was a parable. We were never told it happened (or you got prove it did). Jesus said "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins......." Mark the expression, the kingdom will BE LIKE...It means can be likened to. Its an analogy woven by Jesus to portray his message. It never suggest 10 virgins were in a hot race to get married to one LUCKY MAN! No! We should stop helping God to suggest meaning of his words.
@Armin, You said "Maybe he didn't, but did he at least say that it is -not ok-, and why it isn't?".....for the fact that Jesus never mentioned polygamy VERBATIM does not mean he never had his teaching on it. Let me ask you, When Jesus was on earth, did he mentioned the name of your country? Did he? Hence there are many things while he was here, he never mentioned, but that do not suggest he never had his instructions on them.
While Jesus was here, POLYGAMY (please that's the name and not Pluralized marriage or whatever they shadow it as) was not the major highlight he left heaven for. It was REDEEMING us and dyeing for us that was paramount. He however said in John 16:13 "King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come". In the Holy Spirit now here upon us and infilling us, the man born again is expected to be led. The Spirit of truth can lead you wrong!
Titus 1:6 King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) - "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly." How about that? Is this still not the Holy Spirit of God speaking here the things He heard from Jesus according to John 16:13? The same he is now telling the Church!
Please we must be aware of some of this dangerous doctrines that are subtle enough to find associations with the scriptures thereby deceiving many people. Believe it, not every doctrine propelled by people in these last days will always be unattached to the scriptures...Most will attempt sit atop a bible verse, yet they are erroneous.
So be not surprised if you see Christian folks who are routing for this and enjoy it with all gleefulness and loudness! But God through his words had not left us without information on what is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and what is NOT!
This is a sensitive thing. We must be careful of different kinds of doctrines in these last days. I have seen the Robert Site, and out of no offense, i will like to keep to myself what i saw on there to myself. In as much as I know the Bible, its easy to spot, identify, accept and reject where necessary the teachings and error of Balaam!
2 Peter 2:15 - 16 - "Forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet."
@dljrn04, for all Christ did for humanity, it the world chose to pick out 25th of December (thought we know its highly uncertain it was 25th) to celebrate in any way, so let it be.
Galatians 4:9-10 (King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)) - " But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [10] Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years."
To the man born again, the emphasis is not on the festivity,celebrity of the day or even the celebration of the day. Its about THE PERSON OF JESUS WHO DIED FOR ME AND YOU. To me, its Christ and Him Crucified that mattered. Its not the celebration of the day or time or month of the person....Its CELEBRATION of the PERSON of JESUS who died for me!
Good piece. Particularly, to the man not born again, understanding God is a milestone and ever can it be achieved? Until a man is born again, apparatus to know and understand God and ultimately comprehend him is fully and securely provided for. Albeit the man not born again, will never know God, no matter how clinically and subliminally he attempts. God will always remain a phantom shrouded in mystery to him.
◄ Romans 8:6 ► "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."...So as long as the seeker seeks God through fleshly means, he does not get God. He gets something else, maybe logic, opinions, and beliefs.
◄ John 4:24 ►King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) - "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH."
◄ 1 Cor 2:14 ► New International Version (�1984) - "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN. (Read first before you say i am judging)
Posted : 9 Dec, 2012 03:49 AM
HOMOSEXUALITY was spoken about and against in the scriptures, If you look out Romans 1:26-27, Romans 1:26 Amplified Bible (AMP) - "26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, 27 And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another�men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own [a]bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
ALL OTHER SINS were also not pampered, but BITTERLY reported against. In the Bible, they were called "ALL WICKEDNESS"...See Titus 2:11-14 (New International Version (NIV)) - "11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say �No� to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope�the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from ALL WICKEDNESS and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
