Hi Marlin ... and everyone else too! :0)
[I am new to this forum and this is my first post, sorry it is a little
long...]
Based upon your response, do you consider yourself a
Messianic Jew then? It sounds like you are, but I don't
know if you use/like the term.
Did you grow up in an Orthodox Jewish household, or
was your family less strict? How did you come to
believe on Jesus?
It is a shame that there are those that name the name
of Christ and because of their behavior they bring
shame to the body of Christ. Some error on the side
of excusing sin, and say there is grace to cover
their intentional sin...
Heb 10:26-29
26For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries. 28Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the
testimony of two or three witnesses. 29Of how much worse punishment, do you
suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God
underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a
common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
...others error by thinking we gain favor with God based upon
our ability to refuse sin, and follow laws and precepts. We do
refuse sin and we do follow commandments out of our love for
God and our following after Him by His Spirit - it will
be seen through our actions, but not out of a sense
of obtaining salvation through our ability to obey the law.
What Jesus said (Mark 1:14-15)...
14Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
When Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom (basileáia - the
reign or rule) of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel." Jesus
was telling them that the time is over that man can rule and reign over his
own life, it is time to repent of their own reign, and to come under or
surrender their reign to the reign or rule of God. Jesus illustrated this in
Luke 18.
Lk 18:18-27
18Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to
inherit eternal life?” 19So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No
one is good but One, that is, God. 20“You know the commandments: ‘Do not
commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false
witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 21And he said, “All these
things I have kept from my youth.” 22So when Jesus heard these things, He
said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and
distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow Me.” 23But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was
very rich.
24And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is
for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25“For it is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God.” 26And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with
God.” 28Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29So He
said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house
or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of
God, 30“who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in
the age to come eternal life.”
The rich young ruler failed to enter the kingdom or come under the reign of
God because he still wanted to rule his own life - he wanted his
possessions. He could have made it if he had been willing to follow the
example of the camel going into the city gate at night ("eye of the needle")
and unload his possessions outside so he could squeeze through the entrance
and come under God's reign. His obedience to the law did not help him nor
justify him.
The saying, "If He doesn't reign over all He doesn't reign at all" comes
true here. The rich young ruler was ruling over his own life giving the
reign to God in many areas, but by him holding other areas back, it showed
he was reigning and not God. God doesn't want to come as a visitor into our
life, He comes to reign or He doesn't come at all.
The religious want to share in the benefits of the reign without paying the
cost of it.
But Jesus lived what he preached...Jesus had surrendered the reign of his
life to God, His Father. So must we if we are truly his disciple. There is
no other class of believer than a disciple.
Lk 14:26-33
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My
disciple. 27“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be
My disciple. 28“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit
down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29“lest,
after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it
begin to mock him, 30“saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to
finish.’ 31“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not
sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him
who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32“Or else, while the other is
still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
33“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple.
The rich young ruler counted the cost and decided the reign of God in his
life was too expensive for him. He simply was not willing to pay the cost.
What he failed to realize is that not choosing God's reign will also cost
him his life - when he goes to hell for all eternity, but that payment was
on a deferred payment plan, so it wasn't an immediate threat.
Jn 5:15-19
16For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because
He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, “My
Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18Therefore the
Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath,
but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19Then
Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can
do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does,
the Son also does in like manner.
You see Jesus was not the one directing his own life. The Father directed
him by showing Jesus what he was doing, and Jesus being God's hands and feet
on the earth completed the task. We must do the same.
I am sorry for going on and on, but this is important. It is not our doing
or not doing any particular law, commandment, etc. though there is great
value in studying, understanding, and living these. It is in forsaking our
own life and surrendering so God can lead and guide us by his Holy Spirit,
just like Jesus showed us to do.
Jn 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Life is all about God - knowing Him, talking and listening to Him, relating
to Him, surrendering to Him, doing His bidding - We choose Him now because
we want it to continue for all eternity!
Blessings,
David Applegate, Douglasville, GA
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Marlin Halverson
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 8:11 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Thanksgiving
Marlin, I would be interested to know how you identify yourself, if not as a
Christian. Izzy
Dear Izzy,
"...I [am] an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath
made the sea and the dry [land]." (JONAH 1:9) In the scripture, the word
"Christians" occurs only once; "Christian" occurs only two times.
ACTS 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it
came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church,
and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch.
ACTS 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian.
1PET 4:16 Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;
but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time [is come] that
judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us,
what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Most "Christians" deny the Law and say it is "done away." But the scripture
says, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. (1JOHN 2:4) If "Christians" are
lawbreakers, how can I be stereotyped with that term? If used, I must
qualify the use of the term somehow, because of the false prophets bringing
in damnable heresies, causing the way of truth to be defamed.
2PET 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
(causing loss of salvation) heresies, even denying the Lord (Gk: "despotes,"
absolute ruler, despot) that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious (causing loss of
salvation) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
I am a Hebrew servant, bought and paid for with a price, fowlower of Jesus
Christ, or a Hebrew/Christian.
Love,
Marlin
----- Original Message -----
From: "ShieldsFamily" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 7:41 PM
Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] Thanksgiving
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Marlin Halverson
>
>
> OT law could be kept in the letter without the spirit. The change is
> not an
> abolition of OT law, as today's "mystery of iniquity" "Christianity"
> tries
> to promote because they do not love God and therefore will not keep all
> His
> commandments, but a higher standard with better promises. (2Th 2, )
>
>
> Marlin, I would be interested to know how you identify yourself, if not
> as a Christian. Izzy
>
>
> ----------
> "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may
know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6)
http://www.InnGlory.org
>
> If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a
friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to
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>
----------
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know
how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6)
http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a
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----------
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to
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