I suppose that each person must answer that question for themselves. As the world religion consolidates itself, the man representing the awesome power of government as it is --the power over each human being in finance, ownership, health, family (they can kill the body but not the soul) or the awesome power of Christ to put life into the dead spirit of man, and give him eternal life in relationship and a new earth where freedom lasts eternally. What is it for you??? Government or God? One takes from you while you are alive, the other (Christ) died for you while you were still enemies with Him.
From my understanding, the sacrifice never saved anyone eternally from the deserved punishment for their sins. Hasn't salvation always been through faith in God's grace (at that time they would've looked forward to the promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world)? The sacrifice of an innocent animal, for the truly repentant would break their heart. I would think the proud of heart would have sacrificed, thinking that their actual act of killing the animal made them holy and righteous before God. (a religion of works--but we have never been able to work our way to God, as Abraham the "father of faith" would know) Then Christ was born, his name meaning Jesus "Yahweh saves"---which was always the point---Yahweh saves. Just some thoughts on this---since I don't have any scriptures here quoted and many of you have knowledge of the original languages. Thank you.
Our modern, age segregation concepts feed into all stages of life. We went to a church where a newborn nursing baby and the parents were literally physically blocked from entering the sanctuary by church staff and escorted away! The sanctuary had a mother's room with dark glass where mothers had always taken their babies if they made any noise and families always stayed in the back to not create any diversion. Unfortunately the church closed this room down. Then they created this new "family room" that must have cost $10,000 and was on the other side of the campus from the sanctuary. The family was sent there, to sit in an empty room with a tv screen, and then the mother was instructed that if the child needed to be fed, she was to leave her husband behind in the family room to worship alone in front of the tv, and go to another empty room that would now be the mother's room with another tv. In another country a young mother with a nursing child would be welcomed, but here they were segregated. We have been to many kinder churches, but trying to point out a cultural distinction.
I guess the world is flat, because they say so! I would hope our children learn to question any authority that pits itself against the gates of heaven.
Many Catholics have been much stronger proponents of the unborn, many not afraid to deal with the abortifacent quality of birth control and teaching courses on the human body and the cycles of life. In the advance of protecting the innocent, I would invite anyone to stand beside me---maybe even share the gospel with them too.
teachers have long known their sharing of Christ is not allowed in the schools---many of our greatest have gone overseas, so they would be free to share the gospel.
Thank God someone is helping the poor. Anyone of us could be in that position at any time. Here in California I am seeing homeless everywhere as so many are losing jobs--and there is not enough food or shelters in the formal ministries--and their jobs have been largely sent overseas. We are so brainwashed that it is the job of the government to do God's work that we think it is moral to not help our neighbor??? I can just imagine the Pharisees giving the Good Samaritan an infraction for helping the sick man on the side of the road.
Tony, so sorry that happened to you, really. I think most of the church is back in the 1950's and doesn't realize how far the corruption has gone. I pray that we will open our eyes so that we can minister to one another in prayer and service and real help. Denial makes Christians useless to each other.
San Jose John, thank you for that description! The gospel, being spoken, is still a major way in which sinners are converted. They hear it and respond and yet when they look back they will know that God was the one that gave them ears to hear.
Whenever people put their trust in a man and make him their man-god, they will be disappointed! Only Christ is worthy and able! Perhaps many will put such trust in a fellow man, and then be drawn into their sin and quest for power over fellow human beings, and this will one day wake them up to their need to look outside Adam for their salvation.
The American people don't like to have their rights taken away while being told their rights are being taken away. They like to be told the gov is stripping the Constitution for their good as they have their rights taken away. The American people don't like to know their kids are being trashed with these procedures, and then have their kids sick. They like to be told that each child is so special, it just doesn't matter if they are sick or not. This God-Man Syndrome, "the big man is the expert"--I expect the world to be bought out by it, but my fellow Christians? I hope we have room for one savior alone.
All the more reason to go back to the eyewitness accounts of Jesus Christ, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This man is clearly mad at God for some reason, the God who would offer him a true and living hope. May his eyes be opened.
1/4/10 5:13 PM
