The Nashville Statement - A Coalition for Biblical Sexuality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Silverworks Ministries would like to announce that it finds the newly released "Nashville Statement - A Coalition for Biblical Sexuality" in line with its own teachings and Pastor Keith would like it known that he'd be humbled and honored to offer his signature as well.

From Pastor Keith, "The Nashville Statement is a well timed, well written and Biblically accurate document, intended to draw the support of those who accept God and the Bible exactly the way that they are, and further intended to draw sharp rebuke, disdain and loathing from those who are so outside of God's good and perfect will, that once they speak out against it, it will become clear as to whom is following the God of the Bible and who is bringing the 'strange fire'."

Bible Nuggets 2 - Who are the "Sons of God"?

Pastor Jeff and I like to say that "The Bible is an inexhaustible supply of information"... We refer to it as inexhaustible, because no matter how often you read it and no matter how much you study it, if you're reading it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, from time to time He shows things to you that you've never seen before!

Pastoral Position Wanted:

About 2 years ago, I heard the Shofar "blow the call", that God wanted me to serve Him as a Pastor.

For the past 2 years, I have (from time to time) explored different opportunities and listened to the experiences of some of my Pastoral acquaintances.

What you and I might think would be the requirements of a Pastor, don't really seem to blend too well with the people who are looking for the Pastors.  

Allow me to give you an example of what they want:

Wanted: Married man with excellent people skills, needs to oversee, plan, manage and otherwise be responsible for everything, up to and including wedding services, corporate prayer, outreach ministry, hospital ministry, street teams, funerals, and bingo on Sunday.

Applicant must have a minimum of 7 years experience in all the required areas and be willing to relocate without any promise of being hired.

Now if that doesn't sound daunting enough, here's what they don't tell you:

Applicant must be willing to be ruled by a board of directors, who will guide the Pastors every move, every thought and every breath.  Adherence to board mandates will outweigh all other responsibilities, including self, family, congregation, the Bible and any other communication from God Himself.  Inability to do what the board says will result in your immediate dismissal.

Now i'll agree that the example above is a SLIGHT exaggeration, but this problem (from what I've gathered so far) appears to be chronic!

You know, the Bible is full of "models".  A model is an example of either a foreshadowing or simply something that God uses to remind us that "He's done this before".  In case you didn't know it, JESUS is a Pastor.  Granted, the ULTIMATE Pastor, but He's still a Pastor.

Think about it... The word "Pastor" comes from the Latin word for "Shepherd".  What does a Shepherd do?  Usually, they tend to sheep.  Jesus tells us Himself that He's a Shepherd:

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

So let's see if what "they" want is Biblical...  Would you tell Jesus to ignore His own words?  Would you tell Jesus "what to do" and "how to do it"?  In John 10:27, Jesus goes on to say, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  Sheep are to follow the Pastor, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

I've heard countless stories about Pastors who are trying their hardest to maintain "gainful employment", while at the hands of these wolves.  The sad part, is those Pastors should be placing all of their faith and trust in God alone and leave those churches behind to let God deal with them directly.  By staying there, they perpetuate the problem and continue to show other churches how they too can exert control over their Pastors.

In my forthcoming book, "But is it Biblical?", I have an entire chapter devoted to this topic called, "What's a Pastor For?".  It's the one area of the book that I actually took the time and performed a real "study" about not only what your average Christian thinks a Pastor is for, but what other Pastors think that a Pastor is for.  Episode 26 of our Discipleship series does a good job of discussing many of the issues associated with this topic.

As for me looking for a Pastoral position, it's true, I'm still looking.  I feel overwhelmingly called to work with a church to help develop a REAL Discipleship curriculum.  None of the Sunday school drivel where you learn about how "Noah brought 2 of every animal onto the ark and Jesus loves you."  Of course the first isn't true and while the 2nd is, it's also just 1/1,000th of the story.

Everything you could possibly want to know about what I believe and why is available for all to read both here in my blog and on our website at http://www.butisitbiblical.com.

I know there's a group of Christians out there right now who are looking for me.  Know this, I'm looking for you too.  I don't know where in the world you are, but I have 100% faith in God and I know that we'll find each other.

Gay Marriage: What's the problem?

The earliest known "Historical record" that we have is The Bible. The very first book of the Bible clearly shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman. Even the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman.

Being "Imitators of Christ"...

I'd like for everyone reading this thread to consider what I am about to share with you today...

Lately, I've been reading posts both here and in many other places regarding what I'll call "legalism" or "flesh purification" (it's hard to pinpoint what to call it). And today the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to share this with you. (it may look long, but it's a quick read)

There are too many Christians who falsely believe that we are to somehow and miraculously BE LIKE Christ in the flesh!

How often do we hear:

• Don't listen to this kind of music
• Don't watch television
• Don't go to "R" rated movies
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages
• Don't...
• Don't.....
• Don't.......

Now as a Pastor, I would never advocate sin (or sinning), but I feel compelled to reach out to those of you who may be more mature in Christ and might be ready to understand (once and for all) the whole Biblical Truth regarding this issue...

First, we must start with the missing piece in the chain of these commonly quoted Scriptures, such as: 1 John 2:15-17, Ephesians 5:1-11, 2 Corinthians 6:17, among many others...

2 Corinthians 5:16 - Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Do you see what that says? It says "Even though we have known Christ in the flesh, we don't anymore!". How can Paul say, "they don't any longer"? He said that, because what was flesh is now Spirit! (Every single Bible commentator has missed this)

Now, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:1 "to be imitators of him, inasmuch as he is an imitator of Christ", Ephesians 5:1 too, tells us to be "Imitators of God"... But how can we do this in the flesh I would ask you? We can't! Jesus is not flesh and we "no longer know him as flesh". It is our works "in the Spirit", not the outwardly, that teaches, "do not touch, do not handle, do not eat, etc" (Colossians 2:21) Is not "lusting after the flesh" the same as "lusting to change the flesh"? Spending all of your time concerning yourself about touching, tasting, handling becomes a form of "idol worship" if you believe what Paul teaches in Colossians 2.

Finally, the below words exemplify what I am attempting to share with you today...

Philippians 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh...

Paul teaches us again and again that "the flesh is dead" (Romans 6:11, Romans 7:4, Romans 8:10, etc). If the flesh is indeed dead, how is it that we still seek to "perfect the flesh"? If your flesh is indeed dead and Christ was nailed to the cross along with ALL OF your sins (both past, present and future ones too), then what more can you accomplish, that Christ's sacrifice did not?

Please, if you hold another understanding of Scripture, please do not dismiss what I have shared outright. I would encourage and exhort each and every one of you to not take my word for anything I have written here today, but please be like a Berean and search the Scriptures for yourself to find out if the things I have told you are true.

Circular Reasoning & Christianity

Alright -- What do you call a Christian who doesn't know what the Bible says?

CONFUSED

How often do you hear an Atheist proclaim, "Circular reasoning is never going to convince me that there's a god. You're going to have to do better than, 'The Bible says that there's a god, therefore the Bible is true'."

Guess what, they're right!

When Jesus tells us to, "Go into all the world and make disciples of every creature", did you think He maybe meant for us to be able to accurately and adequately be able to do so?

The sad part, if you believe what the Christian Media tells us, these days, most Christians don't share their faith. I suppose if they're going to do it wrong, then we should be grateful.

What I will usually do, to explain to an Atheist who believes that Christians are only able to argue using circular reasoning, is use some LOGIC. (Atheists love logic!) I'll ask them what they call a book that was written more than 3,000 years ago, that has been proven correct again and again? They'll usually claim, "coincidence". That's when you ask them a new question. You ask them, "What do you call it when we're talking about 100's of things, approaching more than 1,000 things?" That's when they'll start to listen.

Now that you have their attention, don't drop the ball! Let's use some more logic!

Ask them what Science means. The more knowledgeable Atheist will tell you that "Science is the study of the observable". Now I love science! Think of all the medical & technological discoveries we've made over the past 200 years! But here's the rub... Most of scientific research gets relegated to what we call "Scientific THEORY". It's called "theory", because the Scientists are trying to prove that what they believe is correct. That's great! It's exactly what you need when you're trying to make breakthroughs! But here's the other rub, if science is the study of the observable, then given our original idea that we started with, how would they classify the Bible?

If there are indeed more than 1,000 things in the Bible that have been proven true, then are we able to say that "they've been observed as true"? If they've been observed as true (either by historians or even through the news today), then can't we say that the Bible has been proven reliable?

Think about it, how often is science wrong? ALL THE TIME. But again, that's how we learn...

Now think about how often the Bible has been wrong... To date.... NEVER.

Remember, this is when the Atheist will tell you that, "The Bible teaches that the world is flat!". This is a 100% untruth! Even today, when we refer to something that will affect the whole world, we use the term, "The four corners of the Earth". Does that mean that we believe that the earth is flat? Does that further mean that we believe that a SPHERE has CORNERS? Certainly not, it's just a "saying" that has survived for a long time. I suppose we could all stop using it, because it's not very accurate, but then again, I suppose as long as the people you're talking to know what it means, then it's ok?

The key thing to remember here, is that either the Bible is 100% correct, or it's 100% wrong. I would think that the most ardent Atheist would like that sentiment. Well, one of the things I like to teach, is that the Bible DOES NOT contain any contradictions, no matter how many "smart people" tell you otherwise. If the Earth was flat, then why does God say this, "Isaiah 40:22 - It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

So don't be intimidated by someone who seems "smarter" than you are...

At the end of the day, all the intelligence a man can have will fail him....

Hmmm.... Is there actually an "End of the day"? I suppose that's another "old saying" that really isn't very accurate. Should we stop using it too? Perhaps we should say, "When the sun goes down" or "at the next 11:59PM"? No. I'll stick with the original. It just sounds better to me for some reason... :)

Are women really supposed to "remain quiet"?

From time to time, I get these real "hot button" questions.

First of all, I'm not a male chauvinist pig (usually), and I don't have some kind of deep seeded "male dominance" issue. You see, God makes things clear to us, all throughout the Bible, by using models or types. For example, one model, would be the relationship between the Church and Christ as a model for marriage. An example of a type, would be Adam. Jesus is referred to as "the last Adam" in order to show that the Adam from the Garden of Eden was the first man and Jesus Christ was the first life giving spirit.

There are many types and models in the Bible, but more importantly, God sets the stage for an "order of things". Failure to understand this, comprehend this and even practice this in your lives will present you with nothing but trouble in your relationships with the opposite sex.

Question: This question is not to put anyone down, negate the fact of ones human importance and abilities to teach, instruct and contribute, but need to know why this was written.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 - Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

As I understand it, weren't Phoebe and Junia deacons at the church in Cenchrea? How quiet could they have been, being deacons?

Please help me with this..what is the true meaning?

Answer: Whilst I can not claim to be an expert on either Phoebe nor Junia, I can say this with certainty:

a. The only place where Phoebe is named is Romans 16:1. Nowhere does it say that she was a "Deacon" or that she held any other authoritative title. She is called a "servant" and who here among us wouldn't gladly refer to themselves as a servant, realizing that we are in Christ? To apply a title to her would be a made up and make believe story that has no other purpose than to mislead and confuse weaker Christians who will not do their own homework. Diakonos (the Greek word being used there) simply means: a person who runs errands, a waiter, someone who does menial duties. That's a far cry from what we commonly refer to as someone with a title within the Church. Is an "executive assistant" an "executive", or an "assistant to the executive"? It's all about being able to "read" and understand. It's all about reading vs. "discernment". I expect to be disagreed with on this.

b. Junia is one of those people that has "Biblical Scholars" arguing across the isles. While I do not have 100% clarity on whether or not Junia is male or female, Paul referred to him/her as, "my countrymen and my fellow prisoners". It's not sensible to assume that Junia (being a woman) would have been Paul's "fellow prisoner". And regardless as to whether or not he/she is male/female, again, the only mention of Junia is in Romans 16:7 and is described as, "of note among the apostles". Again, no church title is given here.

The Bible makes it clear, that women should not be in authority positions over men, but not to the point of excluding them from service as"ministers". I believe that it's the right thing to do, to have women in authority positions over other women and even over children! But to say women don't have any place in leadership, that's just wrong and certainly not Biblical.

God makes it abundantly clear from the first page of the Bible, that there's an "order to things".

From top to bottom:

• God
• man
• woman
• children
• everything else

To change that order, because someone feels slighted, because someone's pride is more important, is wrong. We don't have the luxury of changing God's Word to suit the "need of the day". If you're a woman and you believe that God has called you to be "the head" of the man, then you've created a god to suit your own needs. I believe that's a violation of the 1st AND 2nd commandments.

For those of you who would call out Deborah from the book of Judges, I will say this... She was 1 of 12 Judges throughout all of Israel's history. O-N-E. She should not be looked upon as some kind of "feminist hero" that shows that there is no difference between a man and a woman. Yes, God chose her to be a leader, and yes, that shows that God values women. But to say that men and women are the same, would be the undoing of everything in Scripture. Of course that isn't to say that God sees men and women differently in the sense of His Redemptive Plan, because He doesn't. God does not discriminate against age, race or gender - EVER. Deborah was not a "model" of anything, she was just a Judge for a short period of time during Israel's vast history. She did not hold any position of "Spiritual Authority" over a man, and that's the true defining of this small passage from 1 Timothy.

This Blog is PRO-ISRAEL

I just wanted to take a moment to mention that this Blog is 100% Pro-Israel!

I see 1,000's of Secular-Christians out there saying nasty things about Israel and for us to focus on the United States ONLY.

This makes me sad....

Why don't most Christians EVER take the time to READ their Bible?

God blesses Israel:
Genesis 12:2 - I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

God says that all the people of the Earth shall be blessed BECAUSE of Israel:
Genesis 12:3 - I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

You'll be amazed what you can learn in the Bible...

Interesting conversation about Mormonism

This is a continued conversation from a discussion I was having with a wonderful gentleman from THIS blog. Please visit that Blog for the origin of the discussion. I needed to post my comments here, because blogspot.com has limitations as to length of comments.

Mr Faux,

I will try to answer each of your points in turn:

Well thank you so much for throwing me a curve ball! You chose the one Translation that I knew least about. I was so disturbed by that translation, I couldn't help but want to ensure that the Greek was sound. It is my belief that the only way one can truly listen to Gods Word, is to listen INTENTLY. How can one listen conceptually? Truly listening to His Word will reveal much to those who study much.

1 Corinthians 7:7 - For I wish that all men were even as I myself.....

As for Paul being a Prophet, there is no evidence that this is so. First of all, if he were a Prophet, the name of Acts would have been, "The Acts of the Prophets" and not "The Acts of the Apostles". Secondly, it is my understanding that the things Paul wrote about AND the visions were given to him by way of The Holy Spirit. To be frank, The Holy Spirit led me to your blog to start a dialogue with you, does that make me a Prophet? I don't believe so. Granted it certainly doesn't make me an Apostle either...lol Thirdly, Paul was NOT "authorized" by the Resurrected Jesus. Jesus has already ASCENDED to Heaven by the time Paul had his "conversation while on the road with his traveling companions. Are you testing me? lol...

God is NOT limited in ANY way, EXCEPT that he KEEPS HIS WORD. Since God can not lie, He is bound by Scripture to not "change His mind"...

Malachi 3:6 - "For I am the LORD, I do not change;..."

So based on Matthew 11:13, I say no, there can not be modern Paul's. That doesn't mean God is limited, it just means that God does not change his mind... I like that about God. I never have to GUESS what He Wills, I just KNOW....

Ahh... You bring up an excellent question regarding following a "Leaderless Christianity"... The answer is simple. If you want a "human" leader, that's one thing, but why bother with a fallible human leader when God already provided you The Holy Spirit as the ULTIMATE LEADER? Hmm? Having to choose between God Himself leading me or some "elected or appointed" official telling me his machinations based on books that are not Biblical, I would most certainly make the first!

You are right, Gods Word was not captured in a single book, it was captured in 66 BOOKS! A far cry from 1, yes? Additionally, we may all be "Gods Children", but we're not all part of Gods Family...

Mark 3:31-35 - Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

Now that's family!

As for leading yourself without a "Church Organization", how could you trust yourself indeed?

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"

God makes it clear that we can not trust our own feelings. Rely on Him alone and Trust in Him alone and you've got all you need! As for the Bible being challenging to understand, I would say this to you...

"If you approach the Bible as a book, then all it will ever be to you is a book. A book is filled with information, concepts, wonderings and such. If that's what you want, "information, concepts, wonderings and such", then you might as well check out any book from the library (or get a map at a gas station for that matter...lol). No one can know how to understand the things that are in the Bible without "The official Guide", The Holy Spirit. I am proof of that. I did not grow up Christian, I did not get Indoctrinated into Christianity, I did not "say a prayer" and by some magic I was then a Christian. Verily I say unto you, that if you pray for The Holy Spirit to guide you while you read, you WILL come to understand what is contained within that "More than a Book" indeed."

Feel free to read my Testimony in the right-hand pane on my Blog.

Ok, as for the comment about "already believing Jesus is deity, what else do you need", I say this: First, you do not need faith in RevKeith, that's just silly. Secondly, there are only 2 things you need to do..

1. You need to repent of your sins (repent - turn from)
2. You need to place ALL OF YOUR TRUST in Jesus

If you place all of your trust in Jesus, then you're not wasting any on a "Religion" or any man's interpretation within that religion as being accurate. Remember, where there's Religion, there's Opinion. If you take away the religion, all you have left is Gods Word. Think about it...

"Why do I need RevKeith, who contacts me out of the blue on the web?" A most excellent question. I have heard it said that Rabbi's say that, "coincidence is not a kosher word". I have also read that in the Ancient Hebrew, there IS NO WORD for Coincidence. As someone who trys to keep Gods Laws to the best of his ability, I shall not lie to you. I in no way shape or form sought you out, I in no way shape or form looked for any mormons to interact with and I most certainly do not make a living arguing with people. lol... As for me needing you, I would WHOLE-HEARTEDLY AGREE! I do need you! I need everyone whom God has brought into my life. I may not know why at the onset, but The Holy Spirit makes it clear soon enough...

The falling away is happening right under our noses Mr. Faux. It's not a matter of me "not liking" the New Century, it's a matter of this... When I choose a Bible to read I immediately know if I CAN HEAR GOD in the Words. I personally HEARD GOD in the NKJV, KJV, Geneva, ESV (to some degree) and even a dynamic translation like the GW, which I must admit is not very good for studying, but it's great for contrasting. The NKJV is MY favorite though. I've read the criticism regarding it from the "KJV Only" crowd and all I can say is the things they complain about do NOT effect it's authenticity. Any time devoted to reading the original Greek will PROVE to you that the over 600 changes that Mr. Smith made to the KJV Bible are not true OR accurate. The Bible explicitly warns against adding to or detracting from its teaching (Rev. 22:18; Deut. 4:2). The New Testament contains the inspired and totally accurate witness of contemporary disciples and followers of Jesus. It alone claims to be fully inspired by God and usable for the establishment of doctrine (2 Tim. 3:15–17; 2 Pet. 1:19–21)

Hebrews is most certainly Scripture. And you just used that verse WAAAY out of context. That verse was used to "Set the Qualifications for the High Priesthood". It was designed to help us IDENTIFY Christ as the High Priest. It was also written to help ensure that we understood that Aaron was appointed to the position of priest by God Himself! Those who challenged Aaron's appointing were put to death BY GOD... Again, there can be no more High-Priests, as Jesus is the last.

It is not Biblical for anyone to believe that there are "authorized Prophets and Apostles out there to be found". You are free to believe that, but it's not a Biblically accurate belief.

Being quirky doesn't concern me. Like I said in my previous post, either all of Scripture points to the same thing, or it's not Scripture. If Mr. Smith gave a Prophesy (which he did), that DID NOT HAPPEN and certainly CAN NOT happen now or ever (because he's already deceased), then by definition (not mine), that would qualify him as a "False Prophet".

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you"

You may say the key to that verse is "follow other gods", but I say to you that anyone who would describe God or Jesus OR The Holy Ghost differently than what is contained within the OT & NT Canon is NOT the same God. Scripture backs this up, not me...

I agree with your last comment. I too am not in the same league with ANYONE listed above. I am a mere servant of God, doing my best to obey Him and His Word with every ounce of my being. God does speak in the fossil rocks, but just remember, fossils don't have offspring, nor can you prove a fossil had offspring either (but that is a whole different conversation).

Jesus did not leave anyone "hanging", he gave us The Holy Spirit to guide us, if we CHOOSE to follow...

I did not come here to "evangelize" you, that's not my intent. I just know right from wrong and accurate from deception, because The Holy Spirit has given it to me to know.

God Bless,
RevKeith

What is a Christian?

Years ago, if someone said that they were a "Christian", you'd have a good idea of what that meant. Without someone explaining it to you, you knew that meant that they believed in the God of the Bible and that the Bible was the overriding authority used to determine what was "of God" and what was not.

Not any more.

Sadly, the "New-Agers", "Universalists" and the "Emergent Church" have "hijacked" the term "Christian" and have twisted and contorted it to mean whatever it is that makes them happy...

You see, the Bible wasn't written to make you happy... Really... The Bible was written so that you'd have Gods words to help you address HOW to worship Him and HOW to understand just who He is.

Now I understand there are those who don't believe in God, and I pray for those people. I also reach out to them with an ongoing Christian Outreach Ministry that I run for the Glory of God. So if you are one of those who hasn't yet figured out HOW to have a relationship with God yet, you're in the GREATEST DANGER of "False Christianity" I have ever seen.

If someone tells you that, "Jesus is love" or "You've got a God-Shaped hole in your heart that only Jesus can fill" or if they tell you, "God is totally forgiving and loving and there's nothing you need to do but trust in God" then all they're doing is the work of SATAN.

The bottom line, is none of that New-Age mumbo jumbo is IN THE BIBLE. Those people think they're doing Gods work, but they're only doing it for their own self-glorification OR unknowingly for Satan. There's no two ways about it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "fire and brimstone" preachers, but the bottom line, is if the Bible says it, it's true. That doesn't mean you throw common sense away, it just means that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you don't know everything and MAYBE you need to do some homework.

I've had people ask me, "Do you believe in Slavery? Because God sure does." That's just ridiculous. Yes, the Bible makes reference to slaves going all the way back to Genesis. It also says, "Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." In other words, don't worry about it, that's Gods job.

In the US today, too many people are worried about "worldly" things. And I understand why. People say, "Who's going to pay the bills? " or "Who's going to clean the house?" or "Who's going to do this or that, if I don't do it?" I agree. Some things require US to take care of certain things. Other things do NOT. Worrying about slavery or equal rights or homosexuality or any number of other worldly things is a waste of our time. We should each be taking care of OUR responsibilities and let God take care of His.

It says in, "Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind." We can't all be right if we all have our own viewpoints about Christianity. In my opinion, Religion gets in the way of our relationship with God. In my lifetime, I have never seen religion UNIFY people, it only separates us further. (unless you're talking about terrorists. religion seems to unify them)

As I see it, Christianity is "Jewish Lite". Oh yeah, allow me to explain....

1. Jesus is Jewish, right? (yes)
2. Jesus said, "Matthew 5:18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.", right? (yes)
3. Jesus reminded us of the 10 Commandments from God, right? (yes)

If I stop at just those 3 examples, let's ask a question: Did Jesus come to teach us Christianity? No.... As a child, Jesus taught at the Temple. What did he teach? Scripture! What's "Scripture"? The same "Word of God" that ALL CHRISTIANS learn as part of the Old Testament AND the teachings that are in the New Testament. At the beginning of Jesus' Ministry, he goes into the Synagogue and reads from ISAIAH! Judaism and Christianity are NOT mutually exclusive of one another, they are EXACTLY the same. The only difference, is that the Jewish majority refuses to accept Yeshua as the Messiah. Who can blame them? To admit that Jesus is/was the Messiah would put them in a very bad position. Was it not the Pharisees who had Jesus (an innocent man) murdered by the Romans? (notice that I did not say "the Jews") The day that the Jewish majority stands up and admits their wrongdoing, for utterly failing to identify and worship the Messiah, THEN and only then, will Jesus return. The sad thing, is they don't really need to admit it, GOD TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD DO IT 3,000 years before it happened! But still, "not one jot or one tittle"...

But I digress, I'm somewhat off topic.

Some have told me that I have no compassion. HUH? Why? Oh yeah, because I remind people about the law. That makes me a "Legalist", right?

NO, it does not.

A legalist is someone who believes that, "they are saved BY the law". I don't believe that. I know better. All Christians should, but they don't. It's that pesky "religion-thing" getting in the way.

What did Paul say, "Romans 2:12 - For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law." So what does that say? It says, Whether or not you care about the law, if you sin (which you will), you're going to be judged by the law and you're going to PERISH. You know, die, cease to exist, move on, etc...

Well that stinks, right? But wait, what else did Paul say, "Romans 3:19 - Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." What does that mean? It means, God gave you a way to KNOW when you're sinning and if you'll just shut up for a minute, He'll explain it to you. Don't believe me? Read the next verse, "Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
See?

So what does all of this mean? Paul says, "Romans 3:31 - Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Getting it yet? Ok, here's the bottom line, "Romans 7:7 - ...I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

Get it now? How can you possibly "know sin" without the law? YOU CAN'T! Man isn't wise enough to know sin with their mind or their heart, just look at what God said here, "Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Using your "feelings" to determine right and wrong can never work, because everybody has their own opinions at to what is right and wrong.

One of the greatest lines in the whole Bible is here, "2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

How much more simple could God have made it?

ALL SCRIPTURE, not some.
ALL SCRIPTURE, not just the parts you like.
ALL SCRIPTURE, not just the parts that don't convict.
ALL SCRIPTURE, not just the parts that don't judge.
ALL OF IT will, "thoroughly equip the man of God.

So back to my point.... As far as I'm concerned, you are free to believe whatever you want to believe. Free will is oft misunderstood as "the ability to choose whatever you want". But that isn't really what it means, it's "the ability to choose whether or not to believe in God".... God created us to worship Him. If he had created a bunch of people "pre-programmed" to love Him, what joy is there in that? He gave us the freedom to choose. How happy would you be if people CHOSE to love you, not because you made them, but because they had the freedom to choose?

In conclusion, if you don't believe that the Bible is the Inerrant Word of God, don't call yourself a Christian. If you don't believe that Jesus meant what he said, don't call yourself a Christian. If you don't like what the Bible says, don't call yourself a Christian. If you think you can "earn your way into Heaven", PLEASE don't call yourself a Christian.

As a Christian, you are saved by Grace alone, through faith alone. Yes, it is said that faith without works is dead, but someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works...

Paul summed it up here: Romans 11:6 - And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Confused?
Don't be...

Paul was just saying that, "If you're saved by grace, then you're not saved by works; if you're saved by works, then grace is no longer grace. And if you're saved by works, then you're not saved by grace; because then Gods grace is no longer grace..."

Get it now?
If not, pray and the Holy Spirit will reveal it to you...
Without the Spirit, most of the Bible won't make sense...
Why do you think there's so much debate? lol...