Tag: religion

Protestant Hypocrisy?

A friend sent me a copy of an article from the late 1890s.  While it is very interesting and telling, a citation from the Encyclopedia Britannica (doesn’t say which edition, but I guess circa early 1890s) really shakes up the ‘sola scriptura’ idea…  But, this blog has said this before.

Here is a portion of the article:

Inconsistency of Reformers.

    Thus the reformed churches, while professing to reject tradition for the pure Word of God, were led to deny their own position, by accepting Sunday on the authority of tradition only, and tradition directly opposed to the divine Word. It was the weakness caused by thus practically denying their own position that more than any other one thing arrested the progress of the Reformation. Draper says: “Toward the close of Luther’s life it seemed as if there was no other prospect for papal power than total ruin; yet at this day out of three hundred millions of Christians more than half owe allegiance to Rome. Almost as if by enchantment the Reformation suddenly ceased to advance. Rome was not only able to check its spread, but even to gain back a portion Continue reading “Protestant Hypocrisy?”

Every word!!

Most of us know that when Yeshua/Jesus was tempted of the adversary after fasting for 40 days, the Messiah’s response was Scripture.  But do we notice every quote is from Deuteronomy?  The Covenant?

Check it out: Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13 and 10:20.

So, while pondering that recently, another thought occurred to me.

3 He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you  understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.  Deut. 8:3

‘Man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh!’

Churchianity constantly pits Paul against Moses, Jesus against God, Law against Gra Continue reading “Every word!!”

“I am the Way” means….

Growing up I was often pointed to Jesus/Yeshua’s statement, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”  I am not sure I ever really pondered what that means.  We are going to break this down into several posts.

“I am the way…”  From John 14:6.

Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

So, what is the ‘way’ that would be the Father’s works? Continue reading ““I am the Way” means….”

A Parable on Christian Theology…

Been very busy lately and have notes on topics I desire writing about, but have had little time.  Thankfully, things should change next week and I’ll be back to regular posting…  In the meantime, here is a neat poem by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911) that, through parable, explains how Christian Theology got so far off the track instead of simple obedience to Scripture.

Ponder this deeply.

_____________________

The Calf-Path

I.

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;

II.

But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.
The trail was taken up next day, Continue reading “A Parable on Christian Theology…”

Kinda funny…. or, not!

A friend who attends the same fellowship I attend sent me an email with a very short message:

“So it used to be sinning was breaking His law…now apparently those of us who are keeping the law are the sinners. This is a sad thought…”

If it weren’t so sad, it would be funny.

They must not have read,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the Continue reading “Kinda funny…. or, not!”

“… the standard of the law…”

While reading the Book of Acts yesterday, I spotted something you’ve probably seen before, but it jumped off the page for me.

Here’s the quote from Acts 22:12-15:

12 “A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15 For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

I’ve had a running conversation (defense of ‘walking orderly according to the Law’) on another blog.   Their presupposition is that the ‘law is done away with’ and ‘following the Law is the path of curses,’ contrary to myriad Scriptures…  So, it was fun when Continue reading ““… the standard of the law…””

Paths of Righteousness

Here’s a quick thought that I heard while watching Matthew Nolan and Jim Staley teach on Melchizedek.  (Terrific teaching, by the way.)

He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)

“Paths of righteousness…”   I have always thought of this ‘path’ as leading to a destination, like a trail through the wood, or along a mountainside.  Maybe there is a little more…

The Hebrew word for ‘paths’ used here is H4570
מעגּלה  /  מעגּל
ma‛gâl  /  ma‛gâlâh
BDB Definition:
1) entrenchment, track
1a) circumvallation, entrenchment
1b) track
Part of Speech: noun masculine

The ‘paths’ spoken of here are ‘cycles.’  He leads us in ‘cycles’ of righteousness.  The annual calendar of Yahweh, the feast cycle, is one of the ‘paths’ whereby He works in us righteousness though His appointed times, His moedim.

Fascinating.  Marinate.

Shalom!