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Should a Christians Celebrate or take part in Christmas and Halloween?
What does the Bible say about abortion?
What does the Bible says about capitol punishment and killing in wars?
What does God say about capitol punishment?
What does the Bible say about suicide and does a Christian who commits suicide go to heaven?
Is it biblical to baptize infants?
As a woman I want to have a special ministry for the Lord what can I do?
Was Patrick of Ireland a Roman Catholic?
What does the Bible says about oral sex.
It was actually beyond in England the day before "All Saints Day" which honored all dead saint of the Catholic church. Halloween was celebrated the day before to honor the devil and demons.
I do not think it is proper for a Christian to celebrate a day dedicated to honoring the evil, the devil and demons. In my family and churches I have pastored...we do not celebrate it.
I think 2 Cor. 6:14-17 applies, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing . . ."
Answer: The Bible says the unborn child in the mother's womb is a person.
The Bible says that God knew Jeremiah before he was born.
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
The Bible says that God knew Isaiah before he was born.
Isa 49:1 "Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name."
The Bible says that John the Baptist in his mother's womb leaped when Mary came in baring Jesus.
Luke 1:41 " And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:"
The Bible says that God gives life and men are made in the image of God.
Gen 1:26 " And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
The Bible says that a unborn child is a person and God's knows that person.
Psa. 139:13-16 "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
The Bible says that God is the giver of children.
Psa. 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
The Bible says that man is not to kill another person.
Gen. 9:5 "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man."
The Bible says in Exodus 20:13 "Thou shalt not kill."
The Bible says that if a woman with child is hurt in a struggle(fight) between people and if the unborn child dies as a result the person who caused the miscarriage is to be treated as a murderer and executed.
Exodus 21:22-23 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: (meaning that labor is induced, the baby is born and lives) he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, (meaning that labor is induced, the baby is born and dies) then thou shalt give life for life" (meaning the person who caused the miscarriage is to be put to death). This passage is not addressing accidental miscarriages.
The Bible say that an unborn child is as much a person as one is born and if that unborn baby is killed then God views it as murder and will judge those involved.
One of the Canaanite gods was called Molech. Those that worshiped this idol gave their children to be burned alive on the altar to this pagan god. Note God's wrath and judgment on those that sacrificed their children.
Lev. 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Lev. 20:2 "gain, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones."
Lev. 20:3 "And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people."
Men today are giving their children over to be killed on the altar of population control, sexual immortality, and to save a mother the embarrassment and inconvenience of child bearing.
Following is listed these words with Bible references where the word is used:
1. "rasah" - Exod. 20:13, Deut. 5:17
Greek:
1. "apokteino" - Rev. 2:23. to slay or put to death
The word "rasah" means to commit murder. It is used primarily in a legal sense and in the writing of the Law. It would refer to premeditated kill or man slaughter.
Exodus 20:13, the word used is not "harag," but "rasah" which means man is not to commit murder. However, just because the NIV uses the word "murder" this does not make the NIV a better translation because in some places it reflects a more modern use of words
such as found here. It is not an error in the KJV because in English the word "KILL" can mean murder, both premeditated or not, or just simply taking life. The context of the use of the word "kill" tells us easily what it means. As in the case of Cain and Abel, although the word used is not normally used to murder, it is used here to show the brutal way it was perpetuated.
When the word "kill" is used in battle, it is not referring to murder or sinful illegally taking someone's life.
There is no sin in taking life in war and in defense of one's self, his family, some other person or defending his
property, accidentally taking a life. In the Levitical laws, God made provision for capital punishment (legally
killing someone who has committed some capital offense), for accidental homicide in establishing the cities
of refuge where a person would receive a fair trial (Ex. 21:12, 14; Lev. 24:17, 21; 1 Kings 2:5; 6, 31-23).
This space here is too small to cover all the whole of the subject, but basically an individual could only
legally kill as stated above. Legal taking of a life for a capital offense or in war was done by the government and
in Israel's case when God told them, or through ruling judges, prophets or kings. Premeditated taking of life is
murder and punishable by the government exercising its responsibility of capital punishment.
The Old Testament Law was the Nation of Israel's constitution and also its written civil law. It was given to them by God and clearly reveals God's mind about the
matter.
The avenger of death in Old Testament times was a relative or friend of the victim who put the murderer to death (Deut. 19:11-13). God allowed for this, and made
cities of refuge as a provision for those who had killed someone accidentally. However, In this present dispensation God has given the civil government the authority
to put offenders to death. In Romans 13 we see that God has given nations the authority to "bear the sword" against evil. This obviously refers to capital
punishment.
Some think the Mosaic law was barbaric in its dealings with serious crime, however, it is barbaric to allow wickedness to go unpunished. When severe justice is
not meted out to capital offenders, evil spreads like leaven throughout society. The wicked become increasingly brazen and the fear of God diminishes. God is not
only a God of love, but a God of holiness and justice. Although, modern humanistic society denies that capital punishment is deterrent to crime, the Bible plainly
speaks of the deterrent factor of capital punishment in Deuteronomy 13:11; 17:7,13; 19:20; 21:21; Romans 13:3,4. God in establishing the principles of civil was
putting restraint on the carnal man who is not guided by belief and obedience to God's truth. He put in place that which would limit unrestainted crime. The Bible
also says that only by taking the life of the murderer can the stain of murder be cleansed from the land (Num. 35:31-34; Deut. 19:13).
It is a biblical principle that the lost are controlled by their carnal nature which is the source of all the evil that men does. God says to discipline children which means
teachings them to do right under the threat of punishment. Proper teaching with punishment for disobedience develops the child's conscience which as they grow
older will influence their actions and place restraint in their lives. Parents who do not set standards and enforce them will have their children to grow in rebellion
and sin without a conscience to do right. Civil law presents the same principle, because for the carnal man, punishment for wrong doing is a strong inducement for
him to do right. Some men will still resist their conscience even it taught properly, but that proves the detrimental nature of man's carnality.
I hope this helps in your discussion. Remember gentlemen, God, not man, has set the principles of civil law and of right and wrong. Romans 1:18-32 addresses
the fact of nature of man to sin and rebel against God. Verse 22 says "professing themselves as being wise they became fools." Verses 28-32 addresses the
sins of the reprobate mind and concludes saying " Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them."
Suicide is self murder and clearly a sin and not pleasing to God. Two things are in view. One is that the believer is not obeying the Lord because God says plainly
we are not to murder...even ourselves. Further the believer is being disobedient in living their lives not trusting in the Lord and there is no reason to take such a
drastic action. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." God clearly says He gives us the way to
overcome our temptations and trials in our lives...even to take our lives. It is God that gives life and only He has the right to take it. I have often seen Christians suffering with diseases who had a testimony that shown like a bright light through their distress.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Paul mentions
Epaphroditus, who suffered greatly with some sickness and was a testimony of God's grace. (Phil. 2:25-28)
So you can be assured that a born again Christian who takes his life is sinning yes...but being eternally forgiven of his sins, even the sin of suicide he will wake up in
heaven. Sadly, he will lose reward and testimony for Christ, but he is saved.
The N.T. affirms that men are to be the leaders in the home, church, and state. Women were not created to rule these divine institutions; as men were. The prophet Isaiah was condemning Israel when he said women ruled over them (Is. 3:12). In the church, according to the Bible, no woman is to be a pastor or a deacon or in any other leadership position over men. Note the following scriptures:
"Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression." (1 Tim.. 2:11-14).
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Cor. 14:34-37).
Women have an important place of ministry in God's plan the same as a man. The man's role is as the leader of his home (as husband and father) and family and in his church. The woman's is as the "help meet" or helper (Gen. 2:20) to her husband and in her role of wife and mother. She can surely have a public ministry working in her church teaching the women & children in the church and ministering to them. My wife has a tremendous ministry in our church and is invaluable to my ministry. Many times, sad to say, the real strength in many churches are the godly women who love and serve the Lord, because the men have not obeyed God in giving spiritual leadership.
Some have falsely tried to teach that this makes women subordinate to men and second class Christians. This false idea is a terrible perversion of God's word and true role of women. A true Bible believing church honors their women and uses them in their God ordained role and woman are a vital part of any church. However, when women become pastors or leaders over men it confuses God's role for both the man and the woman and undermines God plan for the structure of the family.
1. Diocesan "episcopacy" did not exit.
Patrick was never a Roman Catholic and did not practice Rome's rituals and traditions. Read his "Confession." He was a true born-again child of God and lived by the Word of God believing in salvation by grace alone.
It was not until around 600 AD, when Austin, Catholic monk, was sent to Britain by Pope Gregory the Great. King Ethelbert the Saxon and his court, and a considerable part of his kingdom, were won over by the successful monk. Until this time Rome had little or not influence in the British Isles. Even after many of the nobles of Britain converted to Catholicism many others resisted and refused to accept the Pope or the Roman church.
I honestly did not know what the Bible said about the matter. I loved the Lord and if it was of God I wanted it. I knew that if it was real and of the Lord it would be found clearly in the Bible. I just started to read the New Testament and every passage that mentions anything to do with tongues, the Holy Spirit and the gifts. I read the books of the Pentecostals and Charismatics...but it did not ring true because it did not follow the New Testament pattern and example.
I have come to the conclusion that modern tongues not of the Lord and is a learned behavior which is psychologically produced. It certainly does not compare in any way with the New Testament example. I have done a lot of research intending to write a paper which documents the pyschological aspects of the phenomena. One important clue to explaining modern tongues is that this ecstatic speech (in the New Testament it was a unlearned language) is not confined to the Charismatics, but also to most pagan religions and cult from Hindus to Mormons. Some studies have been done on the phenomena and relate it to being placed in a self induced trance and in which the speech center of the brain can be taught to randomly produce sounds.
Unlike biblical tongues which came suddenly without prompting, in most cases the modern tongues speaker is taught how to do it. The candidate is brought before the congregation during a very emotional service. They are told to pray and ask for for this special gift. Many times other people in the church are gathered around the person and laying their hands on the persons head and they are praying and speaking in tongues The candidate is told to pray and say some phrase or words over and over. They of course have heard others speaking in tongues so they know what it sounds like. Often it takes several attempts to "get the Holy Spirit" as they refer to it. Sometimes the person is never able to speak in tongues which corresponds to the fact that some people cannot be hypnotized. Once it is experienced it becomes like an addiction.
Tongues produces an altered mental state that is pleasing to the person. The modern tongues speaker believes that they are receiving something special from God and therefore to them it is spiritual. Yet, this was not what biblical tongues was in the early church. They did not go into trances or altered states of mentality, but simply spoke in a language they had not learned. They were fully conscious. Sadly, most Charismatics and Pentecostals refuse to accept the NT account and the physical and mental pleasure derived from the experience is something they do not want to give up....as I said it becomes an addiction. Like any addition it takes over the person and demands a greater experience which has lead to such outrageous acts as the so called "laughing revival."
Most of the Pentecostal and Charismatic services today are geared to whipping the congregation into an emotional frenzy. That is why their music is mostly of the "rock and roll" type with appeals to people's emotions. The beat of the music and all the chanting, waving one's hands in the air, swaying to the rhythm that you see in their churches is little different from what happens in the crowd at rock concerts. Their preachers have a chanty and rhythmic type of preaching style that mesmerizes the audience. They shout catch phrases followed by the speaker asking for a response from the audience, like "Amen?" Put it all together and it captivates people and it is pleasurable to them and people are easily manipulated.
Those that have left the tongues movement did so because they learned that what they were doing was not in accordance with the biblical account of tongues as recorded in the New Testament. Loving the Lord and His truth more than the world and pleasure experiences they gave it up.
I had a woman who was in her 70's who was a tongues speaker of 40 years. Her health got bad and she needed help getting to church. The Charismatic church she attended ignored her and would not give her rides to church. She called me, told me who she was and ask would we pick up her and take her to church with us. She faithfully attended every service until she died three years later. She began to hear the word of God taught and preached. I rarely even mentioned tongues. She was thrilled with attending and on the many visits I made to her she expressed how wonderful it was to hear the word of God preached and to be learning so much. She states in forty years of attending Pentecostal churches she had never really heard the Bible taught. She also expressed that she was "mad" with the Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers who had misled her. I never tried to confront her about her tongues speaking (she did not do it in our Baptist church) or even show her it was wrong. She followed every verse in her Bible and studied on her own. With no fanfare whatever...she gave it up. Her daughter who did not attend our church was amazed at the change in her. She said her mother was fanatical about her tongues speaking and she could not believe she had stopped. It was the truth that set her free. She heard the truth and because she loved the Lord....she followed Him and believed His word. Jesus said that His sheep know Him and will not follow another. I believe she is an example of that. She was taught it was correct....she did not study it on her own and accepted what she was told. But when she heard the truth she accepted it and it changed her. She died a happy woman and with peace she never really had because before in the tongues movement her assurance was in her experiences and what a wonderful thing for her to learn that our relationship with the Lord is not based on our experiences, but in His promises and Word. In other words...she learned to live by faith....not some experience in which she did not even know what she was doing. She learned that to worship the Lord and be blessed in attending church was not going there to receive some emotional high or experience, but to worship the Lord and be a blessing to others.
I have several articles on the tongues on this web site. To read the articles Click here.
The same Hebrew word is translated "unclean" (Job 36:14). The term is connected with the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and has come to be identified with homosexuality and moral perversion in general.
The 1828 Webster dictionary defined "sodomy" as "a crime against nature." The Webster's Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary of 1983 defines sodomy as "any sexual intercourse regarded as abnormal, as between persons of the same sex, especially males, or between a person and an animal." The term is descriptive of the moral perversion of the city of Sodom (Ge. 19; Jude 7).
What does God think of sodomy? (1) It is an abomination (Lev. 18:22). (2) It bore the death penalty in the O.T. dispensation (Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:32). (3) It defiles the land (Lev. 18:25). (4) It is the product of a morally reprobate mind (Rom. 1:26-28). (5) It is worthy of the judgment of eternal fire (Jude 7). (6) It can be forgiven and cleansed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
In 1 Corinthians 6:9 the Bible condemns all unnatural sexual acts.
" Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind." The term: "abusers of themselves with mankind" is understood to include unnatural sexual acts and homosexuality.
Verse 10-11 of this passage continues and says:
"Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Paul is saying the Corinthians had done all these sins and God had forgiven them and "washed" them meaning these acts were no longer practiced.
Oral sex would also be included in that the Bible describes as fornication. Although fornication is generally thought as involving immoral acts of unmarried persons, the term is also used as a general reference to all immorality.(see Matt. 5:32; 15:19; 19:9; Acts 15:20,29; 21:15; Rom. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:18; 7:2; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3; Co. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Rev. 9:21). The Greek word translated fornication is porneia, from which the English word "pornographic" is derived.
The Bible also condemns lustful sexual acts the term "uncleanness and inordinate affection" in Col. 3:5 and the context is referring to that which is immoral and unclean.
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them." (Col. 3:5-7)
Here again immoral and unnatural sexual acts are condemned. Inordinate affection is included in a listing of sins which includes fornication, uncleanness, and evil concupiscence. It would apply to any type of desire and interest which is unlawful and impure. The same Greek word, pathos, is translated "lust" in 1 Thess. 4:5.
Oral sex would also fall under the sin of "evil concupiscence" which refers to unlawful desire, illicit lust, and longing for that which is forbidden (Rom. 7:8; Col. 3:5; 1 Thes. 4:5). The same Greek word, epithumia, is translated "desire" (1 Tim. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:12; Rev. 9:6), "lust after" (Matt. 5:28; 1 Cor. 10:6; Gal. 5:17; James. 4:2), and "covet" (Rom. 7:7).
Note that here too, Paul says the Colossians believers once practiced such things but clearly God had forgiven them and they had overcome such sinful acts.
The man you heard call himself a prophet is not one because he is probably presenting himself as receiving new revelation from the Lord. I would stay away from him because his statement shows he actually knows very little about the Word of God.
Let me explain a little further. In the early church which began on the Day of Pentecost, all the believers were Jews. Jesus had been crucified and resurrected. Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament to Israel. (see Isa. 53) John the Baptist came to prepare for His coming and both he and Jesus preached that "the Kingdom was at hand." (see Matt. 3:2, 4:27, 10:7, Mark 1:15, Luke 21:31) In other words Jesus came and presented Himself to Israel as their Messiah, but they rejected Him. The Kingdom refers to the time when the Messiah will rule the world from Jerusalem and it will be a time of peace on earth for a thousand years.(see Ezekiel 37-48) We call this the Millennium, which will be established by the Lord after Daniel's 70th Week (Dan. 9:27) which is called the Great Tribulation. However, His death did not stop the offering of the Kingdom to the Jews. In fact Peter preached Jesus was the Messiah on the Day of Pentecost and many Jews did believe, but the nation as a whole still refused to believe. Even twenty years later the Kingdom was still being offered to Israel when Paul began His missionaries journeys. When Paul went to a city he first went the Jewish synagogues and preached Christ to them. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." However, after years of being attacked by the unbelieving Jews and their subsequent rejection of Jesus Christ, Paul stopped preaching to them and began to go exclusively to the Gentiles (Romans 18:60) From the Book of Acts we see that the early churches went from being totally Jewish to a mixed group such as Antioch in Syria, to churches being made up almost entirely of Gentiles in Asia and Europe.
The reason for this long explanation is this....there were prophets in Israel who were Jews in the early church, but when the congregations became Gentile this ended the period of God's use of prophets. Prophets are associated with Israel...not Gentiles. In 1 Cor. 12:28, 29,14:29 Paul mentions prophets in the early churches. These were mixed Jew-Gentile congregations and the time was around 54 AD. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul again mentions prophets speaking the God's giving gifts to those He called for special service. Ephesians 4:11 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." This was around 61 AD and the churches were by this time becoming to be mostly Gentiles but still had Jews in them. After 61 AD there is no more mention of prophets in the early churches. This shows the makeup of the early churches went from totally Jewish to almost totally Gentile and shows why prophets and sign gifts such as tongues, healing, etc gradually declined and finally ceased (1 Cor. 13:8) which were associated with God presenting to Israel their Messiah.
In 70 AD Jerusalem was totally destroyed and the Jews removed from Palestine and sent all over the know world as slaves. Israel ceased to exist and Old Testament Judaism disappeared from the earth. The offer of the Kingdom was at this time no longer valid because the Jews had rejected their Messiah and the promised Kingdom. The Kingdom offer was not done away with by God but only postponed. During the Tribulation God will once again begin to work with Israel and offer them their Messiah Jesus Christ. Some of the first people saved during these seven years will be 144,000 Jews made up of 12,000 each of the twelve tribes of Israel. After the seven years the Messiah will return and purge the earth of sinners and begin His Millennial reign on Earth.
I know this is a little long, but I needed to show that prophets were always associated with Israel and not Gentiles. The churches of today are Gentile churches and we do not have prophets, but evangelists and pastor-teachers.
Fornication could also be defined as "the gratification of sexual appetites without respect to marriage or the necessity of God's approval." The Bible uses this term as a general description for immorality (Matt. 5:32; 15:19; 19:9; Acts 15:20,29; 21:15; Rom. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:18; 7:2; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3; Co. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Rev. 9:21). Like adultery, fornication is also used in a spiritual sense to describe turning from God to serve false gods (Ezek. 16:29-34; Rev.2:21; 14:8; 17:2,4; 18:3; 19:2). The Greek word translated pornication is porneia, from which the English word "pornographic" is derived.
Sex which is approved by God is limited to the relationship of a husband and wife in the commitment of marriage. Sex outside of marriage is sin and has many destructive results. In its proper function as God intended it is for reproduction and it is of one giving oneself in a committed love for the other and not simply self gratification. (Eph. 5) When properly experienced it is emotionally and physically gratifying to both partners and that is how God intended it to be.
Also the following passages should be considered: 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
You find the same thing in the Bible. For example, the Canaanite people were totally corrupted morally and spiritually. The practiced murder, the killing of their
children, and the grosses of sexual sins and perversion. God knew their hearts that they would not change. They were the enemies of God and God's people thus
God instructed the "nation" of Israel to war against them and utterly destroy them. It was an actually an act self preservation and of mercy God's having them
destroyed. Can you imagine what their society was like and the heartache and pain their sinful culture and religion caused their families...and event their children?
God stopped them by having them destroyed that (1) their sinning would stop and (2) they would not be a physical or spiritual threat to Israel.
God in the New Testament takes the lives of believers who blatantly sin and who will not repent. See Acts 5:1f where God took the lives of Ananias and Sapphira.
1 Cor. 11:29-30 God chastened some of the sinful Cointhians who blatantly sinned not "discerning the Lord's body" mean they sinned with the full knowledge that Christ
had to suffer for their every sin. (See also 1 John 5:16-17) It did not make any difference to them and their willful sinning belittled the sufferings of Christ. There are
many other examples including the great slaughters during the coming Seven Year Tribulation. In Rev. 6:8, in the Fourth Seal Judgment a fourth of all people on earth
are killed. In Rev. 9:18 during the sixth Trumpet Judgment a third of the men on earth are killed. In Rev. 19:17-21 the battles of Amageddon are recorded in which will
be the greatest slaughter of history of those who hate God and who when they see Christ returning to earth openly begin fighting against Him. At the end of the AFter
the Second Coming and the Millennium Satan is loosed from the pit and once again deceives men and leads them in a war to fight against Christ, Rev. 20:7-9 states
that God sends fire from heaven and devours them all.
About the God of the OT not being the God of the NT. In the OT, the numerous appearances of the "Angel of the Lord" were pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus
Christ. Jesus extensively quoted the OT and He claimed to be the Messiah God had promised. Thus Jesus authenicated the OT and said that if they knew the God
of the Old Testament they would have know who He was. (See John 8:19, 10:15) Jesus in Matt. 22:32 speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees quotes the OT
making reference to God and saying "I am the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob." This confirms along with many many other passages that God in the OT is God in
the NT. 1 Peter 1:21 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 state plainly that ALL scripture is inspired of God. If you do not accept the OT you cannot accept the NT.
The problem is that using human wisdom we try to judge God and refuse to accept they reality that most men will not accept their Creator and in fact are His enemy. The Bible is clear that God is just and righteous in all He does and that He cannot sin or do anything wrong. Further God knows the hearts of men. Some would say that it is unjust to take the life of any person, but think for a moment. If God knows that person's heart, that he will not repent nor accept Christ as his Savior is it not an act of mercy to take that person's life and stop their sinful acts that are hurting themselves and other people and thereby lesson their eternal judgment. Rev. 20:11-15 states that the lost will be judged according to their sins and thereby taking the life of a sinner who will not repent is in fact an act of mercy on God's part.
This discussion makes the point for the necessity to interpret the Bible in light of all the Bible has to say and involves the principles of interpreting in context and in the analogy of the faith. That is the mistake of so many churches and teachers today. They make judgements and conclusions about the word of God that do not take into account all the information on the subject from in God's word.
Animals do not have souls, nor intellect, emotion, or a will. The
are directed by what we call instinct. In a sense God "programed" their
minds to be able to live in their environment,produce offspring and
fulfull their God given purpose. Some animals are able to be domesticated
and others are not. In the case of dogs and cats God gave them a mind to
respond to humans and be a comfort and serve them. Dogs especially have
the instinct to serve, protect and be a companion to man. Yes, people do deeply love their pets. I once had an Irish Setter
named Sam. Sam died many years ago, but I still miss him. I have not
had a dog since and I have a picture of him above my computer with my son.
Sam fulfilled God's purpose for his life in being a companion to myself
and my family. He was truly a wonderful dog. I think that when believers get to heaven we will be in the very
presence of the Lord and therefore we will not need the emotional
attachment to animals and the comfort they give. However, I cannot be
dogmatic about this because God has not told us everything about heaven.
Answer: Our English Bibles use one word "kill" to translate a three different Hebrew words and six different Greek words.
Hebrew:
In Old Testament the word "harag" refers to wholesale slaughter as in battle or war, and rarely means premeditated killing or murder. Generally is used of killing an animal, however is was used in Gen. 4:8, 14-15, when Cain killed Abel. It was used there to describe the ruthless taking of a person's life (although rarely) and mostly used in slaughtering animals for sacrifice or otherwise. Its use in Gen. 4, seems to indicate the brutal way the Cain killed Abel.
2. "harag" - Exod. 22:24, Lev. 20:16, Num. 31:17, Deut. 13:9, Eccl. 3:3.
3. "sahat" - Gen. 22:10.
2. "anairo" - Heb. 10:9, legal appointment to sacrifice
3. "thuo" - Acts 14:13, to sacrifice by offering a victim
4. "phoneuo" - Matt. 19:18, to murder
5. "thanatoo" - Rom. 8:36, to put to death
6. "sphazo" - Rev. 6:4, to slay, to slaughter
Answer:
Capitol punishment is not murder and is the responsibility of the civil government in establishing a justice, law, and order. The Bible plainly says that the man who
takes a life, which is murder, is to forfeit his own life (Gen. 9:6). The Law of Moses called for capital punishment in the case of murder (Lev.24:17; De. 19:11-13),
idolatry (Lev. 20:2; De. 17:2-7), witchcraft (Lev. 20:27), adultery (Lev. 20:10; De. 22:21,22), homosexuality (Lev. 20:13), bestiality (Lev. 20:15,16), rape (De.
22:25-27), incest (Lev. 20:17), blasphemy (Lev. 24:11-16,23), presumption (Deut. 17:12-13), kidnapping (De. 24:7), and rebellion against parents (Lev. 20:9).
(Following partly taken from "Way of Life Encyclopedia" by David Cloud, Subject: "Death Penality")
Answer: The word suicide is not found in the Bible and I have not found any reference to it directly. However, there are several things that explain this matter to us from the
Bible. First, a Christian does not lose their salvation because of their sinning, because when they are saved they receive eternal life. Their past, present and
future sins are forgiven and they are a child of God. This includes all sins, even killing one's self. Romans 8:1-2 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death." I have an article at https://bible-truth.org/assuran2.html with explains this in detail. So...once a person truly believes in Jesus Christ and is born again...he is eternally saved and will go to heaven. His salvation does not rest on his works, good or bad, nor does one keep himself saved by doing good works
or living right. His salvation rests in Christ's atonement for sin. God says Christians sin....1 John 1:8,10 says that plainly. But God forgives. This verse says we are to ask forgiveness and he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This does not mean that we have to confess our sin to go to heaven, but as a believer we
confess our sins in repentance and God helps us to overcome the sin we are confessing.
Answer: You did not give details about what type of ministry or service to the Lord you have in mind for the future so I will just give a general look at the matter. God loves women as much as He does men. Women are as important to the home, church, and society as men are. In Jesus Christ, women enjoy the same spiritual position and blessings before God as men do. This does not mean, though, there is to be no difference in men and women in their appearance and roles. God has given a clear responsibility or places of service to men and women in their family and church. As Bible believers we go the Word of God for our instruction.
Answer: No, Patrick predates the Roman Catholic Church's place of authority in Ireland, and was considered a saint before the Roman church created its canon of saints. Patrick of Ireland was born about 400 AD and was kidnapped and taken to Ireland when he was 16. From 432 to 461 he worked among the Celts to convert them to Christianity. The RC church had little presence in Britony at this time. With the withdrawal of the Roman Army in 410 Rome had little influence there. The British Christians were noted in that:
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2. Great attention was given to the Scriptures.
3. They were full of missionary zeal.
4. The absolutely refused to recognize human authority in matters of religion.
5. They insisted on humility and simplicity of Christian life and were offended at the pomp and wordiness of the Romanist missionaries.
6. They differed from Rome as to the time of Easter, the mode of baptism (they immersed) tonsure (shaving their beards) etc. (A Manual of Church History, `Albert Henry Newman, 1899, p412-414)
Answer: I too tried to receive "tongues." For a short time I got in with some Charismatics who were trying to take over our church who attended the Full Gospel Business Men's Association.
Answer:
This sexual act comes under the heading of what the Bible calls "sodomy." It referred to any unnatural sexual acts. Oral sex is not natural. In regard to homosexual acts, the sodomite of the Old Testament refers to male prostitution and homosexual moral perversion practiced in connection with idolatry (Deut. 23:17; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7). Perverted sexual acts were performed in the worship of pagan idols.
Answer:
There are prophets today only in the sense that they proclaim the Word of God the Bible or do the work of a prophet in preaching. The are not called prophets, but pastors teachers. There are no prophets who are receiving new revelation from God because God's revelation ceased with the completion of the sixty six book of the Bible...Revelation by 95 AD.
Answer: Masturbation falls under the category of fornication with refers to sexual sins. The Bible uses the term "fornication" which refers to the incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman; adultery; incest; a forsaking of the true God and worshiping of idols (Webster).
Answer: As to your question. God in the OT was speaking to a nation of people and was instructing them as a nation in protecting themselves from their enemies. He was
not addressing this to indivduals and He was not condoning murder or the innocent taking of life. Do you think it is right or within God's will for America to protect itself from those that would destroy us. Was it right that we fought the Hitler and the Nazis in WWII and destroyed those that were seeking to kill and enslave us? Do we not have the God given right to protect our families, wives and children? For example, we are now in a war with the Muslims and most people are unaware that the basis tenant and foundation of Islam is that the "infidels" mean all non-Muslims are to convert to Islam or be destroyed. That is their belief taken from the instructions in the Koran and taught to their children from childhood. I was in Israel last month and watched as an eight year old boy picked up a rock and through it at us in our bus. We had stopped in a Muslim neighborhood and were purchasing lunch from a Muslim store keeper. The boy knew we were Americans and Christians and he has been taught from birth to hate us and kill us if they can. I had seen these things on TV, but it really got me to thinking when I saw that hatred in the eyes of a 8 year old boy. The reality came home to me that there are people on this earth who hate the truth and hate God and sadly will never change.
Our Saviour having highly commended John in the foregoing verses stating that though John was greater than all the prophets that went before him, seeing more of Christ than all of them, yet he saw less than them that came after him. The reference to "he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he: means those who believed in Jesus Christ after His death, burial and resurrection are greater than John. It means that Christians in this the Church Age have a better understanding, a better position, being the bride of Jesus Christ, than any of the Old Testament saints. Even the weakest Christian is in a better and more closer position to Jesus than any of the Old Testament believers.
Christians have a special relationship with Jesus Christ that the saints in the Old Testament did not have. One thing is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament believer did not have that. (See John 14:16-18, 26-27) We have Christ living in us.
Christians are called the Bride of Christ. That means we have a special place with Christ.
Christians also have the whole Bible. John only had the Old Testament. We know of the future of what will happen in the Rapture, the Second Coming of Jesus.
So you see Jesus was saying John was the greatest of all the Old Testament saint, but Christians today have a better place with the Lord.
Answer: The reference is Matthew 11:11, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Charran is another spelling of Haran. Stephen clarifies the time that Abram was first called of God. It was not in Haran, as a casual reading of Genesis 12:4 might incline us to believe, but in Ur.
Abraham was called in Ur, then went to Haran where his father lived. He remain there until his father died and then he and Lot left from Haran south into Palestine. God told him to get out of his country, kindred, and father's house. Abraham did not did leave Ur, but did not obey the Lord immediately, but when to Haran where his father lived.