OF LAW OR FAITH?

Matthew 15:8-9
This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.  (9)  But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Isaiah 29:13  

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

“The Mishna [part of the Talmud] says, ‘Women die in childbirth because of three transgressions: for not exercising care in niddah, challah and candle-lighting.’  

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-1.760572?=&ts=_1482662212760


- This is horrible and patently false responsibility to put on a woman and a family!  If you don't adhere to this man made law strict enough, or if you don't practice religious actions enough (which is VERY subjective) the expectant mother believes that she could die giving birth!  This is not a "maybe" type law. This is their definitive interpretation of why women die in childbirth. YHVH help you if you contend this is not scriptural. 

Here are some key points of this article (you need to have a premium account to access it): 
 "“One of the main problems in investigating this subject is that everyone lies, so it’s pointless to give out questionnaires. At my first meeting with someone, they’d tell me how wonderful it is, how they really connect to it, but after a while I’d start to hear more and more stories about the hardship and frustration it causes.”
"The halakha, Jewish religious law, expanded on this prohibition, extending the period of separation to about two weeks per month (the exact time varies from woman to woman). During this time, the couple must completely abstain from physical contact and cannot even pass an object directly to one another.  When the woman has stopped menstruating, and counted seven “clean” days that must be scrupulously checked, she immerses in the mikveh [a Jewish ritual bath], and that night sex is obligatory.
“Sometimes it can be a magical moment, because it comes after this period of separation, but sometimes it’s the total opposite,” says David. “It wrecks everything, when you have to do it even when you don’t feel like it. In halakha there are no special adaptations. You can find some lovely interpretations, and you can spruce it up with midrashim [a genre of rabbinic literature] and different ideas, but bottom line – even if it doesn’t suit you, what’s obligatory is obligatory.”
"It ruined a lot more than our love life. It caused tremendous problems. A lot of people say that it strengthens your love life, but I think they’re just saying that. They can’t mean it. The feeling now – when I touch my wife and hold her every night – it’s a whole other world.”

 Halakha is scriptural "add-on's". Halakha is always subject to being interpreted by different Rabbis of different generations and eras.
This is not like people having "different interpretations" of what biblical scripture is saying. Halakha is religious law. 

"The word "halakhah" is usually translated as 'Jewish Law,'...."

"Some non-Jews and non-observant Jews criticize this legalistic aspect of traditional Judaism, saying that it reduces the religion to a set of rituals devoid of spirituality. While there are certainly some Jews who observe halakhah in this way, that is not the intention of halakhah, and it is not even the correct way to observe halakhah.
On the contrary, when properly observed, halakhah increases the spirituality in a person's life, because it turns the most trivial, mundane acts, such as eating and getting dressed, into acts of religious significance.
Halakhah comes from three sources: from the Torah, from laws instituted by the rabbis and from long-standing customs. Halakhah from any of these sources can be referred to as a mitzvah (commandment; plural: mitzvot). The word "mitzvah" is also commonly used in a casual way to refer to any good deed. Because of this imprecise usage, sophisticated halakhic discussions are careful to identify mitzvot as being mitzvot d'oraita (an Aramaic word meaning "from the Torah") or mitzvot d'rabbanan (Aramaic for "from the rabbis"). A mitzvah that arises from custom is referred to as a minhag. Mitzvot from all three of these sources are binding, though there are differences in the way they are applied" - http://www.jewfaq.org/

How can customs that may be  turned into  binding  laws, be anything other than devoid of spirituality? This says nothing regarding other laws that are strictly and/or falsely interpreted and made to be what they were not intended to be! Halakhah is not just one law a day or a week, etc. It is woven throughout the Jewish life. This is why we as Christians read in the book of Romans: 

Romans 9:31-33  

What shall we say then? That the nations, who did not follow after righteousness have taken on righteousness, but a righteousness of faith.  31  But Israel, who followed after a law of righteousness did not arrive at a law of righteousness.  32  Why? Because it was not of faith, but as it were by the works of the Law. For they stumbled at that Stumbling-stone;  33  as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a Stumbling-stone and a Rock-of-offense, and everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."

Never Forgetting: 

James 2:20  

But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:24  

You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

James 2:26 

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, RIGHT?

A simple question: How does this honor the TRUE Lord of Heaven?

This is St. Mary Parish in Buffalo Grove, IL.
By now, you can see that a hexagram and a triangle, especially those with an all seeing eye, are Masonic symbols that say "See, here we are!" They are truly counting on people being too stupid to notice or too care. Like all criminal personality disorder narcissistic sociopaths, they take GREAT pleasure in hiding their intent in plain sight because 1: They want to believe and show that they are smarter than the general population, and 2: They want to be able to laugh and say "We told you so but you were to dumb to see" when the anti-christ finally takes power.
FYI: This Church has an organization in it called Our Lady Of The Grove Council. Isn't it ironic, that a Church that has Masonic symbols on it Has a men's group with this name, obviously attributed to Mary. The ironic part is  scripturally, a grove in the Old Testament in Hebrew is asherah, which is also the pagan goddess's name, Asherah,  to whom the grove was dedicated. Asherah or Ashoreth (synonyms) is always associated with Baal, and always as his consort.
Judges 6:25  And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove (ashorah) that is by it:
2Kings 21:7  And he set a graven image of the grove (ashorah) that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:
2Kings 23:4  And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove (ashorah), and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron,
1Kings 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Kings 11:33  Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
2Kings 23:13  And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 
Whether they know it or not, when this group calls themselves after "Our Lady Of the Groves", it lines up squarley with Ashoreth and her ashorah!
THERE ARE FAR, FAR TOO MANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE  ATTRIBUTES OF THE CATHOLIC'S PERPETUAL VIRGIN MARY AND THE PAGAN GODDESS, ASHORAH/ASHORETH, WHO IS ALSO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN WORSHIPED BY THE ISRAELITES IN JEREMIAH 7:18, JEREMIAH 44:17-26. I have done extensive research on this subject that I have yet to publish here. Research that is  independent of whatever other site has done or any other information has been written about it. I did not go to any conspiratorial site to obtain my info, although I know that you will find that we have found the same facts.
For Catholics who really DON'T know, I pray that they will allow the Holy Spirit to open there eyes and truly seek God, even if what they find goes against their Church doctrine.

TO THE NON-CHRISTIAN/ANTI-CHRISTIAN, KJV ONLY CHRISTIANS, AND USERS OF OTHER BIBLICAL TRANSLATIONS

FIRSTLY
I am in no way insinuating King James Version Only believers, or those who choose to use translations other than the KJV bible are non-Christians.

SECONDLY
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN CHRIST, AND THOSE WHO HATE HIM!


TO THE NON- CHRISTIAN
For a myriad of different reasons you think valid, you say  the bible is not the word of God.  However, a non Christian will never be able to have a clear understanding of biblical scriptures ,and no one should expect you to. God tells us the book that you don't accept as His word  has to be spiritually discerned. By that, God means that a person who is not Christian, cannot understand the things of or the word of Christ, the Bible, because it is ONLY through HIS Spirit that understanding comes:
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Neither your lack of belief, nor refusal to believe in any way change the truth of the gospel message and the veracity of the Bible being the Word of God. But fret not, many who identify as Christians do not allow God to give them understanding, either. Some purposefully because they will not submit to His Spirit.

The simplified gospel message is this:
THE WAY OF SALVATION
God is Holy and we are all sinful. Sin is what separates us from God. Being separated from God means we  will never be able to live up to God's standards for holiness on our own. Because God is Holy, sin can't be in His presence, nor by it's very nature does it want to. 
As such eternal spiritual separation from God is the price we must pay for our sinfulness. 
The place that is designated for sinners is called hell, but it doesn't have to be our destination. His holiness says hell is our destination, but in His love, He tells us that He wants heaven to be our destination (2 Peter 3:9). In the times of the Old Testament, because God loved us, He accepted the sacrifice of animals in our places as payment for our sin, but promised a time when there would be no more animal sacrifices (Psalm 40:6, Hebrews 10:5-12; This latter one may be difficult to understand by itself, but taken with psalm 40:6, God will grant you understanding) and His laws would be written in our hearts (Psalms 40:8, 2 Corinthians 3:3). That person Is Jesus Christ, who, through some way we cant get our heads around, He is God in the flesh and loved us so much that He willingly went to the cross to pay for our sins (John 12:27, Matthew 26:53-54 Philippians 2:6-8)John 1:1-4  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2  The same was in the beginning with God.  3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.Christ was born of a virgin, lived a holy, sinless life, died as a penalty for our sins, but was resurrected the third day. Mark 16, John 20
Because He was without sin and death is for the sinner, death could not hold Him. Christ says that He is Both resurrection and life! (John 11:25) The Only Way, The only Truth and The Only Life! Without accepting Him, we will not make it into heaven.
If you are willing to have a real relationship with God, if you desire to know the creator God as He has revealed Himself to us in Christ Jesus, you must realize that you are a sinner separated from a Holy God in need of a savior. Jesus Christ is that Savior who sacrificed Himself for our sins that we can have salvation and go to heaven and dwell with God. If you, by faith, are willing to accept Christ as savior, His sacrifice that He made for your sins and TRULY make Him Lord over your life, repent (turn away from)of  your sins, audibly confess Him you will be saved. Romans 10:9-11  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

REGARDING WHAT WE CALL THE "TRINITY"

Classic, traditional Trinitarians will have a problem with my understanding and explanation of what we call the trinity of God, and will deem me not a true Christian. The classic understanding of the Trinity is not a prerequisite to become a born again believer, or else NO ONE would be a Christian. Firstly, because it doesn't make sense to a non Christian, and secondly, how many Christians understood the trinity before becoming saved? NONE! HOW MANY CHRISTIANS WOULD SAY YOU UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY SINCE COMING TO CHRIST? NONE! The only thing Trinitarians DO understand is they agree to accept the doctrine!
I am a Bible believing Christian, I believe by faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I have learned to trust in what the Lord has revealed to me, and not what people have determined doctrine to be. The only way I can explain Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, and how I have come to understand it with my spiritual mind is this: The Father is fully God, has been and always will be. Christ is fully God, has been and always will be. The Holy Spirit is God, always has been and always will be. God disclosed Himself to Moses and Israel simply as "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). He later revealed Himself in this way: 

Deuteronomy 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

My understanding is this: God IS. God IS ONE. He IS ONE who has eternally existed and has chosen to reveal Himself to us as Father, Son,  in redemption 
and Holy Spirit. 

IF YOU PROFESS CHRIST,

Confessing Christians, listen to the words of the Holy Spirit:

2 Peter 2:20-22  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Theologian Rejects Claim That Jesus Never Addressed Gay Marriage

This is a great article.  The whole crux of the argument and article rests simply and solely on this proceeding statement:  
"It is simply undeniable that Jesus assumed heterosexual marriage as God's design and plan," he said. "Jesus sees all sexual activity outside this covenant as sinful."
Akin made the argument that Jesus clearly talked about sex and marriage as found in Scripture.
Jesus' words on marriage are found in Matthew 19, where he states, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Read the whole article here:

Theologian Rejects Claim That Jesus Never Addressed Gay Marriage