The New Covenant: What Is New About It? Don’t Think Christ Came to Destroy the Law. The Truth About Animal By-Products in Pet Food.

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The New Covenant: What Is New About It?

“What was the problem with the Old Covenant, and what really changed with the New Covenant? What does the Bible say is new about the New Covenant?

Throughout history, God has made various covenants, or agreements, with human beings. These covenants lay out the terms of the relationship God wants to have with humanity. Two of the key covenants recorded in the Bible are:

1. The covenant God made with ancient Israel at Mount Sinai, also referred to as the “Old Covenant.”
2. The “New Covenant,” which was inaugurated by Jesus Christ, and which is the covenant that is in force for spiritual Israel, the Church.

Scripture states that the New Covenant is making the Old Covenant obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). But what does that mean? Did God create an entirely different set of terms for this new agreement? Just what is “new” about the New Covenant?

This article highlights four key changes from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. Although these four items do not encompass every difference, they illustrate the fundamental distinction between the two agreements.

A change of the sacrificial law

The Bible states that sinners earn the death penalty (Romans 6:23). Forgiveness of those sins requires blood to be shed to satisfy that penalty (Hebrews 9:22). Under the Old Covenant, the Israelites sacrificed animals as sin offerings, shedding the blood of those creatures as God commanded.

However, animal sacrifices were insufficient as substitutes for human beings. The sacrifices did not truly cleanse the Israelites from their wrongdoing, “for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

Since animal sacrifices could not blot out sins, why did God require them under the Old Covenant? Because those sacrifices reminded Israel of their sins and pictured the time when removal of the death penalty would truly become possible! God never intended for those sacrifices to be in force permanently! He had a plan in place “from the foundation of the world” to have Jesus Christ make the ultimate sacrifice (Revelation 13:8).

Christ’s sacrifice of Himself made it possible to take “away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Because He is God, and human beings were created through Him (Colossians 1:16), His life is worth immeasurably more than all other human lives throughout history. Thus, His sacrifice was more than sufficient as total payment for the death penalty we have earned because of sin.

When Christ instituted the New Covenant with His shed blood (Luke 22:20), He made it possible for us to be truly cleansed from sin (Hebrews 9:13-14; 1 John 1:7). The result was that animal sacrifices were no longer required as symbols, because Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of that symbolism. We accept Christ’s sacrifice at baptism. Although we must still repent each time we sin in the future, Christ’s sacrifice is applied upon our repentance—no further sacrifices for our sins are needed (Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:12).

A change of the priesthood

Under the Old Covenant, priests came from the family of Aaron in the tribe of Levi. The high priest was required to offer a sacrifice for the Israelites’ sins each year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34). He alone was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place (the innermost room) in the tabernacle and to approach the mercy seat—which represented the throne of God.

The Israelites all deserved the death penalty for their sins, and so the high priest’s responsibility was to make intercession for them. Since he was also “subject to weakness,” he understood how easy it was to sin, and he could show compassion for the people (Hebrews 5:1-4).

However, as we saw, the shed blood came from animal sacrifices under this physical system. Thus the priests under the Old Covenant were not able to truly make people right with God, and a change was necessary (Hebrews 7:11-12).

That change came with Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for all humanity, which fulfilled the symbolism of the yearly sin offering on the Day of Atonement. But Christ also filled the role of the high priest by offering Himself. He continues to serve as our High Priest, interceding on our behalf (Hebrews 7:23-28).

Under the New Covenant, Christ does not serve in a physical tabernacle (Hebrews 9:11). Instead, He performs His duties as High Priest in “the true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:1-2). Today the Church is “the household of God” and “a holy temple” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Members of the Church are able to draw near to the true mercy seat—the throne of God—as they develop a close and meaningful relationship with the Father. This is made possible because of Christ’s sacrifice and His continuing role as our High Priest (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Due to the change from the Levitical priesthood and the physical tabernacle, the rituals associated with the tabernacle and temple under the Old Covenant are no longer required—including various types of food and drink offerings, as well as ceremonial washings. These physical rituals were only “imposed until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:8-10)—which Jesus Christ ushered in with the New Covenant.

Under the New Covenant, God’s people now have a High Priest in Jesus Christ who intercedes for them continually. Since Christ lived as a human being, He understands our weaknesses, can help us when we are tempted, and can show us compassion when we sin. We can therefore be confident in seeking forgiveness when we repent (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16).

A change of the heart

God gave Israel His eternal laws that define sin—with the 10 Commandments serving as the core of Israel’s responsibility under the Old Covenant (Exodus 34:27-28; Deuteronomy 4:13). However, there was one key problem with this arrangement: Although God’s law was, and is, perfect (Psalm 19:7), the people were not.

God knew in advance that the Israelites were missing something very important. They did not have the necessary heart to be truly obedient to Him (Deuteronomy 5:23-29). The Israelites agreed to obey God because of external motivation. They were afraid of punishment from God (Exodus 20:18-21), but that type of external motivation does not guarantee right behavior! Unless a person is internally convicted to do what is right, it can become far too easy to choose to do what is wrong instead.

Ancient Israel sadly fell into this trap and repeatedly disobeyed God throughout history, despite the fact that they suffered punishment as a result. Time and time again, the Israelites broke the covenant they made with God, illustrating a key flaw in the covenant. The flaw was not with the laws they agreed to obey, but rather with the people themselves (Hebrews 8:7-8)!

The Israelites did not have a heart to truly know God because the time was not yet right for God to give them that heart (Deuteronomy 29:4). But even without a right heart, it was still possible for the Israelites to respond to the correction God gave them when they made wrong choices. Unfortunately, they failed to adjust their behavior in the long run. However, their example provides a powerful lesson to us of how easy it is to sin (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

Under the New Covenant, God’s people have the opportunity to receive a heart to obey Him. In the Old Testament, God announced that the time would come when His people would have His laws internalized and written on their hearts—when they would truly be able to know Him (Jeremiah 31:31-34; see “What Is the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31?”).

When God’s Spirit was made widely available on the Day of Pentecost, that goal became possible. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians become able to think like God (1 Corinthians 2:11, 16). God’s mind—reflected in His law of love—can now be internalized within His people.

A change of promises

Under the Old Covenant, Israel agreed to obey God; and in return, God agreed to treat Israel as “a special treasure” (Exodus 19:5-6). He promised Israel specific blessings, including rain at the appropriate time; victory in battle; freedom from sickness; a fear of Israel among other nations; and such tremendous prosperity that Israel would lend to other nations, not borrow (Leviticus 26:3-13; Deuteronomy 7:12-15; 28:1-14).

These promises were all incredible. But they were also all limited to this physical existence! There was no opportunity under the Old Covenant for the nation of Israel to receive access to the gift of eternal life. Thus, the Israelites could only enjoy the blessings of the Old Covenant during their life span on this earth.

Why was eternal life not offered under the Old Covenant? Because Jesus Christ had not yet come to this earth as humanity’s Savior, and “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christ’s sacrifice provided a way for humans who had not lived perfectly (all of us!) to avoid the death penalty. Forgiveness was a key requirement so that human beings could “receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15)—eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Another necessary missing component is the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ called it “the Helper” (John 16:7), a “Promise” from God that He gave on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4).

As covered earlier, the Holy Spirit enables God’s laws to be written on our hearts. But beyond that, the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to be “heirs of God,” so that we can “be glorified together” with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). God’s Spirit serves as a guarantee, or down payment, on our promised inheritance of eternal life in God’s family (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The Holy Spirit was made available to a select few of God’s servants who lived prior to Christ’s inauguration of the New Covenant (1 Peter 1:10-11). However, the vast majority of the Israelites did not have access to that Spirit, and thus did not have access to eternal life. But God intended from the beginning for all human beings to have that opportunity (Titus 1:2)—His purpose is to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), expanding His family.

Access to salvation under the New Covenant makes this “a better covenant” than the covenant at Mount Sinai, because the New Covenant “was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). Ultimately, all human beings throughout history will have an opportunity for eternal life as part of the New Covenant. Those who become part of God’s family will dwell with Him forever, and there will be no more death (Revelation 21:1-4).

The New Covenant amplifies the terms of the Old Covenant

This article has not covered every difference between the Old and New Covenants. However, the changes we have examined illustrate a consistent trend: Contrary to the belief of many, the New Covenant does not abolish all the terms of the Old Covenant!

Both covenants include provisions for a sacrifice for sin, a priesthood serving in a tabernacle, obedience to God’s laws, and promised blessings from God. However, in each case, the changes in the New Covenant amplify the terms of the Old Covenant!

Under the Old Covenant, God presented the Israelites with two options and told them to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). God offers that same choice today to those whom He calls into the New Covenant. What makes the New Covenant “new” is that it is a far better agreement than the one entered into at Mount Sinai.

Ultimately all humanity will have the opportunity to be part of the New Covenant. But if God is calling you to be part of that covenant now by helping you to understand His truth, you have a decision to make. Will you choose life—eternal life? The choice is up to you.

For further study on this topic, read the article “Biblical Covenants.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/covenants/the-new-covenant/?

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Don’t Think Christ Came to Destroy the Law

Matthew 5:17-19

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 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. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

(Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.)

“Some misunderstand Jesus Christ’s mission, feeling He did away with the teachings of the Old Testament and replaced them with new teachings. But Christ made clear that His teachings were a continuation of the teachings He inspired to be a part of the Holy Scriptures.

It was the One who became Jesus Christ who thundered the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai and spoke to Moses (1 Corinthians 10:4; see “Jesus in the Old Testament?”).

What does it mean to “fulfill” the law? The Greek word translated “fulfill” is pleroo, which means “to make full, to fill to the full” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

Jesus Christ continued in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6 and 7) to expand the meaning of God’s law, to show its spiritual intent. By doing this, He gave fuller understanding and magnified and exalted the law (Isaiah 42:21). He in no way destroyed or annulled it.

In Matthew 5:19 Jesus clearly tells His followers to obey even what someone might consider “one of the least of these commandments.”

The essence of the New Covenant is not a change in the commandments, but the fact that they can be written on our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit dwelling in Christians (Hebrews 10:16). This allows us to internalize and fully obey God in a way ancient Israel never could.”

For more about God’s commandments, see “The 10 Commandments for Today” and download our free booklet God’s 10 Commandments: Still Relevant Today.: 

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/dont-think-christ-came-to-destroy-the-law/?

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The Truth About Animal By-Products in Pet Food

“Animal by-products — what could be more controversial to dog food shoppers than animal by-products?

These common pet food ingredients are loathed by many. Yet they’re accepted… and even revered… by others.

Fans claim animal by-products are nutritionally no different than any other type of meat. And they blame the ingredients’ noted unpopularity on the unsavory mental image they invoke.

Something supporters like to refer to as “the yuck factor”.²

Critics, on the other hand, insist these ingredients are nothing more than inedible waste of inferior nutritional value.

What Are Animal By-Products?

Animal by-products are what’s left of a slaughtered animal after the skeletal muscle meat intended for human consumption has been removed.

Or according to the USDA³…

“Animal by-products include all parts of a live animal that are not part of the dressed carcass.”

These processing leftovers (known as offal) include those parts of an animal which have been “rejected for human use and can be expected to be processed into animal feed”.⁴

For example…

• Liver
• Lungs
• Heads
• Blood
• Brains
• Spleen
• Kidneys
• Stomachs
• Intestines

Giblets (livers, hearts, gizzards and necks) as well as other organs can still be sold as edible meats as they are… or used as ingredients to make hot dogs, bologna and sausage.

Unfit for Human Consumption… OK for Dog Food?

Animal by-products classified as “inedible” and “unfit for human consumption” can still be sold for use in pet food.⁵

Some inedible waste can be used to produce wet or dry pet food as it is, soon after slaughter…

While other rejected waste can be rendered into meat or poultry meal products.

In any case, keep in mind…

What makes some by-products fit for human consumption (and others not) isn’t always a matter of what they are…

But also, how they’re handled after slaughter.

For example…

By-products that are not refrigerated immediately after slaughter but stored for hours in a hot offal trailer cannot be sold for human consumption…

But they can still be legally used for making pet food.

Turning Inedible Waste into Pet Food

On the other hand…

Rejected waste such as dead farm and zoo animals that have been declared unfit for human consumption can first be rendered into meal ingredients…

And then be used to make pet food.

What Is Rendering?

Rendering is a process similar to making stew… except that the stew is intentionally over-cooked.

With rendering, the idea is to start with a stew of by-products and cook away the water.

Then, skim away the fat and bake the residue.

What you end up with is a concentrated protein powder known as by-product meal.

Feed-Grade vs Pet-Food-Grade

In the specific cases of chicken and poultry, there are 2 grades of by-product meals…

• Feed grade by-product meal
• Pet food grade by-product meal

In an important 2003 study⁶, pet food grade by-product meal was compared to feed grade by-product meal.

The result?

Pet food grade by-product meal was found to be…

• Higher in protein⁷
• Lower in ash
• More digestible⁸
• More consistent⁹

Bottom line?

All things considered, pet food grade by-product meals are superior to feed grade by-product meals.

Unfortunately, without contacting the manufacturer, there’s no way to know which type of by-product meal is in any dog food.

The 2 Ways to Describe Animal By-Product Meals

Based upon the source of their raw materials, there are two ways to identify by-product meals.

• Named by-product meals
• Generic (anonymous) by-product meals

Named by-product meals have one thing in common. They all clearly identify the source species of the by-products that was used to make the meal.

So, on a pet food label…

You’ll find named by-product ingredients like…

• Chicken by-product meal
• Turkey by-product meal
• Poultry by-product meal
• Beef by-product meal

And although named by-product meals may not be considered the highest quality ingredients, they can be considered acceptable.

The One Type of Animal By-Product You Must Avoid

On the other hand…

Generic by-product meals are different. They do not identify the source of the meat.

Instead, they use vague and non-specific names like…

• Meat meal
• Meat and bone meal
• Meat by-product meal
• Animal by-product meal

What’s more…

Generic meat meals can also contain…

• Road kill
• Dead zoo animals
• Dead on arrival poultry
• Diseased and dying livestock
• Euthanized dogs and cats (unlikely today, but still possible)

Because you can never know the source of the meat used to make generic by-product meals, purchase of pet food products containing anonymous names should be avoided.

Nutritional Differences… Real or Imagined?

When comparing animal by-product meals with their “regular” meal counterparts, the differences can be nutritionally insignificant.

For example, in the case of rendered ingredients, the digestibility, biological value and amino acid content of both poultry and poultry by-product meals are nearly identical.¹⁰

So, if there’s little nutritional difference between the two, why then do some companies use meat by-products… while others don’t?

The Real Reason Dog Food Companies Use Animal By-Products

There’s one glaring and indisputable reason animal by-products remain so popular with some manufacturers… and not others.

Animal by-products are simply cheaper… notably cheaper than most any other comparable meat product. They’re used for making dog food because they save money. Not because they’re more nutritious.

Why is this important to a pet food shopper?

Although finding animal by-products in a recipe doesn’t guarantee you’ve discovered a good or a bad dog food, their presence must always be considered a reliable clue the food is made with cheaper ingredients.

The Bottom Line

With the sole exception of precisely identified organ meats, two rules will help you navigate the confusing world of meat-based dog food ingredients.

1. Never pay top dollar for any dog food that lists animal by-products near the top of its ingredients list.
2. Never buy any dog food containing generic animal by-products sourced from materials a manufacturer fails to clearly identify.”    

From: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/animal-by-products/

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None Wholly Destitute. Do You Really Know Our Creator God? Ten+ Commandments of Animal Parenthood.

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None Wholly Destitute

“Human life is precious.”

Jaime Top/Unsplash

“None are wholly destitute in the eyes of God, and often those who seem to have less really have more.

We differ in abilities, talents, intelligence levels and opportunity to develop our various gifts, but just as no person is pure genius, so too no person is wholly destitute of genius. The Bible refers to the "least" as though they are of great worth. God is looking for those who are lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). Isaiah describes the might of God and then states that He will look on anyone who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at His word (Isaiah 66:2).

One would think that the wise of this world would realize how God sees things and be sure they fit into His description of one who is precious in His sight. However, the mighty, rich and powerful of this world do not seem to think they need God as much as the poor and lowly. Everything about us is known to God and the great equalizer is that He understands our innermost drives and thoughts. Therefore He regards slave or owner, man and woman, the small and the great with equal regard. None are wholly destitute in the eyes of God, and often those who seem to have less really have more.”  From:https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/none-wholly-destitute

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Do You Really Know Our Creator God?

“Does God exist? If so, who and what is He? These questions are too important for blind belief or scoffing dismissal. You can know, and you can know God!

Since the beginning, in times of trouble, loneliness, worry or deep contemplation, men and women have pondered the deep questions of life. Why are we here? What does it all mean? Is all that we go through just meaningless and futile? Or is there something more—something just outside of our abilities to discover?

Throughout history people have contemplated the possibility of supernatural beings who hold the keys to the mysteries of life.

Is there a God? Can we prove that He exists? If God does exist, why did He create us? Why doesn’t our Creator God make Himself so obvious that no one could doubt Him? Is He hiding from us, and if so, why?

What is God like? What are Read More...

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Ten+ Commandments of Animal Parenthood

• • My life is likely to last 10 to 20 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.
  • Give me time to understand what you want from me. Do not break my spirit with your temper, though I will always forgive you. Your patience will teach me more effectively.
  • Please have me spayed or neutered.
  • Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for your kindness than mine.
  • Donʼt be angry with me for long, and donʼt lock me up as punishment. After all, you have your job, your friends, your entertainment, I only have you.
  • Speak to me often. Even if I donʼt understand your world, I understand your voice when itʼs speaking to me. Your voice is the sweetest sound I ever hear, as you must know by my enthusiasm whenever I hear your footsteps.
  • Take me in when itʼs cold and wet. Iʼm a domestic animal and am no longer accustomed to the bitter elements. I ask for little more than your gentle hands petting me. Keep my bowl filled with water.
  • Feed me good food so that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding. By your side, I stand ready, willing and able to share my life with you, for that is what I live for.
  • Remember that I can’t do a lot of things by myself and that I depend on you to make my life a quality life!
  • Donʼt hit me. Remember, I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
  • Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps Iʼm not getting the right food, Iʼve been out in the sun too long, or my heart may be getting weak.
  • Take care of me when I get old. For you will grow old, too.
  • When I am old, or when I no loner enjoy good health, please do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having fun. Just see to it that my trusting life is taken gently. And be with me on that difficult journey when itʼs time to say goodbye.
  • Never say, “I just canʼt bear to watch.” Everything is easier for me when you are there. I will leave this earth knowing with my last breath that my fate was always safest in your hands.
  • Iʼll never forget how well youʼve treated me.  I love you, human!
  • _________

Can Satan Deceive You? What's Behind Today's Gender Issues? Free Bible Study Course. Update.

Can Satan Deceive You?

“Just when I thought the streets of America might be settling down, another city burst into flames this week. Kenosha, Wisconsin has been experiencing riots and looting after the shooting of another black man by police. This summer of discontent seems to go on and on.  

Here is the thought that went through my mind:

“Just a few days before the shooting, did people plan to pour into the streets at first opportunity? Were they waiting for an excuse to riot? People who were going about life, were they preparing for this?”

I don’t think it went down that way—although I understand human nature, at times, is just a step away from anarchy.

The Bible says there is a prince of the power of the air, a spirit that works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). This describes the work of Satan the devil, the powerful spirit that works to thwart the purpose of God. It is this spirit presence—that most do not understand— that is behind all the evil in this world. Satan and his demonic forces must be understood as part of the story of violence that we see in the streets. How else can we explain the sudden eruption of such anger and its sustained spread night after night?

The blind hatred that you see among rioters is more than ideology. It is more than reaction against injustice. It is a spirit that works among the nations to incite violence. It must be understood. 
My colleague Gary Petty did a Beyond Today program, Satan’s Four Great Deceptions. I encourage you to watch this entire program right till the end. And order the free study guide “Is There A Devil?” It is time to understand this missing spiritual dimension in world affairs. As Gary says, “You may believe that Satan exists. But if you believe that he can’t influence you, you’re already deceived.” 

We are heading toward a new normal. Understanding how the world really works is essential intelligence.

Until next time,  Beyond Today - Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow”

From: Weekly Update -- Can Satan Deceive You?

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What's Behind Today's Gender Issues?

“A shocking story of a mother transitioning her boy into a girl brings us into God’s Word on this subject.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/MJQOO3w3B4Q

[Darris McNeely] “I’ve been doing research for an upcoming “Beyond Today” television program on our spiritual identity in contrast to the gender identity issues that are roiling through society today. And I ran across an article that kind of illustrates what’s going on in the broader culture today. The headline out of “The Christian Post” says, “Mother intent on gender transitioning eight-year-old son into a girl wins a sole medical decision-making power.” This is out of “The Christian Post.”

It goes on to show that a mother who’s attempting to gender transition her eight-year-old son into a girl has been awarded decision-making power regarding her son’s health care and schooling. “In the ongoing case of eight-year-old, James Younger, Dallas judge Mary brown canceled a hearing scheduled for Tuesday and removed his father, Jeffrey Younger, from having any say in his son’s medical, psychological, and psychiatric care. Instead, the Judge gave all decision making power to Dr. Anne Georgulas, a pediatrician and non-biological mother of James and his twin brother, Jude,” according to the report. Younger, the father, has been ordered by the court to pay for trans-affirming counseling sessions.

Now, this has raised a great deal of attention, focus, and even outcry across the nation from groups that are focused on and watching this particular situation. But it speaks to what is happening in our broader culture today in the gender wars and especially the intent of a parent to take an under-aged child and make the decision to trans them, to change their gender based on the sole desire of the parents.

Georgulas says… And the article goes on, “Georgulas has forced James, the boy, to live as Luna, a new name, in a school surrounded by teachers and therapists who do not acknowledge that he has said multiple times to multiple people that he wants to be a boy, and hates being forced to be a girl. Georgulas, the mother is not the biological mother, as he and his twin brother were conceived through the use of a donor egg and IVF reproductive technology.

And so here we have a young eight-year-old boy, being transed, being changed into a girl at the whim of the mother. The courts are involved, and in this case, turning sole control over to a mother, another chapter, if you will. And the ongoing gender wars of the LGBTQ community and issues whether it’s politics, sexual identity, and otherwise, in our society today, having the net effect of actually hiding from us our true identity, as the Bible affirms it in God.

Now for those of us with a biblical worldview, an article and a situation like this is very important to understand and to watch as to what is taking place. And as we view what the Scripture tells us, regarding God’s view of male and female, human beings being created in the image of God, male and female, according to what Genesis tells us, what Christ Himself reaffirmed in Matthew 19, it is very clear from the Scripture as to what are the genders, what are the intended roles and purposes. And God is very clear in that teaching.

Thinking about this and looking at it, it reminded me of the Scripture in Romans 1:24, where Paul describes his first-century world, but it has an application for our 21st-century world with this issue. As Paul describes, “A time where God gave also them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.” Paul describes here activities going on then that speak to today, unclean, unnatural activities that human beings wanted to have, God allowed it to dishonor their bodies among themselves.

The Bible shows us there is a creative order to humanity, to humankind, according to God’s will and purpose. Male and female created He them for a divine spiritual purpose. And when that is changed, when that is denied, as Paul is showing, it was taking place in the first century, we are dealing with a time and a culture that is turning its back ever-increasingly upon God. He goes on in verse 25 to say, “They exchange the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped, and served the creature, rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen.”

What it means is they serve the creation. They worship the creation. And really at the heart of what we’re seeing, even in the gender identity, the gender wars that are roiling across the culture of America in the Western world is a denial of the created natural order that God placed there and a worship of the creation over what God has intended. For those of us with a biblical worldview, it’s important to have this understanding from what God says, as we face these issues, seek to understand them, and certainly uphold biblical truth.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/whats-behind-todays-gender-issues

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Update.

Another week has scampered by, I just don’t know where it went.  The older you are, the faster they go !!

Apart from a doctor visit in the next town not much went on here.  The bus came, took me there and picked me up. The doctor now wants to do a barium x-ray on me. 

After a lot of research, I am pretty sure that my suspicions are right, my little old cat Evie has diabetes. This is why the previous owner told me not to feed her “no-grain’ food, or she will throw it up.  That is because it has more calories in it than grain food, and she can’t tolerate a lot of calories.  They also said they hoped she wouldn’t disturb me in the night.  Well, she gently touches my face about 2.00 am and now I know it is because she feels bad because of her blood sugar and needs to eat. Also her pee was so sticky that it wouldn’t clump the litter, but on her new lo-cal diet fed four times a day, that I have put her on, that seems to be a bit better.

If they had researched more they would have found out what was wrong with her and how to take care of her. And all this was caused by her being fed just dry food most of her life.  She had been handed down through several homes because of this behavior but now she is where she is going to stay.  I won’t throw her away like they did.  You are what you eat, and our pets are completely dependent on us for their correct nutrition. 

Evie sees the vet for tests next week, so I hope that I don’t have to give her insulin shots, but I am hoping that with her new diet of Wellness Core canned food, and real meat, that she will gradually get better.  It is expensive, but you have to pay for quality just like for people. Pay for the right good food now, or pay the doctors and hospitals later.

Speaking of hospitals, my daughter is now home from the rehab after her accident, and will have therapists coming in to help her exercise and get better.

Sherry and I studied this week’s lesson in the church’s Bible study book on Friday morning as usual, but I went to the church on my own because her granddaughter came to pick her up on Saturday.

Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught? Praying and Preying! Update.

Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught?

“People pray many different ways across the various denominations of Christianity. How do you pray? How did Jesus pray? What did Jesus say about prayer?

Most would agree that one of the basic elements of Christianity is prayer.

But when you survey the wide variety of forms of Christianity, you find that there are many different practices and ideas about prayer. Consider:

• Those who are Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox typically see prayer as the recitation of prewritten prayers. Roman Catholicism has hundreds of these prayers for people to recite in a variety of situations. For instance, there are specific prayers for Catholics to recite before and after meals, when dealing with depression, and in many other situations. Catholic and Orthodox traditions include the practice of praying to Mary, angels and saints as intercessors between God and man.
• In general, the Protestant world is less liturgical about prayers. There are many different forms of praying in Protestantism—from emotional prayers spoken from the pulpits of churches to prayer groups meeting together to pray about specific issues.

Though the way people pray varies within mainstream Christianity, all major branches frequently pray “the Lord’s Prayer” found in Matthew 6:9-13. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will pray the Lord’s Prayer many times throughout their lives because they believe that Jesus instructed His followers to pray this prayer verbatim.

But is this what Jesus Christ intended when He taught His disciples about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount? What did Jesus really teach about prayer?

What did Jesus say about prayer?

The Lord’s Prayer is found in the middle of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount—the heart and core of what genuine Christianity is all about. Christ broached the subject of prayer in a portion of the sermon that explains Christians should not flaunt their good deeds for everybody to see. He said that good deeds—giving to charitable causes, serving others, etc.—should be done “in secret” (Matthew 6:4).

He didn’t mean that we should be embarrassed about doing good, but that our motivation should be to do good because we are trying to please God and do the right thing. Our motivation should not be for other people to see us!

After making that important point, Christ transitioned to the topic of prayer. He gave a number of points that are very important for all Christians to understand—and that contradict many of the practices found in Christianity today.

Prayer is not for show

Jesus applied the same principle He made about good works to prayer: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men” (verse 5). In other words, we shouldn’t use prayer to show off our spirituality to others.

Pray in private

Instead of a public show, Jesus taught: “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (verse 6).

In order to build a strong relationship with our Creator, we need to spend daily, concentrated time praying to Him privately, one-on-one. Instead of praying publicly to be seen by others, prayer is to be done primarily in private. There is an important reason for this. Prayer is designed as a means of communication to “draw near to God” (James 4:8)—to deepen our personal relationship with Him. In order to build a strong relationship with our Creator, we need to spend daily, concentrated time praying to Him privately, one-on-one.

Jesus Christ didn’t just teach about this; it was a regular part of His life (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12).

(Note that there are times when praying in public is appropriate, such as at a family meal, church service, wedding or a funeral.)

Pray to the Father

Jesus was very clear that our prayers are directed to God the Father: “Pray to your Father who is in the secret place” (Matthew 6:6). Now that Jesus Christ is in heaven as the Mediator between God and man, we pray “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus said we can ask the Father for anything in His name (John 14:13-14).

Though Christ was very clear, it is amazing how many churches pray in ways that directly contradict this instruction. Prayers are not to be directed to angels, Mary or any saints!

Pray from the heart

Jesus made another clear statement that is widely ignored: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

Christ was referring to the pagan form of recitation and chanting prayers based on the idea that repeating a prayer will bring favor from God (or the gods). This form of repeating or chanting prewritten prayers is practiced extensively in the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

God doesn’t want prewritten prayers to be repeated over and over. This does nothing to fulfill the basic purpose of prayer, which is to develop a close, personal relationship with God.

If you do a study of the many prayers recorded in the Bible, you will notice that they are distinct, personal and heartfelt communication between the individual and God. Here are a few prayers that are helpful to study:

• 1 Samuel 1:11; 2:1-10: Hannah’s prayer requesting a child and her prayer of thanksgiving to God after He provided her a son named Samuel. 
• Psalm 51: David’s heartfelt prayer of repentance for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah the Hittite.
• 2 Kings 19:15-19: King Hezekiah’s prayer for God to deliver Judah from being conquered by Assyria.

To learn more about how to have real, meaningful prayers to God, read the article “Prayer From the Heart.”

Jesus Christ provides an outline for prayer

Then Jesus got more specific. He said, “In this manner, therefore, pray” (Matthew 6:9).

He then gave an example prayer that, sadly, has been misused by many in mainstream Christianity—in direct contradiction of His instruction in verse 7 to not use repetitious prayers! This is commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer” and is recited repetitively in many denominations.

But Christ did not give this prayer for us to repeat over and over.

So what was Christ teaching us in the so-called “Lord’s Prayer”? Essentially, Jesus was providing an outline to show the general structure and topics that should be included in our regular prayers to God. This outline would more accurately be called a model prayer.

Study the accompanying graphic to better understand what Christ was teaching through this example prayer.

God wants a deep, personal relationship with you. To build that relationship, you need to communicate with Him through prayer. In order for those prayers to be “effective” and “fervent” (James 5:16), we must allow Jesus Christ to teach us how to pray and remove traditions that contradict what He taught!

To learn more about the Bible’s teachings on prayer, read “How to Talk to God.”

View larger or download infographic PDF of Jesus' Model Prayer

Learn More About God

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Praying and Preying!

“Even during a crisis, our society cannot escape human nature.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/xN4fpdlm7R4

[Steve Myers] This is a time that we have to be careful about praying. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, there’s a couple of different kinds of praying. Certainly, right now, during this difficult time of all the health challenges that we face, we definitely want to be praying. We have to be a praying people. We should be praying for our families. We should be praying for our communities. We should be praying for our government leaders. We should be praying for the church. Absolutely, we should be a praying people.

But there’s another kind of praying that we’ve gotta be very careful about. And that’s this kind of praying. Yeah, believe it or not, during this time, there are those that are out there that are preying in this way. They’re preying on people. There is cyber criminals out there that are taking advantage of the Coronavirus. If you ever get an email that says, “Click here for a cure,” be careful, it’s probably a scam. If you get a text or an email that says, “Get your COVID-19 tax refund,” don’t do it. It is a scam. You’ve gotta be careful if you hear from the WHO, the World Health Organization, be careful. They don’t send out personal emails. That is probably a scam as well. And if you click on it, it’ll record every keystroke on your computer and they can steal your information. So, watch out. In fact, I’ve also heard about people that are going door-to-door. And they’re claiming to be able to come in and sanitize your home, so that you won’t be infected. That is a scam. They’ll come in and they’ll steal you blind. So, watch out.

What this reminds us of, these two kinds of praying, it reminds us that even during a crisis, there are people out there that cannot get away from their human nature. The Bible talks a lot about our human nature. A passage that specifically comes to mind for me is one that’s found in 1 John 2:16. It tells us about normal, everyday human way of thinking. It says, “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.” It is against God and there are those that are out there that would take advantage of you.

So, be careful. And of course, it’s a reminder for us, too. We need to be careful. Don’t be a hoarder. Don’t take advantage of others. Be selfless. Try to serve others during this difficult time. That’s the Godly thing to do.

So, let’s be sure we recognize the difference between praying and preying. And let’s be a people that’s praying to our God.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/praying-and-preying

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Update

Like everyone else who is ‘sheltering in place’ there isn’t much going on here.  My neighbor and I ventured to Tractor Supply, mostly to get some of the good pet food that they sell.  I had something to return anyway.  My neighbor has a sweet Westie, West Highland White dog, they look like a white Scottie. We have to go past our little Walmart to get there, so we went in, donned in masks and gloves. That seems to be everyone’s uniform these trying days.

Yes, I still have the cat that nearly died.  I am pretty sure that he has Feline Leukemia, among other things, but I want to give him some happy time as a beloved housecat before he gets too sick and has to be PTS.  He has lots of scars on all four legs where he must have gone through some awful trauma, but still has a very sweet personality. He finally realizes that he is going to be fed canned and dry food regularly, and doesn’t try to pry open the dry food bin anymore.  He had chewed through the bag when I got him, so I had to put it in a lidded pail. I have to mix canned pumpkin in with his canned food to help his digestion and elimination.  That works for people too.

Bible study was on Zoom, and I finally figured out how to make that work, but I didn’t know how to turn on my camera. When I was given this laptop, I was told to tape over the camera, so that “Big Brother Couldn’t Watch Me”, so had to take that off.  But that was OK, they didn’t need to see me.  The folks’ faces participating in the Bible study were so distorted anyway, their cameras didn’t do them justice.  I watched several church’s services on my computer, and spent more time watching them than I would have if I had gone to church.

Now we just have to do our best to help slow the curve, so that we can all live for a better day.

Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament. In The Wrong Place Twice. Your Pet's Food? Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament

Luke 24:44

"Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms designate the three sections of the Hebrew Scriptures we call the Old Testament.

The Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, make up a seamless, unified whole. Jesus Christ inspired hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that He later fulfilled through His birth, life and death. And there are many more prophecies that will be fulfilled in His second coming. The Old Testament actually revealed Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ then revealed the Father in the New Testament (Luke 10:22; John 14:6-11).

After His resurrection, Jesus “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Though much of the Bible is accessible and helpful on many levels, without God’s help we can’t fully comprehend the Scriptures. But with the help of God’s Spirit we can understand “the things of God” that are “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:11, 14).

For more about how God opens our understanding of the Bible, see our article “How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?”"

Web version: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ad9dd5f87b237fd19d9082492&id=6c1f3825b5&e=195dcbaebc

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In The Wrong Place Twice

An Amazing Fact: "A 29-year-old engineer for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, was on a business trip in Hiroshima, Japan, when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. On the morning of August 6, 1945, Yamaguchi was stepping off a streetcar when the atomic device, nicknamed “Little Boy,” detonated above Hiroshima. Yamaguchi said he was less than two miles away from ground zero when he saw the blinding flash of light. Then his eardrums ruptured and his upper torso was burned by the blast that followed. The explosion destroyed most of the city’s buildings and killed 80,000 people. Yamaguchi spent a painful night in a bomb shelter and the following day returned to his hometown of Nagasaki, 200 miles away.

By August 9, Yamaguchi made his way to his Nagasaki office, where he told his boss about the terrible Hiroshima blast. This was precisely when the second bomb, known as “Fat Man,” was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 people there. Yamaguchi said, “Suddenly the same white light filled the room. I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me from Hiroshima. I could have easily died on either of those days.” Yamaguchi became the only official survivor of both atomic blasts to hit Japan in World War II.

Six days after the Nagasaki attack, Japan surrendered. Yamaguchi recovered from his wounds, went to work for the American occupation forces, became a teacher, and eventually returned to work at Mitsubishi. He was in good health for most of his life, said his daughter; despite the double radiation exposure, he lived to be 93 years old.

 
The Bible talks about other cities that were wiped out by fire from heaven, but the witnesses were not so fortunate. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah, having “given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh” (Jude 1:7), were completely destroyed. Sadly, they turned away from the only Source of life.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS:- And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
- 2 Peter 2:6-9

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You Wouldn’t Eat This, So Are You Feeding It To Your Pets?!

"There has been a great deal of discussion over the contents of pet foods in the news, mostly due to the lawsuit between Nestle Purina and Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo prides itself on being a “natural” food, free of any by-products. However, Purina discovered that Blue Buffalo’s claims are not exactly what they say.

Here is a run-down of what you might be feeding your pet, and why it may be time to change your food.

You could potentially find a whole smorgasbord of ingredients in animal by-products, from the whacky to the plain disgusting, including

• Livers
• Heads
• Road kill
• Dead animals donated by zoos
• Intestines
• Brains
• Spleens
• Undeveloped eggs
• Livestock that died from disease
• Euthanized pets or shelter animals

Basically, then, animal by-products are what’s left of a slaughtered animal after the edible parts have been removed. And they can also include other…um…colorful ingredients.

Why does it matter? Well, chances are good that you wouldn’t want to eat food that could contain euthanized shelter animals. So why would you take a chance when feeding your pet?

“How do I avoid giving waste to my pet?”

Not all foods tacked with the label “by-product” are bad, and there’s an easy way to identify which ones are.

Carefully read the packaging of your pet’s food. Does it have any of these vague terms?

• “Meat meal”
• “Meat and bone meal”
• “Meat by-product meal”
• “Animal by-product meal”

If your pet’s food label doesn’t identify the type of meat it came from, stay away! As your mother may have told you when you were a kid, “You don’t know where that’s been!”

Alternatively, labels that identify the type of meat used (e.g. “chicken by-product meal” or “beef by-product meal”) are better options for your pet, although you should try to avoid any by-product in your pet’s food. The price is a bit higher, but the benefits are monumental.

By-products aren’t the only danger in pet food either. Over the past year we have seen numerous recalls due to illness and death in animals from contaminated food. Both of these practices can be stopped if enough voices are raised."

Read more at:   http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/warning-petfood-byproduct/

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★ Help Support Stronger Pet Food Regulations! ★

"Pet food has long been a source of worry for pet owners and health officials. Reports of salmonella contamination are frequent, and threaten not only animals eating the food but also the owners handling it. Nutritional deficiencies and toxins have been found in pet foods as well — including melamine, which caused a tragic loss of life in 2007. The FDA’s new proposal includes safety requirements similar to those in place for manufacturers of human food, ensuring that manufacturers are proactive in their efforts to keep pet food safe.

Help protect our pets from toxic food!!"

HELP NOW!

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Delayed Update because I had so many interruptions on Sunday:

Well, on Monday 17th because I made it to 80 years old my daughter surprised me with a visit.  She brought one of her dogs with her, the little one, Foxy, a very laid back and quiet MinPin.  That's very unusual for a MinPin!  Her other dog, Shep is 135 lb! 

 

Then Wendy took me to the dam on Lake Conroe because she wanted us to eat at a restaurant overlooking the water.  We ate some really good Mexican food at Fajita Jacks, and had a wonderful visit.

 

There is also a marina there and the Texas Children's Hospital has set up a fish feeding area. You get one of the cups, put a quarter in the machine and a handful of fish food comes out.  There is a circular fenced place open to the water in the middle of the pier, and these great big fish come to be fed. Lots of them as you can see.  Several species, but mostly carp.  They are not trapped in that circle, they just know to watch for people on the pier.

I bought myself this sign at a thrift shop, as it never seems to happen.  But then, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't working on something.

Tuesday, I went to the doctor for a follow-up from my hospital stay and her only prescription was "Drink More Water".

Still working on the guest house floor. James has been showing up most mornings.  He is doing the leveling and making sure that the floor joists are all in good shape.  He has also been insulating the water lines that are under the house as the new floor is not battened down yet. 

For a couple of days I couldn't use Jay, he was too hung over, but then he straightened up again and turned into a good worker.  We took out the bathroom shelf units and the floor is rotten there too.  Ray really let things leak around there.  So we also removed the vanity and toilet.  We will probably have to take down the walls and pull the shower so that we can put a continuous new plywood floor everywhere.  Then rebuild the walls on top of it.  This patching the floor here and there is just not logical.  I hope that I can see this finished soon, as I need to get back to selling stuff and getting my house ready to sell.

Jay wasn't well enough to go to church, but I took two dishes for the potluck, a tuna noodle casserole au gratin, and braised celery and onions. 

The Bible readings were Deut. 11:26-16:17, Isa 54:11-55:5, 1 John 4:1-6.  The Teaching was about the approaching God's Holy Days in the 7th month (September)   Tishrei is the first month of the Jewish civil year, but the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year.

Tuesday, Sept. 14th is the Feast of Trumpets. Day of Atonement is Thursday Sept. 24th. Then the biggie, the Feast of Tabernacles starts Tuesday 29th (it will be a High Day Sabbath) to Tuesday October 6th, (also a High Day Sabbath) Then the Eighth Day. 

So there will be several Holy Day Sabbaths in the middle of the week, just like there was one during that fateful Passover (some call it Easter) on the Thursday. This was the first annual Sabbath or high-day - the first day of Unleavened Bread, the day after Jesus died on the Wednesday, then there was the regular Sabbath on the Saturday and He was resurrected on the Sunday.  This was to fulfill "three days and three nights". 

Please also see timeline here: http://www.centuryone.com/crucifixion.html

The pastor's wife gave me the chicken carcass from the potluck, so I made bone broth and it will be used in several recipes during the next few days.

Days of Unleavened Bread. Easter Gets Scrapped in the End. What Would Christ Say To Us Now?

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Days of Unleavened Bread were kept by Paul and New Testament Church

Commanded in New Testament

   "And now we wish to show a NEW TESTAMENT COMMAND — more plain, more direct, than any we can find for the weekly Sabbath — to keep these annual HOLY DAYS!
  

Observe again Numbers 28:16-17: "...IN the fourteenth day of the first month is the PASSOVER of the Lord. And IN the fifteenth day of this month is the FEAST: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten."
  

This FEAST was not the 14th, but the 15th. It was the PASSOVER, when the LAMB was killed, the 14th. The daylight part of the 14th was the PREPARATION for the FEAST. (Mat-thew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14.) (NOTE, in Jesus' day the Jews celebrated their Passover one day late according to the tradition of the elders — John 18:28.)
  

Let us get this point thoroughly established in our minds, for if this is true, as it is, THEN ALL OF THESE DAYS ARE STILL BINDING UPON US BY NEW TESTAMENT as well as Old Testament AUTHORITY!
  

Notice Matthew 26:5: The Jews, conspiring to kill Jesus, said: "...Not on the FEAST DAY, lest there be an uproar among the people." They hastened so they could take and kill Him the day before the feast, or on the 14th Nisan.
Mark 14:2 says the same thing. Now to establish that the Feast day was the day after the Passover Festival, and that it was the high-day Sabbath — the day AFTER Jesus was crucified, notice John 13:29: "For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag — was treasurer  -- that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the FEAST..." This was at the Passover supper. They thought Jesus was sending Judas out to buy provisions to prepare for the FEAST. Surely this proved the FEAST was the following day — the 15th Nisan, as all these scriptures positively affirm.
   Now let us examine carefully I Corinthians 5:7-8……..

   "It is faithfully recorded in the New Testament that, during the period its history covers, the Church was keeping those days!
  

  In Acts 20:6, "...we sailed away from Philippi AFTER THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD..." Paul and companions plainly had observed the Days of Unleavened Bread at Philippi. The Holy Spirit could never have inspired such words otherwise.

  Notice also Acts 12:3-4: "... Then were the days of unleavened bread... intending after PASSOVER [see Greek] to bring him forth to the people." Could the Holy Spirit have inspired the direct affirmation, "Then WERE the days of unleavened bread" if those days had, in God's sight; ceased to exist?

Painting by English artist Margaret Tarrant, 1888-1959.
It illustrates the nature of the coming rule of Messiah.

Notice, it is not any blinded Judaizers, ignorant of what was abolished, making this statement — it is Almighty God saying it through inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This was YEARS after the crucifixion. The Days of Unleavened Bread still existed, or the Holy Spirit could not have inspired "Then WERE the days of unleavened bread." From: http://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getmagazine&InfoID=1374675569#.VSrYySvAtSg

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THE FIRST AND THE SEVENTH DAYS OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
THESE ARE CONSECRATED HIGH HOLY DAYS OR SABBATHS.

"Christians today are only just beginning to get a handle on this matter of the weekly Sabbath and the "high day" Sabbaths, the holy days. Many are beginning to see the vital importance of this as a blood covenant matter. 

Unfortunately they have been led to believe the standard medieval Christian teaching that the seventh day Sabbath is just a Jewish Saturday worship tradition and merely a matter of "the Law of Moses" which should no longer concern us as Christians. In this they are not being given the Biblical truth.

This matter of certain holy days being referred to in scripture as a Sabbath is most important. Christians for the most part, even Biblical Christians are unaware of the importance of these special "high" days and that a Sabbath, a day sanctified and set aside for rest and for devotion to God, can be any day of the week. During the passion year the first day of Unleavened Bread, a Sabbath, happened to come on a Friday. Christians are still kept under an ecclesiastical fog about this. They think a Sabbath must always be the weekly Sabbath, a Saturday. But the fourth commandment also applies to these holy consecrated feast day Sabbaths as well.

"Remember the Sabbath day,
            and keep it holy". - Exodus 20:8

The fourth commandment still stands. It was a statute given for as long as there are people on this earth. These Old Covenant matters are still important, even though the Church departed from them after the Neo-Platonist allegorizations of holy Scripture by Origen in the third century, the Church going to bed with the Roman Caesar Constantine at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and the anti-Throne of David (anti-Semitic) Replacement theology spawned by Augustine."

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Spoiler Alert: Easter Gets Scrapped in the End

"Easter is one of the most important days in modern Christianity. But this holiday is nowhere mentioned in the Bible. Does it meet God’s standard of worship?

I’ll be blunt.

If you believe that the Bible is truly the inspired and inerrant Word of God, then you should think twice about keeping Easter ever again.

And by thinking twice, I mean study the Bible to see just what God’s standard is for how we worship Him.

(Spoiler alert: This may affect your Easter plans next year.)

The problem with Easter

Actually, there is more than just one problem with Easter. The holiday’s incorporation of pagan symbols is one problem. Another reason to not observe this day is its obvious contradiction of the words of Jesus Christ, who stated that He would be entombed for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). Easter and Good Friday disagree with Christ’s words by portraying His entombment as one day and two nights. To learn more about this issue, read “Sign of Jonah: Did Jesus Die Good Friday, Rise on Easter?”

The root of the problem with Easter is the idea that God gave men authority to add to or adapt His standards of worship.  But at the root of it all, the problem with Easter is the idea that God gave authority to men to add to or adapt His standards of worship.

It’s a historical fact that Catholic leaders adopted Easter (and other holidays) in the third and fourth centuries A.D. to differentiate Christian worship from Jewish worship and to appeal to the pagan masses to convert to Catholicism. To learn more of this history, read “Origin of Easter.”

But what’s the problem with that?

The bottom line is that only God has authority to establish His law, which defines the way He desires to be worshipped and obeyed. That law does not, indeed cannot, change without God’s say-so. Where did God declare that the holy days He established were superseded by holidays devised by men?

Nowhere!!" 

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/blog/spoiler-alert-easter-gets-scrapped-in-the-end/ by Jedd Cole 

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Seven Last Sayings of Jesus

"All of Christ’s teachings were powerful words of life. But His seven last sayings as He died for us are worthy of intense consideration. They should change our lives.

[From the March/April 2014 issue of Discern.]

"Had you stood in the crowd that day watching Jesus die, you would have heard Him utter seven astounding statements. Remarkable words, not only due to His duress, but because of the deep meaning they conveyed. And in these seven last statements of Christ we find a lasting example of how we must also think and live!

What would Christ say to us now?"

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-jesus/seven-last-sayings-of-jesus/ by Clyde Kilough

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Update:

Where did this week go?  Ray had to leave again, and I was volunteered to feed his three cats, as his son was also away.  

A new arrival: I have a new foster-cat, "Phoebe".  She is 17 years old, a tabby with a very long tail, and very skinny.  Her previous Mom was put in a nursing home, and Phoebe couldn't go with her.  Phoebe drinks and drinks water, then pees and pees, and eats and eats, but doesn't put on any weight, so she is going to the vet on Thursday.  She was fed dry food all of her life and that is what damages cat's kidneys.  I have her on canned food now, (the good kind with NO by-products)  so hopefully she will improve.

She is very sweet and purrs every time I go near her, but she stays mostly in the 'cave' in the four storey kitty condo that is in my bathroom.  She has ventured out into the living room, and one time even into the garage.  But that cave is her sanctuary and she feels safe there.  She is very cautious, as she is declawed (how cruel) and isn't able to defend herself.  She makes little growly hisses when she sees Nala, my other foster cat, or BabyGirl my foster dog.  I think she is trying to sound macho. Fortunately, she hasn't developed the habit of biting, that many declawed cats have.

Jay did manage to get away from his disabled mother on Wednesday, so we went shopping.  Not much at the thrift shops, but I did snag a white purse for me, and a nice children's Bible.  It will make a good gift.

Ray didn't go to church as he was visiting with his son, and Jay had to stay with his disabled mother. For the potluck, I made Quinoa and Pine Nuts, http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-toasted-pine-nuts  and also small white lima beans, because I didn't have any red ones!   http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/red-beans-quinoa/ .   I had intended to mix them together, but took them in two little crock pots, so people could mix them if they wanted to. Some folks had never had quinoa, (!!) so it gave them the chance to taste it by itself.  It disappeared quicker than the beans.

Of course, there was no leavened bread, or anything with yeast or baking soda in it.  Several people had made unleavened bread with wheat and/or white flour.  Some were really crispy and some were softer, all a matter of choice. 

The Bible readings were Psa. 111, 112, Exo. 14:15-26, Num. 28:16-25, 2 Sam. 22:1-51, and 1 Cor. 5:6,  Mostly about the traditions behind the Passover and Unleavened Bread.

The Teaching was about Amalek, Esau's grandson, who gave the Israelites a lot of grief until the Simeonites finally defeated the Amalekites, and they became a dispossessed people.

"The Defeat of Amalek

While the Jews were still in Rephidim, the Amalekites, a mightily and fierce people, descendants of Esau, and well-trained in the art of warfare, suddenly attacked the people of Israel. It was an unprovoked and cowardly attack upon a tired and weary people, just liberated from slavery, on the way to their homeland.

Moses put his disciple Joshua in charge of the troops who were to fight against the Amalekites. Then Moses, together with his brother Aaron and nephew Hut, went up to a hill, to pray for God's help in the battle. The battle lasted a whole day until the Amalekites were finally defeated and routed. God ordered Moses to record the treacherous attack of the Amalekites for everlasting memory. Together with this memory went an oath to wipe the Amalekites -- the incarnation of all evil -- off the face of the earth. There could be no peace between Israel and Amalek for all time to come."

The potluck was plentiful, even though there were several visitors.  Everyone had a great time chatting and eating in the dining hall.  As my foster dog was enjoying some playtime at a nearby ranch, I was able to stay and help the pastor's wife clear up after the meal.  She is a very sweet old lady, and never complains about how much work it is to feed the congregation each Sabbath.  It is a privilege to help her as much as I can, before and after the potluck.

Oh! Jay and I got the hedge clipped, before it started raining again today!

"Inversions." Four Gifts You May Not Want … but Absolutely Need! A Ruthless Terrorist.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

But first this:

What Are "Inversions," and Why Should You Care?

"President Obama is heading to Los Angeles Trade Technical College, where he's calling for a kind of "economic patriotism" that's based on investing in the things that we know grow the economy for everyone (like education and job training) — not protecting wasteful loopholes for a few at the top.

And he's calling attention to one kind of corporate merger deal in particular — called an "inversion" — a word you might be seeing in a lot of news headlines lately.

It's not the most intuitive name for a corporate tax loophole, so we're going to break it down for you.

Q: So what exactly is an "inversion"?

A corporate "inversion" is what happens when a U.S.-based multinational with operations in other countries restructures itself so that the U.S. "parent" is replaced by a foreign corporation — and usually one that's in a country with a lower tax rate than the United States. As a result, on the whole, this means that corporate income tax that would otherwise be paid to the United States ends up going overseas."  More at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/07/24/what-are-inversions-and-why-should-you-care?

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Four Gifts You May Not Want … but Absolutely Need!

"Everyone likes to receive a gift. But what about the gifts you’ve been receiving all along and didn’t appreciate? How can we make the most of them?

Why is it that some people seem to rise above difficult circumstances, while others get stuck? Many factors go into making or breaking a person. But consider this: everyone has challenges that arise throughout his or her lifetime. But instead of viewing these challenges totally negatively, we can view these things as gifts.

How we view these gifts, though, and how we respond to them, will shape our lives forever.

The gift of adversity

Hard times are a universal part of life; there’s no way to avoid them. Just as we push our body through tests of endurance to see what it can handle, our personal character is also revealed through adversity. We come to see ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, when life is at its hardest. If we welcome tough times because we understand that they are a necessary part of learning, then we handle them differently.

The Bible teaches us that we can “count it all joy” when we face the adversity of trials, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).

The gift of suffering

Adversity often brings with it some form of suffering. Our attitude, however, plays an important role in how it will shape us. If we feel that life has treated us unfairly and allow seeds of frustration to put down roots, then resentment, anger and bitterness will be the final result.

Consider these words in 1 Peter 2:19-20: “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”

When we suffer because of a poor choice we made, we can consider what to do differently next time and patiently endure the painful consequences. But if we suffer wrongfully, we need not dwell on the unfairness of it.   Learn the lesson and move forward.

The gift of hard work

We could all accomplish great things, if they didn’t require so much effort! Unfortunately, too many of us don’t want to work for things; we want what we want, but only if it comes easily. Yet have you noticed that we often don’t place as much value on things that have been given to us freely? It is only through applying ourselves wholeheartedly to a task that we gain the benefits that come from it.

Read our article “Hard Work” for a biblical perspective on a proper work ethic.

The gift of failure

So you’ve tried and failed—now what? Do you throw up your hands and declare it a waste of time? Or do you look for the opportunity hidden within that setback? Success rarely occurs without first failing, often many times! In fact, the sooner you fail, the faster you get to figure out what you’ve done wrong, correct it, and try again.

Consider those who are known for their successes and how many times they tried before achieving that success: the Wright brothers, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates and Walt Disney (just to name a few).

There is much to be gained from experiencing these four gifts. Here are only three of the numerous benefits that can result:

1. Resiliency

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. Imagine a rubber band for a moment. Its very purpose is to be stretched and pulled out of shape.

Consider the story of Joseph. He was a young man who was badly treated by his older brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused of sexual assault and then thrown into prison for several years. What happened after that is a beautiful example of how a person can reach beyond his own painful experiences to make a positive impact on others. Joseph demonstrated incredible resiliency in all he went through. Read Genesis 37-45!

We, too, are often stretched out of our comfort zones by situations that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable and even painful. But we need not be broken by these situations. We can be elastic—we can recover!

2. Compassion

Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of others, coupled with a desire to help. It involves action. If, in our suffering, we turn inward and ruminate on “Why me?” then we miss the opportunity to make a positive difference for someone else.

Joseph was also an excellent example of compassion. Not only did he have concern for all those who would be affected adversely by an approaching famine (Genesis 41:34-36) but also on his brothers who were the cause of his suffering (45:15; 50:19-21).

3. Contentment

We talk a lot about wanting to be happy. Happiness is a short-term feeling that often relies on things not fully in our control. For example, we may say, “I’ll be happy when I have a new job” or “if only I had someone who truly loved me.”

Contentment, however, doesn’t depend on future events; it is satisfied with the here and now.

The apostle Paul understood this. “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Philippians 4:11-12, English Standard Version)

Do you long to come out of your current circumstances a better person? These four gifts—adversity, suffering, hard work and failure—are what you need to grow to your fullest potential.

There are no shortcuts, so don’t look for them! Instead, embrace life’s trials and challenges as the opportunities that they truly are.

To learn more about how to deal with the problems we all encounter in life, read our article “Coping With Anxiety.”  From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/blog/four-gifts-you-may-not-want-but-absolutely-need/  By Debbie Pierce.

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Paul explains racism quite clearly:

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:27-29).

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A Ruthless Terrorist

An Amazing Fact: "In the next 24 hours a ruthless terrorist will be responsible for nearly … … half of all the homicides in North America. … half of all the people who will die on the highways. … half of all the people who will be admitted to the hospital. … half of all the people who will incarcerated in jail or prison. … half of all the people who will be involved in domestic violence. … half of all the nation’s birth defects.

His chemical attacks will cause untold misery and sorrow to thousands of families. Sadly, the government is looking the other way because this terrorist is paying them hush money. Worse still, even many professed Christians are defending and harboring this cold-hearted terrorist. Who is this deadly villain who is devastating our homes and nation?

Alcohol is the one responsible for all this hardship and tragedy. God wants us to have healthy, happy lives, and He has repeatedly warned us against alcoholic beverages. The Bible says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).

Samson’s mother was warned not to drink wine or similar products, because her yet unborn son was to be set aside in service to God. Similarly, John the Baptist was set aside for a special purpose. When he was conceived, his father was told, “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink” (Luke 1:15).

The same guidelines apply to us because we’ve all been set aside for a special purpose. We’ve all been chosen by God as ambassadors for Christ. Only in soberness can we reflect Jesus’ love to others.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." - Proverbs 23:29-32

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Update:

Not much happened this week, but everybody seemed to be busy and it went by quickly.  I took Jay to town to cash his check on Thursday, and took another neighbor the next day to cash hers.  I made sure that she bought pet food, tea and coffee as she has been cadging off me for the last two weeks.  All these folk have more money coming in than I do, but they are broke in a few days.  But they will drive to the store every day for cigarettes at over $5 a pack, and wonder why they are broke.  I make my little pension last, and even when I did smoke, I didn't spend much on them.

I listed some 'Lots of 100 Aloe Vera plants' for sale, and some sold, so I have been getting them ready to ship.  That still leaves me with at least 1,000!!

Now that I am fostering a large dog, I try to take her 'walkies' whenever I can.  I drove her down to the lake to run free in the field there, but she just wanted to get back in the car.  Maybe she thought that I was going to dump her.

I am supposed to get another foster cat.  Apparently, 8 years ago I fostered little "Lovie" and her 2 siblings for 25 days. I just don't remember them, and I know that I didn't name them.  She is being returned by her adoptive parents, they don't want her anymore.  It took them long enough to find that out!  But thankfully they are returning her to us, as per their SPCA adoption contract.  We will make sure that she has a good home again.

My little Siamese rescue, "Purrcy", who was taken to be on display in our Cat Habitat at Petco, has been adopted. They have got a live one there!!  He is a very busy little cat, and makes beautiful doilies out of a roll of toilet paper if he gets bored.

I still have 2 foster cats here, Giovanni and Nala.

Neither Ray nor Jay went to church yesterday, both had medical issues.  I made a red potato salad with celery, red onion, Greek yogurt, spices and cranberries for the potluck. The cranberries turned it pink, so it looked more like dessert. 

The Bible readings were Numbers 19-22:1, and Judges 11:1-33.  The talk was about How The Apostles Preached.  It was pointed out that in nearly all their sermons they mentioned Christ's suffering and then then his resurrection.  That was the message the Apostles were trying to get across, the resurrection then, and ours in the future.

It has been great to have the luxury of a few cooler days.