Y.E.S. I am equating them and for a very good reason. It’s all about the world power structure. Those who have authority cause others to bear the burden of society. The strong tell the weak what to do and who they are. This goes to legal authority as well as social structures and family structures.
This is what Jesus came to set people free of this power system. From someone’s parents telling them they are no good, from a homeless or minority person that no one will give a job to, to the criminal who believes crime is the only way for them.
Scripture predicts a false church that is very popular. I would tend to agree that mainstream christianity is NOT approved of by Yah. Now, there are a few elements in mainstream christianity that Yah would approve of, according to scripture, but so much is ignored and so much is added in, its a far cry from scripture indicates is pleasing to Him.
Yah can work with anything though, and so sometimes mainstream christianity is used to reach people.
In the end, most mainstream christians are more devoted to doing things their way than the bible way–for instance, try telling them they should lose the christmas trees, and point to what the prophet Jeremiah wrote, and they’ll completely ignore it in favor of their invented doctrine that christmas trees honor christ. How can you honor a man with something contrary to his views? It’s like naming an aircraft carrier after a pacifist who doesn’t approve of aircraft carriers.
I thought he came to tell weak people they should turn the other cheek and resist not evil, forgiving strong folks their trespasses in between rendering unto Caesar?
Jesus does recognize the Pauline churches in Revelation and wants to work with them, so I would not say these are the false ones (though Thyatira was pretty much borderline). In my claim was these churches were Jesus + Paul together with Paul dieing out at which time the religion dies and there is just the relationship between God and man.
As such I dislike the Christianity is the false church take on it, but place it with the all things are working for the good.
I’d say it’s what’s in your heart. To me the Christmas tree is a vision of the beauty to come in nature.
I dislike the ‘don’t celebrate this event’ line of thinking as believe God wants us to celebrate Him, His creation and Him in each of us, which allows all celebrations.
Yes, it is trust in the authority in Heaven which is above all earthly authority to set injustices right. The OT states that many times, though there is usually a time delay which we don’t like (see Habakku).
Re. the religious stuff, have you ever considered that to someone outside your religious worldview you sound the same as a zealot of any other religion? Listen to an Imam interpreting the world via Mohammed, Allah and the Koran, or a Hindu Guru seeing things as the will of Vishnu and Rama: that’s what you sound like to me. What would those examples sound like to you?
The warnings of the prophets not to mix your worship with pagan elements goes unheeded. Israel was taken into captivity for their repeated transgression in this area. it is true that Yah wants us to celebrate Him, His creation and Him min each of us, and therefore he wants us to avoid all these trappings of other gods and worship him alone. I imagine some of the Hebrews who engaged in pagan practices also had the same excuse; it does not matter where I got this practice from, because I have Yah in my heart.
If you have Yah in your heart, don’t you love Him enough to obey the warnings of the prophets and refuse to mix your worship with pagan elements?
Did not Jesus share His very flesh and blood with a devil (Jn 6:70)?
Yes there is a time to set oneself apart, but the reason that Jesus came to this world was to combine with it, all it’s sin, so it may be purified and saved.
The OT system was one of isolation + preservation and when violate the Israelites lost, the NT one seemed to go out, to include and eventually have the Lord win. With that win I believe is the ability to enjoy the conquests of the victory Jesus gave to us, including celebrations and to take away the penalty as He endured it for us.
Wouldn’t be the only passage. There are whole sections of the Bible that sound like porn, besides the obvious Song of Solomon. There’s something in there metaphoring Israel as engaging in bestiality, with explicit mention of donkey and horse genitalia and semen.
Nope. I am unable to think of any. But I certainly believe that the TPTB at the SDMB should send this God of yours a courtesy Mod-Mug right quick. And a blood sacrifice.
