#christians — Public Fediverse posts

In Texas, the GOP wants teachers to hang up the 10 commandments in every classroom.

It is just funny to see how Talarico shows the hypocrisy of Republican legislators in mandating that.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z42mmYnIacc

#Talarico #GOP #Hypocricy #10Commandments #Christians

"Israel declared Taybeh, the last Christian town in the West Bank, a military zone, as local Christians cry out to the world for justice.

What is going on in Taybeh is very serious. For the last three years, settlers have attacked the villages near the settlements and burned the olive trees and the fields belonging to the Palestinians.

These settlers want to terrorize the people to flee and leave their homes. If they control the city, they could delete the long Christian history of this place."

https://aleteia.org/2026/08/27/west-bank-priest-begs-the-world-for-justice/
#westbank #palestine #christians #settlers #zionism

#religion #usa #foundingfathers #christians #athiests #constitution #separationofchurchandstate

"The Forward compiled and reviewed video of 10 #pageants in the #US since 2020 that feature a #Jewish character named “zhyd,” “Moshko” or “Chaim,” and sometimes his wife, usually named Sarah. All were posted to social media, in many cases by the #churches themselves.

The pageants mix and match a few motifs, all showing these two #Jews in a negative light as they try to lure #Christians to commit sin. Some tempt the faithful with goods, loans or liquor. Some mock believers for worshipping #Christ; curse Christians; summon and collude with the #devil, or betray baby #Jesus to #KingHerod, who is seeking to kill him.

Most of the #actors playing the zhyd role wore what look to be #peyos, the sidelocks traditionally worn by #Orthodox #Jews. In one instance, the character wore an exaggerated #fakenose.

The Forward located photos from an additional eight pageants for which video is not publicly available that show actors with what appear to be peyos or a fake nose."

https://forward.com/news/839093/ukrainian-catholic-church-verteps-jewish-villains/

One of Israel’s strongest alliances in an age of rising antisemitism

At a time of rising anti-Israel sentiment, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism, it is worth asking why nearly 800 million…
#NewsBeep #News #BreakingNews #America #antisemitism #Antizionism #breakingnews #Christianity #christians #Evangelical #evangelicalsupportforisrael #Israel #israelandchristianity #Jesus #Passover
https://www.newsbeep.com/639557/

Christians joining forces to push #Labour on #Palestine

Visiting the #WestBank earlier this year & hearing harrowing stories of #Israeli #occupation, Revd Slaney said there wasn’t a conversation he had with #Palestinian #Christians where he didn’t weep

So affected was #Methodist minister by #Israel’s “insidious undermining of people”, he returned with others in Christian community motivated to make a difference

https://www.thenational.scot/news/26232119.christians-joining-forces-push-labour-palestine/

#WarCrimes #CrimesAgainstHumanity #terrorism

𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐕 100 𝐁𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌|𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐖

https://youtube.com/live/YrFJwbMSrC0?is=QTEXwBG0asNNznPr

First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, a Presbyterian Church USA congregation (e.g., https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/who-we-are/social-witness), had a presence at #NoKings event in Monterey. Photos courtesy of Elaine Cole.

Solar-powered, bike-friendly FPC-MRY (fpcmonterey.org) is our home church of 36 years. Its Jay Bartow Memorial Garden is a peaceful rest stop near downtown: https://bikemonterey.org/rest-stop-tip-jay-bartow-memorial-garden-monterey.html

#PalmSunday #NoKingsMonterey #Presbyterian #Christian #Christians #WWJD #WhatWouldJesusDo

Samaritanism

Samaritanism is an Abrahamic monotheistic, ethnic religion. It comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, & legal traditions of the Samaritan people.

Often preferring to be called Israelite Samaritans, who originated from the Hebrews & Israelites. They began to emerge as a relatively distinct group after the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire during the Iron Age. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the 4th, & penultimate, stage of ancient Assyrian history.

Central to their continuity as an Indigenous Heritage in the Holy Land is keeping the Patriarchal & Mosaic covenant as specified in the Samaritan Torah. Samaritans believe this is the original & unchanged version of the Pentateuch (which is the first 5 books of the Hebrew & Christian bible) since Moses & the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

The Abisha Scroll is traditionally held by the community to be the oldest existing scroll written by Abisha, son of Aaron the priest, around 3,000 years ago based on living tradition. However, Jewish & Christian theologians have made attempts to dispute this claim which proved unsatisfactory.

Judaism claims Samaritanism developed right alongside their own religion. Samaritanism asserts itself as the true preserved form of the monotheistic faith that the Israelites kept under Moses. Samaritan belief also holds that the Israelites’ original holy site was Mount Gerizim, near Nablus, the State of Palestine (West Bank).

They also believe that Jerusalem only attained importance under Israelite dissenters who had followed Eli (In the Book of Samuel, Eli was a priest & judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh) to the city of Shiloh.

The Israelites who remained at Mount Gerizim would become the Samaritans in the Kingdom of Judah. Mount Gerizim is revered by Samaritans as the location where the Binding of Isaac occurred. In comparison to the Jewish belief that it occurred at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Today there are only about 900 registered communal members. This puts Samaritanism as 1 of the smallest ethnoreligious groups globally in the Abrahamic faiths. Samaritans believe that this is a prophecy fulfilled from the scriptures: “You’ll be left few in number.”

Though they hope for a future time when a prophet like Moses known as the “Taheb” (Restorer) will perform 3 signs, namely the jar of manna, the staff of Moses, & Cherubim, or the Golden Candlestick.

This time period they believe is when an era of Divine Favor would return, & the hidden tabernacle of Moses would miraculously be revealed for the Israelite people & Mount Gerizim is restored to its former glory.

Samaritans trace their history, as a separate entity, to a period soon after the Israelites’ arrival into the “Promised Land.” Samaritan historiography traces the schism to High Priest Eli leaving Mount Gerizim, where stood the 1st Israelite altar in Canaan, & building a competing altar in nearby Shiloh.

The dissenting group of Israelites who followed Eli to Shiloh would be the ones who, in later years, would head south to settle in Jerusalem (the Jews). Whereas the Israelites who stayed on Mount Gerizim, in Samaria, would become known as the Samaritans.

Genetic studies in 2004 suggest that Samaritans’ lineages trace back to a common ancestor with Jews in the paternally-inherited Jewish high priesthood (Cohanim) temporally near to the period of the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel. They’re probably descendants of the historical Israelite population. The Cohanim refers to the Jewish priestly class, male descendants of Aaron the priest.

The Hasmonean king, John Hyrcanus, destroyed the Mount Gerizim Temple & brought Samaria under his control around 120 BCE. This led to a long-lasting sense of mutual hostility between the Jews & Samaritans.

From this point, the Samaritans likely sought to consciously distance themselves from their Judean brethren. Both peoples came to see the Samaritan faith as a religion distinct from Judaism. By the time of Jesus, Samaritans & Jews deeply disparaged one another, as shown by Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The main beliefs of Samaritanism are:

• There’s 1 God, Yahweh, the same God recognized by the Jewish prophets.
• The Torah is the only true holy book & was given by God to Moses. The Torah was created before the creation of the world & whoever believes in it is assured a part in the world to come. The Torah’s status in Samaritanism as the only holy book causes them to reject the Oral Torah, the Talmud, & all the prophets & scriptures, except for a version of the Book of Joshua (which they don’t hold as Scripture), whose book in the Samaritan community is significantly different from the Book of Joshua in the Jewish “Bible.” Moses is considered to be the last of the line of prophets.
• Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, is the 1 true sanctuary chosen by God. The Samaritans don’t recognize the sanctity of Jerusalem & don’t recognize the Temple Mount, claiming instead that Mount Gerizim was the place where the Binding of Isaac took place.
• The Apocalypse, called “the day of vengeance,” will be the end of days. When an entity called the Taheb (basically the Jewish Messiah equal) that comes from the tribe of Joseph will come, be a prophet like Moses for 40 years & bring about the return of all the Israelites, following which the dead will be resurrected. The Tahib will then discover the tent of Moses’ Tabernacle on Mount Gerizim, & will be buried next to Joseph when he dies.

The Samaritans have retained the institution of a high priesthood & the practice of slaughtering & eating lambs on Passover Eve. They celebrated Pesach, Shavuot, & Sukkot. But they use a different method from that used in mainstream Judaism in order to determine the dates annually.

For example, Yom Teru’ah (the biblical name for Rosh Hashanah), at the beginning of Tishrei (This is the 1st month of the civil year & the 7th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar.), isn’t considered a New Year as it is in Rabbinic Judaism.

Their Sabbath is observed weekly by the Samaritan community every week from Friday to Saturday, beginning & ending at sundown. For 24 hours, the families gather together to celebrate the rest day: all electricity with the exception of minimal lighting (kept on the entire day) in the house is disconnected, no work is done, & neither cooking nor driving is allowed.

The time is devoted to worship which consists of 7 prayer services, reading the weekly Torah portion, spending quality time with family, taking meals, rest & sleep, & visiting other members of the community.

Passover is particularly important in the Samaritan community, climaxing with the sacrifice of up to 40 sheep.

The Counting of the Omar remains relatively unchanged. The Counting of the Omar is a ritual in Judaism that consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover & Shavuot. However, the week before Shavuot is a unique festival celebrating the continued commitment Samaritanism has maintained since the time of Moses.

During Sukkot, the Sukkah (the temporary hut built for use during Sukkot) is built INSIDE of houses, instead of OUTSIDE like mainstream Judaism. This Samaritan tradition is traced back to the persecution of the Samaritans during the Byzantine Empire.

The roof of the Samaritan Sukkah is decorated with citrus fruits & branches of palm, myrtle, & willow trees. This is in accordance with the Samaritan interpretation of the 4 species designated in the Torah for the holiday. The 4 species are 4 plants (the etrog, lulav, hadass, & aravah) mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

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#120BCE #4Species #Aaron #Abisha #AbishaScroll #AbrahamicFaiths #AncientAssyria #Apoclypse #Aravah #BindingOfIsaac #BookOfJoshua #BookOfSamuel #ByzantineEmpire #Canaan #Cherubim #Christians #CitrusFruits #Cohanim #CountingOfTheOmar #Eli #Etrog #GoldenCandlestick #Hadass #Hasmonean #HebrewCalendar #Hebrews #HighPriestEli #HighPriesthood #IndigenousPeoples #IronAge #IsraeliteSamaritans #Israelites #Jerusalem #Jesus #Jewish #JewishProphets #Jews #Joseph #Judah #KingJohnHyrcanus #KingdomOfIsrael #Lulav #Manna #Messiah #MosaicCovenant #Moses #MountGerizim #MountSinai #Myrtle #Nablus #NeoAssyrianEmpire #OralTorah #Palestine #ParableOfTheGoodSamaritan #Passover #PatriarchalCovenant #Pentateuch #Priest #PromisedLand #RabbinicJudaism #RoshHashanah #Sabbath #SamaritanTorah #Samaritanism #Shavuot #Shiloh #StaffOfMoses #Sukkah #Sukkot #Tabernacle #Taheb #Talmud #TempleMount #Tishrei #Torah #WestBank #Willow #Yahweh #YomTeruAh

6 #Myths That Most #Christians Still Believe!

For centuries, #churches have repeated the same #doctrines, #sermons, and #traditions—yet many of them aren’t found in the #Bible at all. In this video, we reveal six powerful myths that most Christians still believe, even though #scripture and #history tell a very different story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE6nuzQMHGg

#ChristianityExposed #JesusMyth #BiblicalTruth #ChristianityDebate #BibleSecrets #FaithAndHistory #ChurchMyths #TrinityDebunked #HellMyth

Why Does #Paul Use So Many #Sports Metaphors?

#Jesus #Christianity #BibleStudy

Why does the #ApostlePaul talk so much about running races, boxing, and winning wreaths? In this episode, we explore Paul’s love of #athletic imagery—known as the #Agonmotif—and why it resonated so strongly in the #ancientworld. We’ll even see how early #Christians picked up on this theme—like the famous commemorative spoon that depicts Paul himself as an athlete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO7aKZn634M

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oh3elQQ_9qI&si=WiRSpzxnUT62B9BX I am not a fan of conspiracy theories. That said, the #EpiscopalChurch seems like an obvious target for #ChristianNationalists We are accepting, affirming, & are #AllAboutLove In other words, we are #Christians & strive to follow Jesus. Which is why I’m attending today’s #EpiscopalAdvocacyDay at my state #Legislature As #BishopBudde points out: it is #TimetobeBrave & #ActionsMatter #WordsMatter #WeMatter & we will not go quiet into the looming national night the current regime wants to force upon us

My youngest, who died of non-#COVID natural causes, was a #Satanist. He didn't sacrifice animals or anything. He just thought that #god was acting like some modern-day #Christians who ask, "What would #Jesus do?" #WWJD and then, when someone does it, is all. "Not Like That!" God gives everyone #FreeWill, and when #LucIfer dares to actually /use/ it...

My view on the topic of #god and #religion:

The existence of #evil demonstrates that the omni-omni god(s) cannot exist.

I love how philosophers describe it as, "The Problem of evil." I mean, yes, evil is a problem, but not for the reasons they say it is.

The existence of god(s) is metaphorical. In coding, god(s) would be the #else condition. Anything that is not known, understood, and explainable by a person, or people as a whole, can be explained by postulating god(s). Because people want to know #Why. And asking why starts as soon as a child can communicate.

It's like how the #Greeks had to answer why #planets appear to sometimes move beckwards. They didn't know (and couldn't know) the real reason for retrograde motion because they were absolutely certain that the planets orbited around Earth. They invented epicycles, little circles planets made that caused them to appear to be going backwards. God(s) get invented the same way.

Which is why there is often #religious tension around #science. Because science is a #system for figuring things out, it sometimes figures out that previous answers for Why questions turn out to be wrong. This why Galileo was tortured. He publicly stated that the Greeks were wrong about retrograde motion.

#Religion happens when a person/group leverages collective #ignorance for personal/group gain.

"Bystanders who are not anti-LGBTQ+ zealots but are frightened of the state and its most aggressive partners – for example, in online spaces – will do what bystanders do. They will try not to get in the way, try not to attract negative attention, will keep quiet."

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Trump #BishopBudde #ChristianNationalism #authoritarianism
/11

"Looking again at the Nazi years, we have much evidence that can help us think ahead to worst-case scenarios and scenarios just less than worst case.

We can anticipate that reactionary majority-church Christians will applaud all kinds of steps that could be taken to set back LGBTQ+ dignity and rights. Ater all, that’s what many of these groups have been pressing for over many years time."

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Trump #BishopBudde #ChristianNationalism #authoritarianism #LGBTQ
/10

"If a politician comes along at just the right moment and says – I stand with you, I will restore you to the status quo ante, I will overturn the changes you do not like – it seems to be the most natural thing in the world for these reactionary Christian populations to be all about such politicians."

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Trump #BishopBudde #ChristianNationalism #authoritarianism
/9

Let’s call this version of Christianity reactionary authoritarian majority-culture Christianity. It has emerged in similar forms on several continents – beginning with Europe – and many countries."

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Trump #BishopBudde #ChristianNationalism #authoritarianism
/8

"This is an opportune moment to offer the sad observation that a significant chunk of the German Christian community fully or almost fully embraced the Nazi traditional values program in the early 1930s, and a similarly large chunk in our land today endorses the reactionary traditional values program of the state and new federal governments that I am speaking about."

~ David Gushee

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Trump #BishopBudde #Bonhoeffer #ChristianNationalism
/7

https://davidpgushee.substack.com/p/the-moment-we-have-been-preparing

Pastors and priests whose sermons were considered in any way critical of the Nazi regime were reported to the authorities by people sitting in church to listen, to spy, to report.

If you Americans think we are not there now in our own time and place, if we think this could only have happened in Germany in the 1930s, then we're not seeing what's going on in our country now — with Christians leading the charge.

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Catholic #Protestant #Trump #BishopBudde #Bonhoeffer
/6

Bonhoeffer stated, by the way, that in the time he spent at Union Seminary in New York, he found the Black church in the US alive, spiritually profound, biblically faithful — but he found the white Christian churches in the US the opposite. He took back to Germany the inspiration he received from the Black church in the US and that was one of his guiding lights as he spoke out against the Nazis.

#Hitler #Nazis #Christians #Catholic #Protestant #Trump #BishopBudde #Bonhoeffer
/5

Something many Americans choose not to know about the Nazi period in Germany:

Hitler rose to power with the strong support of large numbers of German Christian leaders. Hitler came to power in a nation that was 95% Christian (63% Lutheran, 32% Catholic).

#Hitler #Nazis #churches #Christians #Catholic #Protestant #Trump #BishopBudde
/2

Peace Dove....Without words...

ART https://fineartamerica.com/featured/peace-dove-black-and-white-art-two-sharon-cummings.html

#dove #doves #peace #peaceful #peaceandlove #peaceonearth #art #artist #artists #artwork #colorful #blackandwhite #blackandwhiteart #christian #christianity #christians #bird #birds #christmas #christmaseve #christmasart #christmasdecor #xmas #happyholidays #merrychristmas #flower #flowers #floral #gardening #christmasjoy #christmascard #christmascards #greetingcards #fedigiftshop #SharonCummingsArt

@slcw This is one of the things about this world that makes NO sense to me. Why on earth ANY person of color would support #Trump or the #Republicans totally escapes me. What those so-called #Christians did to that child is indicative of how they will treat all persons of color if the #Christofascists gain power.

This is just a preview of #ChristianNationalism , and the sleeping #news #media rarely reports on it the way they should. If most of today's mainstream media were watchdogs, they'd be sleeping under the steps while the burglers steal all the valuables and then vandalize and set fire to the house! #bigotry #ChristianBigotry

Alert DM 60 days in advance, let police assess ‘real intention’: Chhattisgarh prepares Bill to regulate conversion

Chhattisgarh conversion Bill: While the draft is ready, sources said some amendments could be made before it is finally presented in the Vidhan Sabha.

#chhattisgarh #AntiConversionLaw #conversions #ReligiousFreedom #BJPStates #minorities #christians #dalits #adivasis #india

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-prepares-conversion-bill-dm-to-be-alerted-cops-to-assess-motive-9167172/

Feminist icons or violent vigilantes? The contentious role of Meira Paibis in Manipur’s conflict

Celebrated for long as the torchbearers of Manipur, Meitei women groups now stand accused of blocking the army and egging on violence against Kuki-Zo women.

#manipur #ManipurViolence #ManipurRapes #MeiraPaibis #meiteis #kukis #KukiZos #ViolenceAgainstWomen #MeiteiNationalism #christians #majoritarianism #india

https://scroll.in/article/1053761/feminist-icons-or-violent-vigilantes-the-contentious-role-of-meira-paibis-in-manipurs-conflict

President #JoeBiden assails the “stunning #hypocrisy “ of #Republicans for their rejection of his #StudentDebtRelief plan, while most of them sought and pocketed much larger #PPPloans for their own ‘small business’. 👉 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-student-loans-ruling_n_649f08c0e4b0c7e9d8e726bb

What can we expect from self-proclaimed ‘#Christians ‘ who idolize the thrice-married, poly-bigoted, liar and multi-indicted charlatan who says ‘#TwoCorinthians ‘ is his favorite Bible chapter? 😂

#Ugandan #church waged #rebellion against #tradition – today’s #homophobic #views are at odds with #history.

But since when have Ugandan #Christians sought to uphold the “#sanctity of the #family”? These are #buzzwords drawn from #America’s #culturewars

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Uganda #Religion #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Genocide #Discrimination #Transphobia #EmptyThePews #ChristianDarkMoney #ExportingHate

https://theconversation.com/ugandan-church-waged-rebellion-against-tradition-todays-homophobic-views-are-at-odds-with-history-207260

Today’s thought “Death by being taken captive” (May 15)

Today’s thought

“Death by being taken captive”

(May 15)

In the previous posting we looked at a “death” and spoke about Saul of Tarsus seeing the stoning of apostle Stephen.

At the beginning of this contemporary time table, we find several people who were willing to face death by stoning, like Stephen, or in the arena or at the stake, by hanging or burning, after being humiliated in front of many. The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of the witness, although it is known from ancient writers (e.g. Josephus) and from the New Testament that witnesses often died for their testimonies.

For Christians there is the archetypal martyr Jesus Christ, who was killed for the words he said and for the position he was taking in. That Nazarene Jewish teacher was not willing to give in to human philosophy and preferred only to keep the the words of his heavenly Father, the Only One True God. He also did not mind to give his body for the sins of many. He had to suffer greatly because of his religious but also political beliefs, preaching understanding between all people, but also preaching a kingdom that would be governing all over the world. He became admired and respected by billions of people who came to share those beliefs.

Several people found the sayings of that curious man, who could deliver miracles, very interesting, and thought it worth following him. But as soon that it seemed they had to do certain things, “doing works” and could not participate any more in folk traditions,  they choose to go back to their old way of living, enjoying life like it was.

Also the convert Saul saw that many, who first wanted to follow the teaching of Christ Jesus, felt attracted by very tempting doctrines of certain preachers. This did not prevent Paul from warning them. He wrote in his letter to the Colossians

8 Beware lest there be anyone of you taken captive through philosophical tevunah (wisdom) and empty deceit according to the kabbalah (oral tradition) of mere Bnei Adam, according to the ikkarim (basic principles) of the Olam Hazeh and not according to Moshiach; (Kehillah in Colossae 2:8 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

Today we still see a lot of people who are taken captive by philosophic arguments and empty deceit according to human tradition.
When Jesus was alive, he too wondered why so many kept going against the command of God because of their tradition. All those people who were showing off how much they loved God, and how much they could give to the synagogue, were “undressed” by the words of Christ who showed others the importance of those who honour God in small things and sometimes unseen or at the site (out of the way). He watched all those play-actors and remembered them of the prophet Isaiah who had the right words for them in his prophecy, declaring their worship which they offered to be in vain, because they taught, as law, mere human precepts.

3 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, in reply to them, said, Why [do] also you transgress the mitzvat Hashem for the sake of your own masoros?

4 For Hashem has said, KABED ES AVICHA VES IMMECHA (honor your father and your mother, Shemot 20:12; Devarim 5:16), and MKALEL AVIV VIMMO MOT YUMAT (the one cursing his father and mother to die he must die, Shemot 21:17; Vayikra 20:9).

5 But you say, Whoever says to his abba or his em, whatever support you might have had from me, [it is] a gift [i.e., korban, dedicated to G-d].

6 By no means does [anyone who says this] honor his abba or em. And you nullify the Dvar Hashem on account of your masoros.

7 You tzevuim, well did Yeshayah give a dvar hanevuah concerning you, saying,

8 YAAN KI NIGASH HAAM HAZEH BEFIV UVISHFATAV KI-BDUNI VLIBO RICHAK MIMENI VATEHI YIRATAM OTI MITZVAT ANASHIM MELUMADAH (This people with their lips honor me, but their heart is far away from me,

9 and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the mitzvot of [mere] men, Yeshayah 29:13.) (Mattityahu 15:3-9 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

In Roman times many statues where made of gods and people loved kneeling down in front of statues. In later years many Christians also started doing such things, bowing down in front of statues, paintings and burning incense or candles in front of these graven images or on graves. They, like many today, have forgotten that creating things to observe and keep do not make us more righteous – indeed they have the opposite effect – they can make us self-righteous.

Lots of people seem to forget the many verses in the Bible  which emphasise how we should be careful how to honour people and to whom we only may offer worship. The infallible Word of God is very clear on that, that there may only be worshipped One God of gods.

Not man’s words should be cherished, but the Words of God. Man has even to set those Words on their hearts and they should not be a futile thing for us, because we should know that the words of man perish, but God’s Word always shall stay alive and shall be the giver of life.

Man should know that the Word of God is like a rock. It is also perfect and in all its ways right.  It is given by some One of Whom we may be sure that He is really true and faithful, good and honest.

4 He is the Tzur, His po’al is tamim; for all His ways are mishpat; El Emunah and without avel (iniquity), tzaddik and yashar is He. (Devarim 32:4 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

7 Remember the yemot olam, consider shenot dor v’dor: ask Avicha, and he will show thee; thy zekenim, and they will tell thee. (Devarim 32:7 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

We have the Book of books which tells us about the days of the past. We should think about what happened so long ago. If we do not know it we should ask our ancestors or our spiritual leaders, so that they will tell.

Today we face the many countries, because there had come division between the haughty ones who wanted to build a tower high in the sky to defy God. But from all those people God choose one particular nation as His People, the Nation of God.

8 When HaElyon divided to the Goyim their nachalah, when He separated the Bnei Adam, He set the gevulot (borders) of the people according to the number of the Bnei Yisroel.

9 For Hashem’s chelek is His people; Ya’akov is the chevel (allotment) of His nachalah.

10 He found him in an eretz midbar, and in a barren and howling wilderness; He encircled him, He granted him discernment, He preserved him as the pupil of His eye. (Devarim 32:8-10 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

But though they knew they where the chosen ones, they more than once angered God.

18 Of the Tzur that fathered thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten El that formed thee.

19 And when Hashem saw it, He spurned them, because of the provoking of His banim, and of His banot.

20 And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very perverse generation, banim in whom is no faithfulness.

21 They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is lo El (not G-d), they have provoked Me to anger with their vanities; and I will move them to jealousy with those which are lo Am (a nonpeople); I will provoke them to anger with a goy naval (foolish, senseless nation) [Ro 10:19].

22 For an eish is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest Sheol, and shall devour Eretz and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of harim.

23 I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend Mine khitzim (arrows) upon them.

24 They shall be burned with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction; I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the venom of serpents of the aphar (dust).

25 The cherev without, and terror within, shall destroy both the bochur and the betulah, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

26 I said, I will dash them in pieces, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men;

27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should misinterpret, and lest they should say, Our hand is triumphant, and Hashem hath not done all this.

28 For they are a goy (nation) void of sense, neither is there any seichel in them.

29 O that they were wise, that they had seichel, that they would consider their acharit (latter end, future)!

  (Devarim 32:18-29 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

Those living in the 21st century should recognise how those Chosen Ones suffered more than once and how even certain people tried to destroy them totally, not taking into account that God always would be with them. Even a Holocaust made them not perish from the earth. Death may have come over them but lots of them kept going strong and after many wars always found the way back to the Most High Elohim.

But the patience of God came to a point where the goyim also where called to become part of those God was willing to accept in His Kingdom. Though each of those non-Jews shall have to decide themselves if they want to be part of that Kingdom and step over the “death of this world”.

For the period where God shall make an end to the power of the adversary of God, Jehovah God has given the world His only begotten son, Jeshua (Jesus Christ) the authority to judge the living and the dead. People will have to know that when they die it is too late to make a choice. Before that time they shall have to have made up their mind. When in their lifetime they kept preferring to love all those saints, martyrs, and many gods, the Only One True God shall in a certain way laugh at them, seeing that their power shall be gone and that they are all helpless.

36 For Hashem shall judge His people, and relent for His avadim, when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none left, slave or free.

37 And He shall say, Where are their elohim, their tzur in whom they trusted,

38 Which did eat the fat of their zevakhim (sacrifices), and drank the yayin of their nesakhim (drink offerings)? Let them rise up and help you, and be your shelter. (Devarim 32:36-38 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

Yes we may not forget that there is only One Who Is The Supreme Being or I Am that Is, The One and Only One God! When taken by death, for many, it shall be too late, to see at last, that there is no other God! Then, when Jesus returns and shall come to judge them, they shall realise that it is Jehovah Who put people to death and Who let people live.

39 See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no elohim besides Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.

40 For I lift up My hand to Shomayim, and say, Chai Anochi L’Olam (I live forever).

41 If I sharpen My glittering cherev, and Mine hand take hold on mishpat; I will render nakam (vengeance) to Mine enemies, and will reward them that hate Me.

42 I will make Mine khitzim (arrows) drunk with dahm, and My cherev shall devour basar; and that with the dahm of the slain and of the captives, from the head of leaders of the foe.

(Devarim 32:39-42 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

In our life we encounter many who try to make us afraid, want to hurt us or even threaten us with the worst. They should know that no one can save another person from the Power of God!

When we look at the past we can see that all the promises God made became a reality, except the few ones which still have to happen. But we may be sure also these things will happen!

26 For when we intentionally commit chet b’yad ramah [“wilful sin with a high hand of defiance” Bamidbar 15:30] after having received the full da’as of HaEmes, there remains no longer a korban for chattoteinu, (Yehudim in Moshiach 10:26 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

Therefore we should be very alert not to fall in the trap of the adversary of God, who every day tries to catch a lover of God, as an easy pray.

It may be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but when falling in the hands of the worldly people, there shall be no place in His Kingdom.When reading the bible regularly one should come to understand that we should know the importance of God’s Word and the sent one from Him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

When having received Christ Jesus, we should walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. So let yourself be careful that no man comes to spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Always be aware of the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.

2 For I want you to have da’as of how great a ma’avak (struggle) I have for you and the ones in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen me panim el panim (directly, in person),

2 That their levavot may be given chozek (strength), having been made an aguda of ahavah and all osher (wealth) of the full assurance of binah, resulting in the da’as of the raz of Hashem, namely Moshiach,

3 In whom is nistar (hidden) all the otzarot (treasures) of chochmah and da’as. [YESHAYAH 11:2; YIRMEYAH 23:5]

4 This I say so that no one may delude you with the sleight of hand of the ba’al melitzot (rhetorician).

5 For, though absent in basar, but present with you in the Ruach Hakodesh, with lev same’ach (glad heart) I am seeing your order and the firmness of your [Orthodox Jewish] emunah in Moshiach.

6 Therefore, as you became mekabel Moshiach and received Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, so let your halichah be in Him,

7 Having been rooted and built up in Moshiach and being firmly founded in the emunah as you were given Messianic [orthodox] lernen [study], abounding in hodayah.

8 Beware lest there be anyone of you taken captive through philosophical tevunah (wisdom) and empty deceit according to the kabbalah (oral tradition) of mere Bnei Adam, according to the ikkarim (basic principles) of the Olam Hazeh and not according to Moshiach;

9 Because in Moshiach kol melo Elohim (all the plentitude of G-d) finds its bodily maon laShechinah (dwelling place for the Shechinah).

10 And you have been granted melo (plentitude) in Moshiach, who is the Rosh of all rule and authority.

11 In Moshiach also you were circumcised with a Bris Milah not made with human hands, a Bris Milah of the surgically removing of the body of the basar (old fallen and unregenerate nature) in the Bris Milah of Moshiach,

12 Having been buried in the Ohel of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach’s tevilah with him, with whom also you were made to stand up spiritually in the Techiyah together through your emunah and bitachon in the ma’aseh of Hashem who made Moshiach stand up from the Mesim. (Kehillah in Colossae 2:1-12 Orthodox Jewish Bible)

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Preceding articles

Today’s thought “Ability to see that God is not dead” (May 12)

Today’s thought “Ability to circumcise your heart” (May 13)

Death

Why are you persecuting me?

May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way

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Additional reading

1. Hello America and atheists
2. Solipsism
3. Blaming their circumstances for what they are
4. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
5. The inspiring divine spark
6. Knowing where to go to
7. Eternity depends upon this short time on earth
8. Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
9. Foundation to go the distance
10. Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #2
11. Preferring to be a Christian
12. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
13. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
14. Not making yourselves abominable
15. Not following the tradition of man
16. Leaders in disguise

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Further reading

1. There Is No Dark, You Are Missing Out The Light!
2. When everything goes wrong…
3. Something Missing in Your Life?
4. Acts 7 – The Martyr
5. What happened to the 12 disciples of Jesus ? How did they die and where?
6. The Living Martyr
7. Faithful to the End
8. Memorial of St. Athanasius
9. Martyrdom and the French Revolution
10. 15 Martyr Saints Who Teach Us How to Carry The Cross With Jesus
11. My Lost Paradise…
12. Come and join us
13. Redeeming The Colosseum
14. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
15. Deceit Fills Hearts That Are Plotting Evil
16. SOAP Journal – 15 May 2017 (Deuteronomy 13:6-9)
17. The Power of Truth
18. Pope Francis’ teachings on how to conquer hatred
19. Pope Francis: Russian Needs to Defend Christians
20. Will Christianity Perish in Its Birthplace?
21. Beware of Motivational Preachers
22. I’m not Brave
23. Living for God
24. Why Don’t We Care About the Slaughter of Christians?
25. And God Said, “Okay. My List Is Full. No More…”
26. Mornings at the Mission: The Patient Compassion of God
27. Choose Milk as the Lord is Gracious
28. Where To Draw The Line?
29. A day of reckoning

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• Saul, Paul, Jackman and film

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