Who needs prayer?

That is the question, Who should Christians pray for and why?

Our enemies

Jesus says this in the Sermon on the Mount:

"5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Our enemies are in need for salvation, repentance and need Jesus to in order to be saved and covered by his blood. They are not enemies for the sake of being such, they are enemies because of the fact that they are under Satan's heel and need to be set free.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ

As Christians, we will face many adversities and adversaries that will get us to compromise our beliefs and get us to fall or in some instances, have caused us to fall and need to recover again.

Christians who are truly in Christ will suffer in one way or another, be it large or small and even hated by people for Jesus' name's sake (Mark 13:13, Matthew 10:22, Luke 21:17). This would include the following:

1. Christians in other countries: What I mean are Christians who are abroad and in zones where the fight against Christianity is thickest, especially impoverished areas where there is a totalitarian government that is pulling the strings. Christians may end up being attacked and killed so they will need protection. This includes Christians who are attacked indiscriminately even when they have done nothing wrong.
2. Christians at work: In the workplace, Christians will be under pressure to do things that may be detestable in God's sight, thus Christians need prayer that they have the grace to refuse to do evil, even if it cost's them their job. Hopefully the best case scenario is that you'll be respected for holding to good moral principles.
3. Christians in our own nations: This is especially so considering countries that have hatred towards the Gospel, including America and Britain, both of which spew venom at God every single day. 

Our apologists, ministers and elders

They definitely require our pray and attention if they are biblical Christians in the faith, namely to never give in and that they may continue helping and and strengthening Christians in the biblical faith, especially when those who are not in Christ seek to undermine the faith. They are there to strengthen us so that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15). Elders are there to hold us accountable and encourage us to live holy lives, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2), exegeting the scriptures to their audience.

It is NOT just the apologists, ministers and elders who need to defend the faith, WE ALL have to defend the faith, the three groups of men are needed to strengthen us.

Our friends and family

Same as above if they are not in Christ. If they are in Christ and brothers in the faith, they will need protection so that they will not fall.

Our leaders and governors

"2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth."

One of the many things we could pray for with respect to our leaders would be protection from those who desire their lives. It is also worth praying for them to make the right and good decisions for our country, albeit godly ones for our countries. If there are Christian politicians, then they could be the Christian equivalent of Daniel that they would influence the decisions of the nations without falling into the idolatry and immorality of a pagan and secular nation. So we also need to pray for them to be a great light for the glory of Christ in the political world.

The poor, sick and afflicted

I should think this is obvious. We are to be hearers and doers of the world, thus it logically entails that we do good to them AND pray for them to be saved or if the Lord Wills, be free from the ailment that they have.

The heretics

This would also count as praying for our enemies and witnessing to a heretic is very important, as long as fellowship with them is not exercised lest we be guilty of supporting their wicked works (2 John 11). 

Ignatius of Antioch demonstrated a perfect attitude to how we should see the false teachers as well in his letter to the Smyrnaeans:

"Chapter IV.-Beware of These Heretics.

I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that ye also hold the same opinions [as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from those beasts in the shape of men, whom you must not only not receive, but, if it be possible, not even meet with; only you must pray to God for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance, which, however, will be very difficult. Yet Jesus Christ, who is our true life, has the power of [effecting] this. But if these things were done by our Lord only in appearance, then am I also only in appearance bound. And why have I also surrendered myself to death, to fire, to the sword, to the wild beasts? But, [in fact, ] he who is near to the sword is near to God; he that is among the wild beasts is in company with God; provided only he be so m the name of Jesus Christ. I undergo all these things that I may suffer together with Him, He who became a perfect man inwardly strengthening me.

I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that ye also hold the same opinions [as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from these beasts in the shape of men, from whom you must not only turn away, but even flee from them. Only you must pray for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance. For if the Lord were in the body in appearance only, and were crucified in appearance only, then am I also bound in appearance only. And why have I also surrendered myself to death, to fire, to the sword, to the wild beasts? But, [in fact, ] I endure all things for Christ, not in appearance only, but in reality, that I may suffer together with Him, while He Himself inwardly strengthens me; for of myself I have no such ability."

Some may perceive it unkind or hurtful to refer to people as "wild beasts" or "vile" or such a similar set of terminology, there is a biblical allowance for such language. See my previous article on this issue: http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/harsh-words-and-differences-among-them.html

To further expand on that issue, Ignatius encourages the congregation to pray for the salvation of the heretics, so that they maybe saved.

Let us pray for all.

Answering Judaism.

What Biblical marriage is

Before the fall occured, God established marriage, the union between a man and a woman that binds them together eternally.

This goes back to Genesis 2
"18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for[e] him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed[f] every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam[g] there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made[h] into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”[i]
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

I won't be going into detail as to whether or not someone should be celibate as this is won't be relevant, but the clear point made is that a man and a woman are complimentary, they fit together and join as one both in body and spirit.

However, when the fall occurred, marriage was ruined and destroyed. Marriage is filled with strife, with the woman seeking to dominate her husband and the man being ungracious and merciless to his wife. Not only this but also divorce had settled in which was not what God had intended. Deuteronomy 24 tells us what a man was to do in the Torah if he divorced his wife:

"Deuteronomy 24:1“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, 2 and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, 3 and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance."

The law here prohibits a man (and woman) from remarrying their former spouse if they are divorced and the spouse in question has gone after another and if they have another divorce on dies, the former spouse may not take their original love back, for it would defile them in doing so. Divorce was not part of God's original plan.

The Pharisees appealed to this passage when speaking with Jesus on the issue of marriage and Jesus, taking them to the scriptures went back to Genesis 2:
"Matthew 19:4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”"

Jesus takes the Pharisees back to the beginning of the TANAKH or the Old Testament to tell us what marriage was intended to be, one man and one woman together for life.

Yes I know there were times in the Old Testament where polygamy was present, but again, that was not God's original intention and like divorce as explained by Jesus, it was a concession for human stubbornness.

To give one example, look what happened when Solomon had multiple wives (Though in this case, he did marry both Jew and Gentile alike):

"11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods."

The many wives, specifically the Gentile women lead Solomon AWAY from YHWH and presumably mislead the Jewish women too. An interesting principle would be conflict among the wives, in this case, it would be ideology.

If it was Jewish only or someone from the same ethnic background whether they are Jewish or not, there is the risk of loving one of your wives more than the other. We see this in the marriage of Jacob.

"Genesis 29:30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,[c] for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[d] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[e] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.[f] Then she ceased bearing."

Leah wasn't given the attention that she wanted as Jacob was more in love with Rachel. Leah ended up being blessed by God with more children, to which Rachel said the following:
"Genesis 30 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf,[a] that even I may have children[b] through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.[c] 7 Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings[d] I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.[e]"

Rachel is envious of Leah bearing more children that she, So much so that she tells Jacob to sleep with her maid servant and when Leah could not bear children, she compelled Jacob to do the same thing:
"9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad.[f] 12 Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.[g]"

So much for polygamy being God's intention. Even Deuteronomy 17 tells us that kings that God sets over us shouldn't have many wives:

"Deuteronomy 17:14 “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold."

It is true that David had multiple wives, but it doesn't give us a licence to have multiple wives ourselves, not to mention Jacob, David and Solomon and many others paid the price for having many wives.

As pointed out in Matthew 19, Jesus tells us what was the intention for marriage, which prevents polygamy and adultery and yes even homosexuality being a remote possibility.

See the following article on the subject of homosexuality:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/does-bible-condemn-homosexuality.html

See also some other articles if you are interested on the subject:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/does-bible-condemn-homosexuality-2.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/does-bible-condemn-homosexuality-3.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/quick-response-to-craig-d-on.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/quick-response-to-craig-d-on_15.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/backfiring-shotgun-silly-case-for.html

See also this paper on Christian Swingers:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.com/2015/05/christian-swingers-is-there-such-thing.html

Paul even reaffirms this point about marriage and what God intends it to be in 1 Corinthians 7:
"7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."

See also the following paper on 1 Corinthians 7:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/1-corinthians-7-does-it-teach-polygamy.html

If the Lord Wills, more may be added here. Thanks for reading.

Answering Judaism.

Sola Scriptura: Excerpt from James White and Steven Anderson talk

It is a late posting this but I typed out and quoted from James White and Steven Anderson, specifically on what Sola Scriptura is and interpretation. This can be found in their discussion on YouTube but here is part of it typed out for your reading.

White: Here's my question, If the Masoretic and Septuagintal texts have an issue here, upon what basis do you just simply say Well I go with what with the KJV said, because of your feeling?

Anderson: No but see, It's not like it's just a feeling. What is it is that when I read the King James Bible, the passage actually makes sense, and it's actually consistent with the rest of scripture. When I read 1 Samuel 13:1 in the NIV, it contradicts scripture because it says for example that he reigned for 42 years.

White: It makes sense? To you?

Anderson: Well, who else...

(talking over one another briefly)

Anderson: Here's the thing, there's me and the Holy Spirit right? So who else am I supposed to be going to, I thought it was just me and the Holy Spirit and we figure out what the truth is because he's gonna guide me into all truth, he's gonna teach me of all things I don't need that any man teach me I mean..

White: Is that really?

Anderson: You keep telling me that I'm my own final authority but the Holy Spirit and I are making decisions, I don't know how else to make decisions.

White: Aren't you standing in front of people on the Lord's Day morning explaining the Bible to them?

Anderson: Right I preach the Bible.

White: So it's not just them and the Holy Spirit is it?

Anderson: I don't understand what you mean because when they hear my preaching they are supposed to judge. The Bible commands them to judge my preaching and the Holy Spirit's gonna allow them to judge my preaching.

White: The point is that level of subjectivity is an imbalanced view, God has given us the church, he has given us elders, he's given us the proclamation, the very central act of worship of God's people when they gather together it's a proclamation of his truth and his word.

Anderson: But at the end of the day, If you're looking at the Bible and you've got the Holy Spirit and you're looking at the Bible and it's contradicting what all the elders in your church are saying, aren't you gonna go with the Bible Sola Scriptura?

White: That's not what Sola Scriptura means.

Anderson: Ok what does it mean?

White: Sola Scriptura means the scriptures are the sole infalliable rule of faith for the church. Sola Scriptura has NEVER meant you and me alone.

Anderson: So you are gonna let the church override your personal view?

White: No, But that has nothing to do with Sola Scriptura, Sola Scriptura is the sufficiency of the scriptures, it functions as the sole rule of faith.

end

So much for the claim that Sola Scriptura is "You and the Holy Spirit under a tree".

It is important to know what Sola Scriptura actually is lest you be lead astray.

Answering Judaism.

Cheating on G-d with Jesus? A response to Daily Minyan

I came across an article with respect to Jesus and an analogy that has been used and it is an interesting analogy to use to give to people to show how God feels when you are following another. While I disagree with the article claiming that the worship of Jesus is cheating on God, it's still has an interesting analogy to use. You can find the article in question here: https://dailyminyan.com/2014/10/01/cheating-on-g-d-with-jesus/

Let us take a look:
"The other day I have went out to lunch with an old Christian friend of mine. He already knew about my return to Judaism and wanted to talk about my life and especially what led me out of Christianity (a.k.a. “Messianic Judaism”). He told me that he’s not going to attempt to talk me out of it. As I was relaying to him all of the reasons and happenings, he listened very intently, shocked not so much at my choice, but rather from all the things he was hearing, as if for the very first time. As I quoted the Hebrew Bible to him and compared it with the New Testament, he acquired a worried look on his face. As I brought up the biblical verses, one after another, where G-d over and over said to Israelites that He was not a man, that He can’t ever die, that we are not to place our trust in other human beings for our salvation, that we are to love Him above all else, that there’s no one next to G-d, he was actually shocked about the possibility that worshiping Jesus is in fact idolatry. He had so many questions.
I met him again, a few weeks later. He told me that he cannot stop thinking about what I said and that my words have turned his world upside down. I remember telling him one analogy to help him grasp the enormity of the sin of idolatry that Christians commit by focusing their affections on Jesus, a mortal human being, above all else, betraying their Maker:"

and then the analogy in question:

" You are a married man. Imagine coming home one day and finding your wife, the one you love so dearly, passionately embracing and kissing another man, a stranger neither you or your wife ever met before. Angry, shocked and dismayed, you approach your wife (still in the arms of that other man) and ask for an explanation of what clearly looks like a betrayal of marriage vows and trust. “What is this?!”, you shout.

She slowly turns her head to you (still locked in the tight embrace) and tells you matter-of-factly and with a smile: “Honey, don’t worry about it! This is not what it appears. You see, this man is a good man that I can trust. He is a trustworthy man who would never do anything wrong. This is not adultery! In fact, this man told me that you were the one who sent him to me – he represents you! Don’t you remember? He told me that when I speak to him affectionately, when I hug and kiss him, when I am intimate with him, when I love him more than anyone else, that it was as if I was hugging, kissing, and making love to you! Relax, my dear, you have absolutely nothing to be jealous of”. She again turns her head away from you and toward the stranger, placing her lips on his.

Still in shock and pain, the words come out of your mouth: “But… you… are… married …. to… me. What about our vows to each other? He’s…not…me and I am standing right in front of you! How can you do this to me?!”

But your wife is so smitten by passion for the stranger, she can no longer hear anything you say."

An interesting analogy right and it works. The question is, Is the worship of Jesus cheating on God? We'll see.

Keep in mind that some of the points I raise will be similiar if not the same as previous points in previous papers I have written.

We'll go through the objections.
" that He was not a man"
So true, a Christian affirm that. it isn't our claim that God eternally existed as a man, it's our claim that the eternal God took on flesh and became a man (without ceasing to be God of course). First of All, God taking on human flesh doesn't negate his divinity. Jesus was still God but his deity did not vanish when he took on flesh.

Furthermore Trinitarians don't worship flesh, we worship the Holy One who tabernacled among us (John 1:14) We agree God is not a man, but this doesn't mean he cannot take on a human nature and still be God. Secondly the context is saying that God isn't like man, he never lies like man does. If God says he is going to do something, he will deliver, this can also be found in Hosea 11 and 1 Samuel 15.

A question I pose, can God become man and still remain fully God and not cease being God? If not, why not?

"that He can’t ever die"
This depends on what you mean by death, the point is too vague. Do you mean God cannot cease to exist? or God cannot die physically? Death in a Christian context doesn't mean ceasing to exist, death is biological cessation. It is not heresy to say God died provided death is correctly defined. Jesus as the God-Man did NOT cease to exist. If he is in Sheol, Jesus would still be fully conscious and communicate with others who were there. It is only heresy to say that God ceased to exist, not to say he died.
"that we are not to place our trust in other human beings for our salvation"
Certainly you cannot place your trust in a human being, but you can place your trust in God for salvation, namely the Triune God, with Jesus being the second person of the Trinity, fully Human and fully God.

"that we are to love Him above all else"
Something that Christians can agree with Jews on, Love God above all else. Not much to say in that regard.

", that there’s no one next to G-d"
Again, rather vague. No Christian who believes in the Trinity believes someone is next to God. In the context of the Trinity you have God the Son seated at the hand of God the Father. This wouldn't violate monotheism  at all since Trinitarians themselves are monotheists (Contrary to what the naysayers like to say).

I am happy to link to some of my papers to answer certain issues.

Regarding the resurrection of Jesus and a vindication of his claims by the resurrection, see the following papers:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/deuteronomy-13-question-of-vindication.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/deuteronomy-13-question-of-vindication-2.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/spiritual-experiences-what-can-they.html

See my articles on the Shema:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/deuteronomy-64-trinity-vs-shema.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/deuteronomy-64-trinity-vs-shema-2.html

See also a video response I did to Rabbi Yisroel Blumenthal with respect to two objections he raised: Being sure of the Trinity and Messiah: A response to Yisroel Blumenthal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67LvX1GY6Ck

Feel free to look at the article written by Annelise Holwerda she wrote in response to me. I'll let you judge our words: https://yourphariseefriend.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/annelise-responds-to-answering-judaism/

So would worshiping Jesus mean spiritual adultery, Or is it in fact God-honouring? What do you think?

Answering Judaism.

Why Jesus is blamed for evil when he isn't

There is a simple explanation.

Imagine yourself working for a corporation, large or small (Hopefully you do have a job so this would immediately strike a cord).

When you are part of a corporation or organization, you are essentially a representative of the company, You are responsible for providing good service, whether it be customer interaction or simply giving a customer an item though you have not met them in person or spoken on the phone.

Customers will also judge your decorum, your knowledge and everything, even your body language. So how you act is very important, as it would leave an impact on them, either good or bad.

If you provide a satisfactory to outstanding service, the people are going to return to the company and recommend it to others, but the opposite will happen if poor service is provided, causing potential customers to head elsewhere for their goods.

If something goes wrong because of you, it is often the manager and the owner who get held accountable for YOUR mistake, which doesn't reflect well on the company when it goes wrong.

You as an employee for a company are the representative of the executives in charge and thus an audience's perception of the employee is going to be placed on the employer in question. This is a tremendous problem and repentance has to be undertaken to ensure this doesn't happen again. It won't change the customer's perception of the company but you will at least learn from the mistake you made and not to repeat it.

Likewise, you see why the world is quick to judge Christianity and ultimately Jesus when a Christian slips up. I am not saying this happens ALL the time but it is common.

Why is Jesus blamed for the terrible suffering of Jews, even though he never hated his people but had compassion for them? Why are homosexuals blaming religion for the persecution of them, when Christians should have had compassion on them and brought them to repentance?

How a Christian acts toward an unbeliever may either enhance or damage the witness of Jesus Christ in their lives, the latter of which causes unbelievers to see Jesus as a moral monster. of course sinful man sees YHWH and the Bible as reprehensible anyway but you catch my drift? We have to ensure there isn't a failure to let our light shine before men so that they may say our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Plus as Jesus pointed out "If salt looses it's saltiness, how shall it's saltiness be restored?" It is rendered garbage to be thrown away (Mark 9:50, Matthew 5:13 and Luke 14:34).

Remember that how we live in the Christian life, an unbeliever can see who is and who isn't in some cases, but there are other cases where Christianity or Jesus is blamed for an atrocity. It doesn't reflect well on the employer and his company when the employee behaves badly, so keep that in mind with Jesus and his company and do not do him disservice.

May we all be loyal to him and may he forgive us our faults and trespasses.

Answering Judaism.

Jesus: The First Transgenderism man? Response to lies of the Huffington Post

I came across a horrific and offensive article, which is a testament to how theologically bankrupt the Huffington Post is.

The original can be found here and I hope by God's grace it will be dissected and refuted: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/jesus-the-first-transgend_b_10006134.html

Let us take a look.

"The current flap in conservative Christian circles about bathroom access is a bit baffling. They shout about God not making mistakes, as if God only works in binaries and anything falling outside of black and white cannot be from him. But we don’t have a black and white God; creation is so full of color and variation that it’s incomprehensible how we Christians struggle to pare him down to the limited palette of our individual expectations."

What has our claim that God doesn't make mistakes got to do with supposed claiming he is black or white or full of colour and variation? Don't you think it is a problem that there are transgender men who are trying to share a bathroom, thus there would be a risk of young women being attacked, groped or even raped? Is this not a legitimate concern for anyone who has any moral decency?

"The worst offenders are the Christian’s who claim to take the Bible literally. Of course they don’t actually do that; they impose their own filters on stories and phrases to fit their particular ideology. If they really did as they claim to do, they would quickly see that Jesus must be, by their own exegetical rules, the first transgender male."

A claim to be disputed and debunked.

"Let’s take a look at what the Bible and Christianity tell us.

The teaching of the church from ancient days through today is that Jesus received his fleshly self from Mary. The church also teaches that Jesus is the new Adam, born of the new Eve.

Now Eve is a fascinating creature for many reasons. The Bible tells us she is the first example of human cloning, which I touched on in this post. But the fun doesn’t stop there. If we take the Genesis account in it’s literal meaning, as conservative Christians demand that we do, she is also the first case of a transgender woman. God reached into Adam, pulled out a bit of rib bone, and grew Eve from that XY DNA into Adam’s companion. She was created genetically male, and yet trans-formed into woman.

Then along comes Jesus and the whole pattern is both repeated and reversed. The first couple’s refusal to cooperate is turned around by Mary’s yes, and the second act of cloning occurs. The Holy Spirit comes upon the second Eve, and the child takes flesh from her and is born. Born of her flesh. Born with XX chromosome pairing. Born genetically female, and yet trans-formed into man."

It is incorrect to say that Eve was cloned, but even if she were "cloned", This is flawed reasoning. Changing the chromosome of Adam's rib has nothing to do with transgenderism endorsement. Considering the fact that God created chromosomes, do you honestly think he cannot change the chromosomes of a rib into the appropriate gender? If he did do with Eve, would not give credence to transgenderism. For that matter, it is nothing but speculation and speculation that is in vain at that.

Also, God is quite capable of giving Jesus the correct chromosomes without causing his gender to be changed in the process. Putting aside the issue of a fetus being male or female upon conception, the biological system God set up to determine our sex is not to be used to support any idea of transgenderism. It completely disarms the point of chromosomes in the first place. Even if it was a gender change (which it wasn't) it is God who is changing the gender BECAUSE OF HIM BEING THE CREATOR AND NOT BECAUSE WE SAY SO!!!! This is a case of reading into the text something that isn't there on the part of the Huffington Post. The human writer, Moses, who was inspired to write Genesis, would never of had transgenderism cross his mind when recording Adam and Eve's existence.

"States that do not support trans persons’ right to choose the restroom that fits their identity demand that bathroom usage be based on a person’s “biological sex.” One can imagine a future in which state licences require not only a vision test, but also a genetic test so that bouncers proofing at bathroom doors have something tangible to review. And that means that if Jesus and Eve were walking around today, perhaps shopping at the mall for a Father’s Day gift, they’d have to swap restrooms. Now Jesus could surely manage to finesse his way around a woman’s room, but poor Eve...

A quick look at the dictionary for the prefix “trans” tells us that it means “across,” “beyond,” “through,” and “changing thoroughly,” all of which are great terms for the person of Christ. He cuts across all boundaries. He is beyond our understanding. He is through all and in all. He changes us thoroughly into new creations.

In his person, and in his salvific actions, Jesus is truly the first and forever trans man."

What the word trans means in the dictionary is irrelevant, not in the sense that the word doesn't mean any of those things, but in the sense that even if it meant those words, this still wouldn't validate transgenderism and Deuteronomy 22:5 would not have been written to safeguard the differences between men and women: http://answering-judaism.blogspot.com/2016/02/deuteronomy-225-comments.html

The meaning of the word in question doesn't prove Jesus to be a trans human. This is ridiculous and perverse to suggest that he is the first and forever trans man. Saying regarding Jesus "He cuts across all boundaries. He is beyond our understanding. He is through all and in all. He changes us thoroughly into new creations" does nothing to bolster transgenderism when Jesus himself quotes the book of Genesis, establishing that there is only male and female, not trans:
"Matthew 19:3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[a]"

Genesis (since the Huffington Post speaks of those who take the Bible literally) clearly says this:
"5:1This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man[a] when they were created."

The Huffington Post are doing nothing but babbling and are not really saying anything. Give the Huffington Post no credence or credit at all, they are not trustworthy when it comes to scripture.

Answering Judaism.

4 questions on the Trinity: A response to Believer VS Beliefs

Here I hope by God's grace to answer 4 questions given to me on a video called "Pros and Cons of Messianic Judaism": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ww6OLzFE8
"1. In the doctrine of the Trinity, are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit three separate, independent "persons" capable of knowing, saying, and doing things apart from the others?"
They are distinct persons, but they do not act independently from one another. The Son only does what the Father commands and the Spirit only does what is commanded of the Father and the Son. They do not act independently from one another but act in unity and purpose with one another.

"2. Is each one considered a god separate of the others?"
A distinct person yes, another God, no. One being in three persons. Being is what you are, Person is who you are.

"3. If they are all gods, please explain the events in Mt. 3:13-17. If each of them is God, that's three gods at one baptism; and, what did Jesus need with the "Spirit of God" if he was a god."
No, one God in three persons.

Furthermore, you comment shows some ignorance on the Trinity itself.

Jesus (see Philippians 2:5-11) took on himself a human nature. He didn't cease being God, but laid aside his divine prerogatives and depended on the Spirit for source and sustenance. It was also a demonstration to Christians to be dependent on the Spirit which in turn would help us to obey the Father (And in turn also obeying Jesus). See James White's comments in his debate with Jalal Abularub from 3:51-4:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yTlx943q28

"4. Why call yourself a Trinitarian if you don't mean that each is a god? Everyone already accepts the existence of the three, so why even bring it up, and, why have so many people been murdered over the issue if it was all just semantics? You deceive yourself, not me."

The term Trinitarian refers to the person who believes in the Trinity ie. One God in three persons. What is your question even about? I wasn't saying the Unitarians deny the existence of the three, that wasn't my point to begin with. People have died for theology on both sides or killed on both sides, Why is that even brought up as an objection?

Answering Judaism.