Should Christians Celebrate Jewish Feasts?

The New Testament doesn't prescribe the celebration of the Jewish Feasts for the Church. The statement in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 actually intends to say that since the Passover is over and we are the Unleavened Bread (1Cor.5:7), we must celebrate sincerity and truth in our daily life (a leaven-free life). With regard to the Old, the Book of Hebrews states that it was ready to disappear before the New (Heb.8:13). In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul...

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Educating Your Church for Biblical Literacy

Forthcoming in ChristianTrends MagazineONE must be careful before making any blanket statement about the state of teaching ministry in the church;for certainly there are churches that emphasize on teaching and there are churches that emphasize other things such as evangelism, worship, holiness, or social service. So, let me take a more general approach and leave it to the reader to consider if the necessary emphasis on teaching exists in his...

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The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus - Video Teaching

NOTESRom 6-8 talkng about a root human problem that psychology alone cannot solve. The solution is the Law of the Spirit of Lifw Rom. 7: One explanation: It is the state of the unredeemed. Another (Keswick Theology): It is the state of the Carnal Christian. ++++The Mind Loves the Law - I know that the Law is spiritual (Rom.7:14) - I agree that the Law is good (Rom.7:16) - I delight in the Law (Rom.7:22) - No mind that loves the anti-law; it...

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The Purpose of the Lamp: To Help See Even If Noticed Never

It's not good if people keep gazing at a lamp rather than use its light to do the work they are supposed to do. A candle is not meant to be seen as much as it is meant to be in a place from which it helps things to be seen. A man of God is not placed on the stand for people to applaud and fawn over him; he is placed there by God in order to give light to the world that they be able to see the truth and live. It doesn't even matter if the world doesn't...

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Let Not the Honor of Man Prevent You From Experiencing the Power of God!

One of the greatest hindrances to faith is the fear of being rejected or of losing honor in the sight of men. Jesus said to the Jews, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).Let's take the case of a young man who is being blessed by the simple truths regarding the things of God shared by a man of God who is known well as a man full of faith and of the Spirit. However,...

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Dying to the Elemental Principles of the Universe (Col.2:20)

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations-- "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using-- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against...

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Recognizing Palestinian Statehood: How Essential Is It to the Peace Progress?

The State of Palestine is one of the states with limited international recognition. As of 27 September 2013, 134 (69.4%) of the 193 member states of the United Nations have recognised the State of Palestine. But, Israel doesn't recognize it. In fact, the recent UK MPs' vote on Palestinian State recognition was rejected by Israel as an hindrance to any prospects of peace between the two sides (The Free Press, Oct.14). Opposition leader Isaac Herzog...

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व्‍यवस्‍था के लक्षण

1. नीव: प्रेम. व्‍यवस्‍था का नीव प्रेम है। (Matt.22:40)2. श्रोता: पापी. व्‍यवस्‍था पापियों के लिए दिया गया (1Tim.1:9)3. कार्य: पाप को प्रगट करना. व्‍यवस्‍था पाप को प्रगट कर देता है (Rom.3:20)4. आंतरिक गवाह: विवेक (Rom.2:15). 5. सक्षमता: दोषी ठहराना. व्‍यवस्‍था दोषी ठहरा सकता है परन्‍तु दोषमुक्‍त नही कर सकता (Gal.3:10)6. प्रभाव: मृत्‍यु. अक्षर मारता है। वह जीवन नही दे सकत (2Cor.3:6; 1Cor.15:56; Rom.7:9,10))नोट: यीशु मसीह व्‍यवस्‍था को रदृद करने नही...

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मै कैसे जान सकता हूं की कोई अवसर ईश्‍वर की ओर से है या नहीं

1. अकसर यह स्‍पष्‍ट रहता है। परन्‍तु यदी संदेह है तो सतर्कता की आवश्‍यकता है, क्‍योंकि जो कुछ विश्‍वास अनुसार नही वह पाप है। (Rom.14:23)2. अकसर लक्ष्‍य तो नेक होता है परन्‍तु जरिये सही नही होते (Jer.48:10).3. यदी कोई अवसर हमें परमेश्‍वर की आज्ञा का उल्‍लंघन करने का प्रलोभन देती है तो वह प्रलाभन है, अवसर नही (James 1:13).4. यह परमेश्‍वर की परीक्षा करने का कर्म नही होना चाहिए। यह सोचना की मै छलांग लगाता हूँ, परमेश्‍वर तो संभाल ही लेगा, ईश्‍वर...

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The Parables of Sadhu Sundar Singh

Sundar Singh (1889-?) was born into a Sikh family in Punjab. At that time, the British were ruling over India and Christian missionaries ran English medium schools into which many well-to-do families sent their children for education. Sundar Singh was sent into one such school.Sundar hated reading lessons from the English New Testament which was read as a daily textbook in the Mission School where he went. Of course, at the beginning he did like...

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Few Characteristics of Mosaic Law

Few of the Characteristics of the Mosaic Law were as follows:1. Ground: Love. It was based upon the Great Commandment: the Commandment of Love. (Matt.22:40)2. Subjects: Sinners. The Law was given for the lawless (1Tim.1:9)3. Function: To Expose Sin. The Law exposed sin, what it is. (Rom.3:20)4. Internal Witness: Conscience. The human conscience bore witness to the justness of this Law (Rom.2:15). We must remember that the conscience is not just...

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Tabitha Dorcas, A Woman Full of Good Works (Acts 9:36-42)

The New Testament doesn't tell us much about Tabitha (her name means "gazelle") except that she was a disciple and that she was full of good works and charitable deeds. We are not told how old she was, whether she was married, what job or business she did (we are told what Lydia did for a living, but we are not told what Dorcas did), whether she was beautiful, and whether she was rich or poor. Those things don't matter to those within the New Covenant....

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Religion and Culture: Differences (Table)

NOTE: This is not a dogmatic stance, but only an hypothetical exploration attempting linguistic clarification.Culture and Religion are not the same, though they are very close. There are various theories that suggest a model of relationship between them. One of them tries to see Religion as the soul of culture. This view doesn't consider the fact that there could also be non-religious cultures. Perhaps, one may quote the Pirahas as an example of...

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