Posts Tagged ‘amazing grace’

ROCK SOLID FAITH FOR TROUBLED TIMES – PART 4

Friday, November 4th, 2016
FOLLOW THE LAWGIVER, NOT MAN’S TRADITIONS

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. (Colossians 2:16)

The third warning from the Apostle Paul is even more relevant today with a certain small percentage of Christians returning to the “living under the Law” by becoming part of the Hebrew Roots Movement and other Torah-centric streams of religion, which do not line up with Scripture at all.  Some follow the tenets of the traditions of men and do things which are not prescribed in the Bible.
The traditions of men tells us to fast on certain days and then do not fast here but fast there. Then these tell us not to eat meat on certain days but eat fish on this day only and on. Some measure the length of hair, dresses and ban make up on women or even certain musical instruments.  Are these done to prevent Christians from being themselves or even having “fun” at church? Maybe. What it really could be is the human instinct to be in control, rather than obey the dictates of God while operating freely within His parameters. He HAS given us a huge measure of freedom. He has even given us the freedom to mess up and then make it right.
However when it comes to His work, His Word and His Church, it is preferable that we NOT go extra-biblical or chasing after man-created doctrines of cheap grace. Another thing to look out for is what Paul warned about in Galatians with the Judaizers. These were people who said they were following “The Way” (the name Christians were described before they were called “Christians” for the first time at Antioch).

 

ROCK SOLID FAITH FOR TROUBLED TIMES – PART 1

Sunday, October 23rd, 2016

THE CONDITION WHICH COMMANDS CONTRITION

The parallels of Scripture with corrupt Modern American cultural Christianity are stunning.  You can find those in the debased Corinthian church; the legalistic Galatian church or the easily swayed Colossian church, just to name a few.  As King Solomon once said “there is nothing new under the sun”. Indeed, the calendar year changes but people remain the same. This is true in 21st century America as it was in Colosse.

In this New Testament Epistle, the Apostle Paul shows the obstacles facing the pure teaching of the Gospel by the various and sundry corruptions of it, then as they are now. Paul, under the Power of the Holy Spirit, gives three warnings in Colossians Chapter 2 which are worth looking into, in light of what we face today in Modern Christianity. There is a serious reason for a very much needed look at these warnings, because the direct fruit of deviation from the Word of God is with us now.

We see it in the rise of the “None’s” – most of whom are increasingly people in their teens, 20’s and early 30’s who have not just walked away from our churches but believe in absolutely nothing. The Pew Research Center and Christian Pollster George Barna have both confirmed that over 1/3 of people under the age of 35 believe in nothing, and that means nothing higher than themselves. As for any “religious” affiliation, they have “none”. Hence the name….

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