Perfect Man

 I believe that Ephesians 4:11-16 (see below) reveals the purpose as to why Christians should assemble together. This purpose is something a christian cannot accomplish apart from assembling with other believers. Unless one has health issues or an obligation that keeps them from assembling for this purpose, he/ she may be out of the will of God.

The text speaks of the roles in the Church in accomplishing the “perfect man,” which is not about being perfect but whole/ complete and mature in the faith.

There are some roles that God has put in place to help others to accomplish this “perfect man.” But all believers have roles to fulfill, and those roles are the “work of the ministry.”

It's not about sinless perfection but being whole or complete as an assembly of believers. It is about maturity in the faith and doctrine. It's true that not everything done in the assembly accomplishes this, but it is the Divine aim.

Are you working against the Divine aim or for this Divine aim? Are you fulfilling any role in the assembly to accomplish this Divine aim?

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16

Don't be a destroyer of the “temple of God” which is the body of Christ.

^“17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:17

3/17/2025

Christ is king! (?)

 You may be hearing the statement lately that "Christ is king!"

It would be better to say, "Jesus is the Christ!" 

"Christ" is just the English transliteration of the Greek word for the Hebrew word (transliterated as "messiah") for "anointed one" which was usually a king.  "Christ" is not a name for "Jesus."   So, it's like saying "king is the king."  It's a little redundant.

But are some saying it as a political statement or to create division or to be unnecessarily offensive? 

Are they purposely using that statement at this present time to cause division among those who hold similar conservative social views who are not Christians, such as certain Jews?

What's their intent here? 

Every Christian should know that Jesus is the Christ. It should not be a political statement with an ulterior motive to alienate certain social conservative Jews.

3/17/2025

Sabbath commandment

“We keep all of the 10 commandments but the Sabbath, why is that?”

This was a question I was asked by Bob. Bob had given in to a particular Jewish Christian group that believed we should observe the Sabbath day, besides other views like only the writings of Moses were inspired Scripture.

I gave 2 reasons why we do not recognize the Sabbath day like we do the other 9 commandments.

One reason is because the 10 commandments are part of the whole Mosaic Law, and the Mosaic Law was for Israel as a nation, not the Church, which is not a nation, but exists as assemblies of believers within nations. And only those laws of the Mosaic law that are moral and not social or ceremonial are universal—the moral laws are contained in the Mosaic Law along with the uniquely ceremonial and social laws for Israel. The Sabbath is more of a ceremonial law, unlike the other laws within the 10 commandments.

The other reason is because the Sabbath is never made an issue in the moral requirements of the New Testament. Surely, if the Gentile believers had to be exhorted to not lie and steal and covet, etc., they would need to be exhorted to keep the Sabbath holy. Nowhere does any of the New Testament authors exhort anyone to keep the Sabbath. Would not Gentiles have failed in this practice as they did with everything else? Especially since they were not Jews and did not practice it before conversion. There were several kinds of Sabbath rests for the Jews, but the Church did not replace Israel, and they are not a nation among nations like Israel was. The Church is not under the laws of Moses like Israel was. The Church is only to fulfill the moral requirements that are universal and timeless, moral laws that are included in the law of Moses. But the Law of Moses included social and ceremonial laws that do not apply to the Church.

Some will suggest that the Sabbath was fulfilled in Christ, but I'm not sure if that is a sufficient argument, since it appears that the Sabbath will be observed in the Millennial Kingdom.  Though the Apostle Paul did say to the Colossians,  So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,  which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17   Paul also said, One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.  He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.  Romans 14:5-6   

The Sabbath will be again observed by Israel in the Millennium: For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says the LORD, So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD. Isaiah 66:22-23 The difference will be that Israel will be a nation again, and they will be under laws that govern them as a People and Nation. And they will be a People who have believed in Christ who saved them, both individually and nationally. But they will be a theocracy again in the land promised to Abraham. 

 Revised 4/2/2025

Angels cast down

 The angels that Satan threw down

³ And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Revelation 12:3-4

It's often believed that Satan took a third of the angels with him based on this text. The stars being angels became Satan's angels. We read later that Satan and his angels fought with Michael and his angels, and Satan is defeated and cast to earth with his angels. The casting to earth is the same word used in 12:4 for “threw.” “⁷ And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

In Daniel 8, we read of the little horn: “And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. ¹¹ He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. ¹² Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. ¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?" Daniel 8:10-13

Could the 1/3 angels cast to the earth be a future event? Could the 1/3 angels be non-rebellious angels that Satan cast down in conflict? How did the little horn cast down some of the “stars?”

2/17/2025

Ishmael

 

Muslim asking me about Ishmael:

Sir, you still haven't answered my question! Did God promise to bless Ishmael yes or no? Did God say He has blessed Ishmael yes or no? Where is Ishmael's great nation? Or do you not care if God kept that promise or not? I didn't ask about Issac, and Jacob's seed. Where is that great nation of Ishmael's seed?

My response to Muslim:

There is obviously no nation of people today called “Ishmael” or “Ishmaelites.” 

The promise to Ishmael was that God would multiply him (Gen 17:20), and he would have 12 princes/ chiefs and a great nation. We see this fulfilled later in Genesis 25:17-18 where it says Ishmael's descendants “settled from Havilah to Shur which runs next to Egypt all the way to Asshur.” This is in the Arabian Peninsula, probably north western part. So God kept his word. There is no promise that Ishmael would continue as some identifiable people/ nation forever. 

Many nations of people rise and fall, and the people of which they consist are assimilated by another nation of people. 

So the descendants of Ishmael today probably exist genetically in some of the Arab people. But there is no Ishmaelite nation of people remaining today, and such was not promised to endure forever—it was already fulfilled centuries ago. 

And always remember that it is in the "seed" of Isaac that all nations will be "blessed." That "seed" being one, being "Christ." 

In Christ all nations will be blessed. Anyone else is a thief and a robber and antiChrist. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world are justified as was Abraham, and they become sons of Abraham and heirs of God.  

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⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Galatians 3:7-9

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Galatians 3:16-18

it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ...
²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁹ But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. Galatians 4:22-31

² Then the LORD appeared to [Isaac] ... ³ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; Genesis 26:2-4

Repentance

 Young's concordance defines "repent"  and "repentance" as “to have another mind” and “to have a change of mind” respectively. Those are probably the broadest and catch-all meanings that can work in any context. What that change of mind involves depends on context. Many may define the word as “turning from sins,” but that may be more of a fruit of repentance (see , depending on context. It can't be “turning from sins” as we saw in God's response to the Ninevites, in which God “relented” (Jonah 3.10) of the disaster he was going to bring. Even my “resolve to think or do differently” could be more of a fruit of repentance. Concerning the Ninevites, we see in Jonah that they believed God, while Jesus said they repented (Matthew 12.41 and Jonah 3.5 ). Some believe repentance can mean the same as to believe, because faith is a change of mind from unbelief. But I think that is too simplistic. Belief in a message would precede repentance—as would be the case with the Ninevites. Belief could follow repentance, depending on what the repentance is in reference to. However one understands repentance, it should not contradict that eternal salvation is by faith alone. The gospel of John never uses the word “repent,” and many Scriptures about salvation never use the word. But where the word is used with reference to salvation, it needs to be understood in context as to who it is speaking to and what is expected. To the gentiles, repentance could be a call to a change of mind about the nature of God (see Acts 17:29-30 and Acts 20:20-21), or it could be a call to get right with God, which obviously is not complete until one believes in Christ for salvation (see Acts 11:18). If a person is asking how to be saved, repentance isn't necessary to seek, since by their question, they are already seeking to be right with God. And so the answer is the one Paul gives in Acts 16.31, or the answer Peter gives in Acts 10.43.

*****

I think it’s significant that "repent" translates the Hebrew nacham (relent) and not shub (turn) in the LXX for God in Jonah 3:9-10. "⁹ Who can tell if God will turn [shub] and relent [nacham], and turn away [shub] from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

¹⁰ Then God saw their works, that they turned [shub] from their evil way; and God relented [nacham] from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it."  Jonah 3:9-10

The turning is a result of the relenting.

I don’t know if “resolve” to think or do differently would be the same as repentance or be a result of repentance. (I have said in the past that repentance is a resolve to think or do differently but maybe a resolve is a result of repentance.) Turning would be a result.

Could repentance in some texts be a resolve to get right with God, which wouldn’t be complete until one believes in Jesus for salvation? I think it is. Therefore, to repent and believe involves a resolve to get right with God which is complete by believing in Jesus for salvation. "I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ²¹ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."  Acts 20:20-21

*****

Other Scriptures referenced above:

"Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."   Matthew 3:7-9

^"41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." Matthew 12:41

^"5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them."   Jonah 3:5

"Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. ³⁰ Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,"  Acts 17:29-30

^"18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."  Acts 11:18

^"29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
³¹ So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Acts 16:29-31

^"43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43

updated 3/19/2025

Dialogue with a Muslim

My dialogue with a Muslim the past few days on Messenger... (3/3/25)

Muslim:

I'm Muslim myself and I always wondered why some Christian's go learn about Islam from people who aren't Muslims. I'm not saying you did the same, but maybe you still had some concerns I may be able to answer for you? 

Me:

I have gone and heard from a former Muslim.  His name is Daniel Shayesteh. 

Obviously, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. Islam says that Jesus is the Christ, but they do not believe he is the Son of God. But the Christ is the Son of God. It is an essential truth of Christianity.

Jesus also died for our sins as the satisfaction of Divine justice, so God can be just in justifying us. This also Islam rejects, but it is an essential truth of Christianity. Jesus both died for our sins and rose again from the Grave. His resurrection is essential truth of Christianity. 

Muslim:

That's correct, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. 

From a quick search about Daniel, it looks like he followed a sect of Islam that is Shiism, considering his background his involvement with the Iranian revolution. That sect is less than 8% of all Muslims. 

In pursuant of truth, going directly to the source, by reading the Quran, asking learned Muslims, clerics, scholars, etc. is a critical part of due diligence. 

Our belief is Jesus was perceived to be killed but he was not. God saved him, ascended him to heaven, and will return to slay the Dajjal (anti-Christ) near the end of times. 

We believe he was born of a virgin birth. We love and revere Mary, there's even a whole chapter dedicated to her in the Quran. 

At the root, Islam isn't just rejecting the claims you've mentioned. It affirms that the gospel was sent down to Jesus but it was the rabbis, priests, leaders who changed the words of God for their own worldly gain. 

Jesus never claimed divinity. Even in the Bible Jesus was praying to the father. Crucifying an innocent man isn't divine justice because we wouldn't accept an innocent man being put to death today for the sins of his family. 

Me:

The reason Jesus was born of a virgin was because he preexisted and is Divine. He was without sin, so He was qualified to bear the sin of man. 

Doesn't the Quran say someone who is burdened cannot bear the burden of another? Only Jesus was without sin. 

But doesn't the Hadiths say Jews and Christians will bear the sins of Muslims who have sinned? 

It is the historical view of the Church for 2000 years that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died for our sins on the cross and rose again, that God justifies those who believe in Jesus. Islam rejects this, and therefore, is in opposition to Christianity. Like Islam, Christianity has sects, and not everything that has developed is true in those sects. 

Muslim:

The Quranic verse that states "no one will carry the sins of another" is found in Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), verse 164, which reads: "Say, 'Should I seek a lord other than Allah while He is the Lord of everything?' No one will reap except what they sow. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you of your differences."

Since being born of a virgin is a precursor to divinity in your point of view, then that makes Adam more worthy of divinity because he had no father or mother.

The Hadith you’re speaking of is classified as inauthentic by many scholars. If there is any Hadith that contradicts the Quran, it’s rejected and classified as inauthentic.

Me:

Adam was created from the dust of the earth, and Eve from his rib/ side. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a woman. He preexisted his conception. Jesus was not a created being prior to his incarnation (coming in the flesh).

Because God is just, and justice must be satisfied. It’s how God governs his universe.  

Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 

Second Corinthians 5:21 "For He [God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Muslim:

How is killing an innocent man and giving a sinless man everyone’s sins justice?

Me:

The penalty of sin is death. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Jesus bore the wages of sin. It is taught from the beginning of time. It is seen in the animal sacrifices from the beginning.

Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’” 

Penal substitution is clearly taught from the beginning. You can deny it if you want, but there is no question that it is taught. 

Even Islam recognizes that Jesus was born of a virgin without sin. 

He came for this purpose: to bear our sins to bring us to God.  It is the message of the Old and New Testament, that is, the Hebrew and the Gospels and Christian Scriptures. 

It is essential doctrine of Christianity, that the Christ, the son of God, became human, to bear our sins in death, rise again, and he’s coming again to judge the world and reign over the earth. To him every knee shall bow, and tongue confess that he is Lord.

Muslim:

“Islam recognizes that every baby is born sinless, whether that be baby Jesus or a little baby born today. There’s no concept of original sin in Islam. Question. Do you believe Jesus is God or the son of god?”

Me:

There is that view among Christians that every baby is born sinless. Those who take that view reject the concept of original sin.

There is a view that I take that does not hold to original sin, but that the inclination towards evil was inherited from Adam. When Adam sinned, the inclination towards evil developed in him, and it has been passed on to his progeny/ descendants.

Original sin says that everyone is guilty for Adam's sin, but the view I take is that we inherited the inclination towards evil, not the guilt.

The virgin birth of Jesus kept him from inheriting that inclination towards evil, because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and not by the common union of human father and mother.

The inclination to do evil is evident in that the failure rate is 100%--”for all have sinned.” Scripture says because of Adam, “all have sinned.”

Yet Jesus did not sin. Even Islam attests to this.

We are told in Genesis, after the flood, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though *the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on*.” Genesis 8:21

We also read in the writings of Apostle Paul concerning believers in Christ: “...all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and *were by nature children of wrath* even as the rest.” Ephesians 2:3

And in Paul's letter to the Church in Rome: “¹² Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] [the]sin entered the world, and death through [the] sin, and thus [spiritual] death spread to all men, because [of which] all sinned.” Romans 5:12

Again, to the Romans: “²¹ I find then a law [principle], that *evil is present with me,* the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But *I see another law [principle] in my members, warring against the law of my mind,* and bringing me into captivity to *the law of sin which is in my members.* ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:21-25

This inclination to evil (the “law” or principle of sin) exists in us all from conception—except Jesus, who lived without committing sin.

The “Christ” is the Son of God. I believe this.

“Christ” is just the Greek word for the Hebrew word that means “anointed.” The Hebrew word in English is “Messiah.”

The Messiah/ Christ is the Son of God. This is in the Old Testament, and it was understood by the Hebrews and Jews.

Psalm 2 says: “​¹ Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ³ "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: ⁶ "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." ⁷ "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" Psalms 2:1-9

When Jesus asked the disciple/ Apostle Peter who he was, we read: “¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:16

When Jesus was on trial before the chief priests, the elders, he scribes, and the High Priest, we read that: “...the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" ⁶² Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." ⁶³ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? ⁶⁴ You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” Mark 14:61-64

The Son of God is God. He has the same divine attributes as the Father and Holy Spirit.

He has all authority over creation, and he is heir of all things. Every knee shall bow to Him.

The book to the Hebrews says: “when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him." ⁷ And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire." ⁸ But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. ⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." Hebrews 1:6-9

The Gospel of John says: “​¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. … ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2, 14

The “only begotten” speaks of him as the heir of all things.

Keep in mind that person-hood and God are not the same categories. Person-hood speaks of individuality/ identity, while “God” speaks of Divine attributes. There is One God, but 3 persons: three Persons that have the same divine attributes that are shared with no other being.