Clean & Unclean

Act 10:9  The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

Act 10:10  And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance

Act 10:11  and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

Act 10:12  In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

Act 10:13  And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

Act 10:14  But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

Act 10:15  And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common."

Act 10:16  This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Act 10:17  Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate

Act 10:18  and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.

Act 10:19  And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.

Act 10:20  Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."

Act 10:21  And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?"

Act 10:22  And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say."

Act 10:23  So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

Act 10:24  And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

Act 10:25  When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

Act 10:26  But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man."

Act 10:27  And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.

Act 10:28  And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.

Act 10:29  So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."

In Acts 10, Peter's vision was about MEN. Jewish tradition was to not enter the home of a gentile because they and their home would be "unclean." The vision of the sheet with unclean items uses the same terminology that Peter uses in verse 28, proving this point: 

28) "And he (Peter) said to them (gentiles), 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.'" 

The whole point of the vision was that gentiles were to be included in the covenant, not to change non-food to food.

SDA Fundamental Statements

1872 Fundamental Statement of Seventh-day Adventists

I. That there is one God, a personal, spiritual being, the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal, infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by his representative, the Holy Spirit. Ps. 139:7.

II. That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the one by whom God created all things, and by whom they do consist; that he took on him the nature of the seed of Abraham for the redemption of our fallen race; that he dwelt among men full of grace and truth, lived our example, died our sacrifice, was raised for our justification, ascended on high to be our only mediator in the sanctuary in Heaven, where, with his own blood he makes atonement for our sins; which atonement so far from being made on the cross, which was but the offering of the sacrifice, is the very last portion of his work as priest according to the example of the Levitical priesthood, which foreshadowed and prefigured the ministry of our Lord in Heaven. See Lev. 16; Heb. 8:4, 5; 9:6, 7; &c.

Talk to God About the Sabbath!

Lord, I have been thinking about the Sabbath. Some people keep it; some say it isn’t important. Should I be concerned about it?

"One man esteemeth one day above another : Another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Romans 14:5)

Then tell me about the Sabbath. Is every day alike or do you have a special day of rest for Your followers?

"I was in the Spirit on THE LORD’S DAY: (Revelation 1:10)

God's Love

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Is faith the science of unseen realities or is it believing what doesn‟t make understandable meaning? Would a loving Creator leave me in this confusion after giving me a mind created in the likeness of his own creative mind? Would He expect me to suffer on through the years ignorant of His nature, His reality, or wouldn‟t He rather at least try to give me a knowledge of Himself and His Son whom to know is life eternal? (John 17)

1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

God [the father, the only true God] manifests his love to us by giving his only  son.

Unpopular Truth

Why is the devil so fiercely opposed to the truth that Jesus is the true Son of God? It is not difficult to find the answer to this question. The Bible declares that God's love is revealed in the fact that God gave His Son to die for mankind (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9,10). How can we understand and appreciate the wonder of that love if we fail to discern the identity of the One who was sent? If we fail to grasp the value of the gift that was given and what it cost God to give it? It is only as we understand Christ's identity that we shall love God as we should (1 John 4:19). Therefore our love for God and our victory over sin are linked to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5)?" No wonder the devil hates this truth!

What is difficult to understand is why Christians should so determinedly oppose the plainest statements of the word of God. Why should persons who claim to love God and to desire His glory so stubbornly oppose the one truth which reveals the love of God more fully than anything else in the universe? This truly is a mystery almost as great as the so-called Trinity!

Hundreds of years ago during the fourth century AD the spirit of compromise, the desire for worldly popularity combined with the influence of paganism, brought the doctrine of the trinity into the Christian faith. Since that time it has become so deeply ingrained into the traditions of Christendom that it has become the foundation doctrine of most Christian denominations and it is considered blasphemy to speak against it. But why do Christian men and women cling so tenaciously to the error? Why, in the light of the plain statements of Scripture, do they continue to embrace a Trinitarian God? The answer is popularity. No church will be accepted today (this has been true for the past 1500 years) unless it professes belief in the trinity. A denial of the trinity will result in a church instantly receiving the label of CULT. Therefore, this doctrine which is entirely founded upon the traditions of men rather than the word of God has risen to such universal prominence that when one simply expresses the biblical truth that Jesus is the Son of God, he is accused of heresy. 

What is Hell?

The word HELL in the Bible is translated from GEHENNA- (Ge.hen'na) [Gr. form of the Heb. Geh Hin.nom', "Valley of Hinnom"]. This name appears 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Gehenna was a the deep, narrow Valley of Hinnom, later known by this Greek name, and lay to the south/southwest of ancient Jerusalem and is the modern-day Wadi er-Rababi (Ge Ben Hinnom). (Jos 15:8; 18:16; Jer 19:2, 6) Judean Kings Ahaz and Manasseh engaged in idolatrous worship there, which included the making of human sacrifices by fire to Baal. (2Ch 28:1, 3; 33:1, 6; Jer 7:31, 32; 32:35) God said this was "a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart" (Jer 7:31; 32:35). God looked at this as a terrible thing. Why would he use this as a picture of what he himself wanted to do? Where God planning to do the same, or was this the place they choose, away from God?

According to Jewish commentator David Kimhi Gehenna was "… a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and they throw their unclean things and carcasses. Also there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of the carcasses. Hence, the judgment of the wicked ones is called parabolically Gehinnom."

The Deity Of Christ

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord," Rev.1:8, Again the Lord said: "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:" Rev. 1:11.

Not everything has a beginning nor does everything have an ending. God Himself never had a beginning and He will not have an ending. He is the self-existent One, who never had a beginning.

If there is one truth that the Bible teaches, it is that there is only one absolute God and none beside Him who is an absolute God. In the 15th chapter of First Corinthians, Paul teaches this doctrine so there can be no doubt as to Christ's subordination and submission to the Father. Paul says: "Then cometh the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; ... For He (the Father) hath put all things under His (Christ's) feet. But that He (God) is excepted, which did put all things under Him (Christ). And when all things shall be subdued unto Him (Christ), then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (God) that put all things under Him (Christ), that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. 15:24-28.

What you worship?

Our most important work is to magnify the presence of God wherever and whenever possible in the world. Surely no one of us is up to the task, even though we "are fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) by a generous and loving God. But we are assured that we need only to care for the world as God does in order to be true disciples. With persistent prayer (Luke 18:6-7) and a steadfast faith (2 Timothy 3:14), we will love the prisoner, welcome the stranger (Hebrews 13:1-3), give to others abundantly, and rejoice when they cannot repay us (Luke 14:14). These everyday gestures to family, friends, co-workers, and strangers will reveal to all that we worship the one true God.

Every religion is based upon some conception of God. Unfortunately many religions are based upon a conception of false gods, and some are even based upon false conceptions of the true God.

One thing is sure, for those who choose to worship, their whole life and character is molded by the type of person they perceive their God to be.

2Co 3:18 So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord. 

People who worship a harsh and cruel god will generally become harsh and cruel themselves. People who worship a pretender, role player god will become generally role player and pretender themselves. So a person’s perception of God dramatically affects whether that person is a good person or not, and it ultimately will determine whether that person will live forever or be destroyed in the lake of fire.

Why Was Lucifer Jealous

Why Was Lucifer Jealous of the Son of God?

Isa 14:13,14 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Satan’s desire was to be like the Most High, yet if the “second person of the Godhead” was actually the Most High in the same way as the Father, then why would Lucifer be Jealous?

The Law Of God

It is commonly believed by many Christians today that God’s commandments were meant for those who lived in Old Testament times, and do not apply to Christians who are under grace in the New Testament. The Bible has much to say on the subject of law and grace, but even though it is true that Christians are saved by faith in Christ, nowhere does it say God’s laws are not binding upon man. Keeping the commandments is not the method of salvation, but the fruit of it. Obedience to God is the test of the genuine Christian.

Son of God

When did Jesus become the Son of God?

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

The thought that I want from that text is that GOD CANNOT LIE.

God the Father could not have called Christ as a Son until He became His Son. Does this sound logical? If Jesus had existed before He became God's Son, then God may have called Him as a brother, as a friend, may even have been said to call Himself, if as some say, Jesus was God Himself. However, He could not have called Him as His Son until He became His Son.

So, when did Jesus become the Son of God?

Who is Jesus?

The Bible makes it clear that there is one God only and none other but He. This one God is the Father:

Deuteronomy 4:35

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

Ephesians 4:6 

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 Corinthians 8:6 

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.