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Gender is...

9/18/2019

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We live in a confused and fallen world, and that confusion extends everywhere, so that even the most basic questions, like “what gender am I?” become difficult for some people to answer. Some people claim they were born as the wrong gender, or at least in the wrong body. A man may believe he is actually a female, but his soul is “stuck” in a male body. Such claims receive support from others who advocate a “gender-neutral” society. But those who view gender distinctions as nothing more than arbitrary labels or a “box” to be broken out of are actively rejecting God’s design in creation.

Fundamental to our understanding of human sexuality is that God created two (and only two) genders. Currently, the world likes to consider gender (based on a social construct) as having nothing to do with sex (based on physicality), but the Bible makes no such distinctions. The Bible cuts through the world’s confusion simply: “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). All the modern-day speculation about multiple genders—or even a gender “continuum” with unlimited genders—is unbiblical. An individual may claim to be transgender or “gender-fluid,” but that doesn’t nullify God’s design and purpose in creating him or her.

Children growing up in this confused world are bombarded with messages of confusion. Little boys are told they don’t have to be boys; girls are told they might not really be girls. Whatever they feel they are is what they are—boy, girl, or a mixture of the two. The world tells them it doesn’t matter. The confusion and ambiguity are reinforced in many ways: gender-neutral days at school, the banning of terms such as boys and girls in the classroom, the proliferation of unisex restrooms, curricula that promotes homosexual marriage, etc. It’s little wonder that some people grow up struggling with their sexual identity. But our Lord warned against leading children astray: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble’” (Luke 17:1–2).

Some people today state that they have “felt like the opposite gender since they were children.” But how would one know that? To what are they comparing their feelings? How people feel is all they know, and, for each person, how he feels is “normal” for him. Any comparisons to other people’s feelings would only be an assumption. Some people may become convinced that they “felt like the opposite gender” at some point in their lives, but they don’t truly have a baseline comparison.

Given enough conditioning, any one of us can be convinced that we identify more as the opposite gender. Too often, certain individuals are labeled as cross-gendered because of natural differences in mannerisms and responses, and those individuals “back-paint” the concept into their understanding of their childhood.

But this reimagining of one’s childhood is different from wishing to be another gender. A person can wish he was the other gender for many reasons, but that doesn’t make it internally so. A parent can instill that desire in a child, or a child can observe benefits enjoyed by the other gender and desire them. The child can also desire to be seven feet tall, but it doesn’t change reality.

The Bible says that God created “male and female” and He pronounced His creation “very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). God’s plan was perfect, but, as with everything in mankind’s sphere, perfection was corrupted by sin. Sin negatively impacted the entirety of creation, hurting not only humanity's relationship with God, but with one another and the rest of the created order. Our world is fallen, and the effects of sin permeate everything. Diseases, birth defects, natural disasters, sinful acts, and the negative results of others' sin and our own sin can all be traced back to the fall. Sometimes these negative effects come in the form of naturally occurring anomalies; other times they are more directly traced to specific sin. Could an anomaly sometimes occur in gender, physically or mentally? We acknowledge that a person can be born with a combination of male and female organs—although one’s true, biological sex can be determined through medical tests.

This we know, that we are involved in a spiritual battle for our souls. The world seeks to conform us to its mold, which is why we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2). Satan attempts to deceive us and urges us to question God’s plan. One of the devil’s ploys is to make us dissatisfied with how God made us. To some he whispers, “You’re fat and ugly.” To others, “You’re stupid and clumsy.” And to still others, “You look like a boy, but you’re really a girl.” In each case, the underlying message is the same: “God messed up on you.”

This we also know, that the whole creation groans for release from the curse and damage of sin (Romans 8:20–22). The ruin wrought by sin is addressed through the redemption of Christ. Through salvation, Jesus Christ grants us forgiveness of sin, reverses the effect of our poor choices, and compensates for our brokenness.

Each of us faces a different set of battles. Yet Christ sets us on the path to victory. Hebrews 12:1–2 states, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The cross is key. Jesus pioneered our faith, and He will perfect it. His victory will be ours as well.

Some may battle heterosexual temptation, greed, pride, anger, or any number of sins. Someone else may battle gender confusion. Regardless of the battle with sin and the devil’s lies, the question we must answer is, “Is Christ and His redemptive work sufficient for our battles?” Jesus definitely claims to be sufficient for any and all of our battles, and He desires to sanctify us through His Word of truth (John 17:17).

As children of God, we should be content in this life (Philippians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 12:10). We realize that we all have limitations, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But through Christ those limitations will not interfere with the plan God has for us to honor Him and serve Him. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

If a person feels he or she has been born as the wrong gender, the answer is not gender-reassignment surgery, hormone therapy, cross-dressing, etc. Those are simply worldly ways of acquiescing to the devil’s lies. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). And God does not make mistakes. The one who feels he or she was born in the wrong body needs, first and foremost, to experience the transformative power of Christ. When we “participate in the divine nature,” we escape “the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).
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Why So Long for the New Testament to be Written?

9/18/2019

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​Q:
Why did God wait approximately 20 years after the Church was established to begin writing the New Testament? Why such a long span of time?
​

A:
Normally when we discuss the penning of the New Testament, we do so in view of the fact that God inspired men to write about Jesus and His will for the Church within only about 20-65 years of the Savior’s death and resurrection. Perhaps even more impressive is the abundant amount of evidence for the New Testament’s first-century origin. Due to the volume of ancient manuscripts, versions, and citations of the New Testament documents, even many liberal scholars have conceded the fact that the New Testament must have been completed by the end of the first century. Whereas the extant copies of Plato, Thucydides, Herodotus, Tacitus, and many others are separated from the time these men wrote by 1,000 years, manuscript evidence for the New Testament reaches as far back as the early second century, which has led most scholars to rightly conclude that the New Testament is, indeed, a first-century production.1As Irwin H. Linton concluded regarding the gospel accounts: “A fact known to all who have given any study at all to this subject is that these books were quoted, listed, catalogued, harmonized, cited as authority by different writers, Christian and Pagan, right back to the time of the apostles.”

Still, some wonder why God chose to wait approximately 20 years to begin writing the New Testament. Why didn’t the first-century apostles and prophets begin penning the New Testament as soon as the Church was established?

The simple, straightforward answer is that we cannot say for sure why God waited two decades to begin penning the New Testament. [NOTE: Conservative scholars generally agree that the earliest written New Testament documents, including Galatians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians, were likely written between A.D. 48-52.] We could ask any number of things regarding why God did or did not do something: Why did God wait some 2,500 years after Creation and some 1,000 years after the Flood to write a perfect, inspired account of these events? Why did God only spend 11 chapters in the Bible telling us about the first, approximately 2,000 years of human history, and 1,178 chapters telling us about the next 2,000? Why did God discontinue special, written revelation for over 400 years (between Malachi and the New Testament)? There are many questions, even specific ones about the makeup of God’s written revelation, that we would like to know about that He simply has not specifically revealed to us.

Having made that disclaimer, we can suggest a few logical reasons why God waited to inspire first-century apostles and prophets to pen the New Testament. First, the early Church had the treasure of the Gospel “in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). That is, the apostles were miraculously guided by the Spirit in what they taught (Galatians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16). The Spirit of God guided them “into all Truth” (John 16:13). Also, those on whom the apostles chose to lay their hands in the early churches received the miraculous, spiritual gifts of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, etc. (Acts 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Even though the Church was without the inspired writings of Paul, Peter, John, etc. for a few years, God did not leave them without direction and guidance. In a sense, they had “walking, living New Testaments.” When the miraculous-age ended (1 Corinthians 13:8-10),3 however, the Church would need some type of continual guidance. Thus, during the miraculous age, God inspired the apostles and prophets to put in permanent form His perfect and complete revelation to guide the Church until Jesus’ return (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Second, it was necessary for God to wait a few years to write the New Testament, and not pen it immediately following the Church’s establishment, because the books and letters that make up the New Testament were originally written for specific audiences and for specific purposes (though they are applicable to all Christians). For example, the epistles that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth could not have been written until there was a church at Corinth. If the church at Corinth was not established until the apostle Paul’s second missionary journey (ca. A.D. 49-52), then Paul obviously wrote to the Christians in Corinth after this time. Furthermore, since in 1 Corinthians Paul dealt with specific problems that had arisen in the church at Corinth (e.g, division, immorality, etc.), he could not have explicitly addressed these matters in detail until after they had come to pass. Thus, there was a need for time (i.e., a few years) to pass before the New Testament documents were penned.
Although some may be bothered by the fact that God waited approximately 20 years to begin penning the New Testament through His inspired writers, we can rest assured that He had good reasons for this relatively brief postponement. Admittedly, God did not explicitly indicate why He delayed putting His last will and testament in written form. Yet, logical reasons exist—most notably, the fact that the documents that make up the New Testament were written to specific peoples and for specific purposes.
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Art makes children more like themselves;

9/14/2019

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​Art allows students to express themselves and their knowledge, bringing passion forward into their learning, by making it their own. It also forces the students to really understand the subject matter, in order to be able to replicate it, or comment on it, through art. Research and years of experience reinforce the power of #integrating the arts to engage students in every dimension of learning and development. Arts integration has been defined by teaching artists, teachers, education specialists, and leading arts organizations as "an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form." When the arts are integrated, students are more engaged because they take on a more active role in learning by experiencing things directly and expressing themselves in multiple ways. They are challenged to take what they learn, build a deeper understanding, and then do something with it. When the arts are integrated well, students are involved in making decisions about their learning. One of the hallmarks of Arts Integration is that it is grounded in connected standards.  When you’re creating or teaching a lesson, ask yourself: what standards am I address in both the #content and the arts area?  If you can’t identify both, it’s not arts integration. When you’re working in an arts integration lesson, you’ll feel like the line between the content and the arts is blurred.  That’s a good thing!  In arts integration, the arts are an avenue through which students apply and #connect the previously taught content.  The arts are not servicing the content.  Instead, both the content area and the arts area are #interconnected.
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Arts Integration;

9/7/2019

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​Arts integration, defined by the Kennedy Center as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject and meets evolving objectives in both.” In Arts-Integrated Curriculum, the arts become the approach to teaching and the vehicle for learning. Students meet dual learning objectives when they engage in the creative process to explore connections between an art form and another subject area to gain greater understanding in both. For example, students meet objectives in theater (characterization, stage composition, action, expression) and in social studies. The experience is mutually reinforcing—creating a dramatization provides an authentic context for students to learn more about the social studies content and as students delve deeper into the social studies content their growing understandings impact their dramatizations. For Arts-Integrated Curriculum to result in deep student understanding in both the art form and the other curriculum area, it requires that teachers engage in professional development to learn about arts standards and how to connect the arts to the curriculum they teach.
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God is our Shepard;

9/2/2019

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​“Let us draw NEAR to God with a SINCERE heart and with the FULL ASSURANCE that FAITH brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”  ❤️

The clause “the Lord is my SHEPARD” comes from one of the most BELOVED of all passages of Scripture, the 23rd Psalm. In this passage and throughout the New Testament we learn that the Lord is “our Shepherd” in two ways. First, as the Good Shepherd, -He laid down His life for His sheep- and, second, His sheep KNOW His VOICE and FOLLOW Him (John 10:11, 14). 

In Psalm 23, GOD is using the analogy of sheep and their nature to describe US. Sheep have a natural tendency to WANDER off and get LOST. As believers, we tend to do the SAME thing (truth indeed). It’s as Isaiah has said: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). When sheep go astray, they are in danger of getting lost, being attacked, even killing themselves by drowning or falling off cliffs.🙏

Likewise, within our own nature there is a strong tendency to go ASTRAY (Romans 7:5; 8:8), following the lusts of our flesh and eyes and pursuing the pride of life (1 John 2:16). As such, we are like “sheep wandering away from the Shepherd” through our own futile self-remedies and attempts at “self-righteousness.” It is our nature to DRIFT away (Hebrews 2:1), to “reject God,” and to break HIS commandments. When we do this, we run the risk of getting lost, even forgetting THE WAY BACK to God. Furthermore, when we turn away from the Lord, we soon find ourselves confronting one enemy after another who will attack us in numerous ways.

Sheep are basically helpless creatures who cannot survive long without a shepherd, upon whose care they are totally dependent. Likewise, like sheep, we are totally dependent upon the Lord to shepherd, protect, and care for us. Sheep are essentially dumb animals that do not learn well and are extremely difficult to train. They do not have good eyesight, nor do they hear well. They are very slow animals who cannot escape predators; they have no camouflage and no weapons for defense such as claws, sharp hooves, or powerful jaws.

Furthermore, sheep are easily frightened and become easily CONFUSED. In fact, they have been known to plunge BLINDLY off a cliff FOLLOWING ONE ANOTHER. 

Shepherds in Bible times faced incredible dangers in caring for their sheep, putting their OWN LIVES at risk by battling wild animals such as wolves and lions who threatened the flock. David was just such a shepherd (1 Samuel 17:34–35). In order to be GOOD SHEPHERDS, they had to be WILLING to lay down their lives for the sheep.❤️

Jesus declared that He is OUR Shepherd and demonstrated it by giving HIS LIFE for us. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but TO SERVE, and to give His life a RANSOM for MANY” (Matthew 20:28). Through His willing SACRIFICE, the Lord made salvation possible for ALL who come to Him in FAITH (John 3:16). In proclaiming that He is the good shepherd, Jesus speaks of “laying down” His life for His sheep (John 10:15, 17–18).

Like sheep, WE, too, NEED a shepherd. Men are spiritually blind and lost in their sin (we all are- thing relationship with jesus takes years of building) This is why Jesus spoke of the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4–6). He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us. He SEARCHES for us when we’re LOST, to save us and to show us the way to eternal life (Luke 19:10). We tend to be like sheep, consumed with worry and fear, following after one another. By not following or listening to the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27), we can be easily “led astray” by others to our “own destruction.” Jesus, the Good Shepherd, -warns- those who do not believe and listen to Him: “I did TELL YOU, but you do not believe . . . you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my VOICE; I KNOW THEM, and they FOLLOW me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can -snatch- them out of my hand” (John 10:25–28).

Psalm 23:1–3 tells us that the shepherd meets the sheep’s every need: FOOD, water, rest, safety, and DIRECTION. When we as believers follow our Shepherd, we, too, know that we will have all we need. We will not lack the necessities of life, for He knows EXACTLY what we need (Luke 12:22–30).

Sheep will not lie down when they are hungry, nor will they drink from fast-flowing streams. Sometimes the shepherd will temporarily dam up a stream so the sheep can quench their thirst. Psalm 23:2 speaks of leading the sheep “beside the quiet [stilled] waters.” The shepherd must lead his sheep because they cannot be driven. Instead, the sheep hear the voice of their shepherd and follow him—just as we listen to our Shepherd, Jesus Christ—in His Word and follow Him (John 10:3–5, 16, 27). And if a sheep does wander off, the shepherd will leave the flock in charge of his helpers and search for the lost animal (Matthew 9:36; 18:12–14; Luke 15:3–7).

In Psalm 23:3, the Hebrew word translated “paths” means “well-worn paths or ruts.” In other words, when sheep WANDER onto a NEW PATH, they start to EXPLORE it, which invariably LEADS them into TROUBLE. This passage is closely akin to the WARNING in Hebrews 13:9: “Do NOT be carried away by all kinds of strange TEACHINGS.” The apostle Paul also alludes to this idea in Ephesians 4:14. 

Finally, the shepherd cares for the sheep because he loves them and wants to maintain his own good reputation as a “faithful shepherd.” As we’ve seen in Psalm 23, the analogy of the Lord as the Good Shepherd was also applied by Jesus in John chapter 10. In declaring that He is the shepherd of the sheep, Jesus is CONFIRMING that He is GOD. The Eternal God is our Shepherd. And we would not want it any other way.

Resource “My jewish learning:” In its very earliest days, Christianity was seen by the Jewish teachers as a Jewish heresy (its Not heresy) ; its adherents were Jews who believed in the divinity of Christ [and considered Christianity a Jewish sect]. (The original jews who followed jesus in israel were only several hundred before they got kicked out of the synagogues by authority- so they werent a sect- they were continuing to follow God, but “sect” comes from the perception from judiasm, or atleast due to obvious seperation. Jesus disciples followed his teachings, ministry, healings and performed miracles for 3 years throught israel before his death- then a chosen few witnessed the ressurection, and many witnessed his resurected body on earth. Many religious leaders in judiasm did not like this and forced them out-) so the disciples and witnesses continued preaching in Rome and it expanded from there) But when Christianity spread and became a world religion, with numerous converts from the Gentile world (the new testament makes it CLEAR- IN GOD there is “No jew, No gentile, No greek,” for they are ALL ONE in spirit through the “body” of jewish messiah) , it became a rival religion to Judaism. (Not really rival, i think this circles back to Israel wrestling with god, fighting gods word or truth which led to conflict) Christians were then seen as Gentiles (i didnt understand the concept of separation- whats with the “othering” labels?) not because they were Christians but because, in the main, they were, in fact, Gentiles (i.e. not Jewish).  (hmmmm… 😂). 

In the Talmud and Midrash, the comparatively few references to Christianity (these only appear in uncensored versions- okay where is the instigation stemming from) are to this religion as a heretical sect believing in a form of dualism, God the Father and God the Son. (Not heretical- its true, but i can thoroughly understand how confusing this concept would be at that time- its even confusing to some people now😆). 

Typical is the comment of the late third‑century Palestinian teacher, Rabbi Abbahu, on the verse (Isaiah 44:6): “I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God.” As Rabbi Abbahu spells it out: “‘I am the first,’ for I have no father; ‘and I am the last,’ for I have no son, ‘and beside Me there is no God,’ for I have no brother.” (This is explained on my blog- God gives his true identity to moses in the burning bush and through jesus in ministry) Since the doctrine of the Trinity did not emerge fully until a later period, there are no references to this doctrine in the Talmud or midrash, despite far‑fetched attempts to find hints of it in these sources. (There would be no reason for it to be in the talmud, they didnt belive it happened). 

It was not until the Middle Ages that the status of Christianity (and of Islam) as a rival religion was considered from the Jewish point of view. (Why is everyone a rival? So much fighting?) ….

…SO here is where theres a BIG difference between “ideology” and “identity” islam has been thoroughly proven as riddled with historical inaccuracies. The deriving points are hit and miss from judiasm OT- then tangled with various interpretations. Mohomad was a prophet, but hes not the final prophet, he lived several hundred years after jesus and was very violent and barbaric- because he was human, not god) However- for someone to “critique the accuracy of the islamic ideology”  in NO way means that they are “racist of Muslims”  (muslims are wonderful people and NO different, anyone can do good or harm) so thats the WRONG perspective because it reduces people to “group identity” instead of the “individual in search of truth and unity in truth.” All humans are equal. 😍 Not all ideologies are historically accurate.  Identity politics separates instead of uniting, it represents man, not God. Represents group-race based on alienation, not one humanity. Its division, not inclusion.  Some religions refer to additional religions   as “the others” or “otherly” (this gives the person- or group- a sense of superioroty over other groups) which is the exact opposite message of the new testament. We are all EQUAL in ONE FAMILY of God, ONENESS, UNITY. 

Attacks on Christian dogma are found in medieval Jewish writings (this improved after israel became a country- and christians aren’t totally innocent whatsoever, -mainly the roman catholic church- but theres a long history here, and the pope did a lot of work to correct this) from the biblical commentaries of Rashi and [David] Kimhi, refuting the Christian claim that the Old Testament contains prophesies anticipating the coming of Jesus, through works of apologetics such as the Kuzari of Judah Halevi and the Faith Strengthened of [the Karaite] Isaac of Troki (d. 1593), to the records drawn up by Jews of the various disputations they had with Christians [perhaps the most famous being the disputation about the nature of the Messiah between the apostate Pablo Christiani and Rabbi Moses ben Nahman, Nahmanides, in 1263].

In these and similar works the main thrust was to deny that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus (the world gave no evidence that this glorious age had arrived, it was frequently protested) and especially to take issue with the doctrine of the Incarnation and the Trinity. (It had arrived through the living embodiment). 

As [the Venetian rabbi] Leon da Modena noted, it was not the doctrine of the Trinity in itself that was objectionable (after all, in the kabbalistic doctrine of the Sefirot there is much talk of three, and more, aspects of [the] Deity) but its elaboration, in which the Trinity is composed of three divine Persons, one of which became incarnate in a human being. The medieval thinkers who held Christianity but not Islam to be an idolatrous faith did so particularly because of the worship of the Cross; to bow before an icon or a crucifix was held to be akin to bowing to idols. (Technically False- its the opposite of worshipping idols- but fair enough, lack of knowledge- so therefore Jesus wasnt the messiah for judiasm at that time). 

The basic question in practice was whether the older talmudic regulations against social intercourse and business dealings with pagans on the days of their festivals (because they might offer praise to their gods at the successful outcome of the deal) applied to Christians. With Jews living among Christians to apply these regulations would have been catastrophic, if not impossible.

The French scholars [such as Menahem Meiri, discussed below] tended to adopt casuistic arguments in order to circumvent some of the more onerous rules; they argued, for instance, that any money given by Christians to the Church is largely for the benefit of the clergy, and there are certainly no actual sacrifices of animals or birds to idols as there were in talmudic times.

Menahem Meiri [a thirteenth-century talmudist] went much further to argue that the references to pagans in the talmudic literature could not apply to what he called “people whose lives are governed by religion.” Eventually, a distinction was made, unknown in the talmudic sources, according to which Christianity did constitute idolatry for Jews but not “for them” (i.e. Christians). A Christian did not offend against the Noahide laws [the seven principles, including the rejection of idolatry, by which Judaism expects non-Jews to live] since the Torah allows a Gentile, but not a Jew, to worship another being in addition to God. (This is backwards). 

This concept was known as shittuf (“association,” of another together with God) and the oft‑quoted legal maxim, allowing for a more liberal attitude towards Christians, is: “A Noahide is not enjoined to reject shittuf.”

Social needs obviously called forth this artificial distinction which was by no means universally accepted. As late as the end of the eighteenth century, Elijah, Gaon of Vilna, ruled that, since it is forbidden to mention the name of an idol, a Jew may refer to Jesus but never use the name Christ. 

In the twentieth century, the halakhic authorities debated whether it is permitted to use an abandoned church as a synagogue, or for a Jew to give a donation to a church or even enter a church, or wear a medal in the shape of a cross. In the last instance, permission was given, on the grounds that the medal is a decoration, not an object of worship. Some authorities permitted a Jew to trade in the sale of crosses to Christians, provided these were to be worn not for purposes of worship but simply as decorations.

Some Jews believe that Judaism and Christianity have so much in common that it is permissible to speak of a Jewish-Christian tradition. But there is the strongest opposition on the part of all Jews, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform, to the attempts by Christian missionary groups to convert Jews to Christianity. The Jews for Jesus movement is very much a fringe phenomenon and has justly been condemned by all faithful Jews as trying to introduce Christianity to Jews through the back door, so to speak. (Its the only door now). 

A single contemporary Orthodox Jewish theologian in the US has argued that Judaism does not oblige Jews to reject the doctrine of the incarnation as impossible in itself. For him, Jews reject Christianity not because God could not have become incarnate in a human being, since that would compromise God’s omnipotence, but because, in fact, He did not do so in the person of Jesus. (Yea, he did). 

This eccentric view is rejected by all other Jewish theologians on the grounds that God, being God, can as little become human as He can wish Himself out of existence. As Aquinas said–and he was anticipated by Jewish thinkers–it is no compromise of God’s omnipotence that He cannot do the absolutely impossible. (Surprise!! It is possible!:)


​
Judaism perspective from wikipedia: 

The messiah in Judaism originally meant a divinely appointed king or "anointed one" and included Jewish priests, prophets and kings such as David and Cyrus the Great.[1] Later, especially after the failure of the Hasmonean Kingdom (37 BCE) and the Jewish–Roman wars (66–135 CE), the figure of the Jewish messiah was one who would deliver the Jews from oppression and usher in an Olam HaBa ("world to come") or Messianic Age. (This is jesus of nazareth- jewish messiah, the anointed one). 

Some people were looking forward to a military leader who would defeat the Seleucid or Roman enemies and establish an independent Jewish kingdom (during his second coming this will be similar). Others, like the author of the Psalms of Solomon, stated that the messiah was a charismatic teacher who would give the correct interpretation of Mosaic law, restore Israel, and judge mankind.  (This is exactly what jesus did at his first coming). 

Judas of Galilee, or Judas of Gamala, was a Jewish leader (he was an original apostile of jesus- there were 12, but after he betrayed jesus after the fist supper he was replaced, but he betrayed jesus under the “order of god” by kissing his cheek in exchage for money (how amazing is that- its all part of gods ultimate redemption plan!) which turned him into authorities that lead to his crucifixtion- his religious leaders called him a heretic- though he is god. Therefore, when judas found out that jesus was going to be crucified he tried returning the money as he was remorseful but couldn’t as it was too late, and he was “cursed”) who led resistance to the census imposed for Roman tax purposes (judas took bribed tax money instead of giving to the poor.) by Quirinius in Judea Province around 6 CE.[1] He encouraged Jews not to register and those that did had their houses burnt and their cattle stolen by his followers (if referring to jesus followers this is incorrect- remember israel was named for contending god, not man).[2] He began the "fourth philosophy" of the Jews (this must be when they labeled followers of jesus as christians then kicked them out of the synagogues- which is fine- but, you can not find the truth without speaking truth) which Josephus blames for the disastrous war with the Romans in 66–70. These events are discussed by Josephus in The Jewish War and in Antiquities of the Jews and mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (i would like to see this version of the acts of the apostles).

In Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus states that Judas, along with Zadok the Pharisee, founded the "fourth sect" of 1st century Judaism[3] (the first three being the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes). Josephus blamed this fourth sect for the First Jewish–Roman War of 66–73. Judas and Zadok's group were theocratic nationalists (completely untrue) who preached that God alone was the ruler of Israel (JESUS is the messiah the one true god, PRAISE the LORD 🙌) and urged that no taxes should be paid to Rome. (Need i say more?) thankfully- we dont need to be perfect, thats why we need jesus- hes perfect! 

Several scholars, such as Gunnar Haaland and James S. McLaren, have suggested that Josephus's description of the fourth sect does not reflect historical reality, but was constructed to serve his own interests (true, which is exactly what happened in american politics these last seceral years). According to Haaland, the part covering the sect acts as a transition and an introduction to the excursion concerning the Jewish schools of thought, all of which Josephus presents to portray the majority of Jews in a positive light, and to show that the Jewish War was incited by a radical minority. (No- thats backwards.) Similarly, McLaren proposes that Judas and his sect act as scapegoats for the war that are chronologically, geographically and socially removed from the priestly circles of Jerusalem (and Josephus himself). Very keen observation. (The judiasm text is not in chronological order- so this makes sense). 

Josephus does not relate the death of Judas, although he does report that Judas' sons James and Simon (this may be historically innacurate). were executed by procurator Tiberius Julius Alexander in about 46 CE. He also reports that Menahem ben Judah, one of the early leaders of the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE, was Judas' "son", but some scholars doubt this. Menahem may have been Judas' grandson, however.[8] Menahem's cousin, Eleazar ben Ya'ir, then escaped to the fortress of Masada where he became a leader of the last doomed defenders against the Roman Empire. (Not historically accurate). 

Judas is referred to in ACTS of the Apostles, in which a speech by Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhedrin, identifies Theudas and Judas as examples of failed Messianic movements, and suggests that the movement emerging in the name of Jesus of Nazareth could similarly fail. (Innaccurate, jesus is the jewish messiah and christianity is the truth). ❤️

What does 1 Corinthians 12:17 mean? What is the spiritual body of the messiah? 

Paul has described a comically-absurd scenario. Imagine a human body where the foot is disgruntled that it cannot be one of the hands. Perhaps it wants the prestige of doing "hand" tasks; it doesn't like being inside of shoes anymore. Or suppose there is an ear who declares itself independent of the body because it cannot be an eye. Even if it were possible for body parts to have such feelings, Paul's point is that there's nothing they could do about it. 

In the same way, those in Christ have been given their own unique spiritual gifts, as well as specific functions to do in the body of Christ. Those functions require their specific gifts. Apparently, some in the church in Corinth were discontent with their role in the church, with the purpose God had uniquely equipped them to fulfill. Perhaps, they wanted out. Or they simply refused to use those God-given abilities. 

Christians, though, like body parts, can't just walk away from the body they belong to. Every believer remains attached to the body of Christ. Like a stubborn body part, all a saved believer can do is refuse to function—making them the equivalent of a paralyzed limb or an inert organ. The best that we can do, once we have discovered what our function is, is to learn how vital it is to the church and to do it with the power of God. 

Paul demonstrates that by calling attention to the work of hearing. If ears and all the other body parts decided to be eyes, how would the body hear anything? If there were only ears, on the other hand, the body would lose its sense of smell. Every body part—every believer, without exception—serves an essential function in the body.

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    Anew Light Ministries

    CREATING environments through the vehicles of Visual and Expressive ARTS to help plug people into their CREATOR by fostering Spiritual Growth. By combining Therapeutic Art, Christ-Centered CBT techniques, and Integrated Arts in Scriptural Education, I seek to Heal human brokenness and Redeem Fullness through the Transformative Healing Power of The Holy Spirit. 

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