Let's See...

1. I observed my Blog Shabbat for this week yesterday.
2. I'm changing my Blogger habits--sort of. For certain people (at least those who I'm friendly and/or reconciled with), I won't say and do certain things. As for the people that I don't like, I'm just not giving you the time of day and I'm letting you fall into your own trap unless I absolutely have to expose you--e.g., Toby Keith, Tiki Barber and Traci Lynn Johnson Barber. As for Toby Keith--as I've blogged before--, the man had gallbladder surgery and now has time to think and reflect--so, I wish the man well and hopes that he uses his time out to get his priorities in order. As for Tiki and Traci Lynn Johnson Barber; they're now married and the ones who are going to have to deal with what they've done if and when their marriage goes the way that Tiki Barber's first marriage did. As for who they're friends with and who's friends with them, I can do nothing about that. Besides, I have people in my own life for whom some people would like at me like I'm Tiki or Traci Johnson Barber.
3. I'm given up on holding family, friends, etc. accountable in real life as well--not that I'm perfect, but you'll fall into whatever traps of your own that you've set up. As I did say in the open letter and the follow up (which few to none bothered to read), though (and both of which I ended up removing partly because so few people read the follow up); you can forget me sharing family pictures--after all, if I have to ask you to post an image while you're posting the same kinds of images (e.g., of yourself and of others who you've asked me not to post pictures of, all while you're posting pictures of yourself and even of them), you can perhaps even forget my taking of pictures of you. I'm not playing your hypocritical games anymore, and you'll miss of a heck of a lot of memories. By the way, this isn't everyone in the family--this is only those few with (so to speak) sticks up their butt about what I do and have a "G-d forbid that you do it, but I can do whatever I want" attitude. To the ones who aren't hypocritical and don't mind picture taking and sharing, you'll always be allowed to see my photos.  
4. For some reason, my Google Chrome broswer and Wireless Mouse are going AWOL, and my Internet Explorer can be a bit slow.

I could go on, but few to none of you will probably give a darn.

Weird Request: Go Sign The Petition By a Homosexual Georgia Couple

Here is the petition. As I stated, the couple are a professing Christian and a Reform Jew. "My wife and I are both small business owners, and like many American families, our family enjoys family vacations, going to church and temple, and large cookouts with our extended family, friends and community."

They also need the Gospel. Clearly, they are hostile to it and--at best--misunderstand what Dan Cathy believes and does. "Since 2003, Chick-fil-A has given more than $5 million to organizations that actively work to hurt LGBT Americans. These groups include the Family Research Council, which the Southern Poverty Law Center deems a hate group. Additionally, Chick-fil-A has donated to groups that have gone on record as calling for "criminal sanctions" against gay and lesbian Americans, as well as groups that promote so-called "ex-gay therapy," a practice both debunked and deemed as harmful by nearly every major medical authority in the country."

They do not understand that homosexuality--at best--is a thorn in the flesh with which many homosexuals struggle, and--at worst-- of "a "deprived mind," that marriage equality is "twisted up," and that making marriage equality legal is "inviting God's judgment."" Remember that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for homosexuality, and--even though this is another discussion--even more spared for their homosexuality than some cities will be for merely refusing to believe in Jesus.

Dan Cathy and others are out to help, not hurt, homosexuals and others and to even save them. Therefore, for the sake of the Gospel (which is inherently Jewish) and the Christians like Dan Cathy who believe in the Gospel, go tell Marci and Marlysa Alt what I did: "I agree with Dan Cathy and hope that he can have a dialogue with you about what Evangelical Christians believe and why we believe it."

If you can't tell them as I--a Jewish Evangelical Christian--told them, tell them that you at least believe in Dan Cathy's right to believe and discuss--even if you don't agree with--Evangelical Christian (Messianic Jewish) views. After all, if nothing else, why should Dan Cathy deprive a Jew like Marlysa Alt of the Gospel if he truly believes Romans 1:16 and 10:13-15? Also, why equally deprive a gentile like Marcia Alt of the Gospel that a Jewish man (Jesus, Yeshua) literally died (and rose) to preach to both Jews and gentiles? 

Proof Of Chauvinism In Our Society Re Kristen Stewart

According to Fox News, people are even threatening to murder Kristen Stewart (and all this after innocent people were murdered in Aurora, Colorado last week!). Who's blaming the married-with-children, in-a-higher-position (director-to-the-actor), older Rupert Sanders? Even Liberty Ross Sanders is blaming Kristen Stewart. Our society patriarchally, in a bad way, refuses to recognize that "To whom much is given, much is required."

Here (as my sister noted, by the way) is an older man taking advantage of a woman who's roughly half his age, and old enough to be her dad at that (He's 41; she's 22). Here is a married man pursuing a single woman, and cheating on his wife and kids in pursuing any (let alone a single-but-not-available--but still single) woman; and here is a director pursuing an actress.

Did true Christianity (even all those years ago, and throughout the ages when it has resurrected) and the feminist movement do nothing for society? Jesus, for example, forgave the adulterous woman and the Samaritan at the well, while He constantly lambasted the hypocritical Pharisees. Much later on, He brought forth even two Non-Messianic Jewish women to liberate women--Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. 


So if Jesus brought forth even Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan to liberate women--even modern-day Samaritans at wells and adulterous women--, why can't we forgive Kristen Stewart? Furthermore, we do we judge her and not the higher-up Rupert Sanders all the more so? 

Is Practicing Supposed Transubstantiation Falling Away?

CARM.org, while I don't agree with every point that they make--although I agree on the essentials--, makes a point about transubstantiation:

It should be obvious to anyone who believes the word of God, that the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation is not biblical.  For the reasons listed above, we urge that Roman Catholics recognize that Jesus Christ died once for all and that there is no need to participate in a ritual where His re-sacrifice is practiced.

Finally, because the sacrifice of Christ was once for all, it is sufficient to save us and we do not need to maintain our salvation by our efforts or by our participation in the Lord's supper.  It is not a means of grace that secures our salvation or infuses into us the grace needed that then enables us to maintain our salvation by our works.  Instead, we are made right before God by faith.

That CARM.org didn't reference the following is a little surprising:

Hebrews 6:4-6

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ if they fall away,^[a] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 6:6 Or and have fallen away

Hebrews 10:26-31

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Just Live by Faith

²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said,“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”^[a] says the Lord.^[b] And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”^[c]31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:35
2. Hebrews 10:30 NU-Text omits says the Lord.
3. Hebrews 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:36

Evangelical and truth-seeking Catholics: please take note and run while you can, or--if you're called to stay and be used to reform the Roman Catholic Church--pray on your calling to help reform the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, I have previously referenced the Yeshuat Yisrael study on Hebrews 6:4-6; and in other words, you will not lose your salvation if you participate and have participated in transubstantiation. But be warned:

⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Remember, "if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"; and in supposed transubstantiation, "they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." If you fall away, you "will suffer loss; but...will be saved, yet so as through fire." But you do not want to fall away.

So the "Free Wood Post" May Be Satire, But...

They still took a real happening, Rick Santorum's admission of being addicted to pornography-- which my very own mom says that she once heard Senator Santorum make on "The Janet Parshall Show"-- and satirized it. The "Free Wood Post" claims:

Free Wood Post is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within FreeWoodPost.com are fiction, and presumably fake news.

Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are based on real people, but still based almost entirely in fiction.

FreeWoodPost.com is intended for a mature, sophisticated, and discerning audience.

In Santorum's Confessiongate (or Pornogate or whatever you want to call it), they clearly didn't need to make up what happened-- that just came right to them. "Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are based on real people, but still based almost entirely in fiction." And this wasn't a case of even a little "entirely in fiction". This was a " purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities" case.

On This, I Agree With Michael Reagan In A Way...

Rick Santorum strikes again! What a hypocrite! That's right, Senator Santorum; you don't want to at least give contraception to people who want to practice safe sex, even within marriage; but you held back that you were addicted to porn, and many porn stars need contraception so that more porn stars aren't born into this crazy-enough world! Oh man! 


Michael Reagan is right: "Somethings need to be left unsaid!!There was no need for this statement!" For, "[e]ven a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." (Proverbs 17:28) There's also a second alternative: admit your sins from the beginning before you start crusading against others' doings of what you did; but Senator Santorum obviously was too late on that count.


I'm not into porn myself, but "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still;" (Revelation 22:11a-b); and ""Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:1-2). We live in a country where "Congress shall respect no establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof." Not everyone is a Christian or a Vatican One Catholic (although, to be fair, that Vatican was notorious for sexual sin and hypocrisy).


No wonder "An awkward silence fell over the crowd as Santorum went on to say, “The devil pulled me into lust. I would stare at screens, magazines, my hand…but now I’m free. I’m free of the devil’s grip.”" People don't like to be hoodwinked and unnecessarily shocked and surprised.


The problem is less the sin, and more the self-righteous hypocrisy.