*****Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?******

topic posted Wed, October 24, 2007 - 4:26 AM by  Happy
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Matthew 12 : 50

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2Cr 6:14
posted by:
Happy
  • <For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Matthew 12 : 50

    Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2Cr 6:14 >

    While Mathew 12:50 speaks against the divine status some give to Mary and the saints. I am not sure how it relates to 2cr 6:14. Which I have always had a problem with. Jesus certainly did eat and associate with sinners. And elsewere we are told not to hide our light under a bushel. My answer to 2Cr 6:14 is the light chases away the darkness. If I carry my among those that have lamps then what is gained? Is not the lamp needed in the darkness rather then in the light?
    • Unsu...
       
      Who gives divine status to Mary and the Saints? They are heretics!

      You have a problem with 2Cr 6:14 - but I thought the Holy Spirit was guiding you?
      • <You have a problem with 2Cr 6:14 - but I thought the Holy Spirit was guiding you? >

        Its the holy spirit that creates this conflict:

        Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

        Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

        Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

        Mat 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, [that] preach ye upon the housetops.

        Luk 8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

        It is the spirit that urges me to understand 2 Cr 6:14 better, and understand how it fits or does not fit with the above.
    • Proper interpretation turns on what it means to be "unequally yoked" and to "have fellowship" and "communion."
      Some believers conclude that they cannot share a meal with unbelievers... or play in the same softball league.
      • "What it means to be unequally yoked"

        The interpretation that I have heard, that makes sense to me, would be not to marry or form a committed partnership, like a business partnership, with an unbeliever. Animals that are yoked together travel in the same direction and do the same work. An unbelieving spouse or partner won't have the same priorities or goals as a believer, and always seems to lead to problems. I'm thankful that my wife is headed in the right direction.

        We aren't told not to have fellowship with unbelievers. That's a rhetorical question to show us why we shouldn't be unequally yoked.

        Paul elsewhere says in 1 Cor 5:9-11not to associate or even eat with sinners who claim to be believers, and allows associating with sinners who don't claim to be believers, so he presumeably isn't ruling out meals or softball leagues here.
    • >>>>>While Mathew 12:50 speaks against the divine status some give to Mary and the saints.<<<<<

      Who gives divine status to Mary and the saints? Certainly not the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
      • Who gives divine status to Mary and the saints? Certainly not the Catholic and Orthodox churches.>

        There are people who pray to Mary and the Saints, though the bible tells us that the dead sleep until judgement. and Jesus himself said that those that do the will of God are his mother and brethren. Why pray to Mary, when Jesus recognizes you as mother and brethren?
  • I strongly agree with you Ricardo, do we go to the hospitals to look for the healthy?
    • Well we all know that the Love of Christ is unconditional to all. That means free, no charge, no obligation. As Grace is given freely as a gift undeserved.

      For 18 years now I have operated a ministry for the homeless and the abused. Over the years I have seen the rise of many so called Judas groups. Groups that are out there promoting themselves as God sent to help but, having conditions and obligations placed on individuals that are desperate in need of some form of help. A very good example of this happen several weeks ago with an individual that had come to the mission house for shelter and help. This individual was homeless, hungry, and had had all of their clothes stolen except what they had on and this was only a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Among the clothes that we had at the mission house we could not find any to fit the individual. So , as always being in the ministry for several years and knowing all the resources available, carried the individual to the Salvation Army. Take in mind that the Salvation Army changes their leadership in local area outlets every several years or so.

      I entered the Salvation Army with the individual, introduced them to the Salvation Army personel to help him. They ask the individual did they have any Identification, the individual proceeded to show them their Drivers License and a phone credit card which was all that they had. The captain in charge of the Salvation Army ask the individual for a Social Security card. The individual did not have one, and was told that the Salvation Army could not help him if he could not produce a social security card.

      So often today are we seeing this type of conditional type of ministries, not just the Salvation Army but, there are many that pose themselves as christians laboring for the oppressed, but yet for a price or some conditional obligation. Now, here was a man desperate, half naked standing infront of the Captain of the Salvation Army and was completely turned away. But, yet the Captain and many like him think nothing of what they have done in their rejection. Well , I must admit I almost carried a whip in the Salvation Army ...when I confronted the Captain while restaining myself, I ask him..." Here is a man standing directly infront of you almost naked, and your telling him you can not help him to cover his nakedness from the cold, all because he can not produce for you a Social Security Card ? What is your problem sir, how do you justify your actions here today ? and how will you justify yourself before God ? " and the captain answered, " I would like to help him but he has to produce a social security card that is the rules "

      Who is my mother ? Who is my brethern ? Hey, I have been standing up for the oppressed for many years and more and more this type of legalistic lukewarm type of love which is not love at all has been taking the place in the hearts of many today. And what is so unacceptable , these that work for these Judas Groups are completely at ease at what they do, as they parade publicly before men.

      For the least you have done for these you have done for me....said Jesus

      I carried the individual to another place that I use when needed at the mission house, and the other place was a church with a clothing closet and they greeted the half naked man with open arms and gave to him anything he needed unconditionally..

      There are many examples I am sure many could share regarding this topic , but here is one that is becoming an epidemic within communities and the poor are being used for ill-gotten gain as well.... These at these Judas groups understand with they do and they are not our mother or our brethern...beware !
      • <There are many examples I am sure many could share regarding this topic , but here is one that is becoming an epidemic within communities and the poor are being used for ill-gotten gain as well.... These at these Judas groups understand with they do and they are not our mother or our brethern...beware !
        >
        Excellent post!, Its easy for us to come autonomous to the beaucracy in which we work or live. Sometimes walking in the spirit, means that you break the rules, that you are willing to open yourself to ridicule or reprocusions for another. The example of Jesus was one of sacrifice. To follow him we have to not only be willing to risk our jobs, positions, credit, etc. for another, but to do so joyfully. This is what it means to have treasure in heaven, you can devote your whole life to caring for the poor, or helping others, but until you have done so, at a sacrifice to yourself, you have not truely given.



        Mar 12:41 ΒΆ And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
        Mar 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
        Mar 12:43 And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
        Mar 12:44 For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.
        • And how evident My dear Brother in Christ it is becoming that this generation that we live is falling further and further into complete degeneration. Observe even one of God's most important of His creations that He has given to man.

          The Bee factor as God's sign to His children....

          In study and research now as one ever learning about this marvelous creature the honeybee, this one that gives a delightfully healing medicine from God. The disappearence of the honeybee is a very mysterious thing, mankind and all his knowledge can not solve it. Many different reasons exist as to why and what caused it. But, actually not one thing can be signaled out as a cause.

          Other factors exist also here. The change in earth activities effect us all. Earthquakes, watershortages, turmoil in the tossing of the sea, climate, and the list continues with the earth's stressed recovery back to it's healthy homoestasis. Earth has recovered well in the past before the Industrial Era. With modern times and God allowing man's achievements to increase, man has shown himself to be not a good stewerd of the earth due to how he accumilates waste and toxins from manmade sources. Not naturally produced as the period in history before the Industrial Era begin. Before the manmade machines took the stage. The main changes occured in dieases to man, and learning how to control them or prevent them. When one explores and researches the true birth of modern medicine they will find that the birth of the medical surgeon did not have humble beginnings as many feel. Through history since the Garden of Eden man has had accidents and suffered puncture wound injury, bone breaks, conflict injury, and lets not forget the medical abilities learned in childbirth. Many remedies and preventable cures discovered came in some cases such as the simple handwashing discovery and the benefits in doing so between patients. One of God's commands given to Mose's was the instruction and the importance of handwashing.

          God's word teaches us the history of mankind and apparently during the days of Noah before the flood, the children of God were the generations from Adam til the finale generation of Noah which carried the seed of Adam and Seth...and down the generations listed until that time of the flood. We can see the seed of Christ from Christ geneology of His birth. These generations of Noah's Day were a picture of health. Anyone that lives nearly a thousand years has to look pretty healthy. Apparently before the flood , the earth was still in it's infant state, those first generations of life were still full of the remnant glory of the Garden of Eden where the Tree of Life was located.
          Certainly there was a pathway that was known for many generations to the entrance to the Garden of Eden where God placed an angel preventing Adam and Eve to enter. As time and generations passed this entrance became less and less known as God carried the Garden of Eden away back to Eternal heaven.

          God has revailed His mystery to us and yet still with much hunger and thirst for more we learn in an awesome incredible way. Even through the simple but, not well understood honeybee. For it is understood that God created according to His word mankind last among His creation . The Honeybee was created before mankind, preparing the way of the Lord in the Garden of Eden. The honeybee was one of the first to taste the tree of life.

          How relative is the job given to the honeybee since the fall of mankind, continuing it's process and valuable given benefits which without a doubt is God's gift eternal.

          In conclussion, the question remains can the end of times prophecy be seen in the downturn of the earth's pollinators? Yes, very much so. The symbolic use of the literal meanings used of the Milk and the Honey are spiritually self explainatory to the believer in Christ. The coming of the Two Witnesses are at hand now. And the close of the ages is now at the door. We are that generation that Jesus was talking about:
          And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. Mark 13 :20
          The present generation now of mankind has for some years now had the ability through manmade invention to destroy the earth . It is forseen as a foreshadow of things to come at man's inner nature of pride and survival that with so much technology available and it's applications of governing the majorities of the world now these technologies will be the end of man. As desperateness grows for resources . The survival of man will ultimately mean war. One of these main resources is clean drinking water and food. Ultimately controled by governing bodies through high tech applications of Bio technology. Man has learned to use every resource available as a weapon of war at one time or another. How much more stress of natural birthpains of the earth add to this also. Famines, dieases, all follow suit in order of the break down of worldly societies. A society loses touch with real life reality to the convenience of it's invented technologies. These technologies are God given , but the inner self of man gives himself credit of his on achievements in a pride like no other.

          For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20
          What are these invisible things that from the creation of the world are clearly seen?
          The mechanics of creation are very interesting. One of these are the make up of man as we understand it through medical studies and research. The heart and all the functions are set on a wonderous automaticty that runs completely on it's own , but yet is a shell housing the very spirit of God that is placed within all life. The wonderous beauty of life surrounding us. The movement of the wind, the seasons of the earth, the new life in spring. And one of the most important of these invisible gifts is God's Love. Love is the reason. God is love. Giving to us Jesus Christ as our godhead.

          That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; Col 2:2
          But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Rev 10:7
          And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables: Mark 4:11
          And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Eph 3:9
          Yes, God appoints each of His childern to a specific gift that is intended to be used for His glory in this world and the Eternal Kingdom to come. Even the little honeybee. Might we be reminded that God's word will be fulfilled word for word just as it is written. We must believe this in all faith in a wonderful loving God. A God that sacrificed His only begotten Son. A God that Loved mankind so much that in this sacrifice of Love that the assurance of forgiveness and grace would abound eternally. Bringing man to complete maturity in the mystery of coming to the earth in the flesh. God becoming flesh the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ our Godhead.

          It is always amazing how the obvious that is right before the majority is never seen , nor do they expect anything. They believe everything will continue as it always has. IN the Spiritual context of the understanding through the mind of Christ that we go forward to know in this great race. To the worldly man the spiritual things of the spiritual man is foolishness.

          The coming of the Kingdom is at hand, even now within us. We are surrounded by God.
          • Interesting post. I can't stand people taking their expectation that Jesus will come soon as a license to use up resources and pollute the earth as they like. It's all gonna burn anyway, right? I suppose in some sense they are right that there will be a new heavens and new earth, but is it good stewardship to destroy this one, especially when we haven't been given a date for the new one?

Recent topics in "Christian talk"

Topic Author Replies Last Post
When the brook dried... Joseph 1 April 8, 2008
Can you recommend a Christian movie? Joseph 11 March 31, 2008
The Message wyldstar 0 March 23, 2008
i get sad now and again (-like now) nightowl 8 February 20, 2008