Hanukkah was not ordained by God and is not found in the Bible. Plus in the Bible all the Old Testament feasts and so on are complete in Christ, thus not applicable to the Church (Body of Christ).

The only ordained commemorative in the New Testament is the Lord's Table, Breaking of Bread, Lord's Supper or similarly used terms to commemorate Christ's death and resurrection.

Hanukkah is only found in I and II Maccabees, which are Apocrypha, not Bible.

It is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees over the Roman Antiochus in 165 BC.

So, while having historical significance to Israel, it really has no place in US history or Christianity.

If all of the "so on" in the Old Testament are completed by Christ does that mean nothing in the old testament counts anymore? Or, may we pick and choose?

No We cannot pick and choose.

The Mosaic Covenant was annulled due to the disobedience and rejection of Christ by Israel. So that has no application to the Church. And never had application to the Gentiles to begin with.

But here one must understand the distinctions between Law and Covenant. Many do not.

Israel will be restored as covenant nation and the New Covenant with the Houses of Israel and Judah will contain Temple requirements, but such requirements will be changed in some aspects due to the cross.

Since Church saints are the Temples of Christ and the purposes of the Temple feasts, sacrifices and such are fulfilled in us by Christ, via the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are not bound by them since they are fulfilled for us.

There were at least five covenants in the OT. Some still are binding, some are not. Some apply to all Man, some only to Israel and some to Church and Israel. A complicated area.

All the prophecies and non covenant teachings of the OT are still there and still true. Such as the End Times prophecies have continued to be fulfilled throughout history and the ones pointing to the Day of the Lord (another big and complex issue) are coming upon the earth rapidly.

So, yes the OT is very real. But it must be understood in the various aspects it presents. It is not singular in nature.

Thank you. It is just hard for me to understand why God would sort and seperate people by tribe, etc., when we all belong to him and all came from Adam. I'm sorry but I think scholarly malarky such as you propose is just that, malarky. The devil is in the details.

Well, if you want to discuss it in depth I can give you a link to a site designed for such discussion.

There you will find, meant respectfully, what God decides to do is not dependent upon your understanding or acceptance.

Just be ready to get in deep.

I just am not going into depth on a newspaper site.

I have no qualms about what others post on this website, other than to say, religious opinions seem to be more personal than newsworthy. I know of hundreds if not thousands of places on the internet that can handle this exchange.

Having said that. . . let me poke a stick in your eye and opine that the Old Testament, and much of the New Testament is so replete with such unbelievable stories, that if examined closely, one could find little difference between Christian Zealots, Jewish Zealots, and Islamist Terrorists.

The Old Testament's God was one of anger, of vengence and of hatred for all human beings save that of his "chosen" peoples. Killing, dismembering, raping, suicides, all seemed to fit very well within the confines of the Old Testament's God. Men, women and children were often killed for percieved aggravations that God held. Many times the children were eaten alive by wolves, lions, and bears, all to God's astonding approval. (Read I and II Kings, along with Judges)

God even approved of Moses killing all members of another tribe, including the Children, but if you were a female virgin, then you were spared. (Sounds alot like the 72 Virgins that the Muslim Suicide Bombers are to recieve in Heaven.) Numbers Chapter 31.

The New Testament seemed to change somewhat. Less killing in God's name,( although Ananias and his wife were killed merely for lying about what they gave to the church), and the themes of love one another and to treat your neighbor as yourself became more prominent. (This is however not exclusive to Christianity, many, many religions have their own version of the Golden Rule etc.)

Nonetheless I understand how many of you HAVE to believe that there is a connection of some type between the New and Old Testaments because you were taught that the Bible is the word of God. You have to believe this otherwise your world would come apart, and thats okay. But just remember that your dogmatic and unbending belief in everything you were taught as a child, is the same basis of belief that the terrorists use for killing innocent people.

IMHO Religion has caused as much if not more hardaches on this planet than all of the good that it has indirectly done. Its simply okay to do good to others, to love one another NOT to insure you don't go to HELL, but merely because it is the way civilized humans should live.

Therefore, Love God with all of your Heart, Mind and Soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto yourself, and then be happy. Our God of Love, of Compassion, who many consider as OUR FATHER in Heaven is NOT going to send us to HELLS FIRE to be punished simply because we offended his diety. MY GOD IS MUCH MORE WONDERFUL than that.

My children will never, ever, ever do anything that will negate my love for them. Neither will they ever, ever be punished in such a way that diminishes that same love, its impossible. My God will not do that to me, nor to you either.

Thats my opinion.... now back to who is going to run for County Commissioner. . . Has Steve Brown filed papers yet?

Seize the Day in Peachtree City

I have said more than once there are more appropriate websites. Thus I have restricted my posts to very brief ones here. EXTREMELY brief.

As for you seeing an unloving God in the OT and a purely loving one in the NT, he is actually both in both.

Read Revelation where 2/3 of the world's population will be killed. And after the Millennial Kingdom this earth destroyed.

God is just. How you wish to invent your own god and define him is up to you. But you cannot find that God in the Bible.

God sets the standards. Neither you or I do.

So, if you do not like the sinful nature of Man in the Bible that is your option. Just don't expect anyone who reads to Bible literally to agree with you.

Anyway, I agree. There are sites established to discuss such things. Some just do it much better than others.