WesleyGospel Ministries

Jesus declared all foods clean. –Mark 7:19

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit. –Revelation 1:10

Circumcision is nothing…keeping God’s commands is what counts. –1 Cor. 7:19

Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. –Colossians 2:16

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. –Acts 10:9-16

With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell. –Acts 15:23-29

If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! –Galatians 1:9

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. –Galatians 3:13-14

Now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. –Galatians 4:9-11

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. –Galatians 5:2-4

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Stan Telchin, Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity (Chosen Books, 2004). Written by a biological Jew and former employee of Jews for Jesus.

Bible.org, “The Characteristics of a Cult (Acts 15:1-31).”

“Judaizers were Jewish Christians who believed, among other things, that a number of the ceremonial practices of the OT were still binding on the NT church. Following Paul’s successful campaign in Galatia, they insisted that Gentile converts to Christianity abide by certain OT rites, especially circumcision. They may have been motivated by a desire to avoid the persecution of Zealot Jews who objected to their fraternizing with Gentiles (see 6:12). The Judaizers argued that Paul was not an authentic apostle and that out of a desire to make the message more appealing to Gentiles he had removed from the gospel certain legal requirements. Paul responded by clearly establishing his apostolic authority and thereby substantiating the Gospel he preached. By introducing additional requirements for justification (e.g., works of the law) his adversaries had perverted the gospel of grace and, unless prevented, would bring Paul’s converts into the bondage of legalism. It is by grace through faith alone that people are justified, and it is by faith alone that they are to live out their new life in the freedom of the Spirit…Galatians stands as an eloquent and vigorous apologetic for the essential NT truth that people are justified by faith in Jesus Christ–by nothing less and nothing more–and that they are sanctified not by legalistic works but by the obedience that comes from faith in God’s work for them, in them and through them by the grace and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It was the rediscovery of the basic message of Galatians (and Romans) that brought about the Protestant Reformation.” –Introduction to Galatians in The NIV Study Bible

“15:1 Some men. Probably from ‘the party of the Pharisees’ (v. 5). These were believers who insisted that before anyone could become a true Christian they must keep the law of Moses, and the test of such compliance was circumcision. from Judea. Meant that these Judaizers (or legalists) were given a hearing, not that they correctly represented the apostles and elders of Jerusalem (cf. v. 24). 15:5 believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. Some Pharisees became Christians and brought their Judaic beliefs with them. They believed that Gentiles must first become converts to Judaism and be circumcised (see v. 1), and then they would be eligible to be saved by faith. Perhaps some of them had gone to Antioch and now returned to present their case.” –Notes on Acts 15:1, 5 in The NIV Study Bible

“4:10 special days. Such as the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement (tenth day of Tishri; see Lev 16:29-34), which had never been, and can never be, in themselves means of salvation or sanctification. months and seasons. Such as New Moons (see Nu 28:11-15; Isa 1:13-14), Passover (Ex 12:18) and Firstfruits (Lev 23:10). years. Such as the sabbath year (see Lev 25:4). The Pharisees meticulously observed all these in an attempt to gain merit before God. 4:11 wasted my efforts. Due to their return to Pharisaic legalism.” –Notes on Galatians 4:10-11 in The NIV Study Bible

“5:2 As a condition for God’s acceptance, circumcision impeded the development of the Christian life through trusting in Christ. 5:3 obligated to obey the whole law. The OT law is a unit; submission to it cannot be selective (see Jas 2:10 and note). 5:4 fallen away from grace. Placed yourself outside the scope of divine favor, because gaining God’s favor by observing the law and receiving it by grace are mutually exclusive (see 2:2 and note; cf. 3:3 and note).” –Notes on Galatians 5:2-4 in The NIV Study Bible

“Hot breath of God burning down my neck” is an expression he used a couple times. This is a Holy Spirit burning sensation in the mouth and throat of the preacher: its the prophetic touch on the message. I experienced it once in my mouth when I was reading aloud the spiritual gifts section in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. –Romans 7:13 (KJV)

When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped. –Numbers 25:7-8 (NIV)

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David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade, p. 65.

John R. Rice, Adultery and Sex Perversion (Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1978).

Ralph Venning, The Sinfulness of Sin (1671).

Robert Bolton, Twenty Considerations Against Sin (1753).

Josh.org, “The Porn Epidemic.” 

• 79 percent of men and 76 percent of women, ages 18-30, view pornography at least once a month.
• 64 percent of young people, ages 13-24, actively seek out pornography.
• 57 percent of pastors admit they struggle with porn.
• 60-72 percent of men and 24-30 percent of women in the Church are sex addicts. 

Barna, “The Porn Phenomenon.”

Gitnux, “Must-Know Porn Statistics.”

Springer Link, “Pornography Consumption in People of Different Age Groups.”

NIH, “Self-Reported Addiction to Pornography.” This is an example of the “other view” which was only about 12% of American adults are addicted to pornography. This might be more of a problem of definition in the questionnaire; rather than to say that those that lean in the 70% direction of this stat are just simply exaggerating the evidence to make a point.

Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. –Revelation 3:16 (KJV)

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you. –2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV)

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Benjamin Wadsworth, Fervent Zeal Against Flagrant Wickedness (1718).