Author: Texas Gospel

Why don’t we give Old Testament punishments today?

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A non-believer asked this question:  If the Bible is infallible, and God never changes, should we stone people today for violating Old Testament law as directed in the 15th chapter of Numbers? The simple answer is No, this is an oversimplification and it ignores context of who is speaking to whom and under what circumstances.

At times, God gave specific instructions to specific groups of people because of what they were doing and the situation man created at that time; and these situations are spelled out. The book of Numbers records specifically Israel’s exodus from Egypt and God’s directives to Israel. God gives detailed instructions to the Israelites. It’s clear they are going into the wilderness of Sinai. Nowhere does it say everyone now and in the future should go wander in the wilderness; it is clear the directive is to this group only.

To be clear, it is God’s people and their situation that is changing, not God.

Think of it this way. If I’m teaching one of my kids to drive and we come up to a traffic signal and the light is red, I’m going to say stop or you’ll get a ticket. If I give my child a driving lesson the next day and we approach the traffic signal and it is green, I would tell my child to drive through the intersection. Would it be odd for him to ask me why the law changed? The law didn’t change, the situation in which my child was changed.

What are your thoughts?

For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

Hebrews 7:12

Criminals smash at least 18 windows of Windsor church building

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2018-05-29 Church vandalism in Canada.PNG

A man has been charged after at least 18 windows were smashed at St. Mary and St. Moses Coptic Orthodix Church in Windsor, Ontario on Friday, according to a report from the Windsor Star.  The damage was discovered around 11 p.m. Friday.

A CBC report says the 57-year-old suspect may have had accomplices.

A motive for the vandalism has not been announced.

The name of the suspect has not been released.

Groundbreaking Settlement Protects Religious Freedom in Senior Community

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NEWS RELEASE

Bakersfield, CA–A court case that tested the application of civil rights protections to Bible studies and a worship service in a senior community has been favorably resolved through a settlement.

Pacific Justice Institute represented the leadership of four religious groups that had been suspended in late 2016 by their homeowners’ association (HOA). The suspension followed a complaint from one atheist in the retirement community, Solera at Kern Canyon. Other than the one complaint, the religious groups had become quite popular within the community, with approximately 100 weekly attendees of the four groups in a community of 558 homes. Like other interest groups, the Sunday morning worship service, men’s Bible study and two women’s Bible studies meet in the community center. ​

After the Bible studies and worship service were suspended just before Thanksgiving of 2016, one attendee of the worship service and men’s Bible studies filed suit, and the suspension was lifted at the end of that year. The HOA, however, continued to insist that it had done nothing wrong and possessed the authority to suspend the groups again at anytime, so litigation continued throughout 2017 and early 2018 to resolve that issue. PJI intervened in the suit last spring on behalf of the leadership of the Bible studies and worship service. PJI argued that, although the homeowners’ association was not directly subject to the First Amendment, it owed residents similar obligations under the state’s civil rights laws.

The case was scheduled for trial in mid-May when the parties met on March 12 for mediation. In mediation, the HOA agreed to a number of concessions that will protect the seniors’ religious rights going forward. Once the settlement was finalized over the next several weeks, the plaintiffs filed for dismissal of the case earlier this month. They were designated in the settlement as the prevailing parties.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “We are thrilled with this tremendous victory on behalf of these courageous senior citizens. This may be the first time a group of residents have taken on their HOA in court to fight for their religious meeting rights—and won.”

Matthew McReynolds, the PJI attorney who led the group’s litigation in the case, stated, “Throughout this case, their faith and dedication have inspired us. They are overcoming physical challenges and disabilities to spread the light in their community, and we couldn’t have been more proud to represent them.”

PJI worked collaboratively in this case with attorney Doug Gosling of Braun Gosling in Bakersfield, who represented the other plaintiff. ​

$5,000 reward offered to help find criminal who set fire to Rhode Island church building

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in an arson that caused substantial damage to a Rhode Island church building. Here is video of the damage.

The fire was intentionally set in December at the New Life Worship Center in Smithfield, RI. According to a report from WPRI Television, surveillance video captured a blue SUV driving onto church property before sunrise Dec. 18 when the fire was set. A file story from WLNE says no one was in the building when the fire started.

Investigators have not determined a motive behind the criminal act.

No arrests following arson at Washington state church building

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2018-04-12 Arson

A representative of a Washington state congregation says church members are saddened by the hateful act of vandalism someone committed inside their sanctuary.

According to a report from KOMO television, someone set the alter of St. Francis Cabrini Parish in Lakewood on fire.  Fortunately the fire did not spread to the rest of the building. The damage was discovered Sunday.

No arrests have been made.