New Converts Beware

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

Once you get saved, the devil will try to make sure that you encounter false doctrine. Your faith is tender and you will be prone to believe anything people tell you about the Bible (that's why you need to read it for yourself everyday). If you have any questions, please write me and I will direct you to the appropriate scriptures. Please heed these warnings: 1. Don't let anybody tell you that you have to "speak in tongues" to show that you are saved. These people take one or two passages out of context and make false doctrine out of them. 2. Don't let anyone tell you that water baptism saves you. If you are saved, you WILL get baptized out of obedience. Saved people are children of obedience (Heb 5:9). The gospel and baptism are separate--I Cor 1:17. You are baptized in order to outwardly identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to symbolically show the washing away of sins. So if you are trusting in your baptism to save you, you are wrong. An unrepentant sinner will go down a dry sinner and come out a wet sinner.
1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. Don't let anybody tell you that you're going to hell if you don't go to church on Saturday--Colossians 2:16, Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.

Chaplain M. H. Stevens, M.Min

[James Pierce]

Mark,

You said: Saved people are children of obedience (Heb 5:9).

If its not obedience to the Torah of Yehwah, then "what" are we obedient to?

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

James YOU say Torah I say New Testament

[James Pierce]

Mark,

This new covenant includes 3 decrees:

1) The Torah written on our hearts
2) All shall know Yehwah within the new covenant
3) Sins shall be forgiven, and never to be remembered

Why must you be the anti-Messiah and exclude decree #1?

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

You don't get it...we agree...YOUR HEART..it is written in OUR HEART!!! You forget ONLY through the New Birth do we GET a new heart!!!! You cannot OBEY until you get the NEW HEART, by faith in Jesus WE GET A NEW HEART! YOU are anyi-Messiah if you don't believe His death and resurrection makes a difference!

[James Pierce]

Mark,

Let me enlighten you on what it means when Yehwah says Torah will be written on our hearts. In Hebraic perspective, and not your Christian perspective, the heart is the seat of ethical moral choices and decisions. It is the place where one decides. When Torah is on the heart, it means, from a Hebraic perspective, we will govern our whole lives by Torah. I never rejected his death and resurrection.

What you are rejecting is obedience, which needed in this walk, otherwise you are none of His! There is no such thing as trusting in the work of Yeshuah, and not walking in obedience, for the sons of disobedience will suffer eternal death. If Torah shows our sin, then common sense says keep Torah to avoid sin!

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

No one is rejecting obedience, what YOU don't understand is NO ONE can be submitted to God without the help of Jesus, you guys kill me you act like salvation lies in obedience to Torah, Salvation lies in our FAITH in JESUS.

[James Pierce]

Mark,

Throughout our talks, I never said Torah saves. You are assuming that because that is what you want to me us say. But, I will never say it :). We must have faith(Trust), but this is NEVER absent from works(Torah). You know this!

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

Then why are we having this discussion over and over? It is tiring because anytime you take the focus off of Jesus in terms of not only salvation but holy living you are dealing with WORKS! We are saved by GRACE and we live by faith, YOU assume I don't believe in obedience to the Word because I speak of GRACE, Grace my brother is what motivates me to live a life of obedience.

[James Pierce]

Mark,

If you are not for obedience to Torah, then you don't believe in obedience! Stop dancing around it, and hiding behind your degrees and credentials, man!

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

James if insulting me is your way of debate then we have no more to say, in all of our conversations I have never insulted you. You and Anna are Judeaizers plains and simple, Paul had to deal with your Jewish Rhetoric in Galatians and we are still dealing with it today.

[James Pierce]

Mark,

I never insulted you. Im just stating the obvious. Paul didnt deal with people like me because I would be with Paul in living Torah just like he did! Paul only dealt with them that believed Torah saved. I am not in that crowd, although you want me to so you can have an excuse to condemn me for really not believing in Yeshuah's salvation. Obey Mark!

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

1 Cor 1:18,21-23 (NIV) For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

1 Cor 2:2 (Phi) ...It was my determination to concentrate entirely on Jesus Christ. and the fact of his death upon the cross.