Day 96-9/4/2016

Again,

it was art vs. science,

and Kosik rejected the plea agreement

as inadequate when weighed against the crime.

Conahan and Ciavarella might now go to trial.

For 20 years,

until 2005,

federal judges were held to a mandatory

sentencing scheme in every case.

The convicted were sentenced

by a chart in a book

-- or a computer –

until the U.S. Supreme Court restored

that power to human judges

who again sit in judgment of other humans and weigh

the differences between violations of man's rules

For 20 Years –VS- God's rules

All true religious authority comes ultimately from God

through Jesus Christ.

God is Lord or Ruler of the universe.

Matthew 11:25 — God is Lord of heaven and earth. “Lord” means a person who has authority over others: a master, chief, or ruler. [Psalm 97:5; Joshua 3:11,13]

Acts 17:24 — God made the world and everything in it since He is Lord of heaven and earth.

It follows that only God possesses the ultimate authority in the universe. Man’s power is limited. Only God possesses unlimited power over all created things.

[Deut. 10:17; Dan. 2:47; 1 Chron.29:11,12; Psalm 136:3; 95:3; 97:9; 83:18; Isa. 33:22]

As God’s Divine Son and Lord of all, Jesus reveals God’s will for today.

Hebrews 1:1,2 – God speaks to us today through His Son through Him He made the worlds.

Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus possesses “all authority in heaven and on earth,” so we should obey all His commands.

Ephesians 1:21-23 – He is above all power and might and dominion. Specifically, He is Head over all things to the church.

So, ultimate religious authority resides in God, and that authority is exercised through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

[Luke 6:46; 4:32; Acts 3:22,23; 10:36; Rev. 17:14; 19:16; Rom. 10:12; 9:5; Phil. 2:9-11; 3:20,21; Matt. 7:29; 17:5; John 3:31; 6:63,68; 12:48; 16:15; 17:2,10; Col. 1:16; 3:16,17; 1 Tim. 6:3]

Divine authority is revealed in the Scriptures.

John 16:13 – Jesus promised the men who penned the New Testament that the Spirit would guide them into all truth.

Ephesians 3:3-5; 1 Corinthians 14:37– What Paul received by revelation, he wrote down to instruct those who were not directly guided by the Holy Spirit. So the things he wrote were the commands of Lord.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 - All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching and furnishing to all good works.

2 Peter 1:20,21 - No Scripture ever came by will of man, but men spoke as moved by the Holy Spirit. This includes the New Testament (3:15,16).

God has recorded His will in the Bible to guide our lives.

[Luke 10:16; 1:1-4; Matt. 15:4; 22:29-32; 10:19,20; 1 Thess. 4:15; 1 Tim. 4:1; Gal. 1:11,12; 1 Cor. 2:11-13; 4:6; 2 Thess. 3:6,12,17; John 20:30,31; 10:35; 1 John 1:1-4; 1 Tim. 4:11; Jude 3]

But what about religious practices, teachings, or organizations that are not included or that differ from what God has revealed in His will?

When a practice cannot be found in God’s word, is that practice right or wrong? When God is “silent” or says nothing about a practice, does that silence give us consent to do the thing, or does it prohibit us from doing it?

This issue is fundamental because people participate in many modern religious practices that are not revealed in the Bible. They often defend these acts, saying, “God nowhere said not to do it.” So, are practices acceptable as long as God nowhere expressly forbids them, or are they wrong unless He says to do them? It is the purpose of this study to examine these questions.