Not much love here...

Tom, sounds like you hit the nail on the head.  There are two kinds of choices man can make; good and evil.  Man is in a sense sort of divine, but infinitely less and incomparable to God Almighty.

An Israeli friend of mine informed me that the large majority of Israelis are atheists (atheism = disbelief in our Creator, which is the most base and backwards attitude anyone could possibly have).  Based upon your definition, this would mean that the majority of today's Israelis are not Jewish.  

The Israel that exists today is in no way similar to the old Israel, other than it is roughly located the same geographic area.  Perhaps "Israel" should be seen as more of a conceptual place, to be used more as a figurative term for a land where God is properly revered by the spiritual sons of Abraham.    

There was the old covenant in the Old Testament, but did not Jesus come to establish a new covenant for all mankind?  Would people be excluded from this covenant just because they do not accept it?

I am not trying to start any mean spirited arguments or anything.  I am only trying to understand.

The Mighty Clouds of Joy are heavenly.

I agree.  That's why people shouldn't confuse today's Israel with yesteryear's.  

Babies are Christened I believe, when the water is sprinkled on the head.  I regard baptism as conscious decision that one makes for his or her self, later in life.  

God created us because He loves us.  He really has no need for us at all.

All right.  If.. technically a Jew is any person who is one of the heart, what does it mean to be "one of the heart"?  (and) What are the fundamental differences between the heart of the Jew and the heart of a pious non-Jew?  

Jews are saved through the law of Moses.

Jews are under a different covenent than that of the Gentile (Yeshua).

Which is why once the age of the Gentile is complete, the age of the Jew will begin.

As far as one who has never heard the word, that is up for debate. Of course, if you are reading this, you have heard the word and are accountable  

G-d Bless

Ya son, I still would like to know what you mean by Gentile and Jew and their ages.  

Raphu, if being Jewish is a matter of the heart, then what is elemental in this heartfeltness?

Weren't Gentiles "grafted" onto the tree of Abraham by Jesus?  If Gentiles are now a part of the same tree as the Jew, how can there be a distinction between the two and their "ages"?

And also, doesn't the word "gentile" mean "far from God"?  I believe that this term is no longer applicable these days.  Things have certainly changed since the days of pagan rituals and polytheism.    

Ya-son, if Christian "gentiles" are spiritual sons of Abraham, what is the distinction between Jew and "gentile"?  Race?  Blood?    

I'm sure this is a very common question, but what about the salvation of people who lived before Jesus' birth, or the isolated souls who never got to hear the good news?  I'm willing to bet that there were/are many who were loving and good people, who out of poor circumstance, were left ignorant of Jesus.  Are they going to be damned for eternity?  Won't we all be judged according to our deeds?    

Just thought I would state that.  Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the world knew this great love?

Jesus affirmed that the way to heaven was through the practice of love.

Luke 10


The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[1] ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[2] "
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

I think what you all are arguing about is a big pile of bull dung.  Jesus would not have intended for you to spend your lives bickering about petty matters.  He wants you to live your lives in a loving and forgiving spirit.  Let questions like "will YOU be SAVED??!!!" be up to God.  Who are we as mere little putrid beings to claim to have such knowledge?  Just shadyup and be good Christians, meaning, LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

I try to make it a point to not think I'm always right about everything.  Perhaps a little vitamin humility is what you could use.