The law and the prophets

  In christian circles there are many who believe Jewish law should still be followed. They practice circumcision, observe the festivals and sabbaths, etc. Others believe the one called Jesus ended the need to observe the law. God said the law would be written in the herts and minds of the new generation. The one called Jesus defended disciples who gathered wheat on the sabbath. He observed the spirit of the law rather than the letter of it. Those to come would naturally do the same.
   The one called Jesus said he came to fulfil the law, not abolish it. It would not come to an end until it had been fulfilled completely. christian scripture says we are children of the freed woman, not one who is of bondage(under law). I believe them. If God still wanted the law followed He would not have destroyed the temple. We are to worship in spirit and truth, in the spirit of the law, honestly.
    The part that has not yet been completely fulfilled is "the prophets".  "The prophets" being the completion of all prophesies and completeness of understandings to be presented to mankind. That has not occured yet.
     In prophecy we are told if we are behaved, God may restore the sabbaths, new moons, and festivals. These are celebrations, holidays. They are to be engaged in with rejoicing, not obligational attitude. I would like to celebrate/observe the festivals simply because their dates coincide with what I experience spiritually. They mark a definate schedule followed by God. I want to do it because it is fun to get together to dance, sing and share appreciation to our Father.
    I did learn something interesting about the sabbath, though. I began to observe it Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. I was rewarded in understandings, relief, healing, etc. I began to recognize the energy/spirit of it coming in. Then it began to arrive a day earlier progressively until I felt it all week except Friday-Saturday. That became the day I was allowed to work/got means to see to our physical needs and as it ended up would come some form of darkness within me; a cleansing.
   I think some of us are given aspects of the literal law to follow for a season or so as a mens for learning something about God or ourselves. For a time I made a wore tassels. I learned alot about wanting to stand out, being recognized by others as being different. It takes courage to treat ourselves as holy and holding others responsible to treat us as such without self-righteousness. Some things serve as reminders to ourselves. Some remind us where our focus should be by alerting others to the fact that we do want to be different when we stand out. You learn sometimes pants are more modest than skirts, like when horseback riding.
    Headcovering is an interesting topic. Some do, some don't and some, like Jehovah's Witnesses prctice it only in certain circumstances. Right after writing about it, the author says if anyone asks, we do not have such a tradition. Does that mean lie to outsiders or was it a long treatise of what others practice but we are not to? lol I don't remember ever reading of anything like it in the law, so I think it was just a tradition. We are not under obligation to prctice it, but it was prcticed for the sake of those with a weaker conscience, the same reason Timothy was circumcised though Paul didn't believe it a requirement.
     I really don't want to be subject to those with a weaker conscience. If they are going to stumble, they will make up a reason to anyways. Like undisciplined children, I think catering to the weaker conscience encourages their controlling nature. Understanding is given by God and if He is not giving it, nothing we do will convey it effectively. The stumbling we would want to dread being is the kind that forces a weaker conscience on sincere seekers. High control religious groups tend to do this. Gross injustice in God's name will do that, too.
   There are those who believe we are to give up all wealth. The man called Jesus only told one man to sell all he owned because he perceived wealth was that man's weakness. Others he sent home to be  witness of what they had experienced. The sin that brought death to the husband and wife ws not that they did not give all they owned to the apostles, but rather that they lied about how much they had made selling the property. You give what you re inspired to give, what you keep for yourself is between you and God. another aspect of the Jews giving all they owned was that such 'loss' was not permanant. They could only get enough money for property as it would be worth to use until the year of jubilee. Properties were leased, never permanantly sold. Being without property ws a temporary condition. We may need to experience such a condition temporarily as well until we cn put material things in perspective.
   There are those who do not wear aany jewelry nor braid their hair at all. We were told to not make those our primary asset, not to shun them altogether. Stripping of ornamentation ws God's punishment. When reconciled to Him, ornamentation would be restored. I do not wear make-up simply because it would be like putting on a mask and is deceitful. It is the same reason I don't alter body parts like hair or teeth. Others may practice these things so they aren't offensive to others. i'm not going to judge them. Then their is the obligation to represent and what people expect to see. For example, the people keep their royalty without any real authority. They expect them to be well adorned and is a matter of pride for the people. If God considered it a matter of His pride, representing Him to the world, I imagine I would adorn myself and he would provide the mens to do so. I don't believe he has that  kind of pride, but might want to put forth an impression before people eventually. Then it would only have to be for public apearences. A husband takes pride in being able to "deck his wife out".