Results 461 - 480 of 645
|
||||||
Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
461 | Does a person who never hears about Jesu | Rom 2:14 | JCrichton | 152315 | ||
Hi, Doc! Again, you miss the point completely! If you follow Scripture in such a fanatic way that you only see what you prefer to see... how can you see what God wants you to see? I said that God can exist (perform, do, say, exalt, castigate, exonerate...) beyond what has been revealed in the Holy Scripture! I stated that God can and does function according to His Will which is not fully revealed in the Holy Scripture! A simple example: Everyone is awaiting Salvation in its fullest when we (those who believe and are found ready--just ask Jesus don't ask me how He knows) will meet Jesus and we will come to know God as He is... there's amply Biblical writing on the when and how... yet, God chose to take Enoch to Himself (not the prescribed format), and Elijah, and Moses... each of these servants of God had a different manner applied to them as they were taken up to God... and guess what... they all pre-dated Christ's resurrection! Does that mean that all people of all times will go through individual resurrections that will be custom made? No! It just means that God operates beyond boundaries... it means that there's no limit to His Authority and Power! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
462 | Does a person who never hears about Jesu | Rom 2:14 | JCrichton | 152316 | ||
Hi, Searcher! Thank you for your reply! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
463 | Does a person who never hears about Jesu | Rom 2:14 | JCrichton | 152317 | ||
Hi, Searcher! I apply other Scriptural passages... such as Hebrews 8:10: 10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. It is God not missionaries or the Bible that will make Himself known to man or was God out of luck prior to the compilation of the Sacred Writings into one voluminous book? No, there's no limitations to God's Authority and Power! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
464 | Does a person who never hears about Jesu | Rom 2:14 | JCrichton | 152318 | ||
Hi, Doc! You miss my point yet again! Where in Scripture does it say that due to the deligent work of such and such person people were saved! Do you recall Paul's assertions... something to the tune of "if I do what I am ordered to do there's no reward in it...?" And do you recall Jesus' words to the disciples... for one sows and another one reaps? It is God who transverses our heart, mind, and spirit... missionaries are commanded to go and preach and baptize... not to save (playing God) a human being! Again, the hypothesis asked if God could save beyond the boundaries of the Holy Scripture... God says He is the one who does what He wills with both the flesh and the spirit! His choice is that all should live... sadly, we chose not to do so... at our own demise! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
465 | Why does the wageof sin have to be death | Rom 6:23 | JCrichton | 117698 | ||
Part 2 of 2 “I have been struggling with the understanding of why the payment for sin must be death” Hi, Tara! Some passages may be hard to understand… reconciling an individual passage with another individual passage could set us at an impasse from which we may never recover… But when we listen to the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us the Light shines eternal! Following is the reason why it is so important to God that we stay in His Word (love and obey Him) and why the end-product of sin is death: Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy; and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) Do you not realise that people who do evil will never inherit the kingdom of God? Make no mistake--the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, the self-indulgent, sodomites, thieves, misers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Among you there must be not even a mention of sexual vice or impurity in any of its forms, or greed: this would scarcely become the holy people of God! There must be no foul or salacious talk or coarse jokes--all this is wrong for you; there should rather be thanksgiving. For you can be quite certain that nobody who indulges in sexual immorality or impurity or greed--which is worshipping a false god--can inherit the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 5:3-5) Do not fear the wages of sin... get close to God and He will get close to you! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
466 | What if a saved person commits suicide? | Rom 6:23 | JCrichton | 119592 | ||
Part 2 of 2 Now, the Spirit we have received is not the spirit of the world but God’s own Spirit, so that we may understand the lavish gifts God has given us. And these are what we speak of, not in the terms learnt from human philosophy, but in terms learnt from the Spirit, fitting spiritual language to spiritual things. The natural person has no room for the gifts of God’s Spirit; to him they are folly; he cannot recognise them, because their value can he assessed only in the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) So if we shun the Holy Spirit, how can we obtain forgiveness? How would we have the will power to recognize our sinful state and repent and ask for forgiveness? Many people say that once “saved” always saved… the Bible has no such clause! The Bible teaches that we can grieve/hinder the Holy Spirit… Jesus Himself commanded not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, was He wrong? No! We have the power to accept God or to reject Him, it is part of what makes us different from the rest of Creation (God’s image and likeness). So if we reject the Holy Spirit, who is God, how can we find grace in Jesus?: Always be joyful; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks; this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Spirit or despise the gift of prophecy with contempt; test everything and hold on to what is good and shun every form of evil. May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may your spirit, life and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-23 ) Adulterers! Do you not realise that love for the world is hatred for God? Anyone who chooses the world for a friend is constituted an enemy of God. Can you not see the point of the saying in scripture, ‘The longing of the spirit he sent to dwell in us is a jealous longing.’? But he has given us an even greater grace, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he accords his favour to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer God will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Appreciate your wretchedness, and weep for it is misery. Your laughter must be turned to grief, your happiness to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. (James 4:4-10) James 4:4-10 is precise! Everyone who loves the world is committing adultery (Jesus is the only husband the Church has) against God and is therefore an enemy of God. He asserts that if we come near to God, God will not reject us! The longing of the spirit is of things that are of God--only if we disobey the Holy Spirit could we do things that are contrary to God’s Will! For the wage paid by sin is death; the gift freely given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) The operative phrase in Romans 6:23 is “eternal life in Christ Jesus.” There’s no “come as you please” clause in any of the Sacred Writings! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
467 | Does this mean they do not go to heaven? | Rom 8:9 | JCrichton | 131975 | ||
"What is even sadder is many have never been told they need to or instructed on how to." Hi, EdB! I do not think that it is simply a matter of ignorance... I think it is a matter of choice! Most Christians have access to a Bible (whatever version) and most Christians have access to Bible Study... the problem lies not in not knowing Scripture or God's Command... rather, the problem lies in the callous circumvention of the Word in order to reap the "treasures" the offered by the world. "Christians" will twist Scripture to mean what ever they choose: OK to commit murder if it is self-murder; OK to fornicate (not just the sexual fornication) as long as there's a loophole that we think we can find in Scripture; OK to hate, envy, lust (not just sex), oppress, cheat, rob, debase, dehumanize, use, usurp, denigrate, circumvent Scripture... just as long as we can point to "not found in the Bible" or "we are born again" or "we are saved" or "the flesh is weak!" When Jesus explained God's possition against divorce (Matthew 19:3-9), what the the disciples do, did they receive His teachings with an open heart, mind and spirit? No! They proceded to complain... so why mary! (Matthew 19:10) "Christians" behave in just such manner! We search Scripture not just to merely get to know Christ and to get close to God, but to rule others, to invent methods of worship, to separate ourselves from others who claim to be Christians... yes, and even to presume to know God's Mind better than God Himself as we profess to know clauses that guarantee Salvation, wealth, health, and a myriad of Divine Gifts and Powers... We use Scripture to nullify Scriture and even when clear mandates are given we seek to know the deeper meanings of things in order to ignore God's Command! When it is convenient to our ego boosting we ignore all Scripture that guide us to the Truth: So with you, as you are eager to have spiritual powers, aim to be rich in those which build up the community (Church--personal emphasis). (1 Corinthians 14:12) Building up the commnity (Church) does not mean to tear down and rebuild according to personal preference or whim! Dividing Christ's Body (the Church) into an inexhaustible and inconsistent variation of doctrines in no way corresponds to edifying the Church! As "Christians" continue their quest for "their" church and truth... the Truth and the Life continues to be evaded: We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink... and so that there not be disagreements inside the body but each part may be equally concerned for all the others... Now Christ's body is yourselves, each of you with a part to play in the whole. (1 Corinthians 12:13, 25, 27) And as you pointed out: "many are called but few chosen," because not all choose to be obedient to the Word (Romans 10:16-21)! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
468 | Does this mean they do not go to heaven? | Rom 8:9 | JCrichton | 132015 | ||
"Most focus on church building or expansion or at the very least maintaining what they have." You are so right! I've heard people using financial status as a tool to bring in the "converts." They would speak on how costly their building (though they refer to it as church) was (always in the millions); how much money was put into the orchestra-like music ministry, how their congegation is comprised of so many doctors, lawyers and other professinals; how in x amount of months they have acquire even more real estate to build an even bigger building or sister church; how they have x amount of converts from this group or that group... It seems that that old American bug, "the Jones's," has been caught even by Christians! It appears that Paul's arguments about the unity and edification of the Body of Christ fall under some Bermuda Triangle mindset that allows some to filter out any actual obligations to obey Scripture! No wonder Christ challenged: ...But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on earth?' (Luke 18:8) I pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten us and bring us back to the Truth! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
469 | can you explain a little more? thanks | Rom 8:13 | JCrichton | 121244 | ||
"people who are religious in their own minds." Hi, leonore! There are many examples of these people... they read the Bible and joing congregations (some of the times it is the whole congregation) seeking to worship God in their own way (i.e.: homosexual--by their own declaration they engage in acts that are an abomination to God yet they put on their "Christ" and demand that the Church welcomes them into the Kingdom of God: "come as you are type of worshiper." God does not change! He has vowed condemnation to those who are obstinate and proud enough to change allegiance from the Creator to the creature: Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil greed, and vice, they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another, they are hateful to God, insolent, proud,and boastful; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them. (Romans 1:28-32) Those of us who behave in such manner are truly pseudo-Christians, weapons of Satan to confound the true believers. They are but wolves in sheep clothing, seeking to enter the fold only to disembowel it from within (it is happening on a daily basis, world wide). Remember, as we come near to God, God comes near to us--when you search the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Spirit searches you and guides you to our Lord, Jesus Christ! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
470 | Is the Holy Spirit a sin-enabler? | Rom 8:13 | JCrichton | 138819 | ||
Hi, Searcher! I am not suggesting that the Holy Spirit is a sin-enabler! Clearly, Paul is addressing the Believers, he includes himself as part of the example (Romans 7:9)... Paul makes a distinction about his old nature and his new nature... how the struggle exists between the flesh and the spirit... how when yielding to the Spirit we will please God and receive all Gifts... how when yielding to the flesh will grant us only death! Yet, many "Christians" believe that when Scripture admonishes that sin leads to death, it only means death to those who are not "Christians;" in other words all "Christian" sins are pre-forgiven in Christ... so go ahead, "eat, drink, and be merry!" God Bless! Angel |
||||||
471 | Praying in tongues | Rom 8:26 | JCrichton | 121818 | ||
Hi, 8788! I'm just rounding off tgc's note on prayer... Prayer should also contain our heart-felt "thanks"--giving thanks to God for His Love and Mercy! ...even if everything is going badly in our lives... we may have nothing to look forward to in terms of our corporal existence... yet our Lord is always ready to bless us with patience, endurance, humility, peace, hope... God Bless! Angel |
||||||
472 | The question exists in Paul's Theology | Rom 9:18 | JCrichton | 138367 | ||
"God is clean and is not the source of evil or sin" Hi, nwells! Part 1 of 2 I totally agree with this part of your statement... and God did hardened the hearts of some in order to accomplish His Salvific Plan; yet, damnation was never part of God's Plan for any of those people... He closed their understanding so that He may have mercy on all: For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Romans 11:32) It is great that we understand that at a time God controlled certain people/individuals in order to fulfill His Plan; yet we must also understand that part of that Plan is to free all from the powers of sin: 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Peter 4:6) It is through God's Mercy that both peoples are made one, and it is through God's power that those once dead were preached to by Christ Jesus, in the Spirit, so that all may be afforded that same Grace: believing in Jesus Christ! (John 11:25-26; Luke 20:38; John 5:21, 25) "Can a fallen man (meaning a sinner, before regeneration) do anything to please God?" Paul tells us that the those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8)... so it goes without argument that those who are not in Jesus cannot please God! The same applies for those who claim to know/have Jesus yet still walk in the flesh and not in the Spirit! |
||||||
473 | The question exists in Paul's Theology | Rom 9:18 | JCrichton | 138368 | ||
Part 2 of 2 "If God did not want people to go to hell, would anyone go to hell?" Again, Yahweh Himself testifies that He does not want anyone to perish (Ezekiel 18:30-32), and the Lord also tells us that He did not come (Word incarnate) into the world to destroy anyone (Luke 9:56)... so if you, I or anyone else chooses to reject Christ and follow the appetites of the flesh, making everything that is not God a god, we are making the conscious choice of rejecting God's Salvation and selecting eternal damnation! God's desire that all shall Live does not equate to God's Willing that all shall Live... if God would force His Hand upon Creation controlling every single aspect of existence, then, and only then, would we all end up in Heaven or in hell or as His whim designs it: some in Heaven the rest in hell! But since God made us in His image and likeness, we have the ability to choose: we can humbly subject our will to His and accept His Gift of Life or we can chose to reject His Gift and, by default, select damnation! For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:6-8) It is not that God Wills some to Live and others to perish, it is that, through our personal “choice” when we reject Christ (the Resurrection and Life) we automatically chose death (eternal damnation): death is destined for all who willfully reject Christ! "Did the world turn out differently than God wanted it to?" It is evident that God's Creation was as He Commanded it into being (Genesis 1:31); yet, it was Adam who had the responsibility of stewardship (Genesis 1:28) and we know how well he did (as well as the rest of humanity has done throughout time)! In order to better understand the relationship between Creation and God (evil vs. good) we must learn from Jesus' Word (Matthew 13:24-30 and Luke 13:6-9)... it is God's Mercy that folds upon itself to allow us to come to the full understanding of Faith: full obedience and dependency on Jesus Christ! "But if our faith is a gift from God then, if we are truly His - no one and nothing will ever take us away from our beautiful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." This is so true... yet, though the Gift is eternal and we are complete in Him... we must acquiesce to His Will... we must humbly obey and abide in Him (Galatians 5:16-26 and 1 Thessalonians 3:8)... Jesus did not say that because He came to the world all believe and are saved... He said that those who believe and stand till the end will be saved! (John 1:9-13; 3:14-21; John 5:24) Believing in Christ does not mean saying "I believe" or "I am saved" or "I am reborn..." Jesus tells us that we must persevere, that we must abide in Him (John 15:5-6; 8:31-32; Luke 18:8), that we must obey! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46; John 15:7-14) God Bless! Angel |
||||||
474 | Mark1:1 who does the Gospel begin with | 1 Cor 1:17 | JCrichton | 122008 | ||
Hi, Tom2! The problem I had was that you presented an open ended question (there are two Johns: the Evangelist and the Baptist--both given a task to do in reference to the Gospel)... then there are the written accounts (Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)... "so I found the answer by reading other scriptures in the other Gospels. yes! John was the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.sent by God to prepare His way." I do not mean to disagree with you... specially since,technically, it seems that John the Baptist originates the Gospel... What is the definition of Gospel if not the Good News about the Kingdom of God (a message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation)? Hence there has to be a different answer to your question: In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2) The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) but the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11) As the above passages demonstrate, the Gospel of Christ originated with the incarnation of the Word and the announcement of the angel--and if we trace the prophecies and credit them with announcing the Good News, then the Gospel began some 700 years (Isaiah) before Jesus' birth. Now, if we get extremely technical we can trace it to Moses' words in Deuterony 18:15--it was the first prophecy that included clear lineage to Jesus! So, though John the Baptist is the precursor to our Lord's coming, I find that he, as the prophets before him, is a vessel and not the originator of the Gospel--which begins with the Word! God Bless! Angel PS: just Angel, though the title applies, I deem it unnecessary. |
||||||
475 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148453 | ||
Hi, Doc! I did not say nor implied that we on our own can regenerate our sinful state... what I am saying is that in Christ we are called to be holy and that we must abide in Him (obey Him) in order to become holy and to be counted amongst His saints! Just to cite an example... in North America there are many who, through birth or oath, are said to be "Americans..." yet, deep in their hearts, their allegiance is to their birth lands or their forefather's birth lands... As Christians, we cannot be as double-minded... He will spit us out! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
476 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148546 | ||
Hi, Doc! I understand your concern... Salvation is gratis! There is nothing we can do to purify ourselves from our sins... though there is some form synergism associated with Salvation: abide in me! (John 15:1-6) We must be willful in our desire to receive God's Gift since God will not force anyone to obey and be Saved! The first chapter of John is a most wonderful reading... at the very beginning we find out that Jesus existed with God and that He is God, that He came to the world in a form similar to ours to rescue us from sin and to offer us the Grace of becoming sons and daughters of God... but even though this wonderful offering was made to all (beginning with the house of Israel) only those who Believe (accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the only one who brings Salvation), it is clearly revealed that God's Hand did not force His Will upon the world coercing man to accept His Gift... It is a beautiful scene... the Word becomes flesh so that those of us who chose to accept Him may have eternal life! Still, the point I was attempting to make is that we cannot claim to be citizens of a priestly kingdom, anointed saints of Christ, if we do not abide in Him! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
477 | we are saints | 1 Cor 6:1 | JCrichton | 148692 | ||
Hi, Doc! No problem... my personal philosophy is that while we attempt to convey a thought we are afforded the opportunity of deepening our own understanding... and, if that fails, our Lord Commanded that we are to abide in Him (His Peace, His Love); that we are to serve (edify, protect, respect, encourage) one another... In Christ's Love! Angel |
||||||
478 | Homosexuality, sin or not? | 1 Cor 6:9 | JCrichton | 132841 | ||
Hi, LibertyBelle! The abomination of Sodom and Gomorrah is this: They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. (Genesis 19:5-9) Lot offers a virgen sacrifice to these depraved people, who would rather lust after a man than a woman, and they reject the woman and threaten Lot with bodily harm if he does not allow them to have sex with the men! There is no mistaking sexual depravity with lack of hospitability! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
479 | Holy Spirit leaving the earth? | 1 Cor 6:19 | JCrichton | 120562 | ||
Hi, Kecia! Glad to have helped... Part of the problem that I find is that some people think of a problem or situation then they go to the Bible and twist and turn the Scriptures until they read what they want to see in the passage: i.e.: those who keep playing with snakes because of a passage in the Bible (they even expose their children to venomous species--sometimes with fatal consequences)... or the ones who are looking for UFOs... When we listen to the Holy Spirit the veil is removed! Trust in God--He will never steer you wrong! God Bless! Angel |
||||||
480 | Am I guilty if I leave my husband? | 1 Cor 7:13 | JCrichton | 138369 | ||
Hi, dr01871! I am glad that your hope and faith is on the Lord! I wish that I could give a simple answer to your problems... but I am confident that you will do the right thing (whether remaining in the marriage or not); my greatest concern is for your (the whole family) spiritual happiness... I will pray for you--hoping to gain God's mercy and quick resolve... You mentioned that lately you find yourself getting closer to the Lord... please continue on this path, remember that He is stronger in you when you are weakest! I suggest that, if not doing yet, you begin a prayer group with your children and close relatives and friends... if they are not aware of the problems you are facing, you do not need to expose yourself or your family... simply as for support in creating a prayer group to ask God for Divine Intervention (don't forget to reciprocate as your relatives and friends may also have need of a special prayer group!)... If you have access to counseling in your church, please take advantage of it (as long as you feel comfortable with the person/s offering the service). Technical: Keep a journal of your experience (even if you destroy the pages as you add new material); sometimes writing things down allows us to have a different perspective (much clearer at times) of what is going on (much is said/done in the heat of battle); it could also help you gauge any incidence of abuse (verbal, emotional, physical)... you may combine the journal with the prayer group: by placing, either the original or a copy, the written record into an envelope you can present the sealed envelope to God during your prayer session... it can be an emotional/spiritual cathartic experience. God Bless! Angel |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ] Next > Last [33] >> |