Results 701 - 720 of 2277
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Hank Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
701 | Using instruments at worship service | Eph 5:19 | Hank | 151068 | ||
BMR47: It's always a pleasure to welcome a new registrant of the Forum and much more to welcome a new Christian. Before I attempt to respond to your question, I'd like to encourage you as a new-born child of God, to be "like newborn babies [who] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:2. And always to be a Berean (see Acts 17:10-12) who examined the Scriptures daily to whether the things they were being taught were so. ....... Now for your question. My parents were members of the group known as the Church of Christ, so I grew up in a small congregation of that group and at age 14 was saved while attending a Sunday evening worship service of a local congreation of the Church of Christ. I was baptized by immersion on that same evening. My status as a regenerate believer has not changed since that glorious evening 56 years ago. Neither has my membership in the church, the body of Christ, changed since that evening when the Lord added me to the number of the redeemed in Christ. (See Acts 2:47). My membership in local congregations has, however, changed. First to Presbyterian, then to Southern Baptist, in which I presently hold membership. But I was saved, not by being immersed in water, not by any denomination, not by having my name placed on any denomination's church rolls. I was saved the same way as you and all other born-again believers are saved, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8,9). ..... During the years that I attented a Church of Christ congregation, the only scriptural reference I remember hearing anyone give in support of their doctrine of using exclusively a cappella music in worship service was Ephesians 5:19, "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." But the interesting paradox is that in using this verse as their "proof text," they are affirming something that is diametrically opposed to their doctrine of a cappella, because the phrase "making melody" literally means in the Greek "to pluck a stringed instrument." So it could refer primarily to instrumental music, while including vocal also. I know of no place in Scripture that forbids the use of instrumental music in worship. On the contrary, God's people throughout the Old Testament praised the Lord with instruments of music. The writer of Psalm 71:22 said, "I will praise You with a harp, even Your truth, O my God; to You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel." There is no cogent reason and no theological basis to presume, in the absence of proof -- and there is no proof -- that in the Old Testament God delighted in the use of musical instruments by His people to praise Him and forbade it in the New. --Hank | ||||||
702 | Any advice to stop sexual immorality? | 2 Cor 6:14 | Hank | 151017 | ||
FrozenFire: Four Forum members have given you sound, scripturally-grounded counsel. Now it's your move. And I believe that all Christian users of this Forum who read this thread will be praying for you. The stakes are extremely high. Given the sketch of your situation, it is improbable that making the right move -- the move which all four of the Christian respondents to your question have advised to do, clearly basing their answers on the teachings of God's word -- will not be easy for you. But I tell you on the authority of God's word that if you are His child, He will make the way of escape from your temptations. Here's what the Bible says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." [the term 'common to man' is from a Greek word that can also be understood to mean 'that which is human'] ...... You have been told that your idea to continue in this relationship because it is God's will is foolish nonsense, and so it is. You are rationalizing; kidding yourself. Please listen carefully and take to heart what the Bible teaches in the sixth chapter of Romans: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? .... Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ... our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin .... Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ... And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." --Hank | ||||||
703 | Will You Accept This Challenge? | Bible general Archive 2 | Hank | 150994 | ||
Forum: Thanks for honoring my request to allow the question to remain on the home page. It has been there now 2 days and I'm removing it, so feel free to respond to it if you feel inclined. Thanks again. --Hank | ||||||
704 | Any advice to stop sexual immorality? | 2 Cor 6:14 | Hank | 150987 | ||
FRoZeNFIRe: Young lady, God has NOT revealed to you that it is His will for you to stay in this relationship of engaging in immoral sex with your boyfriend. It may be your will and your boyfriend's will to satisfy the lusts of the flesh by indulging in immoral acts that Scripture calls sinful, but I assure you that God never reveals anything to anyone at any time that is contrary to His written word, the Scriptures. .... If you are a Christian as you say you are, take a stand for Christ and his word! Pay particular attention to 2 Corinthians 6:14. To ignore it is to set yourself up for a great deal of trouble that you have the power, now, to prevent. Additionally, here are a few passages of Scripture that deal squarely and uncompromisingly with the issue of immorality: 1 Cor. 5:9; 6:13,18; 7:2; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3,5; Col. 3:5; and 1 Thess. 4:3. Of course it is only natural that your boyfriend, an unregenerate sinner, does not see anything wrong with having pre-marital sex. But you, if you are a regenerate believer in Christ, certainly should see that it is sinful, as these passages I've given you to study clearly teach. The decision is yours. I pray that you will choose this day whom you will serve. --Hank | ||||||
705 | I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GALATIAN 5:1-15 | Gal 5:1 | Hank | 150943 | ||
FAYE-FAYE: Would you please be more specific: What questions do you have on Galatians 5:1-15? --Hank | ||||||
706 | Will you accept this challenge?? | Bible general Archive 2 | Hank | 150941 | ||
AO: Sir, if you had not taken the time to learn to read any language at all -- Hebrew, Greek, English or whatever -- would it impair in any way your ability to know "the manifold wisdom of God"? (your term, not mine). --Hank | ||||||
707 | Clean Slate statement | Rom 5:12 | Hank | 150894 | ||
Jesusfreak: Doc has certainly given you two excellent responses with a lot of meat in each one. Your friend may simply be engaging you in mental gymnastics for his amusement, but then again he may be a serious inquirer. You know him; I don't. Do your best and don't be too quick to give up on him. After all, Saul of Tarsus thought he was some kind of a hot shot leading his goon squad around bushwhacking Christians until Jesus got a hold of him and set him straight. You don't know what God has in store for your friend. ...... As I read your post, it occurred to me that I would probably ask him somewhere along the line, "OK, buddy, so you feel we all got a raw deal. We all should have been issued a clean slate the day we were born. And if we had, tell me, how long do you think it would take each of us to mess up his clean slate? Do you know of anyone whose slate is still clean, anyone who has not sinned? If he pays any attention to what the Bible says, you might try introducing him to Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." You can keep trying to ring his bell with various approaches. You can ask God's guidance. Your friend may not be ready for high theology. Keep it simple but don't engage him in argumentation. Scripture has more power than you do. Use it. Who knows? God may speak to him through John 3:16. We can carry the wood but only God can light the fire. --Hank | ||||||
708 | Pushed out and Exposed | Bible general Archive 2 | Hank | 150868 | ||
gospelpearl: Of the 7 questions you've asked thus far, 6 of them are of the 'Bible trivia' type, i.e., Who in the Bible was? followed by a fairly detailed description of the character. The other question asked how does one explain to a teen girl with acne that she is attractive. It's good to have your participation on the the Forum, and it is not my intention to throw a wet blanket on your efforts or thwart whatever ambitions you may have to contribute to the Forum. However, please permit me, an old-time member of the Forum, to advise you that the Forum is designed for serious Bible study, for exegesis and exposition on biblical precepts and teaching. Playing "trivial pursuit" using Bible characters and events may be a nice parlor game at social events, but it is not the same thing as serious Bible study. Even though it may help fill one's head with random bits of information about the Bible, it can hardly be expected that it will fulfill the command of 2 Timothy 2:15, or equip one to reap the harvest of a deep understanding of Scripture that will empower him to use it profitably "for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." (see 2 Timothy 3:16.) ...... Let me give you an example. One could ask, Who asked Jesus the question, 'What is truth?' The answer, of course, is Pilate (John 18:38), a simple fact that can be obtained easily and quickly by any literate person who knows how to use a Bible concordance. But the question leads to a dead-end answer that really doesn't teach us very much. It teaches us nothing about the circumstances surrounding this event or their significance. Nothing. ...... But the question can be expanded upon and asked in such a way that it calls for answers that can teach us a great deal. For example, we could ask, What prompted Pilate to ask Jesus such a question? Did Jesus respond to Pilate's question in the passage? Has Jesus ever offered a definition of truth in other passages? Give some examples of how Scripture defines truth. Give some examples of how the world defines truth. Are they different or alike? How are they the same? How are they different? Explain your answers and give Bible references. ...... Well, perhaps this will serve to give you at least some idea of how to construct questions in order to evoke something more and deeper than merely the name of a person, place or event. The better your question, the more likely it becomes that the answers you receive will be more useful and didactic, and thus more beneficial both to you and your new friends on the Forum. It is just as important to think through a question as it is to think through an answer before posting. Fuzzy questions invite fuzzy answers. Good questions invite good answers. ...... If any of us who are Forum veterans can help you find your way around the Forum, please don't fail to ask. Every good wish and may God bless. --Hank | ||||||
709 | Inconsistent Genealogy of Benjamin | 1 Chronicles | Hank | 150829 | ||
littlebluetruck: Before one rushes to judgment about alleged discrepancies in Scripture, let's be careful, that we ourselves are not in error. For example, the word is "discrepancy," not "desrepancy." :-) ... The genealogy beginning at 1 Chronicles 8:1 is merely an expansion of the one beginning at 7:6. Regarding Genesis 46:21 and genealogies in general: Genealogies of the ancient Near East differ from modern Western geneaological registers in various ways. Some of their peculiar characteristics include skipping one or more generations (cf. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus). "Son of" can mean grand-son or even a more distant progeny; "father" can mean simply an ancestor; and inasmuch as bigamy and polygamy were fairly common, and some of the man were quite prolific with all their wives, it presents a real challenge sometimes to the modern reader to put all the pieces of the genealogical puzzle together. It's confusing sometimes to figure out whose sons by which wives the chronicler is talking about. Perhaps a detailed verse-by-verse commentary will help you work out all the details if they present a problem that is disturbing you. ..... I've never been much good at genealogies or at understanding such things as who my wife's sister's husband's brother's wife's mother is. I don't even know who Cain's wife was! --Hank | ||||||
710 | How do we worship God only? | John 4:24 | Hank | 150822 | ||
"In the past half decade, some of America's largest evangelical churches have employed worldly gimmicks like slapstick, vaudeville, wrestling exhibitions, and even mock strip tease to spice up the Sunday meetings. No brand of horseplay, it seems, is too outrageous to be brought into the sanctuary. Burlesque is fast becoming the liturgy of the pragmatic church." ..... Michael, it's good to see a question on worship. Fewer topics deserve more attention and get less. The opening quotation was written by John MacArthur back in 1993. The sad state of corporate worship, if anything, has got worse since Dr. MacArthur wrote his stinging analysis of worship in the modern church. ...... I've no doubt that your question will draw a number of good responses and certainly hope that it does. It'd like to contribute three references on worship. For those who own a copy of either Harper's or Holman's bible dictionaries, I'd like to recommend the articles on worship in both of them. They're very good. And an excellent on-line article which, by the way, contains MacArthur's analysis of modern worship quoted herein, can be reached by going to http://www.probe.org/docs/worship.html --Hank | ||||||
711 | Reincarnation, scripturally founded? | Heb 9:27 | Hank | 150763 | ||
Not yet: If you are confused by my two answers, 150757 and 150759, one a shorter version of the other, I assure you that you're no more confused that I am! How both got posted is beyond me unless I'm going batty and posted one without being aware of it. :-) The longer version is the one I prefer! --Hank | ||||||
712 | Reincarnation, scripturally founded? | Heb 9:27 | Hank | 150759 | ||
Not yet: "And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Scripture does not teach reincarnation. It does teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (John 6:39; Rom. 8:10,11; 19:23; 2 Cor. 4:14) and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; Rev. 20:13-15). ..... You say that you "know that some OT individuals seemed to believe in reincarnation." Can you cite any specific examples? --Hank | ||||||
713 | Reincarnation, scripturally founded? | Heb 9:27 | Hank | 150757 | ||
Not yet: "And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Scripture does not teach reincarnation. You say that you "know that some OT individuals seemed to believe in reincarnation." Can you cite any specific examples? --Hank | ||||||
714 | How do I learn to " walk in the Spirit"? | Gal 5:16 | Hank | 150753 | ||
demonkilla: What you call 'character change' the Bible calls the new birth in Christ, being born again, or regeneration, as theologians call it. How important is it to Christians? It's absolutely vital. One who has not undergone a 'character change' (experienced the new birth) is no Christian at all. Jesus said, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Why is the new birth necessary? "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). In Adam's sin man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, and became subject to the wrath of God. He became inherently corrupt and incapable of doing what which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Man is therefore hopelessly lost, cannot save himself, and is wholly dependent for his salvation upon God's grace made manifest through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus "Whom God set forth as a propitiation (Gr. hilasterion, that which expiates) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed" (Romans 3:25). Other references: Genesis 2:16,17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 3:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:13,14; 1 John 1:8. ..... Your other question is, "Is it possible for believers to walk in the Spirit?" .... Yes, and it is commanded that they do. "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). ..... And you ask, "How?" Your question points out the necessity to obey the command of 2 Timothy 2:15 so that we will know the "hows" of leading the Christian life, of following Christ. First comes justification, an act of God by which He declares righteous before Him those who, through faith in His Son, repent of (turn away from) their sins and confess Him as sovereign Lord. Next comes sanctification, which is both positional and instantaneous as well as progressive. It is this latter work of the Holy Spirit, progressive sanctification, that enables the regenerate believer to walk in the Spirit. There are a great number of passages in Scripture that touch on the subject of sanctification, both positional and progressive. Here are a few of them for your study and consideration: Acts 20:32; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 2:11; 3:1; 10:10-14; 13:12; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 17:17,19; Rom. 6:1-22; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Thess. 4:3,4; 5:23; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:23-24; Phil. 3:12; Col. 3:9,10; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9. --Hank | ||||||
715 | Whats the point? | Bible general Archive 2 | Hank | 150715 | ||
Hello again, Katebote. In your user profile you say this: "How about some mind blowing facts, that would help me believe." ... Well, here I come with a mind-blowing fact! Are you ready? Here goes: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). .... Think of it! The eternal God loved this motely assortment of fallen human beings in a fallen world -- this sordid selection of slimy sinners that we all of us are -- so intensely that He gave His one and only Son to save our sorry souls. Does that do anything for you, Katebote? Is it mind blowing enough for you? If it isn't, I don't know what is! ..... You say you want faith, you say you want evidence in order to be able to believe the Bible is the word of God. Have you read, actually read, the Bible? ..... A couple of days ago I recommended two books to you, "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell and "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis. What steps have you taken to acquire these books; what plans have you made to sit down and seriously read them? ..... I guess what I'm trying to say to you, are you really serious about taking whatever steps you can in an effort to find resolution to the spiritual problems that assail you? No human being on this Forum or on this earth can do anything more for you than to try to lead you to the One who can save your soul and give you His peace. The Bible teaches that even faith itself is not something any human being can give to another or that he can give to himself. It is the gift of God. See Romans 12:3; Ephesians 2:8 and 6:23; and Philippians 1:29. The Bible also teaches in that great chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). And, the last point I wish to make is this: Jesus said, "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). This verse emphasizes human responsibility in salvation. Even though God is sovereign, He works through faith so that a man or woman must believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, who alone offers the only way to salvation (see John 14:6). But faith itself, as has already been pointed out in this post, is the gift of God. It is intellectually impossible for human beings to harmonize the sovereignty of God with the responsibility of man; but this mystery is, I surely do believe, perfectly resolved in the infinite mind of God. ..... And now, let's return once more to John 3:16 and allow our minds to be refreshed and exalted by the sheer splendor of this verse. In all literature, profane or sacred, exists no verse quite like this one. Does it not, Katebote, satisfy your request to be given "some mind blowing facts"? --Hank | ||||||
716 | The origin of God and His identity. | John 1:1 | Hank | 150699 | ||
Genesis begins with God's creation but God does not begin with Genesis! Your question about where God came from has no relevance: God is eternal. Eternity has no beginning and no end. Your next question is, "Whose God are we talking about?" Suppose you tell us whose God YOU are talking about. There is only one true God, the God of the Bible. He's who I'm talking about. --Hank | ||||||
717 | Diversity of interpretation leeway? | Rom 12:2 | Hank | 150639 | ||
Sorry, katebote, but I can answer neither of your questions because both call for speculation. As for the first, "why is there so much disagreement as to the Bible's interpretation?" my "answer" is that I simply don't know. ...... And to the second, "can there be a certain amount of leeway given by God for this diversity of interpretations" I will have to say honestly that I am far from being capable to speak as an oracle of God. .... The very best I can do is to commend to you for your attention and study what the Bible says: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). --Hank | ||||||
718 | Governing Authorities | Rom 13:1 | Hank | 150638 | ||
This is a duplicate of the question I've already answered. --Hank | ||||||
719 | Governing Authorities | Rom 13:1 | Hank | 150637 | ||
cklamhk: Your question is good and it is scripturally oriented. The "background" of Paul's teaching in Romans 13 about civil government can be traced all the way back to Genesis. God established human government after the flood when He decreed, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed" (Genesis 9:6). That decree gave authority to men to judge criminal matters and to punish offenders. In every ordered society there must be authority and submission to that authority. Otherwise you have a state of anarchy and nations cannot survive indefinitely under anarchy. Government is better than no government. God instituted human government and no government exists without His will, but this does not mean that God approves of all human rulers (the Bible abounds with proof of this fact) and He never sanctions corruption or tyranny. Nontheless, "authorities that exist are appointed by God" yet Scripture makes one exception to the command to "let every soul be subject to the governing authorities" and that is when obedience to civil authority would require disobedience of God's Word. See Exodus 1:17; Daniel 3:8-18; Daniel 6:4-15; Acts 4:13-22; Acts 5:17-29. --Hank | ||||||
720 | What is the theme of the bible? | John 3:16 | Hank | 150633 | ||
Greekbabe: I have no better answer than John 3:16, the verse you referenced when you asked your question. --Hank | ||||||
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