Results 421 - 440 of 773
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
421 | The Biblical achilles heal | Luke 17:3 | JCrichton | 120446 | ||
Hi, Pete2! Jesus was not setting up a clause with which we can beat God over the head and gain eternal salvation while doing it! Jesus is teaching us, Christians, what the Father wants from us: 'You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.' (Matthew 5:43-48) Using a little artistic license we can visualize a brother/sister in the Faith sinning against us not once or twice a day, perhaps even more than seven times a day... do we stop forgiving at the seventh time, the eigth, the twentieth? And how many times should God forgive us for our own trespasses, once, twenty, fifty times per day? Who is to judge? Who's task would it be to set the limit on forgiveness? God did not!: 'Come, let us talk this over.' says Yahweh. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they sahll be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18--view this in light of Ezekiel 18.) Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22) As we can see from the above cited passages God's mercy knows no bounds and He commands that we imitate His mercy and generosity! It could be that one person may commit the same act over and over; but, as Christians, we are supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and the Spirit of God will convict us of our error. This does not mean that the person who was boastful cannot sin again mere seconds after asking for forgiveness--he/she could err by doing something else and not see the error of his/her ways until pointed out yet again! Jesus is quite adamant if we seek God's forgiveness (mercy and generosity) and we do not behave likewise with our fellow human beings, how can we expect to receive from God that which we deny to those around us?: And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. (Matthew 6:12) 'And so the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet, with the words, "Be patient with me and I will pay the whole sum." And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow-servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying "Pay what you owe me." His fellow-servant fell at this feet and appealed to him, saying, "Be patient with me and I will pay you." But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow-servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they sent to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for the man and said to him, "You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?" And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.' (Matthew 18:23-35) We may choose to set a limit on forgiving our fellow man, but we are forewarned: "...the standard you use will be the standard used for you.' (Luke 6:38) God Bless! Angel |
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422 | Civil punishment impossible? | Luke 17:3 | JCrichton | 120448 | ||
Hi, Pete2! You know... there might be some civil servants that would actually relish exacting punishment or abusing their office--some actually do, we all have seen it on national television and we hear it in the news on a regular basis! But civil justice and Divine justice are not necessarily congruent. This is why Jesus said "my peace I give you--not the peace of the world." (...the old: "power corrupts!") As far as dispensing civil justice this is what the Bible has to say: Everyone is to obey the governing authorities, because there is no authority except from God and so whatever authorities exist have been appointed by God. So anyone who disobeyes an authority is rebelling against God's ordinance; and rebels must expect to receive the condemnation they deserve. (Romans 13:1-2) Those in society who do not dispense justice, but, instead, abuse their power they well be met with God's condemnation for their wickedness and for usurping God's authority! God Bless! Angel |
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423 | Justice in my view sesms better. | Luke 17:3 | JCrichton | 120509 | ||
Hi, Pete2! It is interesting that a confessed atheist has such tag (Peter being one of the Lord's Apostles)... as far as feeling guilty, don't--we are not called to minister to some people while rejecting others! I understand your stand on justice... I do have some views on it: Though we have not achieve perfection, society has, for the most part, attempted to control violence by applying a "cause and effect" rule of thumb: "if you do this, you are answerable to that..." The anology of the child has two flaws: 1) A child has the attention span and retention ability of a child: they are not fully conscious human being. (That is why when a child touches something that makes noice or breaks or when a child(ren) are waaaay quiet and the adult shows up out of the blue checking the child's behavior the child is in awe--the mind of the child must be raising the question: how did he or she know?) 2) Seldom are we to find a person, including a child, perpetrating the same offense over and over and over on the same individual(s) while asking to be forgiven. There are quite many exceptions--we can teach children to behave in an immoral or destructive manner (have you witness those parents who dress up their babes in the latest adult styles, or those who teach them the latest dirty dances?) and this is the learning curve which they in turn will use on themselves, their peers, their parents, and, eventually, their offspring. But let's go back to the child that just committed himself or herself to disobeying a command... when the child is reprimanded what is the child's first response--crying isn't it? And even after some correction (oral, physical) does not the child extend the arms to be picked-up and cradled?--isn't the child seeking the reassurance of the parent's love? (This is one of God's built in mechanisms--it helps the bonding porcess so that the parent forgives the child and the child is nurtured in a loving environment!) I do not know how familiar you are with the Bible but Jesus' teachings on justice is that we, those who believe in God, are to dispense greater justice than those who do not believe in God--we are to emulate our Heavenly Father who dispenses love and mercy onto all His Children and His creatures (for we are all created in His image and likeness--even those who choose not to believe and humble themselves to His authority). Let me turn your world around for just a bit: marooned on an island, would you rather spend the rest of your life with someone who subscribes to Jesus' commandments and justice or to someone who subscribes to "survival of the fittest" philosophy? God made this world for our enjoyment, He has given us commandments and regulations to maximize our abilities and enjoyment... we have chosen not to live in the greatness and aflunce of our Divine Benefactor! God Bless! Angel |
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424 | Luke 17:6 | Luke 17:6 | JCrichton | 138508 | ||
Hi, Toby! Jesus is not contradicting His own words... He is simply stating that if we had faith in God as that of a seed (the complete history and future of a tree is found in the seed: the seed is programmed to be all that it can be: the seed has the faith that it can be a fantastic plant!)... Jesus is telling us that if we rely on God we can become wonderful children (1 Peter 1:16). God Bless! Angel |
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425 | Would this be biblically accurate? | Luke 18:11 | JCrichton | 133630 | ||
Hi, Reighn! I must disagree with you... generally people judge others on so many superficial and materialistic grounds that they outweigh the sample you have offered... We need only look to the younger generations (both boys and girls) who are assaulting each other on such frivolous issues as shoes, jackets, people being admired, skirts, makeup, boys/girls they might like to date, intelligence or lack of, athleticism or lack of, and waaay many more perceived fixations)... Even Christians are not safe from the ego monger complex as the same type of "clicks" are formed as in the world: the same preocupation with the wealthy/celebrity; the same animosities them vs. us; the same superiority complexes: show me, prove it, my version... Jesus gave us the simplest example of false worship and egocentrism in Luke 18:10-14; there are many Scriptural passages that speak on judgment and the consequence of these judging others: 1 Corinthians 1:11-13; John 11:43-53; James 4:11-16; 1 Corintians 3:1-10; Titus 3:9; James 3:16; James 4:1-7; Judging others as inferior to us or judging ourselves superior to others is the greatest cause of rivalry amongst individuals (including siblings and friends) and social/religious factions (including within a group/relegious establishment). God Bless! Angel |
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426 | Levite who followed Christ | Luke 19:1 | JCrichton | 118526 | ||
Hi, healing3! I have not come across such passage... there are two people mentioned in the Gospels: Levi (which is a reference to the man's name not the Priesthood) and Zacchaeus (a publican or tax collector). Zacchaeus' story is found in Luke 19:1-10 and it is not mentioned that he owned property illegally--rather, his office allowed him to scam both the people and the government! And as Jesus visited with him, Zacchaeus converted and promised to return that which he had scammed! God Bless! Angel |
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427 | Levite who followed Christ | Luke 19:1 | JCrichton | 123182 | ||
Hi, healing 3! On April 16, 2004, I posted the following reply to your question: "Hi, healing3! I have not come across such passage... there are two people mentioned in the Gospels: Levi (which is a reference to the man's name not the Priesthood) and Zacchaeus (a publican or tax collector). Zacchaeus' story is found in Luke 19:1-10 and it is not mentioned that he owned property illegally--rather, his office allowed him to scam both the people and the government! And as Jesus visited with him, Zacchaeus converted and promised to return that which he had scammed! God Bless! Angel" At that particular time I thought that I had made a complete study on your question... today I discovered that my efforts, though sincere, were not complete! The Biblical passage you were referring to is as follows: There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement'). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money and presented it to the apostles. (Acts 4:36-37) I can only speculate that: a) he was not a practicing Levite (left the responsibilities of the Temple), b) married a non-Levite woman who had property or c) at that particular time, it had become customary for the Levites to own things--remember that Jesus criticized the people of Israel for circumventing the Law. (Matthew 23:13-36) I apologize for not correcting myself sooner! God Bless! Angel |
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428 | Should we put right our wrongs? | Luke 19:8 | JCrichton | 152142 | ||
Hi! Zacchaeus was acting out of a realization that he mattered to Christ... that Christ saw him beyond the limitations of man... Zacchaeus feeling of freedom caused his spirit to find God's Commandment in himself... he quickly realized that his eternal wealth was more important than his temporal wealth... and as a sign of conviction he promptly offered to provide restitution for those whom he had transgressed against... Compare Zacchaeus (a self-confessed sinner) reactions to the wealthy young man (who viewed himself so very close to perfection) who had to think over his decision to follow Jesus. (Matthew 9:16-26) God Bless! Angel |
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429 | Satan has GOD"S permission to do evil | Luke 22:31 | JCrichton | 135283 | ||
Hi, Truck! Satan is a creature just like us; only God, the Creator, has total Authority and Dominion over Creation! In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus reveals to Peter that Satan has been conspiring to due him harm; yet, Jesus has not allowed it! God Bless! Angel |
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430 | did christ fear(of course w/o sin)? | Luke 22:44 | JCrichton | 131809 | ||
Hi, RICKSTER! There are several passages in the Gospels that speak about Jesus fearing something... we must remember that He did not fear in our terms... He removed Himself from a situation because it was not His time to die or because the crowds were contending on His earthly reign! He separated Himself from the situation only to fulfill Scripture... when the time was due, He did not hide or attempt to backout of the situation! He taught His disciples that He had overcome the world (Satan and sin); He told Pilate that he had no power over Him other than what was given to him from above; He revealed that He gave His life willingly and that He would take it back again! Even on the Cross His only concern was the brief separation from the Father that He would experience as He would take on our sins--other than that particular moment (which could have occurred in a fraction of a nanosecond) did Jesus fret about--but never feared! God Bless! Angel |
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431 | Luke 23:34 | Luke 23:34 | JCrichton | 105457 | ||
Hi, Ngop! In order to understand one passage of the Bible we must place it in context with the entire Bible. Ezekiel 18:31-32 tells us what God (the Father) trully wants. His Plan for Salvation is all encompassing! The Word (Verb) reason for encarnating as Jesus Christ is to carry forth this Plan: John 6:40 and Jonh 10:10. Now, does this mean that we all have carte blance, as some erroneous interpretations of the passage that guarantees that those who are in the spirit are above the law desire to interpret? The condition is set for our salvation: repent and return to God: Is 1:18-19. All are inclusive in God's Salvation--even all of those involved in our Lord's crucifixion. The question is: from Judas to the guards posted at the tomb, did any of them opened their hearts, minds and spirit to the Father's calling! These were fortunate to have Jesus Christ Himself appeal to the Father's forviness--did they repent, did they humbly return to God? |
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432 | What if they knew what they wee doing? | Luke 23:34 | JCrichton | 105459 | ||
Mommapbs, Clearly, there were those who thought that they knew what they were doing! Many times Jesus was checked by the disciples of the Masters of the Law, the Sadusees, and Pharasees. They were amazed when Jesus stated that they were blind leaders; but they did not allow the Spirit of God to lead them to the Truth! In John 1:10-13 this question is answered; they clearly did not know Him. Paul emphazised this on 1 Corinthians 2:8--clearly they were blinded by the Truth; I mean to say Satan using the Truth as he did in the Garden of Eden: "surely you will not die..." |
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433 | What if? | Luke 23:34 | JCrichton | 105495 | ||
mommapbs, I am not sure if you are refering to me (JCrichton)--if you are the original question has been answered: Christ asked forginess for all who took part in His crucifixion. They did not know Him. The temporal existence occupied their minds and hearts. The Masters of the Law, Pharasees and Saddusees were specialists--their whole existence revolved around the written/oral Law. But they allowed themselves to be consummed with earthly passions and power. It was foretold. It had to happen. How would they people that were not His people became His people? Had their spiritual minds and hearts be in tuned with Yahweh they would have certainly not plotted against His Son, their Savior! On your second part--I do not engage in conditinal intercourse (what if, would have been, could have been...). So I will respectfully decline to answer. God Bless! |
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434 | Forgive only when sin is confessed? | Luke 23:34 | JCrichton | 137748 | ||
Hi, LipstickGirl! Forgiveness is a complex subject... normally people who wrong others are filled with guilt (if they own a conscience) and refuse to admit their error... it takes a very strong individual to come forward and admit their wrong doings... In the secular world--I speak from the North American perspective--it has become an art form not to own up to our trespasses... someone somewhere even coined the ultimate phrase that allows for total unaccountability: "my bad!" This phrase removes even the superficial "sorry" that so many had employed--a term so devoid of sincerity that it has been used as a shield against accountability... "I said I was sorry!" Contrary to the popular guilt-free culture, Christ demands accountability: 'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:20) Jesus is not interested in what the world says or does... He is intrested in what His disciples do or refrain from doing... Matthew 6:12, 14-15, is a clear example of Jesus' Command on forgiveness... True some would say that a person that does not seek forgiveness is unwilling to recognize that he/she is at fault and that person will benefit very little from our selfless act of forgiven them in spite of their refusal to come to terms with their trespass... God does not see it that way...He expects us to forgive those who tresspass against us whether they acknowledge their error or not... for a Christian, forgiveness is not a matter of pride (hurt) but a matter of obedience to the Father! We are called to emulate the Father who allows the sun (Son) to shine both on the righteous (His servants--made into righteousness by Him) and the unrighteous (all who reject God's Authority) (Matthew 5:45, 48)... this is Jesus' term: "... as we forgive those who trespass against us." To drive this point home, Jesus offered this teaching: So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. (Matthew 5:23-24) Clearly, forgiveness is not a matter of "getting satisfaction" or vindication... forgiveness is a matter of staying in God's Grace: of being merciful with others as a reflection of our heritage: "Be holy for I am Holy!" (1 Peter 1:16) God Bless! Angel |
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435 | Luke 23:43 | Luke 23:43 | JCrichton | 149278 | ||
Hi, crfaas! I understand your confusion... Scripture tells us that Jesus will die and be buried... Jesus tells the Jews that the only sign He would offer is the sign of Jonah (in the belly of the fish for three days)... I suggest to you that it is more complicated than that... the Holy Scripture is not a compilation of rules and regulations by which God has to function and exists... God has no bounds! He is Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent... In one part of Scripture we learn that God's Glory is manifested to the people of Israel as He comes into the Tent and enters the Ark... another passage of Scripture tells us that God cannot be contained in a simple building made by man's hands... yet, another Scripture tells us that the Father and the Son will make their abode in the Believer... the same is said about the Holy Spirit, the third Person of God... how could all these statements be true? ...well... the Ark, though made by man's hands was a Divine order/inspiration--the physical construction was made by human hands but it was God's Will that brought it into existence; the Temple was made by human hands and though accepted by God, both the father, David, and the Son, Salomon, were tainted architects which limited the purity of the edifice; the human body as a living Temple of God was created by God for the purpose of worship--God is the one that Sanctifies (exalts/purifies) one thing and rejects the other! Jesus is God... how long is eternity for Him?... how fast can He travel? what can limit Him?... A short time before His detention and crucifixion Jesus speaks to the Father, He thanks Him and prayes to Him... He uses a pecular mode of expressing Himself... in this too He is revealing that He is God, Omnipresent and Omnipotent!: "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. (John 17:11) He is no longer in the world... and He is coming to the Father... so, is He or is He not in the world? I know some would argue that it is a grammatical expression of the times... I suggest that it is not; just as Paul reveals that Jesus followed the Hebrews as the Rock that gave them the Living water (1 Corinthians 10:4) and just as Revelations 12:1-6 reveal a time line that does not seem to exist (the child being taken to Heaven and the woman brough to the desert) we find that Scripture reveal that God has His own method of operating which is far beyond our finite abilities to understand! So, could Jesus have taken the repentant sinner to Paradise while still descending into the realm of the dead? Yeah! Could Jesus be both dead (physical body) alive in the Spirit? Yeah! We know this is true because He is Omnipotent and Omnipresent, and because the Holy Spirit reveals it to us through Peter (1 Peter 3:18-20; Romans 10:6-11; Ephesians 4:8-10)... Remember the passage on Jacobs wrestling with God... an infinite being takes on a corporial existence in order to wrestle with one of His servants... how could that be since nothing can contain God?... as Gabriel's reply to Mary: nothing is impossible to God! God Bless! Angel |
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436 | "What things?" | Luke 24:19 | JCrichton | 125276 | ||
Hi, Doc! I see this as typical Jesus: He knows the Truth but He does not force it down anyone’s throat! When Jesus drills Peter (John 21:15-17), it is not because He doubts Peter’s love nor because He did not know what Peter’s answer would be (John 16:30), Jesus is allowing Peter to recover from his shame (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75). When Jesus meets the disciples on their way to Emmaus He finds them caught-up in their emotions and the despair they felt upon His death; and, like any good teacher, He tests their skills by allowing them to instruct Him about the Way. After listening to them for a while, He corrects them, vehemently, and reconstruct for them, beginning with Moses, the course that Yeshua had to travel, through the prophecies and their contemporary time, to Calvary and beyond! There’s no deceit in Jesus! There’s only an immeasurable Love (John 13:1) that seeks to perfect us, even if He has to play the fool! God Bless! Angel |
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437 | What is the New Testament? | Luke 24:27 | JCrichton | 123788 | ||
Hi, helpmelearn! The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The New Testament encompasses the incarnation of God (John 1:1-18); the birth of Christ, some of His private life, His Ministry, His Death, and His Resurrection--the four Gospels: John, Matthew, Luke and Mark (this is my order of preference, though in the Bible they are listed as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); they are, basically, Jesus' biographies--in the sense of speaking about His Ministry. During His Ministry Jesus established the Church and gave the disciples the Promise of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. The books subsequent to the Gospels are the history of the Church (from the Ascension into Heaven of our Lord Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the establishment of a visible body of the Church, and the various missions of the Apostles)--these books are the Acts of the Apostles, the various Letters or Epistles. The New Testament also has a prophetic book, Revelation, which offers additional insight into Jesus and God, the Church, and the future of things to come--which include the Final Judgment and the final triumph of Christians in Christ Jesus at His Second Coming! God Bless! Angel |
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438 | OT importance for todays Christians | Luke 24:44 | JCrichton | 129026 | ||
Hi, Flordeliz! (Out of context: This is an old name that I have not heard for many many years (since I was a child)... I can't remember if it was a distant cousin or just a girl from my grandfather's region that had that name... do you know if there's a meaning to it?) It is important to note that Jesus and the Apostles used the Old Testament as references to emphasize or to demonstrate a direct lineage to God's People and Prophecies and Promises. Without the Old Testament Christians would be without a past because our beginning was hidden in Christ (Genesis 3:15--expanded in Revelation 12)... Additionally, without the Old Testament as guide we would miss out on very important, some times graphic, accounts of how we got here: a) Created in the image of God b) Created good c) Created to commune with God d) Brought into God through the Promise (Faith) of the Messiah e) Proof of God's Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, Nurturing Kindness, Patience, Grace, Wrath... f) Proof that though we are in the flesh we can serve God by accepting His call to be holy (see specially Hebrews 11) as He is Holy g) Proof that many of God's Mysteries, though hidden in times past, were revealed to us (Resurrection and Eternal Life in Christ) h) Proof that God made no distinction (racial/ethnic) between one person or another, but rather that He separates to Himself those who worship Him as He Commands i) Direct link to various values that are ascribed exclusively to Yahweh in the Old Testament which are projected onto Jesus or the Holy Spirit (Old Testament) or attributed to Jesus or the Holy Spirit (New Testament)... The Old Testament is our guide to Jesus; the New Testament is our confirmation that Jesus, the Emmanuel, fulfilled His Promise to offer us all Salvation! As they are both the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, they are intertwined and are both of crucial importance in our lives! God Bless! Angel |
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439 | Inherent desire to witness passages? | Luke 24:47 | JCrichton | 135516 | ||
Hi, w8ing! Not only is it an inherent desire, but it is a Command: and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47) Compare with: Matthew 5:14-16; 10:27; 24:14; 26:13; 28:19; Mark 3:14; 13:9-10; 16:15; Luke 9:2, 6, 60; 11:33; 12:3; 24:47; As far as a direct example of the change that comes to a Christian once he/she has truly accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior... here's Paul acknowledgement to Christians who experienced just that: You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10) God Bless! Angel |
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440 | Can you summarize John 1:1-4? | John | JCrichton | 131557 | ||
Hi, Indigo1! Jesus Christ, the Word, is God from the very beginning; everything that exists was Created by Him and through Him; He is the Light that is Life! God Bless! Angel |
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