Results 461 - 480 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# | |||
461 | Jn3:16 ;1Jn2:15 Do/don't love the world | John 3:16 | JCrichton | 150904 | ||
Hi! I think that part of the problem you are having is experienced by most Christians (and the world) as they begin their trek with Jesus... There are many seemingly contradictory statements in Scripture... one in particular is when Jesus talks about the end of times and He tells His disciples that not even the Son (of man) knows the exact moment, that that hour and day are exclusively known only to the Father... Here's the catch... Jesus never stopped being God; since God is Omniscient, Jesus must know all (all things were created by Him and for Him); the disciples become aware of Jesus' Omniscience: Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." (John 16:30) Then, why would Jesus lie?... He didn't! As the Lamb of God (John 1:29) the Word Incarnate did not come to teach and reveal all the mysteries of God; He came to Save the world (John 3:140-17)... and Jesus Himself tells us that there are things that He did not reveal because the disciples were not yet ready to understand (John 16:7-15)... God can love the world (all of humanity without exception) while still rejecting the world (all of humanity who choose to trangress His Authority and rebel against His Will), for it is not God who differentiates between one man and another; it is man who humbly subjects himself to God's Will and obeys Him or proudly rejects God's Authority and disobeys Him and revels in his own will (John 3:17-21; 5:24-40; John 1:1-5, 9-14)... God loves the world so much so that the Word becomes as one of us in order to rescue us from the wages of sin (death); but God loathes iniquity... thusly He rejects the world which waddles and revels in iniquity! And because there is an evident distinction between God and man, He is able to love all the world without succumbing to its snares and enticements (Matthew 4:1-1-11), while, simulatenousely, warning us not to get caught up in the entanglemens of the world's lures... Did God forbid us to love the world as He does?... a resounding, NO! We are commanded to pray for the world , to love, in Christ, the world, to bring peace, Christ's peace, to the world, to offer the world the Light of God. (Matthew 5:43-48; 5:14-16; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 5:20 thru 6:10; Romans 10:14-15; Matthew 28:18-20) So we are to love the world, in Christ Jesus, while not becoming lovers of the world and all of its revelries and orgies (sex, money, power, hate, anger, gluttony ...) which lead us away from God and places us in enmity against God's Might, Judgment and Wrath! (Revelation 6:15-17) God Bless! Angel |
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462 | Jn3:16 ;1Jn2:15 Do/don't love the world | John 3:16 | JCrichton | 150914 | ||
"IF we cannot understand the bible, that the Holy Spirit is not within us " Hi! Jesus never taught that! Not a single Apostle/disciple ever taught that! Our spiritual growth does not depend on our personal abilities... it is God, the Holy Spirit, who chooses to give to some one Gift or another (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Kwoing God is not a choice that we make; God reveals Himself to us according to His Will (John 6:44); hence, knowing God is never contingent upon any human power or understanding... we have an excellent example of this in John 15:27 thru 16:15: 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. ...4I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. 5"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. In the above passage, Jesus speaks of things to come... He credits the Apostles with the witnessing they will do since they were with Him from the beginning; while at the same time He explains to them that His absence is to their benefit... the disciples, with the exception of Judas, were eager to know Jesus, to know God's mysteries... they wanted to get closer to God by being part of Jesus' intimate companions--did they understand everything? No! Was it required of them? Emphatically, NO! Not only did the disciples not understand everything, but Jesus tells them flat out that there are things that they could not comprehend even if He were to reveal them to them... He sends the Holy Spirit, the other Paraclete, who will come to reveal the fullness of truth! The Holy Spirit is in the world... we are at the last days when His Spirit is given to the world, and it is He, the Holy Spirit, that teaches and leads all to Christ... it is He, who reveals the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)... and those who have the Holy Spirit do not demonstrate this by their abilities (human/superhuman) of speaking strange languages, walking on hot coals, playing with serpents or taming tigers, and lions, and bears! Here's the quintessential prof that you are in Christ and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you: Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3) 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. (1 John 2:20-25) ...more proof that it is not what we know but who we know?... read Acts 8:14-17; 10:34-48 On the above passages, some were received into the Body of Christ through preaching and baptism (knowledge and awareness) while others through direct interaction of the Holy Spirit; these new Believers were not rejected because they did not know enough or because they did not offer some physical demonstration of the Holy Spirit working in them! God's Holy Spirit cannot be contained or restrained; He determines who receives what, when, and in what measure. So, be at peace! God will reveal to you everything that He wants you to know at His appointed time... we are commanded to seek God; not to worry about who gets to "home plate" first or how often! Anyone who attempts to teach you differently than Jesus, he/she is wrong! (Matthew 20:1-16) God Bless! Angel |
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463 | how can i overcome sin, and be forgiven? | John 3:16 | JCrichton | 151957 | ||
Hi! You have taken the first step towards that freedom in Christ... you have recognized God's Authority in your life, and you have recognized your susceptibility to sin... AND YOU KNOW THAT BEING AWARE IS NOT ENOUGH! Recognize too that you cannot do this alone... Jesus is your powerhouse, your Rock, your place of refuge... but He can only be in you if you allow Him to do so... this means willingly subjecting your will to His! The Holy Scripture do have complicated themes... but you have access to them through the Holy Spirit--it is He who will guide you and teach you; yet, again, your will has to be surrendered to the Holy Spirit's Will... I do not know your background... so please, if my example is within your abilities, substitute with something else which IS foreign to you: do you know how a computer works... I mean how designs are constructect with specific functions and characteristics... computer is turned on and all of these icons appear out of nowhere... each with its own particular attributes and characteristics... does not knowing the very specifics stops you from using a computer? It is the same with the Holy Scripture--though we may not be able to comprehend everything all of the time... our greatest ally is Faith: believe in Jesus and He will set you free... Believing in Jesus implies faith in His power, faith in His abilities, faith in His Word, dependence on Him, obedience to His Commandments, practicing His Word... God is willing to forgive us... Satan uses our past trangressions and limitations to keep us from committing to Christ in a new relationship--one in which we actively seek to please Him and to obey His Command! Nothing is greater than God in our lives, if we humbly seek Him and abide in Him! You are not struggling against the world, your struggle is against Satan--he will use the world to seduce and confuse you... if you are not careful, he will even use your fear of God (something that is good) against you... so don't forget that Jesus wants you! He is willing to forgive you if you repent and abide in Him... Start by not worrying about what you do not know or cannot yet understand... start by knowing that God cares for your Salvation... He loves you so that He gave His only begotten Son so that you can Live! God Bless! Angel |
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464 | How do you reconcile election and God's | John 3:17 | JCrichton | 138825 | ||
Hi! It is difficult to reconcile Scripture by subscribing to one precept or another... we are simple (humanity) so we tend to be simplistic even when searching that which is not ordinary... In John 1:12 Jesus, the Light of the world, the Word, incarnate, brings us to the Father... we are all welcomed by God; sadly, not all believe Him... so only those who believe are granted the power to become sons (children) of God! In John 3:17-21 Jesus expands on the fact offered in John 1:12... we are not all given the power to become children of God, because some of us choose to remain in darkness... committing ourselves to the flesh and the appetites of the flesh... those who reject Jesus, reject Him because their actions are exposed by the Light! Paul addresses the issue of election, in a very round-about way, when he offers that Jesus gave up everything to rescue from sin (death); and in 1 Timothy 1:14-16, Paul expands on this theme... to the inclusion of himself as a model of imperfection (sin) being perfected in Christ! Paul suggests that if he, the greatest of sinners--he persecuted the Church (see Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12:12-17)--is redeemed in Christ, then all humanity can be redeemed (all can be part of the elect--if we choose to abide in the Light and not in darkness: if we Believe in Jesus!) God Bless! Angel |
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465 | Can you go to heaven without Christ. | John 3:18 | JCrichton | 148700 | ||
Hi, whiplash! There are many doctrines which subscribe to anything and everything... but, as pointed out by meusing, Jesus clarified this issue... and the Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, resounded Jesus' edict: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Still, it is God who saves not any of us... so we cannot determine who is saved or not... yet, since we have the Gosples and the rest of the Bible to guide us, we should not rely on one day finding ourselves unprepared because we relied on a man's word that we do not need to believe in Jesus in order to be saved! God Bless! Angel |
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466 | who is the bridegroom | John 3:29 | JCrichton | 148465 | ||
Hi, Christian mother! John the Baptist introduces Christ as the Bridegroom (John 3:26-30); see also: Revelation 19:6-8 and 21:1-3... this metaphor is not new though... in the Old Testament we find Yahweh speaking of Israel as His bride, this would of course make Him the Bridegroom! Yet, since the Father and the Son are One (John 10:30), there is no contradiction in both the Father and the Son being the Bridegroom! God Bless! Angel |
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467 | speaking in tongues out of context | John 4:23 | JCrichton | 122429 | ||
Hi, choirgirl64! Here's what Paul says about speaking in tongues: While I should like you all to speak in tongues, I would much rather you could prophesy; since those who prophesy are of grater importance than those who speak in tongues, unless they can interpret what they say so that the church is built up by it. (1 Corinthians 14:5) When these ladies speak in tongue, is the congregation being built up by the message being interpreted or is there nothing resulting from the speaking in tongue? I thank God that I speak with tongues more than any of you; all the same, when I am in the assembly I would rather say five words with my mind, to instruct others as well, than ten thousand words in a tongue. (1 Corinthians 14:18) No, Paul is not boasting that he is better than the rest... he is merely pointing out that to speak in the common language of the members of the church is more beneficial than a smorgasbord of words in strange tongues. So then, strange languages are significant not for believers, but for unbelievers; whereas on the other hand, prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for believers. Suppose that, if the whole congregation were meeting and all of them speaking intongues, and some uninitiated people or unbelievers were to come in, don't you think they would say that you were all raving? But if you were all prophesying when an unbeliever or someone uninitiated came in, he would find himself put to the test by all and judged by all and the secrets of his heart revealed; and so he would fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is indeed among you. (1 Corinthians 14:22-25) Where there is no edification for the entire body when some one/s is speaking in tongue it could well be that the person/s may be seeking to be the center of attention. What are we to gain if we do things just to boast of an ability? Even the demons believe in God (James 2:19), but the question is, do they humble themselves to God? Do we? God Bless! Angel |
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468 | What evidences are there ? | John 4:26 | JCrichton | 122235 | ||
Hi, ryangs! Your question seems to be contradicting itself... you seek evidence and you question the Bible's origins! If you do not believe the Bible how can you believe in Christ (the Bible is the Word of God)? (Romans 15:3-24; Romans 16:25-27; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:16) If you do not believe in Christ how can you believe the Bible (Christ is God)? (John 6:63; John 3:34; John 4:24; John 16:7-15) But without Faith there is no way that we can serve God because we would not be able to believe in Christ Jesus! (Hebrews 11:6--all of Hebrews 11, really; Romans 1:16; 3:22; 4:3, 5; 9:33; 10:4, 9, 10, 14) God Bless! Angel |
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469 | What is the meaning of John 4:5-42? | John 4:42 | JCrichton | 125490 | ||
Hi, carol! Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman seems to be extremely incidental, but there are crucial teachings that, at least from my perspective, prove that Jesus had orquestrated this meeting: It begins with the woman's recognition that Jesus was a Jew (Jews held themselves way above the Samaritans who to their views were no better than the pagans around them). Jesus ignores this division between the Jews and Samaritans and treats the woman with the same love and sympathy as He has treated all--it is the beginning of the two world's division being dissolved by God, so that the two will be one in Jesus! Then Jesus reveals to the woman that He is the Water of Life! This in itself is a new revelation one that is directly related to Israel's passage through the desert (the water provided by Yahweh to quench the people's thirst), the promise of the Holy Spirit (both in the Old and New Testaments), and the River of Life proceeding from the Throne in Revelation. Then Jesus reveals to the woman that He is the Prophet--in a nonjudgmental manner, Jesus exposes the woman's promiscuous life in terms that she readily undestands that He is a man of God. After this, Jesus introduces the changes that are to occur in the worship of God: God is Spirit and no longer would He be worshipped in the Temple, synagogues, mountains, or any other place of worship determined by men. God wants true worshippers to worship in spirit and truth! Though not totally revealing that we are the Temple of God, Jesus has set up the beginning of the end of the Mosaic format of worship. Jesus reveals to the woman that He is the Messiah, and as she has been thirsting for God, the Holy Spirit awakens in her Faith in Jesus, and as Jesus' disciples return she uses their interruption to run to her village/town to tell her neighbors the good news she has received! As the disciples query Jesus (they were puzzled by what they found: Jesus dealing with a Samaritan woman!) He reveals to them that His purpose sustains Him: to rescue humanity from eminent death! He informs them that the task ahead of them is huge and instructs them to pray to the Father for additonal helpers; in His use of metaphor He insinuates that their function is to bring life to the world as the crop that is to be gathered is for eternal life! He also defines the functions of both the planter and the reapers as a joint task for the purpose of bringing life to the world. Finally, this passage ends with many Samaritans believing in Jesus from the testimony presented to them by the Samaritan woman while others deciding to go directly to the source (Jesus) testefied that they did not believe from the woman's testimony but from hearing the Word for themselves. The Holy Spirit used the woman to bring the Good News to those in darkness and while some believed and were content, others, still thirsty, searched out Christ and were instructed by the Lord Himself! God Bless! Angel |
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470 | First Century Second Coming? | John 5:19 | JCrichton | 127612 | ||
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:27-28) Hi, Fatherof4! There are many passages in the Bible that seem crystal clear... on the surface! There are two different time frames spoken about on Matthew 16:27-28: Though while is true that verse 27 clearly speaks on the future events of Jesus Christ's Second Coming, no date is set for this revelation to be fulfilled (Matthew 25:13; Luke 12:46; John 5:28-29; Mark 13:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:15 thru 5:25--specially: Matthew 24:36, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10): 2 Peter 3 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:2-14) Conversely, verse 28 speaks not on Jesus’ Second Coming but on the revelation of the Kingdom of God being at hand (though this succession of events will be unfolding within a specific time frame it is also a type for the events to come at the Second Coming): I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (John 5:25, Matthew 27:50-53) They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. (John 16:2-4, 32) Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Luke 21:31-33) See also: John 17:1-5; Mark 1:15; Luke 10:11; Matthew 17:1-8; John 20:19-23, 26-29; 21:1-14; Luke 24:13-32, 36-53 and Acts 2:1-47) God Bless! Angel |
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471 | Jesus and the father - different wills? | John 6:38 | JCrichton | 123291 | ||
Hi, hgray104! There are many passages in the Bible that seem to confound rather than to enlighten our understanding of God--Faith is the only recourse to surviving doubt until the Holy Spirit reveals God's mysteries! Jesus is God so there could never be a Will imposed upon another Will. Jesus as the Lamb of God, did not only come to die on the Cross, but also to fulfill (restore) the Law (Matthew 5:17 thought 7:29). Part of that task was to surrender to the Father's authority in all measures (Matthew 3:13-15). In the letter to the Philippians Paul explains it in a marvelous manner: Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) As the Son of God, Jesus taught us to be obedient to our Heavenly Father! Paul tells us to be as Jesus who was obedient to the Father! Think on this: The Father and I are one. (John 10:30) It cannot be any clearer than that! God Bless! Angel |
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472 | accepting a non-beleiver | John 6:44 | JCrichton | 150232 | ||
Hi, Sent by God! You ask how you can do it... you chose "Sent by God" as your screen name... if placed together you have an excellent answer... A Christian does not only preach to others by citing the Holy Scripture... a Christian preaches, loudly, by being in fellowship with Christ... who you are in Christ will speak volumes to those around you... granted, at first, there's the clashing of the Holy Spirit and of the flesh... so the more that you emulate Christ the more that others around you will notice you as either their friend (if they are Christians) or their nemesis (if they are borderline believers or nonbelievers)... your housemate seems to be at the opposite end of beliefs... First, you must accept that you, personally, may not be able to bring him to the Lord... knowing this, it is your responsibility, as a Christian, to strive to bring others to Christ, which includes your present situation... Preach to him, actively, with your actions (stay the course, do not allow his ignorance of Christ anger you or disuade you from your faith, do not curb your expression of your Christianity with the pretense of not forcing your beliefs on others, be a witness to Christ every single time that He calls you to witness for Him...); preach to your friend, passively, through prayers... constant prayers (pray for his understanding, pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance and enlightenment, pray for patience and eloquence, pray for understanding and faith...); lastly, take on any challange that might arise to educate him, as yourself, with the use of the Holy Scripture... sometimes, even the most intelligent people fall short of knowing Christ because they are coasting on the old he said, she said... serious study of the Holy Scripture is not only is explosive and expounding, leading us, always, to the Truth... "a mind is a terrible thing to waste..." a mind without knowledge of God is the epitome of waste. God Bless! Angel |
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473 | Can anyone tell how he understand that? | John 6:54 | JCrichton | 150230 | ||
Hi, Jean! Many times we read Scriptural passages and attempt to understand then in their solitary existence... a dictionary is an excellent source of single value, single unit format... however, the Holy Scripture is meant as a whole unit interdependent of its entirety... When Jesus commands His disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood, it is not the Pharisees and Sadducees that have a problem with His language, it is His general discipleship... When we divorce Scripture from Scripture anything is plausible and nothing is correct/incorrect... Jesus tells His disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood and when the majority of them decide that He is preaching about canivalism and they remove themselves from the scene, Jesus does not call them back to correct His error in expressing such a shocking demand... Years later Paul does not make a distinction between Jesus command to eat His flesh and drink His blood as a symbolic gesture... He emphasizes that to eat His flesh and drink His blood is a matter of obedience and worship and that those who partake of such event unworthily are subject to judgment: 17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. (1 Corinthians 11:17-33) Participation in the eating and drinking of the Lord's body and blood is not mere symbolic gesture... and it did not die off at the Lord's supper... it is a perennial celebration till the Lord's return!: 14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinthians 10:14-21) Coming together and sharing the Lord's supper is not a symbolic "feel good" moment for Christians nor is it an "option to do or not to do..." as Paul said, it is a participation in the Body of Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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474 | Real Effects | John 6:56 | JCrichton | 133732 | ||
Hi, Dalcent! I agree with you... it is not a mere symbolic gesture! Paul speaks on this to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:16, 20-22; 11:20-24)... what I find intereting is how in 11:23 he reveals that just as the other Apostles teach so does he, yet his ordination comes directly from Christ so as Christ Commands him so he teaches! Paul makes a clear distinction between a mere gathering for food consumption, a mere gathering for fellowship rituals and an active command from Christ to live in His fellowship: the Body of Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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475 | How do we understand these words? | John 6:63 | JCrichton | 122160 | ||
"It seems ironic that Jesus is saying it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can understand it. And yet, the people who were hearing him were not understanding. Many of his disciples, when they had heard (his preceding statements), had said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60)... It seems that the people became exasperated. They walked away (v. 66)... I wonder what happens here, today, when people do not understand, and turn away. What role is the Spirit playing?" Hi, Aixwn7z4! Then and now the problem is not that Jesus is speaking in values beyond comprehension... It is not that the Holy Spirit is making people stumble and closed-minded... The truth is that it is our choice whether we listen to the Holy Spirit and humble ourselves to His guidance! Not all of the disciples left Jesus! Only those who chose not to follow... those who were too proud to let God accomplish His Will with them and through them! There was a loss then, as there is so today, but as Jesus said: ...it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:14) God Bless! Angel |
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476 | Why is ignorance dangerous? | John 7:13 | JCrichton | 129507 | ||
Hi! Have you noticed how being ignorant of other people brings out the darkest thoughts to mind (distrust, prejudice, hatred...)? Also, have you noticed how people who lord their knowledge over others think of them as beomg not as able or intelligent, and as being inconsequential underlings? Ignorance of the Gospels (and the Bible in general) keep people from getting closer to God, while simultaneously falling prey to the myriad of doctrines that abounds on the world! We are slave of that which we serve, if we wallow in ignorance, any one with some charisma and a little knowledge can cause us to blindly follow them to hell and leave havoc and death in our wake (ie: the dragon and the third of the angels and Hitler and WWII). God Bless! Angel |
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477 | John 8: who was the lady? | John 8:3 | JCrichton | 118744 | ||
Hi, Paz63! I think that part of the confusion is that there are so many Biblical passages that do not reflect "real time" (meaning: as we see TV "real" but not "3D real"). As kalos pointed out, there's not much to Mary of Magdalene... though I do think that most people reflect on Jesus' words in Luke 7:37 through 7:50 and surmise that since the Magdalene seemed to have acquired recognition amonst the group of women who followed Jesus, and seemed to be detached (seeming not to have responsibility with a husband or children...) it could be conceived that the woman, in Luke 7:37 and 39, who was known to live a life of sin (which relects prostitution or adultery) could be Mary of Magdala. I have heard of a book that has been published with Magdalene as the main character... are you researching in response to that? If you are... listen to what Jesus said about sex: 'You are wrong, because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For at the resurrection men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven. (Matthew 22:29-30) How can Jesus not have the power to love humanity without being plagued by our iniquities? Take Simon, for example, once he joined the crew (disciples) he lost his head over Jesus--during one of our Lord's appearances after His resurrection, some one called: "it is the Master!" and Simon jumped up (in his mind) and rushed over to Jesus, leaving everything and everyon behind! Jesus formed bonds with His contemporaries, but not in human terms--in terms of the Kingdom of God: Spirit and Truth! God Bless! Angel |
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478 | HOW DOES GOD VIEW AN ADULTERESS WOMAN WH | John 8:11 | JCrichton | 120855 | ||
Hi, tracy4266! The consequences of you actions would be felt by you if you are truly repentant and recognize the damage you caused to others. When you own the pain, sometimes devastating pain, you caused to the wives and children of your adulterous partners, an insatiable desire to provide restitution will be awaken in you. Perhaps you will not be able to fulfill this yearning, as some times it is humanly impossible to compensate others for the pain/damage we caused... But you may be able to serve the Lord by warning others about the pitfalls of an unscrupulous life style. As far as consequences, we may or may not see a direct connection to our personal life's expiriences and our disobedience to God... but it is there: missed oportunities, health and or financial problems, self-loathing, family problems, etc. If you are truthful to the Lord and heed His command to "go an sin no more," you should not be worrying about retiliation from God--He will not call you into a new life only to point out your past faults and transgressions! God Bless! Angel |
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479 | should I marry him? | John 8:11 | JCrichton | 145042 | ||
Hi, daneiyella! You've gotten many important Scriptural passages and excellent advice... I just want to add: Getting married in order to comply with the Law does not relieve you of your Christian obligation... that's to say, if you get married so that you may have a "free ticket" to sex, you have gained nothing! As a Believer your responsibility to Christ goes beyond superficial values; He will hold you accountable to your heart (Matthew 5:28); seek to serve Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24), if the father of your child is not Christian and he chooses to remain so, I suggest that you rethink your plans on marriage; however, if he is Christian or willing to get to know Jesus, your marriage to him, in Christ, could only salvage both your souls and your relationship; further,it would provide a wholesome environment for your child--remember, Jesus is not out to "get" anyone; rather, He is willing to receive all who come to Him: 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:14-21) So... bring your heart, and your child, and your mate to Jesus and He will lift you up! God Bless! Angel |
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480 | Did God mention his/her gender in bible? | John 8:54 | JCrichton | 149164 | ||
Hi, Figoyuen! Regardless of what is being claimed, there is only one gender by which we know God: The Father (male), the Son (male) the Holy Spirit (undetermined but mostly male as it was by Him that Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus)... ...and it does matter to God how we see HIM... throughout the whole Bible it is understood that He is the Father or the Husband of Israel! God Bless! Angel |
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