Results 1221 - 1240 of 1444
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1221 | Did Jesus actually go to Hell? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117995 | ||
"Matthew 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" Hi, Norm! This is technically true! The only problem is that had Jesus not come into the world (...The Word became flesh, he lived among us... John 1:1-15), why would John be announcing the coming of the Kingdom? Perhaps I should have expressed it differently: the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the rescue of all of humanity from our unrighteousness did not come into effect until, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior came into the world in the likeness of our own flesh and blood... (or something to that effect). Thank you for your assistance! God Bless! Angel |
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1222 | Jesus on cross | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117993 | ||
"I think this implies that Jesus did not go to the heaven impediately after his crusification but only after defeating Satan in Hell." Hi, Four Square! When you express it as the quote above I have no problems with it! True Mt 12:40 talks about Jesus spending three days and three nights (which were more like 2 nights and 2 days) buried... and yes, Jn 20:17 tells us that Jesus told Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father... and though I agree with you that there is a passage that suggests that Jesus did not go immediately to the Father after His crucifixion, to my knowledge there is no passage(s) that states that Jesus spent three days and nights preaching to the spirits and defeting Satan, in Hell. The book of Revelation, which is prophetic, talks about the demise of Satan (Rev 20:1-10); these passages do not reflect back to Jesus' tomb nor to His preaching in the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18-22). Many times, the problem we have with the Scriptures is that we jump at discovering a clear cut answer... many times we only use our human instincts and wisdom... we lose the true meaning and teaching of the Scriptures. The Pharisees and Sadducees are clear examples of men who lived and breathed the Scriptures only to miss God's teachings! I hope not to cause confusion... Have you ever wonder why the Jehovah Witnesses keep hoping to find proof in the Bible that they are right about the Christ? These people and their disciples have grasped on to the fallacy that Christ is a sub-level god and refuse to accept, even the Scriptures, as proof that they are wrong! Now, was Jesus trying to trip the people when He spoke or was He revealing just enough Truth to get us to think and find our way to His Divinity? Check this example: I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name... (John 17:11-12) Now, according to the above Scriptures, was Jesus in Heaven, with the Father, before He died and was buried? Certainly that is what is suggested by these two verses (no longer in the world; while I was with them)... Again, this is not meant as some sort of test of your abilities... I pointed this out to demonstrate that there are things written in the Bible that are quite clear while there are other things written that are not so readily absorbed! We need to confide in the Holy Spirit and allow His guidance to bring us to the Truth! God Bless! Angel |
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1223 | Did Jesus actually go to Hell? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117938 | ||
Hi, Medchill! The problem we have, as believers, is that we seek to find God in our terms (ie: Jehovah Witnesses forever stripping Christ of His Divinity, yet, simultaneously, calling themselves Christians--a clear contradiction in terms!). What the Bible say and what we wish to interprete (whether we read the great theologians or not) are not necessarily congruent. We cannot limit God by our finite abilities and understanding! Did Peter say that Jesus spent three days in hell? No! Did Peter say that the Holy Spirit preached to the spirits of those during Noah's time? No! Preaching about the Kingdom of God was introduced by Christ Jesus and so was the Divine intervention for our sins (all of our sins: for Christ's contemporaries, for Christ's predecessors, and for those who would follow Christ's death!). Are there errors in the Bible in reference to WHERE, WHO, HOW, WHEN Christ did or did not do something? No! We just simply choose to see one thing or another! Think about this: God is OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT, ETERNAL, ALMIGHTY! Jesus is God! Everything is possible to God! If Jesus tells you that He ascended into Heaven when He died on the cross, would you believe Him? He said it! If Jesus tells you that He descended into the world of the dead (be it hades, hell or death), would you believe Him? He said it! If Jesus were to tell you not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father, would you believe Him? He told you! The Word is God and His Word is Truth: He taught the disciples the Truth, but He did not reveal all of the Truth. He promised that there would be another, the Paraclete, who would reveal all Truth, who would guide us, and dwell among and in us! The Holy Spirit did not inspire only the Old Testament books; He inspired all of the books in the Bible. So if Christ appeared to several or hundreds of disciples and He chose to appear to them individually or simultaneously... He has the power to do so! In the Spirit, the Word preached to those who were dead hundreds of years before He became incarnated, suffered, and was crucified (for them, for the Son of man's contemporaries, and for us--the rest of humanity). Remember, anybody can choose to interprete any passage(s) his/her own way... those who choose to limit God to their level of wisdom and understanding are only short-changing themselves! True, there are confusing statements made by Jesus... if we turn to the Jew for enlightenment we would find ourselves still waiting for a sign; if we turn to the Greek (Gentiles) for enlightenment, we would be waiting on science to open the gates of Heaven and transpose our bodies there! If we listen to Christ, we would hear the words: "everything is possible, to God! God Bless! Angel |
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1224 | Jesus on cross | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117937 | ||
Hi, Four Square! Your question is interesting, but it has a summation that is not Biblical: "Jesus was for 3 days in hell defeating and locking satan." Could you please explain where in the Bible did you read this? God Bless! Angel |
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1225 | When did Adam receive Christ? | 1 Pet 3:19 | JCrichton | 117703 | ||
Hi, crazydaisy! There is no clear statement that when Jesus preached, in the Spirit, to those who had died before His resurrection those who were preached to humbled themselves and accepted Him as their Savior! There is Biblical support that He did preach to those who had died during the old economy (the Law and the prophets); it is found in 1 Peter 3:18-22. Adam's, as well as Judas', fate rests in God's hands! God Bless! Angel |
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1226 | jesus sat on the right hand of god | John 1:1 | JCrichton | 117701 | ||
Hi, lynn77! There are many Biblical passages that, when viewed isolated, could confound and even misguide us. There are many Biblical passages where we can see three distict Persons of God: Matthew 28:19 Luke 1:35 Luke 3:21-22 John 14:26 John 14:23 John 16:13-15 Hebrews 1:8-9 Each one of the above passages has either three distinct Persons or at least two--the third one though not mentioned is still part of God's unity. There are some people who want to believe that Jesus is a lesser entity than the Father... Reading only one Biblical text they could surmise that they are correct in their belief... But the Bible has many expressions that, when viewed in isolation, could support almost any statement. Jesus said that He and the Father are One; He said that to know Him is to know the Father... But He also said that the Father was greater than He... But in John 14:10 He states that the Father abides in Him: He asked do you not believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? We could go on in circles trying to define Jesus' Divinity, or for that matter the existence of God as the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit... It takes not logic and earthly wisdom but spiritual wisdom, humility, obedience and FAITH! Coming to God otherwise would be like trying to transfer all of the water in the ocean into a backyard pool! (Impossible!) Forget about placing the Father at this level, and the Son at that level, and the Holy Spirit at yet another level! Listen to God's Word and realize the Truth: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God! If that does not clarify it enough for you try this one: You yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and the servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that it is I. No god was formed before me, nor will be after me. I, I am Yahweh, and there is no other Saviour but me. I have revealed, have saved, and have proclaimed, not some foreigner among you. You are my witnesses, declars Yahweh. I am God, yes, from eternity I am. No one can deliver from my hand; when I act, who can thwart me? (Isaiah 43:10-13) It is as clear as sunlight: there has never been a god before, or after God came into existence: and He has been there since ever and will be there forever! Do not attempt to limit God to our finite understanding... let Him move you and guide you to His Truth; you will surely be set free! God Bless! Angel |
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1227 | Why does the wageof sin have to be death | Rom 6:23 | JCrichton | 117698 | ||
Part 2 of 2 “I have been struggling with the understanding of why the payment for sin must be death” Hi, Tara! Some passages may be hard to understand… reconciling an individual passage with another individual passage could set us at an impasse from which we may never recover… But when we listen to the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us the Light shines eternal! Following is the reason why it is so important to God that we stay in His Word (love and obey Him) and why the end-product of sin is death: Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy; and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) Do you not realise that people who do evil will never inherit the kingdom of God? Make no mistake--the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, the self-indulgent, sodomites, thieves, misers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Among you there must be not even a mention of sexual vice or impurity in any of its forms, or greed: this would scarcely become the holy people of God! There must be no foul or salacious talk or coarse jokes--all this is wrong for you; there should rather be thanksgiving. For you can be quite certain that nobody who indulges in sexual immorality or impurity or greed--which is worshipping a false god--can inherit the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 5:3-5) Do not fear the wages of sin... get close to God and He will get close to you! God Bless! Angel |
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1228 | Why does the wageof sin have to be death | Rom 6:23 | JCrichton | 117697 | ||
“I have been struggling with the understanding of why the payment for sin must be death” Part 1 ot 2 Hi, Tara! Here’s an analogy of obedience that may help solve your quandary: God is our (Christians) employer who, as CEO, has established the bylaws and boundaries of our enterprise (the Church). Unlike His human counterparts, God has no ulterior motives to exploit His underlings, plunder the company, hide the assets, layoff employees, and file for bankruptcy. His bylaws and boundaries are set not to curtail our individual growth, but, rather, to maximize our potential: When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to him and said, ‘I am El Shaddai. Live in my presence, be perfect, and I shall grant a covenant between myself and you, and make you very numerous.’ (Genesis 17:1-2). God is as forgiving as He is generous: ‘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 shall be like wool. If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth.’ (Isaiah 1:18-19) But God’s generosity, though knowing no bounds, is tempered with resoluteness: ‘But if you refuse and rebel, the sword shall eat you instead--for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken.‘ (Isaiah 1:20) Yet as stern as He is, God allows us the freedom to choose to obey or reject Him: ‘Today, I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, holding fast to him; for in this your life consists…’ (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites lived with the knowledge that they could choose to obey Yahweh and live in His love or they could reject Him and embrace death. It was not evidently clear to them that the death that they were warned about was a spiritual death (as the warning to Adam and Eve, who, obviously, did not die physically right after their disobedience!) Now, since God is immutable (though the format He uses to convey His Word to His people varies according to His Divine Plan), the bylaws and boundaries He set for us do not change with the passage of time! Through the teachings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit we have come to understand that the promise is not merely of temporal life but also spiritual life; and, that the forewarning of impending death was not meant simply of a physical death, but, more precisely, of a spiritual death! So it stands: to be in Yahweh’s love is to have life; conversely, to be away from Yahweh’s love is to inherit death: What is the implication? That we are free to sin, now that we are not under law but under grace? Out of the question! You know well that if you undertake to be somebody’s slave and obey him, you are the slave of him you obey: you can be the slave either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to saving justice. Once you were slaves of sin, but thank God you have given whole-hearted obedience to the pattern of teaching to which you were introduced; and so, being freed from serving sin, you took uprightness as your master. I am putting it in human terms because you are still weak human beings: as once you surrendered yourselves as servants to immorality and to a lawlessness which results in more lawlessness, now you have to surrender yourselves to uprightness which is to result in sanctification. When you were the servants of sin, you felt no obligation to uprightness, and what did you gain from living like that? Experiences of which you are now ashamed, for that sort of behaviour ends in death. But, now you are set free from sin and bound to the service of God, your gain will be sanctification and the end will be eternal life. For the wage paid by sin is death; the gift freely given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:15-23) Tara, when we read the Bible in its entirety (I don’t mean that you must read all of the Bible before you understand its message) we come to realize that the various passages, though written in various time frames, are interrelated and codependent: God’s Word is manifested to His people according to a succession predestined by God’s Divine Plan. In the Old Testament Yahweh directs His people using temporal values as the currency (an eye for an eye; sacrificial offerings…) and the Law and the prophets which lead to Jesus’ arrival (Immanuel). Jesus is incarnated and pronounces that the Kingdom of God is at hand but He clarifies that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it! So the price for disobedience (living away from God) is still death; while the rewards for obedience (living in God and for God) is life everlasting! |
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1229 | Tearing of the temple curtain? | Matt 27:51 | JCrichton | 117501 | ||
"What did the tearing of the temple curtain (veil) symbolize?" Hi, Tan-Flipper! Emmaus gave you some clear examples... it also symbolizes the fulfillment of Christ's prophecy to the Samritan woman that the new era had come where God would require that worshippers worshipped in Spirit and in Truth [thus closing the chapter on "Temple" and "mount/tree" altar worship]. Christ is the inner sanctum or the Holy of Holies, so we all must come to Him, if we wish to worship Yahweh! God Bless! Angel |
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1230 | Bible version can become an idol? | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117500 | ||
"Is there something in the bible about His own Word become and idol?" Hi, Lorenzo! Since the Bible as a unit did not exist during the lives Jesus' contemporaries there was little to caution about the Word becoming an idolized object. But we do fall into dangerous territory when we steadfastly pronounce that we alone have the truth, yet our own actions belie our words! Yet, this is not new amongst believers; Paul had to caution the early Church about taking sides and claiming to be doing God's will by following Kephas or Apolo or Paul... Paul admonished them and reminded them that only One died for our sins: Our Lord Jesus Christ, and that we all belong to Christ and He to God (the Father)! James, chapter 4, talks about such issues (divisiveness)... He warns about the fights and quarrels among the believers, he clarifies to them that we are a battle ground for sin and the spirit--whereas the Holy Spirit is fighting to keep us alive (in God). He warns that being a friend to the world (imitating and approving its practices and behavior) is making an enemy of God. He calls us to submit to God and reminds us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled by God and that those who seek God in an obedient and humbled manner will be exalted by God! We can, and have, made idols of the people in our lives, TV/movies; of things such as cars, jobs, houses, clothes, picture of loved ones, pets, race, color, nationality, hight, weight, intelligence, abilities, machismo, carisma, youth, affluence, and even perceived spiritual wisdom... so it does not surprise me that "my Bible version" could, and may well already have, become an idol for many "professed" Christians. God Bless! Angel |
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1231 | people comminting susiced | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117499 | ||
"One of us is trying to fabricate something that isn’t true." Hi, CDBJ! I don't think the problem is fabrication... I think that the problem is that we all believe the same things but we go about it in different ways when expressing our thoughts. My original statement is about a Christian sinning and, as some may want to have it, reducing salvation to a contractual agreement where all is permissible to him/her, but God has adhere to His statement: "I am the Resurrection and the Life those who come to me will surely live, even if they are dead; those who are alive will surely live passing from the corporal to the spiritual realm... no sweat!" [Paraphrasing, of course; and adding a little sauciness.] I have not placed a single word onto another person's mouth (text box in our case); when I query or retort I usually place in quotations the piece to which I am responding. Be at peace, CDBJ, I will not test your 1100 posts... perhaps we should close this topic since we seem to just be going on in circles! God Bless! Angel |
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1232 | Scripturally is the man responsible? | Eph 5:24 | JCrichton | 117498 | ||
Hi, Aniset! Glad to have helped! God Bless! Angel |
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1233 | people comminting susiced | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117497 | ||
"to those who are in Christ Jesus" Hi CurtMan! You have stated the operative words: "those who are in Christ Jesus!" God does not change! Once He came to rescue us SALVATION is for the asking. But as Jesus Himself pointed out to the disciples: do not be glad that you can cure the sick and cast out demons; be glad that your names are written in the book of Life! (Paraphrased) He also warned that: "I am the vine." It is not a contractual obligation that binds the Father to us; it is our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! But to do this we can't simply come to Him with lip-service! What else did Jesus say?: "Sacrifice and holocaust did not please you, but you form a body for me!" We can't do anything for our salvation. But just as the last minute guests, those who are invited must come dressed accordingly!: "Stay in my Word--which simply means obey my commandments--and I will set you free!" (Ok... poetical license and paraphrasing!) CurtMan, God is not a man to go back on His Word--the Gift of Salvation is Eternal, but we must act upon our confession... rearranging God's Word to suit the business of the day is not "Keep my Word!" Here's what Jesus said about the world: And the judgement is this: though the light has come into the world people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, to prevent his actions from being shown up; but whoever does the truth comes out into the light, so that what he is doing may plainly appear as done in God. (John 3:19-21) Are there levels of sin? Only God knows for sure. But I remember a passage where Jesus was comparing the destruction of several groups of people and He asked His audience if they thought that those who were punished were punished because their sin was greater than those who were listening to Him. Another example is where He talks about the woman who had sinned profusely and another person who had not--then He asked which of the two would demonstrate more love towards God, the simple sinner or the extensive habitual sinner? Another comparison that I can give you is the one where Jesus talks about the aflluent gentleman who set out to gather workers for his field... he gathered throughout the day exacting one single contract with all the workers and paying them accordingly... if we are all sinners in the eyes of God, can we attempt to outshine other sinners citing "my sin is not as grave as yours?" Was that not the sin of the affluent guy who stepped onto the front of the Temple "good-ole boying himself" because he was not like that sinner at the back? We spend so much time arguing points about how this should be and why this is... doesn't it remind you of the Pharisees and Sadducees, always sticking to the letter of the Law; yet always usurping Gods command and authority? I pray not only for you but for all of us, that the Holy Spirit guide us to the Truth and bless us with humility and obedience so that we may meet Christ on His terms and not ours! God Bless! Angel |
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1234 | Scripturally is the man responsible? | Eph 5:24 | JCrichton | 117434 | ||
"When should a wife make a stand...when not? A couple could disagree all the time if the wife called him on every sin and refused to submit because it did not meet her standard of obedience to the Lord." Hi, lagunatick! Here's when: But Peter and John answered them, "You yourselves judge which is right in God's sight--to obey you or to obey God. (Acts 4:19) This passage is very clear: we either choose to obey God or not! You are in a difficult position (being female and the more spiritually mature Christian...); my first recomendation is PRAYER! Bring your case to the Judge, explain to Him with detail how much it hurts you to feel this tug of war (for our battle is a spiritual one): wanting to simultaneously please your spouse and God. You are also in the perfect position to bring your husband to the Lord. Teaching, through patience and love, the error of denying God (refusing to obey his commandments). Get involved in Bible Study; no sermons! The worst thing to do is to preach hell's damnation to those who are wavering! Be strong in your conviction and refuse to share in on the spoils of his rebellion! If it is posible get involved in Church activities; perhaps your husband has talents or abilities that can benefit the congregation or the needy in your community (tax preparation, technical/computer skills, etc.); he may need to involve himself in something other than his job. "Scripturally, is the man responsible for involving his wife in sin?" What do you think?: Eve took the bait, sucked at the test then passed the failure on to Adam; who did God reproved? Adam! Paul has this take on Christian responsibility: My friedns, if someone is caught i any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. (Galatians 6:1) Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) There's a direct relationship between Jesus and the Church and a husban and his wife (Ephesians 5:21-33): the Church is obedient to Christ as the wife is obedient to the husband. Christ gave his life for the Church as the husband is commanded to give his life for his wife! But if your husband is not mature in the Faith, he may not wish to own up to his responsibilities. You must act, for both your sake and his! PRAYER! Do you think you husband might be willing to get family counseling? (Christian of course!) Work on that and PRAY some more! God Bless! Angel |
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1235 | people comminting susiced | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117432 | ||
"John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Hi, CDBJ! Did you read and understand the part of your quoted text that says: "If we confess our sins"? Does that say once saved sin and sin again, it's permissible cause you've been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Please read Isaiah 1:18-20. Jesus did not die so that we can live in sin or grab on to Biblical passages that promise life-ever-after even if we maintain a life of sin or if we omit sin till the end then decide to test God (Yes!, my friend that is what suicide is!)... Not sure yet? Read Ezekiel 18:24--now, does that say be good for a long time and sin because you earned it? Does God change? Did He say one thing through the Prophet Ezekiel and then changed His mind and took it all back? Jesus' words to all: I am the vine you are the branches... we do not set up the rules nor do we have a license to follow them as we choose. "It sounds like you have ascended to sinless perfection" On the contrary, because I am a sinner I do not contend that I can reject God (the gravest of all sins for which there's no salvation since Jesus, who is God, is the Resurrection and the Life) and expect a secure place in Heaven. If you do, I can only caution you to rethink those 40 years of research; humble yourself to Christ and the Holy Spirit will guide you the rest of the way. God Bless! Angel |
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1236 | Is Moses in Heaven or Hell | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117431 | ||
"Contradict me if you can." It is not about contradicting... True, Eccl 9:5 talks about the dead not knowing anything and to interpret that that means those in hell know nothing and feel nothing is quantifiable--but when we read the Psamls we often find a prayer full of venom and hateful thoughts towards the enemy. This would suggest the Holy Spirit, who represents a Loving God, commanding His prophets and holy writers into: a)condoning violence, and b) a God who is more interested in carnage and total inahilation of people, rather then their repentence and conversion. Here are a few passages about hell: Matthew 5:22 ...if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Matthew 16:18 And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build by church, and not even death (hell*) will ever be able to overcome it. Matthew 18:9 And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Mark 9:43-44 So if your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than to keep both hands and go off to hell, to the fire that never goes out. James 3:6 ...It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 2 Peter 2:4 God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkeness, waiting for the Day of Judgment. Revealtion 1:18 I am the living one! I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I have authority** over death and (hell*) the world of the dead. Revelation 20:13-14 Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead(hell*) also gave up the dead they held... Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.) If these passages were to be taken individually... what a preposterous conundrum!: Matthew 5:22 talks about the fire of hell; Matthew 10:28 tells us that both the body and soul can be destroyed in hell; Matthew 16:18 says that death (*hell) has power to over come some things--certain vesions talk about the gates of hell, which then give hell some type of gated entrance; Matthew 18:9, Jesus talks about the fire of hell; Mark 9:43-44 depicts hell's fire as never extinguishing; James 3:6--now this must really be confused, he talks about hell as though there's a direct spiritual connect with our temporal lives! 2 Peter 2:4, Peter must obiously be as confused as James, have you heard of a non-quenchable fire that burns black? [No, no, not the smoking flesh...] Revealtion 1:18 tells us that there is not just one place for the dead but two places: death and the world of the dead or hell; Revelation 20:13-14 now comes the final word, there are not one, not two but three places where the dead hang around: the sea, death, and the world of the dead (hell)! * Some Bible versions have the hell instead of death or the world of the dead, respectively. ** Some Bible versions have keys instead of authority. I know that people with poetic license and super creative writing skills can presume to weave a nice: "this is what that really mean!" It is clear from these passages that there are Bible passages pertain to both a corporal and spiritual realm converging in God's reality (one day is like a thousand years...) If we only seek to outshine the next believer we are just as confused as the Jews and Greeks who kept waiting for signs and worldly wisdom... So if we simply define hell by one passage which passage would it be: a place of darkness?, a place of nothingness?, a place of torment?, a place of unquenchable fire?, a place where both the body and soul can be obliterated?, a gated place?, a futuristic place?, a temporal place?, a spiritual place?... Could it be that it is not one or another, but all! God Bless! Angel Could it be that it is not one o |
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1237 | people comminting susiced | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117429 | ||
"but we need to stand up for those who are in need. We need to be a light for those in the darkness." Hi, Sonflowr! This is precisely my point! How can we provide a light to those in darkness if we simply say: "hey do what you will God will understand, after all, He died for your sins so you are safe, no matter what! If we were to adopt such views, could you envision extremely long lines of people trying to get into Church? Would it not more likely be that they would take a sabbatical and say: "Jesus, I'll meet up with you later... much later!" The truth is Christ did not say turn the light on when people are ready to let it shine. True, He was loving and forgiving, but He was also stern and uncompromising: 'It is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:12) Yet, that same Jesus, teaches that we are to knock insistently, that we are to ask insistently in order to find mercy and aide. Is He a walking contradiction? No! He is saying: "be doers of the Word not just listener," believe, obey, and pray constantly. To offer Christ's Light to the world does not mean adapting the Word to the world; it means trading in the "old man" for the "new man." Yes, by al means, bring those in darkness to the Light--but be careful not to suggest to them that they can come as they please! (Parable of the wedding feast--remember that guy that refused to dress for it? God Bless! Angel |
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1238 | Sunbit in EVERYTHING to your husband?? | Eph 5:24 | JCrichton | 117386 | ||
Hi, lagunatick! This is an interesting situation... Are you aware that non-Christians behave in such mannners. For instance, the wife walking several feet behind the husban, being covered from head to toe, not having a voice in anything pertaining to anything, pleasuring their husbands regardless of how they are treated or feel... (the list goes on)... What is interesting about the Christian counterpart is that the couple are Christians and it is this relationship with Christ that supports the idea of the wife submitting herself to the husband: would Christ hurt the Church, aboned her, take advante of her, reject her, abouse her...? Notice what Paul says about those who have come together with unbelievers: does not Paul suggest that they should stay in their relationship--that is unless the spouse who is non-Christian becomes a stumbling block for the other's relationship with Christ! A Christian woman obeys her husband who in turn obeys Christ and would not endanger her temporal/spiritual wellbeing, nor that of her children! God Bless! Angel |
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1239 | I need a quick bible study- Matt.5:14-15 | Matt 5:14 | JCrichton | 117385 | ||
Hi, crazydaisy! As disciples of Christ, we are not better than the world (God is not a respecter of man) but we are called to lead others to God. There are many who find it easy to evangelize those who are already seeking Jesus, and there are those who think it beneath them to tread among the masses, and yet others who think that they have "it" and don't need to bother with others... Jesus is commanding us to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to build the Church: to preach, to evangelize, to convert, to love, to lead, to teach, and to stand in Christ and for Christ! Since He is the Light and we are His followers, how can we do anything but to place that Light high up in our lives so it can shine onto the world? God Bless! Angel |
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1240 | people comminting susiced | Bible general Archive 2 | JCrichton | 117384 | ||
Hi, CurtMan (The)! You make some nice points... But what did Jesus say about those who choose to drop of His hands? Did He say you are forgiven, go do as you please? Did the parable of the seeds mean that "well some of the seeds just had bad luck so don't worry, be happy"? Did not Christ say THOSE WHO LOOK BACK CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLES? Explained who the Pharisees and Sadducees blasphemed against the Holy Spirit--was it not because they rejected Christ? And, if someone claiming all the Biblical text that bring salvation than reject Jesus because "life is so unbearable, so unfair, so heartbreaking, so poor, so rich, so long, so short, so complicated... are they not rejecting Christ when they commit themselves to ending their lives or taking the lives of their spauses and children and then their own? Don't get me wrong... a person who takes his or her life (regardless of the reason) has only God to answer to (just as all others who kill with words or thought or inaction...)--Judas may well have received Divini dispensation during the last moments of his life--, and only God has the final answer! But for a Christian to say, "well it is Biblical, we can't lose salvation once we get it, cause Christ said so" he or she is delusional. Each one of us must remove the old self (carnal) and put on the new self (spirit) and serve God with all of our mind, body, and spirit. God Bless! Angel |
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