Results 501 - 520 of 729
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Results from: Notes Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
501 | Churchianity to be answered: | NT general Archive 1 | charis | 8244 | ||
Dear Joe, 'Alternate History' is not my thing, but I still believe that the church would be better off without the 'super-organized' religion we now have. In many ways, Jesus has been 'organized out' of Christianity. Some organization (order) is called for in the Bible, I grant. But any 'name before Christ' is not His will. That is the definition of denomination. A 'descriptor' that modifies the Proper Noun of Jesus Christ. Joe, (and Forum), I am not anti-organization, but I am against a non-Biblical organization beyond the local church. I cannot get from "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 21:25 NASB, that we need a present-day 'king' (pontiff, bishop) of a supra-church organization to keep us in line. The Spirit of God is well able to do the same thing. (If we allow Him) In Jesus' name, charis |
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502 | Churchianity to be answered: | NT general Archive 1 | charis | 8241 | ||
Dear Joe! I take from the above post that you believe the denominational system is the safeguard mechanism to protect us from 'rouge pastors.' That organization is the balancing factor to keep us from the vagaries of unorthodoxy. I take issue that 'assembly' means extra-church organization. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." Matthew 18:20 NASB. 'gathered together' is the same as 'assemble.' It is enough to be considered holy fellowship. 'The more the merrier' is true in a human sense. The more gathered, the potential for straying from the Spirit is multiplied. (Even though a moderation factor exists, so also a dilution factor is evident.) For instance, could this Scripture be extrapolated to say, "For where two or three thousand have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." I would say NOT! After a certain point (depending on the shepherd), A human organization dilutes the moving of the Spirit. Though some may grouse, I quote from a hymn, "My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand." Joe, some human orgaization may lend stability, but man tends to depend on it like a drug. You may be immune to this dependency, but most are not. Rather than 'living stones' in the structure of the church, they become dead bricks, mortared together by man's authority rather than the bonding of the Spirit of God. Blessings in Jesus' name, charis |
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503 | Is this person saved? | Heb 6:4 | charis | 7550 | ||
Dear JVH0212, Friend you are correct! Again we face one of the difficulties of trying to make a point while participating in a public internet forum. I well know your stance in this issue, and was not trying to make you, personally, into a judgmental person. I am really sorry it came off that way. Truly, my brother, and all my colleagues of the forum, I was only trying to clarify the difference between God's perfect point of view and our imperfect point of view. My two examples were merely meant to show that men can be very judgmental, foolish, and-or naive. Many men do set themselves in the 'plane of God' concerning salvation and forgiveness, not just in theory, but in practice, too. (NOT you, JVH0212! I have never heard you do this.) Indeed, 'fall away' from God, and 'return to' God (repent), are only 'knowable' by God. As Steve so ably pointed out, submission to God can be faked or insincere. So also with repentance. In the same way, our idea of 'falling away' could be very different from God's idea! 'Returning to the bars' or a sinful stumble in your walk with God (or a not-very-prudent posting to a forum :-) may be forgiven by God but inexcusable by man. As a minister and counselor, I must discern (not judge) many things. My last comment, and indeed the whole posting, was directed to the entire audience of this forum. My profound apologies for not making that clear. Amen! Peace to you, as well. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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504 | Only God knows...but, what? | Heb 6:4 | charis | 7530 | ||
Dear Steve, That was the point of my original question. Only God knows, and the person themself. Every person that comes to the Lord (or is apprehended by Jesus, or gives their heart to the Lord) knows they are saved. But they stumble. Then some repent, calling upon His name for mercy, and grace is poured forth again. This person knows (again) that God has granted salvation. You must either say that man cannot discern his own salvation, or God can (and does) grant repentance to those that fall away. This is precisely why I do not believe that 'born again' is a finite moment. You have the 'born again, again predicament.' Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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505 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | charis | 7517 | ||
Dear Hank, My daughter's friend has a pet Kabuto-mushi (Giant Stag Beetle), do you think you could get someone to lay hands on it? (But, watch those fingers! :-) I'll go one better. I went to a meeting that was claiming to teach on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The speaker came out and said that he had just cast several demons out of himself while looking in a mirror. He 'laid hands' on the mirror, and saw them depart, so he was 'clean enough' to preach about the Holy Spirit. We did not stay for refreshments. Welcome back, dear friend and colleague! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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506 | Vilest of character? | 2 Tim 2:23 | charis | 7513 | ||
Dear Sam, I'm not sure what wavelength we are communicating on. Perhaps this is a case in point. The question came under the text 2 Timothy 2:23, and asked, "Is it fair to challenge another's assertions, when no one has any idea what, if anything, those assertions mean?" If I am reading it correctly, the *assertions* are vague and indeciferable, not the *challenger.* As I said, there must be a certain amount of responsibility on the part of the 'foolish and ignorant' *asserter* that their comments be understandable. Friend, it is true that the challenger must 'do his homework' and answer with knowledge and culpability. But I still think that "vilest of character" is unwarranted. Surely not all who 'jump the gun' with an opinion are liars and snakes :-) Indeed, we are to pursue God's standard, but we are also called to be as gracious as He is. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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507 | Performance or Preaching? | Acts 5:34 | charis | 7498 | ||
Dear EdB, Yes, many others do see this same lack of discernment. At least I do. Brother, I have also visited other churches, para-church ministries, and 'Spirit Explosions.' They are just that, firecracker sparks of entertainment, followed by temporary deafness and blindness, and a stench in the nose. The other 'lawlessness' I see these days is worship of 'worship leaders' or 'worship teams.' Professional solo artists or bands with enough volume to displace Pink Floyd, and light shows and choreography that puts Micheal Jackson to shame! Praise to God should be 'more than the sound of many waters,' but it should be the voice of His people, *accompanied by* the instruments of music, not overwhelmed by them. Neither should praise be *performed* that the congregation is only a 'minor participant.' Thank you for a discerning word. In Jesus' name, charis |
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508 | ANTI or PRO? Which is it? | 1 Tim 6:20 | charis | 7416 | ||
Dear jim, I'm sorry, but I think I missed the logic of your statement. The things of God are foolish to natural man, but we are not to have any folly? Friend, I believe man is a tripartite being. Flesh, soul, and spirit. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 NASB. I believe that the soul is erratic in it's loyalties, sometimes closely linked to our spirit, which is indwelt by the Spirit of God. Sometimes, though, our soul is very much influenced by the flesh, thus set against the Spirit. This is where we get 'soulish behavior' that is definitely not spiritual. It is the realm of the emotions. We need the Word of God to discern between the two, because man is not inherently capable to do so. The reason I get into all this is because I think that sometimes we tend to think that we are either 'in the flesh' or 'in the Spirit.' I do not agree. Sometimes we are clearly in an emotional (soulish) realm, but we want to believe ourselves spiritual. This also causes us to judge our neighbor by this bipartite measure. This is exactly why humans are often 'judgmental.' The offender is 'of the flesh,' and the arrogant judge believes himself 'of the Spirit.' Correctly discerning soulish behavior by the Word of God will clarify a multitude of problems in the fellowship of the saints. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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509 | ANTI or PRO? Which is it? | 1 Tim 6:20 | charis | 7412 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, I have been reading this thread and it's many convolutions (and even participated in some of it :-). I think I know what you are getting at. Tell me if I'm wrong in my perception of your drift. 1) Only the Bible contains real truth. 2) This truth is in accord with the spiritual nature of God. It is not 'knowable' by the natural man. 3) Man's perception of truth is warped by his fallen nature. The history of human science is bound by this curse. 4) We are to try to discern truth through the Spirit of God, doing all we can to disassociate ourselves from the nature of man. 5) I can't think of point 5 :-) In my humble opinion, this is taking sola scriptura to absurd excess. I think that yours is a valid philosophical point, but it borders on the mystical. (mystical - having a spiritual menaing or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence. Webster) Friend, I do not condemn this viewpoint, but I wonder what the purpose is. (?) If we try too hard to deny our involvement (or relevancy) in the natural world, we can find ourselves denying it's Creator. Nature is not the enemy, the devil is the enemy. In all honesty, it sometimes sounds as if you confer enemy status on the natural world. If I am way off base in my assumptions, I truly beg your pardon. Blessings to you. In Jesus' name, charis |
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510 | Who knows? | Rev 21:27 | charis | 7375 | ||
Dear Tim, I agree with every point you made, a-f. So, without a good deal of extrapolation and conjecture, none of these points are available to us, now. Is that true? None of the references concerning the book of life are 'usable' to us now, except as an encouragement to do what we can in our Christian walk to serve God in faith and faithfulness. I guess that was my point, and your statements of fact seem to bear out my thoughts. Thank you, brother, for a simple, Scriptural answer. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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511 | Is Entire Sanctification Scriptural? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 7374 | ||
Dear Tim, I appreciate your openness and honesty in explaining your circumstance and subsequent desire for undestanding this issue. To be perfectly frank (on my side :-), I have no formal training which would (might?) give me an 'authoritative' answer. I am just a student of the Bible, and always prefer a simpler answer over a complicated one, if one is available in the Bible. After studying a bit about Entire Sanctification and it's various manifestations, I can only conclude that it is too complicated. It makes too many human assumptions about the individual's outward righteousness. For instance, if a person accepts Christ (whatever term you prefer) and is walking in the Lord just fine, has he *achieved* this status? Then, after years of faithful service to God, he stumbles. Did he lose the 'entire' status and return to justification? Or maybe, as some good Calvinists would demand, was he never saved to begin with? Could he be reinstated, as many good Charismatics would insist? As you stated about your belief (I think), it is much simpler to believe that 1) a person is justified by faith, 2) pursues sanctification through the working of the Holy Spirit, and 3) is made complete in resurrection. The details of this process are vague, regardless of some notions of *enlightenment.* Especially, the exact timing of resurrection. I leave these things to Christians that have already perfected all the other aspects of life in Christ :-) Out of curiosity, which denomination believes which? (I was under the impression that many Brethren churches leaned toward Wesleyan thinking) The only support I can think of for Entire Sanctification is that the ones that insist on it are convinced that they have *achieved* it! I know that they may string lots of Bible passages together to 'prove' it, but common sense and two honest eyeballs would show that man cannot *achieve* complete earthly sanctification. I was once a Buddhist, and the concept is familiar, and clearly mystical in nature. Only Jesus was perfect on earth, and He did not *achieve* it, He WAS perfect! One man's humble opinion. Blessings to you, and prayers for your path. In Jesus' name, charis |
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512 | NASB95 study bible??? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 7359 | ||
Dear Chris, Amen! about the NASB Ryrie Expanded Edition Study bible. I have been using this Bible for 3 years. This was given to me by my wife on the occasion of "A New Season" (as written on the 'presented to' page) In the introduction, Ryrie writes, "Do not invent some 'message' that is not in the text in order to justify an idea you have or course of action you want to take." Also, "...do not be tempted to see 'deeper' meanings or try to discover hidden ideas that no one else has ever seen!" These are some of my favorite quotes regarding Bible study, and very apropos to this forum. Another 'newcomer' to the Study Bible scene is the 'New Inductive Study Bible' by Harvest House Publishers (2000) in the NASB-Update. I just got it a few days ago, and am impressed by it! I will let all know how it fares in the coming days (years) of study. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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513 | Examine yourselves! | 2 Cor 13:5 | charis | 7329 | ||
Dear JVH0212, The first thing that comes to mind is the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22,23 NASB Bear in mind that false versions of all of these are available in the world. For instance, smug, self-satisfaction in place of peace; Emotions or carnality in place of love; drink or drug-induced joy, etc. The fruit of the Spirit is lasting, and not dependent on external circumstance, but the indwelling of the Spirit of God. I am sure there are more, and I look forward to hearing from others. In Jesus' name, charis |
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514 | Babies and young children a distraction? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 7304 | ||
Dear Nolan, This issue is definitely not silly or trivial. And it will probably not be solved by rules, policy, or organization. Order in the house of God is a spiritual matter, that has physical implications, not the other way around. The family you are talking about that wants to be together in the presence of God has wonderful motives. But, good motives without appropriate action is simply hypocrisy. My experience has shown me that children that are unruly in church are unruly all the time. Also, a child's attitude toward church is almost always a direct reflection of the parent's teaching (or lack of it). If a child does not respect the sanctuary, it is probably because the parents do not, though they may be better at hiding it. I think that the Bible states pretty clearly that the parents are responsible for their children. Except in the case of severe mental handicap, all children are trainable. Even 'hyperactive' children do respond to parental love, care AND discipline. I say this from experience, not theory or conjecture. If I have numerous excuses from parents and doctors that tell me why a child is not capable of receiving instruction, but the Bible tells me that all children CAN receive instruction and all parents MUST instruct, then I will choose the Bible, every time. If more people would believe and obey the Word of God, there would be more order in church, without segregation, rules, and chronic annoyances and disruptions. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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515 | Babies and young children a distraction? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 7250 | ||
Dear JVH0212, Very good point! I agree with you that children should sit with their parents. I did not mention that in my reply to Nolan's question. After the 3 year nursery incarceration, er, time period, children are in the service with their family. Believe me, those first few weeks are uncomfortable for the kids, the parents, and all the innocent bystanders :-) However, the kids do settle down to be (fairly) responsible members of the congregation after a few 'encouragements'on their part, and embarrassments on their parent's part :-) My personal conviction is that children should not be segregated by age group. They have enough of that in schoool. Family time together before the Lord is precious, and should be cherished. We have Sunday school before our morning sevices. One reason is that in space-starved Japan, few churches have a separate room for segregated services. Another is that the basic concepts of Christian life should not be so terribly different that you must 'tailor' the contents of worship to various age groups. (i.e. in my church we sing a variety of songs of praise. It's good for kids to sing 'old' hymns, and good for the 'geriatrics' to sing more lively music :-) Again, how much time together does the average family have? Treasure it! Thank you, friend for sharing your thoughts with us. And thanks all for hearing mine. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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516 | clear conscience | 1 Tim 3:2 | charis | 7236 | ||
Dear JVH0212, Thank you! By defining the word, you have answered the question! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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517 | Can a divorced person remarry? | 1 Cor 7:15 | charis | 7219 | ||
Dear Louder, Excuse me for butting in, but this is a forum :-) Friend, God does not condone any sin, nor is He impressed by the social 'norms' of any age. However, the Bible clearly states that there is divorce. Though God is not in favor of it, and does not condone it, it can be forgiven, thus not condemned, in accordance with the grace He so abundantly pours forth. This issue is a 'case-by-case' thing in God's able hands. If you 'decide' that God's grace does not apply in this situation or that, then you have created a 'New Law.' God does not 'condone' a lot of things in your life (and in mine), but if we were to be condemned or disqualified for every infraction of this 'New Law,' there would be no church. How is it that ministers can be pedantic snobs, bigots, and even forgiven for many kinds of impropriety, but never be divorced or widowed? Grace for repentence an subsequent forgiveness is a gift given to us that we may be whole. The 'Old' Law never made (legal) room for this gift. Praise God that we have freedom in Christ Jesus to be known by God as individuals, and He doesn't make us to judge one another in the severity of man. Allow the Lord to make these decisions, and you will partake of grace when it becomes necessary. "And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides." Mark 4:24 NASB. Few Christians plan on a divorce ot the death of a spouse. Shouldn't we leave the judgment of each case in God's hands, rather than creating an organization that supercedes grace? In Jesus' name, charis |
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518 | clear conscience | 1 Tim 3:2 | charis | 7218 | ||
Dear Ray, Actually, while I do have an opinion, I don't think it encompasses this thread. The reason is that I am not sure what this thread is anymore :-) More than anything, I wanted to congratulate you on your tenacity. I propose that we give the title "Ray's Personal Capitalization Version" (RPCV) to your ideas on the correct punctuation of the Word. I must admit that I have gotten used to the idea. (though I still don't have an overwhelming desire to annotate my entire Bible :-) Ray, your participation is valuable to this forum, and I thank you for being here. Blessings in Jesus' name, charis |
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519 | Newcomer's Guide to the Forum | 2 Tim 2:15 | charis | 7216 | ||
Dear JVH0212, Great primer for the newbies! Great reminder for the 'venerable sages.' too! And please, you 'intermediates,' read this and adhere to the wisdom it contains! Dear friend, I applaud your ability to clarify things for all. If you are not already a deacon, you ought to be! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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520 | NAS like the NWT??? I HOPE NOT! | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 7192 | ||
Dear roverjbh99, I went the link you posted, and am relieved to know that the authors of this chart are not JW or Mormon. In a way, it's worse that Bible-believing Christians can come up with yet another divisive bigotry- 'Bible Version Superiority.' These people are just another type of religious extremism, this time focusing on relatively unimportant things, and making them into a 'big deal.' I am convinced that these 'differences' that they point our are not primary, and hardly even rate secondary status. Whatever these 'KJV-is-authorized-by-God' fanatics say, the NASB is still one of the most accurate English translations of the Word. I have 23 Bibles in 11 versions, and use the KJV often. I can find no reason to call it superior, except maybe in a 'poetic' sense. The KJV is beautiful. The down-side is that few people can truly appreciate this 'poetic' beauty, and in fact makes understanding God's Word more obscure and remote to many. This does not further the spreading of the Good News of Christ Jesus. As a Christian matures, he will want to study the Bible, and certainly would want to have a KJV in his library. But to assign 'superior' or 'only' status to this translation is folly. Blessings to you, 'braddah,' in Jesus' name, charis |
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