Results 1 - 20 of 975
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154285 | ||
I will say one thing more and be done with this conversation. Let the word stand, that has been written. The folks who are writing here can agree among themselves, and then hurl insults at anyone who dares to suggest to them that they should listen to their brethren who think differently. You can embrace anyone whom you think will agree with you. You can congratulate each other for simply being of the same point of view no matter how it is arrived at, no matter if they are only borrowing and quoting without thinking. My word to you is simply this: that you should think of your brothers who think differently. And what I say to you, I say to all, because there are groups everywhere who hold another point of view, but who similarly congratulate each other and agree among themselves. They close ranks and close their minds, and they also despise you, their brethren. What I say to you, I say to them: Please listen. What I say to you, I say to them. You are correct in saying that God speaks through his word. They are correct in saying that God speaks to them personally. They need to listen to you and to pay close attention to what the Bible says. And you ought to listen to them, and appreciate their emphasis on the application of the word to our lives. It is from the Bible that they have learned that God is interested in a personal relationship and in personally leading them. If you listen to yourself you will also hear that God is not only the God of history and the God of the Bible, but he is the God of today, and he lives in our hearts. The Holy Spirit who dictated the Bible also wants to dictate our steps. He wants to take the truths set in the Scriptures and apply them to the specifics of our lives. He is the same yesterday and today, and he will transform the words of the Bible and bring them to life, so that you “hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left“, as in Isaiah 30:21. I am not writing this in order to solicit dittos or kudos but because, as we all say of our own statements, it is based on the Bible. I pray that you will listen, even while facing the reality that you probably won’t. But someone will read this and understand, so let it stand. I will not respond to your response, whether good or bad. I am leaving now for a church where there is all emotion and no Bible knowledge, where they sing “Gospel” and have no conception of what the gospel is. I am concerned with the reports that “seventy to ninety percent of the people attending the average church are not saved”. I want to show them the way, from the Bible, and encourage them to mix truth into their experience. As always, there are a few who will listen, and I trust it will be the same in this place. |
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2 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154278 | ||
I am inspired by the Holy Spirit, I think, to look into the way that he works, using the word of God to guide us. The word of God includes direct revelations and explicit, universal commandments from God. It also includes history, showing how people responded to what God had said. The Spirit reminds people of God's will, again recording their responses. But the historical account often includes the first clear indication that we have of the mind of God on a matter. Did anyone know, before Cain, that “sin lies at the door” and we must resist it? Did anyone understand, before King Saul, that “to obey is better than sacrifice”? The matter was not clear to the casual hearer, since it was God who had commanded sacrifice. It would take a closer examination, as Koukl would say, to see exactly who was to do what. One may suppose that all of the commandments and precedents had been set in the Old Testament, and that people in the New Testament, and in our day, have those scriptures to go by. But it is not quite that simple. Some of the commandments, including the command to offer animal sacrifices, have been annulled, superceded, nailed to the cross (Colossians 2). And there are new commandments, such as the one to preach the gospel, that do not appear, or are not clear, in the Old Testament. Still there is no doubt that we are to be guided by scripture, and the Holy Spirit here to help us with that. He guided Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) and the Spirit led him (Matthew 4:1). When he was tempted, the Spirit brought to his mind the scriptures appropriate to the specific situation. Tempted to turn stones into bread, he was reminded that the scriptures had said, man shall not live by bread alone, from Deuteronomy 8. When he was asked to worship Satan, the Spirit reminded him of what had been written, that we should worship only the Lord our God, and that he is the only one we should serve” from Deuteronomy 6 and 10. Etc. There were times when people remembered scripture, and we are not told that the Holy Spirit was involved. Herod asked where Christ should be born, and they recalled what Micah had written, "Bethlehem of Judaea". They could search the Scriptures for those things (John 5:39). When Jesus cleansed the temple, in John 2, his disciples remembered that it had been written, “The zeal of your house has eaten me up“. In Acts 1, Peter referred to scriptures (in Psalms 41 and 109) which led him to seek a replacement for Judas. It is not clear to this writer whether the Holy Spirit was the one prompting those memories and leading him in that action. Some would say that only the Lord himself could choose an apostle, and that he would do that in Acts 9. Jesus had said the Spirit, when he came, would guide them (John 16) but the had not yet come when Peter was taking that action. Because he was filled with the Holy Ghost, I assume that he was guided aright in Acts 2, recalling the prophecy of Joel, and Psalms 16 and 110. A person may recall the scriptures of his own accord. But Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring to the mind things that he had spoken to them (John 14). So, Peter recalls (Acts 11) what Jesus had said about baptism with the Holy Spirit. We may say it was the Spirit himself bringing that to his remembrance. When Paul recalls Jesus saying it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20) we understand that it was the Holy Spirit reminding him, even though he had not caused it to be recorded in the gospels. But several New Testament passages speak of the Holy Spirit’s guidance without any reference to the Scriptures. The Spirit tells Philip to go to the Ethiopian’s chariot (Acts 8) and afterwards, he catches him away. He tells Peter to go with the visitors from Cornelius (Acts 11) and forbids Paul to preach the word in Asia. How he communicated those things, we are not told, nor do we know whether he made reference to any scripture. In the end, one would like to say two things. The first is, that the Spirit seems to give specifics (“Go to Macedonia”) where the scriptures are more general (“Go into all the world”). But then we wonder how he could possibly indicate ”Not Asia” when Asia is in the world and “all the world” is in Mark 16:15. There is no recorded scripture that would indicate (as in Matthew 10:5) that certain places were to be left out or left for later after the Gentiles had been brought into the scheme. The second observation is that the Holy Spirit seems to be using tools, not in place of, but in addition to Scripture, to guide the apostles. This should not give any comfort to anyone seeking guidance from God apart from Scripture. But some are new to the faith, and some still have no Bible. And we still misinterpret and misunderstand the Scriptures sometimes. Even here, we may read the same passages and disagree. May the Lord guide each of us as we seek him in his word, and with our whole heart. |
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3 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154244 | ||
We can agree with anyone who is seeking the will of God, whether through his written word or through personal interaction with him. Both are valid, and we can remind him that the two need to go together. Psalm 119 and John 16:13 go well together, and those who quote either one should reconcile them in themselves and with each other. |
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4 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154242 | ||
Hello, Doc: Hope you are doing well. I would like to agree with anyone who says anything on this topic, while encouraging them to consider what others are saying. God wants each of us to do his will. To do it, we need to discern it. I assume that all who seek God are sincere, and I do believe we need to get together, and help one another with this. and let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24). |
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5 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154239 | ||
God speaks to us through his word, and personally. He either uses both, or he says nothing at all. It is such a good opportunity for two points of view to come together! And God would meet us there. Without the word of God, we cannot judge a revelation. Without the Holy Spirit working in us, we cannot understand the word of God, and it is useless to us. One group knows the Bible very well, or so it seems, but they get such a high from knowing that they do nothing to put the word into practice. They know in a general way what he might want done, but they are never sure what God wants done in the here and now. Another group gets such a high from feeling the presence of God that they go on impulse to do a thousand things, then think it not important to know if they were right things, for whatever God says is right. One group would say we should not be discussing personal experiences here. We should fill this space with Scripture. The other group says we are wasting our time with study. We should listen for the voice of God, and move. I know these people. One group met yesterday and talked, and they have not decided what to do, except to study more. Another group had decided that God wanted then to go to a specific spot to witness. But the last time they went, it rained, and they had to leave before it had started. Now they have decided to wait until God tells them to try again. One group would say we should not be discussing personal experiences here. We should document every statement with Scripture. The other group says we are wasting time with study. We should not be satisfied with obeying Scripture. We should listen for the voice of God, personally communicated, and we should be ready to move when we‘ve heard it. I know these people. And I wish that they would get together. I say that God uses both Scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit to lead us. The first without the second leaves us sitting in a secure spot, doing nothing. The second without the first has us wandering aimlessly, doing this and that that possibly adds up to nothing. The two need to be together, and the two sides need to get together, synergistically, to do God‘s will. Testimony and Scripture come together in Genesis 24:27. “I being in the way, the Lord led me”. The way is the word. The leading is by the Spirit. The two are inseparable. “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried” (2 Samuel 22:31). The way and the word come together in perfect harmony (Psalm 18:30). With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments (Psalm 119:10). The heart and the word, in harmony. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). The Holy Spirit speaks the word of God, the written word of God, to guide us. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you (Philippians 4:9). He, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you (John 16:13) and give you peace (Galatians 5:22). He will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. He will guide you with his eye (Psalm 32:8). |
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6 | explain Deut 6:4 | John 3:13 | Aixen7z4 | 154236 | ||
God is three in one. “You believe that there is one God, you do well” (James 2:19). But even as we speak, “there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). It is true that we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). However, “This only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). We have invented many schemes, various devices, beaucoup de détours, muchas perversiones. It may be that we are sincere in trying to understand. But I wonder why it is so difficult. The analogies are neither necessary nor appropriate. The same verse which said we are in God’s image says that we are male and female (Genesis 1:27). And God said a man and his wife shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24). I wonder if we find that hard to understand or to accept, that two people can be one. It may be that the concept of oneness is hard to understand or to accept. But the word says, “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit“ (1 Corinthians 6:17). It seems to be the plan of God, then, that not only the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but we ourselves should be joined into that oneness. It is not that we will be God, but we will be one with God. He has made us one in Jesus (Romans 12). “For as we have many members in one body, … so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another“. And in the end, it will all come together. “When all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). A man and a woman are one. The church with all its members is one. The three persons of the Godhead are one. Tow people do not make two families. Many believers do not make many churches. And three people do not imply three Gods. There is one God. They are one. |
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7 | Jesus is God, can Jesus sit at the right | John 3:13 | Aixen7z4 | 154191 | ||
Short answer: Jesus is God. His Father is God. The Holy Spirit is God. But they are three separate beings. In nature and in purpose, they are one; they are united. Just as a husband and wife are one, and the members of the church are one, and yet they can sit next to each other, there is no problem with God the Son sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Long answer: Jesus is a person, an individual. His Father is a person. You know that they are two different persons because Jesus says that he is not as great as his Father (John 14:28). They speak to each other (John 12:28, etc.). Scripture says he had left the Father, and was going back to the Father (John 13:3). While he was on earth, his father was in heaven. Jesus has a Father who is also our Father. Jesus is called the Son of God (John 20:31, etc). The two are separate, individual persons. They were together in the beginning (John 17:5). Then Jesus came to earth. Then he went back to be with his Father. Stephen saw him standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55) and the writer to the Hebrews says he sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12). There is no problem with the Son sitting next to the Father, any more than a wife can sit next to her husband. When Jesus says that he and the Father are one, he does not mean that they are the same person. They are two persons united in nature, in mind, in purpose, etc. They are so similar that you can say when you have seen one you have seen the other (John 14:7-11) or that you had seen the entire godhead (Colossians 2:9). In the same way Jesus prayed that we Christians would be one, and the writers of the New Testament say we are one (Ephesians 2). The Bible says that they are one The Bible says that the husband and wife are one (Genesis 2:24; Mathew 19:5; 1 Corinthians 6:16;Ephesians 5:31). “For this cause shall a man leave his Father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh”. Also, with their children, they are one family even though they are separate persons. It is a little bit confusing because Jesus is called God, and the Son of God. The Father is called God, or God the Father. The Holy Spirit is called God, the Spirit of God, and even the Spirit of Christ. In Revelation 19 Jesus is called the Word of God. In John 1, it says that Jesus was with God and he was God. Most often the term God is used in reference to the Father, and that may give the impression that it is his personal name. But you will see that in Hebrews 1:8, the Father refers to the Son as God. The fact that all three are called God shows that “God” is not a personal name. It is a title. All three of them are known by that title. Jesus and the Father are one, and likewise, we should be one. Read John 17:21, 23. They stand together and work together, and that is what they want us to do. Indeed, they are an example to us. |
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8 | Do those things. | Phil 4:9 | Aixen7z4 | 154047 | ||
Is that all there is? That is the question many believers find it in their hearts to ask, before they are saved, and some, before, and they go looking for the answers. Some find the Christian life, as they see it somewhere, boring and unsatisfying, and unattractive, and they seek excitement in emotionalism and activity outside the church they knew initially. We sense that God has an exciting and full life for each of his children, and we want it. Jesus came that we might have an abundant life (John 10) and we sense that it must include more than attending church, singing a little, praying a little, and listening to sermons. We want ecstatic experiences, intense feelings, and physical activity. We manufacture these things, or expose ourselves to other spirits, unwittingly perhaps, in order to experience them. It is nothing less than amazing, what some believers sometimes do in their churches. It seems unnecessary to compile a list here, and it is embarrassing as well, but it would include boasting, screaming, laughing, shaking, running, spinning, falling, and the like. These activities, and the emotions that go with them, seem to fill the gap, forestall the boredom, and may suggest that there is that much to the Christian life. It might do us well to wonder whether those things are not a substitute for the ones that God would have us do. What did Jesus do? What did the apostles do? What are the things that the Philippians had seen and learned and heard and were supposed to do? Like Timothy, they would have known activity in the gospel (Philippians 1:12), his “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions“ (2 Timothy 3:10). They were to follow his example (Philippians 3:17) in doing those things and enduring those things. And they were told that the God of peace would be with them, to give them peace (as in Numbers 6:26). There would be joy too, it is mentioned so often in that letter. And yet, that peace was to come after doing (Philippians 4:9) and joy was there to be received and expressed in the midst of suffering (Philippians 1:29). Believers were to find satisfaction, and fulfillment and joy and peace in serving the Lord, as Paul and Jesus did (John 4:34; Philippians 1:20). And we all should follow then (1 Corinthians 11:1; Hebrews 12:2). And neither one of them was known to seek out materialism or emotionalism. We should be imitators of Christ, and we should find our satisfaction in that. |
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9 | any biblical references describing eros? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 153918 | ||
Hi. The Song of Solomon is about erotic love. As a book in the Bible, it is there to be read by anyone and everyone. But as a Christian, you would not emulate it until after you are married. The actors in that musical were Solomon and his wife. |
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10 | trouble and problems | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 153916 | ||
Problems with your spouse are a hard thing to bear; that‘s what the Bible says. For example, “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house (Proverbs 21:9). Again, “It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house (Proverbs 25:24). You wonder why the writer said it twice, and so do I. Twice also one translation renders it: “Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse” (MSG). “Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman (Proverbs 21:19). In that situation, a person may find himself saying, as in Psalm 55:7, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest“. But the God who said, “What God has joined together, let not man put asunder” is not suggesting that we dwell elsewhere. He has a better answer. For one thing, the Scriptures tell us that others have had those problems. We can learn from their stories what the bad and good choices are. Jacob once got frustrated and angry at Rachel; read it in Genesis 30. David had a problem with Michal; read it in 2 Samuel 6. Peter tells us what a wife might do (1 Peter 3:1) and what a husband should do (verse 7). Other passages such as Ephesians 5:28 and Colossians 3:19 tell us that the answer is love and 1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love does. According to that last passage, love never fails, and another passage says that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Let us hope the second question is not directly related. The Bible says a lot about oppressed people, the sum of it being that their quest for justice will be satisfied. Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). God’s own people had been oppressed as slaves in Egypt. God told them that they should remember that and never oppress anyone (Exodus 22:21, etc.). Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. turned to the Bible for answers. Malcolm X used passages such as Galatians 6:7 to indicate that God would bring vengeance on oppressors. He was not willing to leave vengeance in the hands of God as in Romans 12:19. He used passages in the Koran to bolster the idea that the oppressed people should protect themselves. Martin Luther King relied on the Bible, and looked to God to right things. He would quote Isaiah: “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain” (Isaiah 40:4). He looked for a day when, according to Micah 4:4, “They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid“. King was a preacher and a scholar and he likely knew that those verses did not refer to Negroes in particular. But he said that justice was indivisible and he felt that the same principles and the same promises applied to all peoples. Applying Romans 12:21 King believed he could use “the weapon of love” to overcome the evil of injustice. |
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11 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | Aixen7z4 | 153910 | ||
Let us not talk about this right now. Let us not talk about it at all until we have read again what Jesus said in Luke 14:25-35. Let us not talk about it until we have carefully pondered the standard that he set, and the cost of discipleship. There is a road that Jesus traveled, a live he lived, and he bids us follow. Those who dare to do so will pay a price, and he says we should count the cost before we start. Compare your life to his, and see how close you are. Then perhaps you’ll know if you have followed. | ||||||
12 | how do we know God is real? | Rom 1:19 | Aixen7z4 | 153883 | ||
When we wonder if God exists, it shows how far we have strayed away from him. God says even a dog knows he has an owner, but his children do not know that they have a creator (Isaiah 1). It shows how far we as human beings have strayed. But there is good news: God is calling us back (2 Corinthians 5:20). In the beginning, man was close to God (Genesis 2). When he chose to sin, he was separated from God (Genesis 3). God sent Jesus to take away our sins and to bring us back to himself (Luke 19:10). Listen, my friend, you know that God is real. That is what he says in Romans 1:19. You know it in your heart. Only a fool says there is no God (Psalm 14) and I do not believe you are a fool. You are smart enough to seek God, and that is why you have come to this place. Your conscience tells you God is real. Creation confirms it. Look at the skies. Look at the earth. Look at yourself. Confess that God made you, and admit what a wonderful job he did. Read Psalm 139. Admit that God loves you. You know that by the things he has given to us, and the laws he has given by which we can share those things. People sin when the break God’s law that says we should love one another. God calls on us to repent and trust him. You will know that God is real when you come to him. He will welcome you. He will come to live in you, and he will give you the assurance from inside. And now, I think you know enough to do it. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). He says: “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6,7). “Seek and you shall find” (Matthew 7:7). “And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart“ (Jeremiah 29:13). Creation and your heart and the word of God tell you that God is real. Seek him, my friend, and you will find him. He is seeking you. |
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13 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | Aixen7z4 | 153881 | ||
There is a gap between the ideal and the actual, my friend. That is one reason we have the epistles. Many of them review the process of salvation again, and then encourage us to follow on and grow. They point out that many have not grown, but have been stagnant or have even regressed in the way. When we might have gone on to be teachers, we are still babes, in need of milk, etc. Some of us are weak and sickly, etc. Clearly, we need help as we seek to follow. But we should not ignore the question: Have we started out at all, if we have not forsaken all, to follow him? In that condition, he said, we cannot be his disciples (Luke 14:27). It is one thing to describe an ideal disciple. But we must first see what a disciple is. There are some who respond to the call and follow. Some go away sorrowful. Some say they will follow and don’t. Some start out and falter. Some go away and return to the path after many years. Some try to serve both God and mammon, (Surely you know some) and Jesus says it can‘t be done. Some, far from forsaking all, feel they have inherited all, and they seek to possess it. Some are satisfied to be saved and do not want to grow or to do anything, and they will even tell you so. It is not a matter of being discouraged, my brother. It is rather a matter of recognizing reality so we can deal with it. It is a matter of recognizing who the disciples are so we can work with them, whether to mentor or otherwise encourage them. Surely you know there are cases, John 12:42 being one in point, where people believe but do not wish to openly or actively follow the Lord. It seems that their faith renders them saved while their reluctance to follow makes them not disciples. Yes, we are called to make disciples, but even as we see the ideal heights to which we want to take them, we also need a realistic view of what they are. We need clearly to identify what a disciple is. | ||||||
14 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | Aixen7z4 | 153871 | ||
Let us talk about this. Whatever else he is, a disciple is one who follows (Matthew 16:24) and learns from (Luke 11:1) and becomes like the master (Matthew 10:25). Some disciples may be further along than others. One thing that must be common to all, and in this sense it will define what a disciple is, he must be in process. I am not so sure that all disciples would have achieved all of the things you listed, Doc, though some might be at those levels. A new disciple may have little to show except his direction, and the footsteps of his master. A disciple may have been called by the master, or the person may have approached him and asked for the privilege. In Luke 9, a certain man said unto him, “Lord, I will follow you”. And he said unto another, “Follow me“. And another also said, “Lord, I will follow you”. Some were called by him directly, some came at the invitation of others, and some were simply attracted by what they had seen (See all in John 1). With these various beginnings, they followed him. One might have assumed that all disciples would continue to follow the Lord. But John tells of a time when many of them went back, and walked no more with him (John 6:66). Jesus speaks of some who are disciples indeed (John 8:31). Some translations use words such as really, and truly, and some seem to think he is describing the ideal. But Jesus’ words here and elsewhere that some who had been following him were not really his disciples. They must have believed in order to follow at all, but John says there was an occasion (in John 2) when many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them. Likely, although others might refer to them as “his disciples”, Jesus would not have referred to them as “my disciples”. And after all, it is up to the master to accept them (as in John 15:16) and to lead them (as in John 10:4) and to teach them (as in Matthew 5 and Luke 6) and to show them (as he did in Matthew 17). He is the one who decides who can or cannot be a disciple. Among those who follow Jesus, then, he says there are some who are not his disciples. They cannot be. There went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “Likewise, whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus set those criteria, and we must look at them and look at ourselves, to know whether or not we are his disciples. You seem to have found a disctinction between a saved person and a disciple, too, and it might be good to talk about that. |
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15 | Sharing my faith | 1 John 3:13 | Aixen7z4 | 153857 | ||
But sanctify the Lord God in your heart: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Have you tried that? |
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16 | tongues | Eph 4:14 | Aixen7z4 | 153856 | ||
In the days when “tongues” was valid, it was a gift from God, and it served a useful purpose. But now, it has positively no meaning, and it serves no useful purpose. That is one way we know it is not from God. The word “holocalumba” has no meaning. If I understand this conversation so far, the word means nothing to you, the one who spoke it, and nothing to anyone who has heard it, so far. That is probably why it doesn’t “google”; there is nothing close to it in any language. By the way, was the word “holocalumba” or “holocabola”? Perhaps it makes no difference. Listen, my friend. Your experience was not of God. The vision that you think you had was not from God, and the presence that you felt was not God. If the Scriptures are a sure guide, and they are, God does not work that way, and that word, whatever it is, was not given to you by God. You should test that spirit, and what I say here, by the word of God (1 John 4) The gifts that God gives are for the benefit of the church, for the edification of the saints (1 Corinthians 14). Over time, God has spoken to his people in many ways (Hebrews 1). He gave visions, and “Tongues”, in particular, were for a sign. That phenomenon helped the early church to understand and accept that gentiles were being added to the church. Even the one who was speaking the unknown words was edifying himself in that respect. But that is clearly not the case here. The one who spoke the word has received no benefit from it. By this time, you see, that message to the church has been received, the sign has served its purpose, and the sign is no longer needed. The church is mature enough now, and authentic “tongues” has long since passed away, even as Paul told them it would pass away (1 Corinthians 13). In the days when “tongues” was valid, there were rules under which that gift could be exercised in public. Those utterances could only be made in the presence of others, when there was someone present to interpret them. In a case like this, where the utterance was made in private, it was to be kept between the person and God, and other people would not even hear of it. Hearing of it now means nothing, except that some other spirit is interacting with our brethren (1 John 4:1). It does not mean that the person having that experience is being especially spiritual. It means only that we are spirit being and subject to interaction with other spirits. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that have been written unto us are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. It seems strange, at first blush, that Paul would talk like that. He is the one who was exhorting us to love, and he was likely writing in love. But he had recalled the Lord saying, “I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me“ (1 Corinthians 14:21). (What is the proper way the question as it was posed here? It seems appropriate that our brother Hank should answer in the way that he has done above. Someone read that post and could hardly stop laughing. Perhaps I should have answered differently myself, as I remember Proverbs 26:4 and 5. Or perhaps “kennyittis” is pulling our collective leg and having his own laugh. But in his short time on this forum, he has asked a good question of two. See #153775.The person who laughed suggested I should act in light of Ephesians 5:11. But I do know Christian people who sincerely struggle with this issue, and I trust that someone will yet benefit from this post). No doubt this is a controversial issue, and some of our brethren believe that God still speaks to us through “tongues” today. Perhaps it is people like me that God had in mind when he said he would speak to us in other tongues. “With other tongues and other lips will I speak”. Perhaps God is saying, “holocalumba” or “holocabola” to us today, and we are not hearing. If so, may the Lord have mercy on us. We have no interpreter, and we have no idea what he is saying. But, brothers and sisters, don't think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but in understanding, be mature. |
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17 | Conformed to scripture or Christ? | Rom 8:29 | Aixen7z4 | 153830 | ||
When a person is suggesting that you look at another post, he may give the number of that post, as I did some five (5) lines up. If you entered the number I mentioned (153548) and clicked on "Search", it would have taken you directly to the post I had in mind. But actually, I should have said “153260” which would have taken you to the first item in that thread. But please do not feel foolish. This is simply a computer program, and the writer could have done it any of many ways. That is the way it is set up in this program, and there is no choice but to learn it. After a while it will be easy. In a way, the Christian life is like that too. God has his particular program, and we just have to learn it. Practice. After a while it seems quite natural, and there is no other way. That is the lesson someone is learning at “47377“ too. Try it. |
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18 | Need an answer please! | Rom 8:29 | Aixen7z4 | 153829 | ||
“May grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. “His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: “By these you can be partakers of the divine nature! “Therefore … “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ“. And may the Lord give us grace, and patience, and understanding, so we are not confused by these wonderful things. Peter is writing to believers. They already have faith, and with that, they have salvation, for we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2). But God wants us to have more than faith, more than salvation, more than a place in heaven. He wants us to have virtue and knowledge and patience and kindness and love. He wants us to have a divine nature. He wants us to be like Jesus. We have to concentrate, and work to develop these qualities. Can someone be barren and unfruitful but be saved? Why not? To be saved means to be born into the kingdom (John 3). But a baby must grow (1 Peter 2:2). It is only after a tree has grown that it can bear fruit. In our case we have to be attached to the vine, which is Christ, and get our ability to bear fruit from him (John 15). But now I see that there are so many different ways that the Bible pictures salvation and growth and productivity. (A baby, a tree, a vine, and in other places a sheep, a soldier, a farmer, and more). We must take time to understand it all. Though the processes of repentance and faith take place in a moment, those other things, including knowledge, can only come with time. It takes patience, then. So we should do as Peter says. Take time and effort to develop knowledge. Be patient. One way to show patience is to ask only one question at a time. Rest assured, the Bible has the answers. But we can only absorb so much at one time. Take the question of salvation by faith first. Make sure that you have it. Then work to develop virtue. When you know you have that, than work to develop knowledge. And so on. If you are saved, then all of these things are in you. But they need to be developed. It will take time and work and patience. That is why we need grace. The goal is to know him more and more, better and better (Philippians 3) and to become more like him (Romans 8:29). It is a continual process, but it takes time. Be patient. Take it slow. |
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19 | Conformed to scripture or Christ? | Rom 8:29 | Aixen7z4 | 153814 | ||
There is a box towards the top of the right side of the screen, under the headings of "Quick Search" and "Words or ID#". Enter the number (without the # sign) and click on the button marked "Search" below it. |
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20 | Sins of the Flesh? | Gal 5:19 | Aixen7z4 | 153803 | ||
The King James Version of the Bible is a good one. It was written by some forty people, and translated by more than forty. “It is commonly reported that there were 54 translators selected to the translation but only 47 actually participated in the work“. The person who said that one man wrote it was probably thinking that King James I of England was that man. But although King James wrote many things, and although it was he who had asked that a new translation be made (He commissioned it, and that’s why it bears his name) he did not, of course, write the Bible. The author is really the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The Human writers were holy men (2 Peter 1:21), and the translators were reputed to be honorable, scholarly men. We should be grateful for their work. As they themselves admitted, their work was not perfect. The King James Bible has been revised, and other translations have been done. We should use many, if not all of them. As for the sins of the flesh, the King James Version names them this way: “The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” (Galatians 5:19-21). Another version (the New Living Translation) puts it this way: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin”. The list is not exhaustive, bou get the idea. |
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