Results 1 - 14 of 14
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Motherturtlewood Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Christian Response To Eastern Thought? | Is 55:11 | Motherturtlewood | 30766 | ||
Jensen, I hope this is not a burden. No response expected. Just a few thoughts to add. (written a few days ago, but internet connx down) You are most polite to inform us that you have what you need and are coming to the realization that you might have to write something yourself. Clearly, that's how you are being led. I have been given some general insights that may be useful as you write. This forum is, of course, not the place for discussion of the understanding of the workings of the HEAD and the HEART. However, you might want to reflect on the nature of the individual entities of intellect and emotion. Steve aka IJ's point regarding God's perfect intellect can be well taken. Emmaus' suggestion re the handbook of apologetics should prove useful. Your own comments regarding emotions and Christians can be developed as well. Please consider these ideas (I believe they are based on Albert Ellis' work in rational-emotive theory in cognitive psychology.): When in perfect balance (in the order that God intended), the head and the heart work together. When disordered (from sin, concupiscience), then the problems begin. Ordered or disordered, the emotions are informed by the intellect. For example, Person A and Person B both lose a huge sum of money. Person A might completely fall apart, or get terribly and destructively angry. Person B does not. Both persons are equal socioeconomically. What's the difference? What each one thought about the money. In the case of anger, which by the way is what's called a secondary emotion, the underlying (or primary) emotion is fear. There's is (although very fleetingly) information (perhaps false) that the loss of the money will result in some sort of (albeit only perceived) disaster. Therefore, the person reacts with "negative" emotions. Extrapolate the model to two persons who might lose salvation. Proofs from the Bible and apologetics are excellent when appropriately timed, but until one knows exactly what the subtleties of thought under the emotions, efforts at intellectual proof will fall by the wayside if not do more damage. Before taking the trouble to lay out point by point what you would like to say, reflect on exactly what your friend might be thinking and what emotions might be at work. You might be already thinking about how the cycle might work; that is, false thought leads to negative emotion that leads to further false thinking (FG) which leads to emotional reactions to anything against FG, etc., etc. Psalms are always a good starting place when confronted with overwhelming problems. Many blessings in your task, mtw Psalm 5 A morning prayer for help Let my words come to your ears, O Lord: hear my sighs. Listen to the voice of my crying, my King and my God. As I pray to you in the morning, Lord, listen to my voice; in the morning I will stand before you and await you. You are not a God who loves evil. The wicked cannot stay near you, the unjust cannot remain in your presence. You hate all who do evil - you destroy all who speak falsehood - the Lord abominates the bloody and deceitful man. But in the abundance of your mercy you will admit me to your house: I will worship you in your holy temple, with fear and reverence. Lord, guide me in your justice, protect me from my enemies: let me see the path I must follow. For there is no truth in their mouth - their heart is a bottomless pit - their throat is a wide open grave - their tongue seduces. Punish them, Lord, and let their own plans destroy them. On account of their crimes, thrust them from your presence; for they are rebels against you. Let all who hope in you rejoice, triumph for ever. You will shelter them and they will glory in you. For you bless the just, O Lord, and your good will surrounds them like a shield. |
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2 | Are we in the last days? | Acts 2:17 | Motherturtlewood | 30760 | ||
Maroon, Just concurring with Emmaus. It reminds me of the saying: God's love always surrounds us even if we do not know it. I've always wondered how we all would behave if we truly were conscious of God's presence. How do we behave when in the presence of someone we love, admire, and respect? The first verse of Luke 18 came to me when thinking about being in constant communication (presence) with Our Beloved. Luke 18: 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should PRAY ALWAYS and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my adversary." 4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, "Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming. " " 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector." 12 "I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." |
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3 | Witnessing our faith to non-believers? | Ezek 36:26 | Motherturtlewood | 30203 | ||
top: Psalms is a good place to start with someone who is encrusted with a tough exterior that covers brokenheartedness. Also, urge your son-in-law to read Ezekiel 36:26 Ezekiel 36 Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. THEN TELL HIM TO LISTEN FOR THE STILL SMALL VOICE to guide his heart in speaking to the person who asked the question. Tell him not to fret for what to say. The Holy Spirit will guide him. Most importantly, it is his loving kindness every day in ordinary actions that will witness the most effectively. Blessings, mtw |
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4 | Christian Response To Eastern Thought? | Is 55:11 | Motherturtlewood | 29971 | ||
Jensen: In my experience, a characteristic of friends (peers over age 50) and of younger people (my children's ages, late teens) who have been enamored of cults (et alia) is a general resistance to INTELLECTUAL responses to their precious discovery of something that SEEMS to validate them as persons. I quite agree with Emmaus that it's the same old temptation OF THE CRAFTY AND WILEY SERPENT. What also comes to mind is Matthew 28:19-20 -- 19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In my journey, it has been given to me to understand more fully what Yeshua meant when he said that He came to fulfill the Law. remember in the "Shema" (The "Hear, Oh Israel" prayer from Deuteronomy 6, Love God with all your heart...and your neighbor...) is the summary of what God's people have been asked to do. Sometimes, in our fervor to evangelize, to set others straight, to "save," etc., we forget that before anyone can learn from anyone else they first have to give the teacher attention. To whom do we give our attention? More to people who are loving that to those who are correct, I'd wager. And that takes time because it is a process (after all God could have given the Israelites a tidy argument...but didn't...just let them wander around for 40 years). Readiness is all in teaching. Find the teachable moment. It takes a lot of loving to get there. Also, another passage that comes to mind is Psalm 25, particularly... 5 "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, THY TENDER MERCIES AND THY LOVING KINDNESSES; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies...." Blessings and patience. Once, when Mother Teresa was asked about the futility of her work, she replied something to the effect that success was not what we are called to, just the work. It's hard work to love, and we may never see the results. But it's all that we've been really asked to do. (Yes, I know, someone is going to ask, "Well, just what is love, anyway?") |
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5 | need councel | John 12:48 | Motherturtlewood | 26572 | ||
mrchadly, I agree with Searcher56. See also my note re Dan K's "Is John 3:16 real". People may not listen to your words, but they are always watching. Just live the gospel; walk the talk. Grace will do the rest. We have no idea how grace is working in others' hearts. Bless you. | ||||||
6 | Is John 3:16 for real? | Bible general Archive 1 | Motherturtlewood | 28994 | ||
Emmaus, Dan K, Jensen: Further to this discussion...and to this passage ["Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men." Hebrews 11:6; 1Cor 9:16 ]...it has been my experience to come to realize that all of us are fairly much where we are "supposed" to be. (I'm finding this mildly difficult to put into words.) That is, we are constantly inundated with God's grace...always faced with the "fundamental option" or choice of accepting salvation (i.e., Jesus aka Salvation aka Holy Spirit aka God the Parent/Father/Mother/Source/Authority/Word/Life/...). Surely, if God is nothing else, God will be (was and always has been) fair. As a child, having one parent an Irish Catholic and one parent born Buddhist-convertedCatholic-disillusioned-withUnChristian-behaviors-of-people-who-"should"-have-known-better-etc-, I spent a good deal of time worrying and praying for the salvation of both. In my "ignorance" I spent hours and hours bidding God to let my parents into heaven and please not send either to hell for non-conformance to whatever standard current at that time (50 years ago). So, on a very practical level, I can appreciate Dan K's question re whether John 3:16 is worthy of belief. Although through personal prayer comes revelation to the heart the peace of salvation, we the people of God (i.e., the Church without name) must "evangelize" sometimes without words but with acts of loving kindness. We are gift; we are grace. And we cannot KNOW how God will do what God will do. Until I became a parent, I had no clue the size to which one's heart could grow. Once when my oldest child was two (who turned 19 yesterday) had committed some minor transgression, I put him in the corner. A minute or two later, I looked in on him. He had his head down, hands folded, obviously praying. I asked, "What are you doing?" "I'm praying an in-the-corner prayer," he meekly replied. My curiosity prompted me to inquire, "What does a person say in an in-the-corner prayer?" In his simplicity he enlightened me with, "You say, 'Please, God, don't let me stay here forever.' " Knowing that I was my child's prototype for God and knowing that I was also God's delegate and couldn't let Him down, I said, "Oh, I see." A few seconds later, I called from the next room, "You can come out now." Grace is ALWAYS working. (I realize that this is neither exegetical nor Aristotelean.) P.S. Thanks to Emmaus and Searcher re help with Daniel 3, Song of Praise (12/25/01). A Blessed 2002 to you all |
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7 | Please explain God's romantic love. | Luke 20:34 | Motherturtlewood | 28981 | ||
May the Love of Our Lord be with you, Whitestone. I have not read Elderidge's book, so I cannot comment. However, in light of what the Lord said in Luke 20:34-35 [34) Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35) But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,...] one might speculate that God's love for us is something beyond our understanding. We are incomplete beings. Gender is part of the dynamic of being incomplete. God being purely spiritual will take us to another level of existence. "Eyes have not seen, etc" what God has planned for us. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:14-16). Jesus told us to love one another as I have loved you. Every line of the Lord's Prayer tells us something about what that means. Particularly about forgiving trespasses. It is all about being one with one another -- on a level beyond the physical. I have to laugh a little because we humans are so dear. The closest explanation that I can think of is something I read a long time ago. It was written around 1965 and is called the 'Vision in Louisville': “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness. The whole illusion of a separate holy existence is a dream.” *** ...[discussion of a separate ‘not of this world’ holiness and how it does not entitle one to be considered better or holier] “This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud. And I suppose my happiness could have taken form in the words: ‘Thank God, thank God that I am like other men, that I am only a man among others.’ To think that for sixteen or seventeen years I have been taking seriously this pure illusion that is implicit in so much of our [holy] thinking.” “It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes: yet, with all that, God Himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race. A member of the human race! To think that such a commonplace realization should suddenly seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstake. “I have immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun. “This changes nothing in the sense and value of my solitude [writer was a hermit], for it is in fact the function of solitude to make one realize such things with a clarity that would be impossible to anyone completely immersed in the other cares, the other illusions, and all the automatisms of a highly collective existence. My solitude, however, is not my own, for I see now how much it belongs to them—an that I have a responsibility for it in their regard, not just in my own. It is because I am one with them that I owe it to them to be alone, and when I am alone they are not ‘they’ but my own self. There are not strangers! “Then it was as if I suddenly saw the SECRET BEAUTY OF THEIR HEARTS, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the PERSON THAT EACH ONE IS IN GOD’S EYES. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. THERE WOULD BE NO MORE WAR, NO MORE HATRED, NO MORE CRUELTY, NOR MORE GREED.” [pp 157-158, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, T. Merton]. Hope this helps. |
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8 | replies from persons or "bots"? | 1 Cor 15:10 | Motherturtlewood | 28412 | ||
THANKS, Charis, Nolan Keck, Norrie, glory777, walso700, Hank. I asked my question not because the responses were mechanical [they were quite articulate] but because the signatures were so generic it seemed odd. As for 1 Cor 15:10, I find that grace is working everywhere and in everyone. I am not much of a bible scholar. I read what I can and wait for the Spirit to speak. It's hard to put in words. Thanks again, everyone. Blessings in the new year. | ||||||
9 | replies from persons or "bots"? | Not Specified | Motherturtlewood | 28064 | ||
Just a technical question: Are the replies to questions from persons or are some answers from (forgive me) a bibleforum "bot"? Thanks | ||||||
10 | replies from persons or "bots"? | 1 Cor 15:10 | Motherturtlewood | 28065 | ||
Just a technical question: Are the replies to questions from persons or are some answers from (forgive me) a bibleforum "bot"? Thanks | ||||||
11 | Song of Praise - in Daniel? | Dan 3:24 | Motherturtlewood | 28037 | ||
Thank you very much, Emmaus. Hope you have had a peaceful Christmas. mtw | ||||||
12 | Song of Praise - in Daniel? | Not Specified | Motherturtlewood | 28012 | ||
Merry Christmas! May the Peace and Love and Joy of Our Lord be with you now and always! QUESTION: I have been searching for the song of praise from, I thought, Daniel, but I cannot find it? Can someone point me in the right direction? THANKS, mtw |
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13 | Song of Praise - in Daniel? | Dan 2:19 | Motherturtlewood | 28024 | ||
Merry Christmas! May the Peace and Love and Joy of Our Lord be with you now and always! QUESTION: I have been searching for the song of praise from, I thought, Daniel, but I cannot find it? Can someone point me in the right direction? THANKS, mtw |
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14 | Song of Praise - in Daniel? | Dan 3:24 | Motherturtlewood | 28022 | ||
Merry Christmas! May the Peace and Love and Joy of Our Lord be with you now and always! QUESTION: I have been searching for the song of praise from, I thought, Daniel, but I cannot find it? Can someone point me in the right direction? THANKS, mtw |
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