Results 1 - 20 of 128
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Unanswered Bible Questions Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Are your answers authoritative? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 94928 | ||
Is an Internet forum a good place to get Bible questions answered? I ask this because there always seems to be an implicit question concerning the qualification of the people who are volunteering to answer. This forum makes a good effort to get people to base their answers on the Bible. But there seems to be no way to force people to back up what they say wwith scriptural citations. There is only one forum that I know of where there are qualified monitors to ensure that sound answers are given. It is at http://hishows.aimoo.com . There are other sites such as http://bgea.org that offer Questions and Answers but do not have a discussion forum. This forum states clearly that "the Lockman Foundation does not pre-screen postings. Postings are the opinions of others and may or may not represent a commonly held view". Would it not be good to have a group of qualified teachers to screen postings and provide answers? Is it not good to have gifted teachers to answer our questions (I offer Romans 12:7,1 Corinthians 12:29 and Eph 4:11,12 in support of this idea). Is it better to let all opinions be aired as equal? Do you have a Bible verse for that? |
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2 | Why do you say, "No creature can"? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 102785 | ||
Amen to most of that that. The two (the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man) exist simultaneously and only God can tell how. But God has told. Without rereading this entire thread I will offer an answer to the original question based on Amos 7:6. God has sovereignly determined that sin will be punished. God has sovereignly determined that he will withdraw the punishment when a man repents and asks for mercy. God has decided that he will repent of the punishment planned when man repents of his sin. Why can't we accept that? Perhaps it's more fun to keep on "wrestling with one another over these great doctrines". |
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3 | Then it's all settled? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 102795 | ||
God must GRANT the repentance that leads to the knowledge of the truth. Amen. He does (Acts 11:18). So what's the problem? Please note that I am not trying to restart a Calvinism/Armenian debate. I am suggesting that there is nothing to debate. Let us accept all of God's word. Let us accept God's sovereignty and the privilege of repentance. It may be that square one is where we should stay. |
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4 | What is it about Jehovah's Witnesses? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 104359 | ||
What if a person is a Jehovah's Witness? What if they are a part of any other group? Is it not possible to give them answers here? I do not doubt that this person may be disinclined to listen. Indeed, they may have come here with an intention to teach or to convert someone to their group or to their way of thinking. It is against Forum rules, I know. Is that why we refuse to answer their questions? Have we found that it does not help to try? I continue to struggle with the fact we cannot distinguish the student from the teacher here. Everyone qualifies themselves to gives answers. Also, some begin as if they wanted to learn and quickly change their role to that of teacher. But I have seen a Jehovah's Witness decide to quit that cult after getting answers to these questions. Is it not possible to give them help here? Or do we know that they are not really looking for help? Please. I am aware of only one passage suggesting that Jehovah’s Witnesses should not be welcome here. It is 2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. But I am also aware of Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. How are we dealing with this? What if this person had answered “Yes” to the question: “Are you a Jehovah’s witness? Yes or No”? What decision would be made then? By whom? I read where people say. “This has no place on this forum”, “This will not be tolerated”, etc. Who are these people? What do they mean? What is their responsibility? Are they ones to speak to people in such a way that they feel bad and decide to leave? O, that there were teachers here, qualified and recognized to give answers! So much good is being said here by people who are obviously qualified. But it gets buried amidst the other strange and spurious statements in long threads. It takes so much effort to find the good here. But some people seem to be looking for it, among them, Jehovah’s Witnesses. |
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5 | What is it, about Jehovah's Witnesses? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 104360 | ||
What if a person is a Jehovah's Witness? What if they are a part of any other group? Is it not possible to give them answers here? I do not doubt that this person may be disinclined to listen. Indeed, they may have come here with an intention to teach or to convert someone to their group or to their way of thinking. It is against the Forum's rules, I know. Is that why we refuse to answer their questions? Have we found that it does not help to try? I continue to struggle with the fact we cannot distinguish the student from the teacher here. Everyone qualifies themselves to gives answers. Also, some begin as if they wanted to learn and quickly change their role to that of teacher. But I have seen a Jehovah's Witness decide to quit that cult after getting answers to these questions. Is it not possible to give them help here? Or do we know that they are not really looking for help? Please. I am aware of only one passage suggesting that Jehovah’s Witnesses should not be welcome here. It is 2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. But I am also aware of Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. How are we dealing with this? What if this person had answered “Yes” to the question: “Are you a Jehovah’s witness? Yes or No”? What decision would be made then? By whom? I read where people say. “This has no place on this forum”, “This will not be tolerated”, etc. Who are these people? What do they mean? What is their responsibility? Are they ones to speak to people in such a way that they feel bad and decide to leave? O, that there were teachers here, qualified and recognized to give answers! So much good is being said here by people who are obviously qualified. But it gets buried amidst the other strange and spurious statements in long threads. It takes so much effort to find the good here. But some people seem to be looking for it, among them, Jehovah’s Witnesses. |
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6 | Does Lockman listen? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 107714 | ||
This is not really a question to anyone on this forum. It is a question I am asking myself, and maybe it is one that others ask themselves. It is not to suggest the owners of this forum do not listen. It is to let you know that I have written to them, and I am waiting anxiously for a reply. Here is the letter as it was sent. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Thank you for providing the BibleStudyForum. It is clearly a very popular program and it has such tremendous potential. I say "potential" because I am afraid we may be missing a great opportunity here. The possibility is that folks could come to the forum and get clarification for Bible passages. The reality is what they get is confusion: a mixture of truth and error. Moreover, the issues are hardly ever resolved. I believe there is a simple solution to this problem. (And I hope you see it as a problem. You would not publish a Bible with a mixture of truth and error. Yet you provide such a forum.) The solution is to appoint a small group of persons to answer the questions. Other members would be limited to asking questions. You would note that the problem has been discussed on the forum. See this link , for example, or this one. Some of the members think that changes are desirable, but they would be technically difficult to implement and expensive to maintain. I submit that the changes to the program are simple and easy to do. Also, you would not need to pay the panel. I do believe there is such a group already trying to serve, that they would be easy to recognize, and they would be willing to serve gratis. It has been stated that a board of ten people would have eleven answers to each question. I think you know that Bible scholars with different backgrounds come together to give us one translation. I think that the people answering the questions could do the same. They could be charged with the task of finding agreement, and I suggest it would be a great blessing to see their effort and success on the forum itself. Charge them to listen to each other and to come to a conclusion after a reasonable number of posts. I do believe that these small changes would make a big difference. Your forum is already good. I believe you can make it great. Sincerely Nobel Kam Aixen |
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7 | "My God". "My God". Why? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 149858 | ||
I do not know if that person meant to ask a question, but the statement leads me to ask one. Why do we refer to God as our God? The query had hardly formed in my mind when I realized that that person is not the only one. Jacob decided (Genesis 28) that the Lord would be his God. Moses referred to him as his God. David, Paul, and the prophets did. Jesus cried, “My God! My God!” And Thomas cried, “My Lord and my God!” One is not surprised if Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2) would refer to the Lord as Daniel’s God, because he had another god. Paul says (Philippians 3) that some people have their belly as their God. The Psalmist says, “Blessed is the nation (Psalm 32) or the people (Psalm 144) whose God is the Lord”. Other nations had other gods. Ruth had another god until she decided (Ruth 1) that Naomi’s God would be her God. But now I wonder why the possessive in all those other cases. I checked and found that the KJV refers to “our God” some 195 times. It has “your God” 172 times, and “my God” some 137 times. Even God himself says, “It shall come to pass … that … I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, ‘You are my people;’ and they shall say, ‘You are my God’” (Hosea 2). There are times when people refer to God without the possessive. Then he is the Lord, the Lord God. When do they choose to say “My Lord” or “My God”? Who can tell? |
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8 | Is "Your God" the same as "My God"? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 149870 | ||
I suppose you are correct, that there are no rules to this. But would you take some time to look, see if there is a progression, perhaps? Does anyone in Scripture change his expression from "God" to "your God", to "my God", for example? You might want to compare a king such as David, who said, "O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust" (Psalm 7) to one such as Pharaoh, who said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice ...? I know not the LORD ..." (Exodus 5). There is something about God being my God, that umagumadog wanted to share with us, in addition to the fact he is good, and it might be profitable for us to explore it. As always, it is desirable to support personal opinions and experience with scripture. |
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9 | And can we accept this challenge? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 151123 | ||
Some of us accepted that challenge, and we were humbled and sobered by it. But it seems to me that the greater challenge still remains. The challenge is to help a brother. I hope that one is allowed to ask that when one’s heart goes out to a brother. The brother may not accept that he needs help, but it is my considered opinion that a person does need help when he seems to have become fixated. I hope this is not judged to be ad hominem, or an attack, because it comes out of a desire to help, to help all of us. Quite often a person becomes stuck, or overtaken with a fault, as in Galatians 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. It is my observation that our brother is stuck in a box and apparently unable to think outside of it. Well meaning attempts to get him out may result in his become more firmly stuck; like pulling someone down through a funnel, if you understand what I mean. So the question is: How do you help such a brother? It is probably difficult for any of us to change our minds. There is something called perseverance that we may confuse with obstinacy. It would not be bothersome if someone had some idiosyncrasy, such as saying “Amen” to everything or “Praise the Lord” before everything. We get into habits. And I suppose that the need to capitalize all pronouns that refer to deity is a harmless habit. But when a fascination with capitalization leads one of us to propose that there is a holy spirit to go along with the Holy Spirit, then we may think that the brother needs help. If he does not admit it, he may think that he has a valid point that he needs to hold on to, or even teach. Then we may conclude that he needs help. So the question, and the challenge, must be faced, I think. And this writer has this habit of saying, “I think”, “It seems to me”, and suchlike. It is a habit developed in training; “It is my impression” is better than “I am sure”, etc. But I suppose it should not matter if one’s supposition is based on scripture. And I suppose we should seek to help because of passages such as Galatians 6:1. Then there is Galatians 2 where Paul helped Peter, and Romans 15 where the weak are to help the strong, and Hebrews 12 where we are to make straight paths for our feet lest the lame be turned away, and James 5 where one of us, hypothetically, errs from the truth, and one converts him. and learns that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. We are told that we are to restore such an one. The challenge is to find the way to do it. |
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10 | When will you pay up? | NT general Archive 1 | Aixen7z4 | 102807 | ||
No, EdB, you have not been paying. But I have been your assistat since the day I came into this family, in February of 1963. So you owe me a lot. I was about to invite you over to my hows so you could pay up, but I see that you hope not. I will just remind you that you are supposed to owe no man anything, except love. While I am here, let me invite you and the others to come over to my hows anyway. I am at http://hishows.org . One room you might like to visit is the one where I am creating an index to this forum. You will find it at http://www.hishows.bizland.com/JEWELS/jewellist.html. At this time it has many of the topics that I have been involved in. When you come you can bring with you the link to any other topic that you would like to see added. Drop it off in the (e-mail) mail box. |
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11 | Isn't this like church? | NT general Archive 1 | Aixen7z4 | 102861 | ||
This is wonderful. It feels like church, and I am overwhelmed. If I was younger and less experienced I would think I needed another church. But I have learned. That’s the way it is. If I was not a believer, I do believe that I would find this unbelievable. If there is anyone reading this who is shocked and disappointed in all this, I pray that you read on and take courage. If you are one of those who do not feel it, then please carry on as usual. It is ironic that I recently started a thread on this forum asking for ideas for handling insults. I guess this is the response, a practical lesson. Pity is I have to handle it before I have had a chance to learn. I guess it’s like they say in church: “Don’t pray for patience because what you are really asking for is tribulation. You know, ‘tribulation worketh patience’”. So, let tribulation have its perfect work. I suppose this is of the Lord. So let it be. I did want to learn something. And I do need to learn. What gives a human being the boldness to intrude on a conversation with his pronouncement that it is inappropriate? I have seen it so often, but it seems I can never understand. Is it the understanding that man is to have dominion? Is it the spirit that leads a man to take command of all he sees? Does he assume he has been given command? Or has he? I still ask, “Was that a moving of the Holy Spirit?” I am beginning to think it was. They say God works in a mysterious way. And some of us are blind to all of this, and all we know is love. And sometimes our actions are inappropriate, and our benefactors are there to correct us. But we would like to learn from our mistakes. What was inappropriate? (I am tempted to cut and paste the spark here, that set off all this fireworks). 1. It was inappropriate. Period. Because Brother A said so. 2. It was inappropriate because the post was demeaning. And condescending. Brother B had thought so. 3. It was inappropriate because it constituted an advertisement. But this last was the unkindest cut of all, coming from the one the post had been addressed to. And the post had included an invitation to my house. The response, if I understand it, is that he does not like my house. But first of all, it was inappropriate to invite him to my house while we were meeting at Brother L’s house. And I was trying to practice hospitality. But he does not like my house. I should fix up my house before I invite him back. Isn’t this like church? I wonder, if Jesus was there, what he would say. Jesus lives at my house. |
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12 | So what do we learn from all this? | NT general Archive 1 | Aixen7z4 | 104792 | ||
I have thought about it, as though it should never have happened. But since it happened I thought I should have learned from it. Should I have fixed my hows up and invited EdB back? But that is really two questions. Should I have come here to invite him in the first place? Also, should I make the effort to do the fixing up that would make him feel more welcome? It still puzzles me, this thing about resentment and competition among Christians. Whatever we have, we have received from God. Why compete? Why not share? I have this forum “advertised” on my site. Fact is I usually get here from there. I hope many others do as well. What are we thinking? What are we competing for? Is it for wealth? Is it for fame? Is it for favor with God? I wish someone will tell me. I have been asking this question over 50 years and would appreciate some insight. While thinking about it I actually redesigned that site. I deconstructed it and reconstructed it to make it easy for people like EdB who are using dialup and/or limited memory. I have learned, it is within me somewhere, that we ought to please each other and not please ourselves. So I reopen the door to criticism so my hows can be welcoming to everyone. Everyone’s invited to hishows.org and hishows.aimoo.com. So I sit back again and await the potential shock from the one who will say, “You’re doing it again!” I hope someone will give some reasoning that I can understand. I happen to believe that sharing is good and scriptural. I wonder at the schisms that I see within the body of Christ. I understand somewhat how we have let it happen. I do not understand at all why one is opposed, and so vehemently, for promoting the idea and the ideal of sharing. The idea of accepting feedback and improving what one has to offer I can understand. Feedback, with expert instruction and modeling and practice, must be a part of the framework for true learning. And yet, it seems the feeblest member and the feeblest effort should be accepted and nourished. That is the way the body grows. And Christians are members of a body. His body. |
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13 | When did Adam become a sinner? | Gen 3:6 | Aixen7z4 | 92476 | ||
When did Adam become a sinner? | ||||||
14 | Did he have a sinful nature before that? | Gen 3:6 | Aixen7z4 | 92481 | ||
Did he have a sinful nature before that? | ||||||
15 | What are the questions? | Numbers | Aixen7z4 | 103622 | ||
What are the questions? | ||||||
16 | How would you apply Deuteronomy 29:29? | Numbers | Aixen7z4 | 103820 | ||
Brother Steve: Will you quibble over words even after you have been reminded that God says we should not quibble over words? (See 2 Timothy 2:14). Or would you say it is sometimes profitable to quibble over words? Brother Steve: Will you quibble over words even after someone has set the example for you by declining an opportunity to quibble over words? (See 1 Timothy 4:12). I cannot imagine how you will respond to this one. I find it very helpful to think of the hindrances to seeking the will of God in his word, as you have noted. Can it be that we study the Bible as we would any other book? Can it be that we go to the Bible looking for support for our preconceived ideas? Can it be that we research and publish religious ideas without inspiration or conviction in order to satisfy a deadline? And yet I am sure you have witnessed all three. To me it is like handling the sword by the blade, and we should be all cut up over it. Is it because you have seen so much “Bible study” for those three reasons that you think it may be disingenuous to suggest "What is God saying to us?" as a question one might seek to answer in the Bible. Do you not think it possible that some of us open our Bibles with a prayer like Psalm 119:18 in our hearts? Psalm 119:18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Disingenuous? I am impressed to think of your own motives in teaching. I would have thought of Computer Science as a very practical field. Those 1s and 0s need to do something for us. But even in that field you aim to impart principles, higher-level abstractions, and even wisdom? When I taught philosophy, I dearly hoped that some of the students would learn enough to want to get saved. So I think I understand. I would not be surprised, then, if theologians and Bible teachers do the same. It was my impression that theologians deal in principles and higher-level abstractions rather than to urge obedience. But I have been led in this discussion to change my mind on that. I do not want to revert to that former impression. We realize, I am sure, that the Bible is not like any other book. We are dealing here with a message from God. How would you apply Deuteronomy 29:29? Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. |
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17 | Is this a God who hates people? | Ps 5:5 | Aixen7z4 | 105629 | ||
OK. I confess. I have problems with the concept of God hating people. God is not a God that has pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with him. The foolish shall not stand in his sight. He hates all workers of iniquity. He shall destroy them that speak lies. The LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. And yet it seems it is the behavior that the Lord hates and not the people. God hates “wickedness” and “evil”. He hates “workers of iniquity” because they work iniquity. It seems to me it is the fact that people link themselves with those behaviors that the Lord hates. He hates the fact, not the people. I can more easily understand the concept of man hating God (as in Deuteronomy 5:9). And yet, though he makes himself an enemy of God by working iniquity, man is nevertheless the object of God’s pity and his love. God tells us to love our enemies. He tells us to love those who hate us. Does he do any less? I read that God is angry with the wicked every day. And yet, his desire is not to destroy them. He says, (Isaiah 55:7) “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”. Now, if God hates a person when he is in wickedness, but has mercy on him when he forsakes his wickedness, is it not his association with wickedness that the Lord hates. It is the same person. But God changes from hating the person to loving him when the person’s attitude toward wickedness changes! One wonders if God gets to hate people because they persist in their sin and will not change. And yet Nehemiah says, “our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners … And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death. He loved us so while we were his enemies! Is this a God who hates people? |
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18 | What is God saying these days? | Ps 19:2 | Aixen7z4 | 126113 | ||
This verse, like the entire psalm, is in the present tense. It suggests that God is still speaking to us. If so, what is he saying? | ||||||
19 | Is God actively speaking? | Ps 19:2 | Aixen7z4 | 126163 | ||
Now, Doc, I am sure you are correct. In the passage in question it is nature that speaks. Or can we say it is God speaking through nature? Paul says in Romans 2 that conscience speaks. Can we say it is God who speaks through the instrumantality of the conscience? And you have pointed out that God's revelation of his eternal purpose and plan are in the scriptures. Can we say that God speaks through the scriptures? If the answer to these questions is Yes, then I will be gratified because it will make it easier to ask the original question again. And I will ask it in light of the fact we have been using the present tense throughout. The idea would be that God is still speaking. The question then is: What is he saying today? If you want to limit the message to scripture, that is fine. |
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20 | Where are you now? | Ps 119:105 | Aixen7z4 | 103058 | ||
Dear pbs: Greetings. It has been some five months since you made the post above and I am curious to know if your situation or position has changed. I have been impressed with your posts and the search you seem to be on. Like you, I came to this site to see “how others respond to Him and His Word”. I wonder what you have seen, and how it has influenced you to this point. Do I understand you correctly when you say that you have been challenged to “dig into God's Word to support what I believe to be True”? Is it that you have been led by your associations to believe certain things and then to the word of God to find support for it? Should it not be the other way around? You made reference to “the fellowship (you were) currently joined to”. Is that where you developed the beliefs that you were trying to support with scripture? You said, “Right now, I've been set aside”. Were you set aside physically, as in being sick? Or were you staying away from the fellowship for other reasons? Either way, I would like to know what your present situation is. You said, “I can say with confidence that God has gifted me by His Spirit to hear His voice”. I am sorry to say this but I have found that a person with confidence does not need to talk about it, but the confidence leads instead to action. Indeed, I think that those who hear from God need not focus on that fact but rather on what God said and whether they are doing what God said for them to do. You said that you heard the voice of God audibly. For myself I would wonder how to identify his voice and how to distinguish it from someone else’s voice. But you had full confidence that it was him? I am looking here and everywhere for someone who is obeying, or who seems wiling to obey, the simple commands that God has given in the Bible. And I believe that God is here doing the same thing: looking for someone who is obeying, or who seems wiling to obey, the simple commands that he has given in the Bible. These are the people he will reveal his will to, so that they can go and do it. God has shown, I think, that he is not interested in those who want to ask for no reason, or show off their knowledge, or debate about things they do not understand. He has given us his word so that we can do it. Why would God tell us the details of determinism when there is nothing we can do about it? Meanwhile, while we discuss things like that we demonstrate a failure to obey what we understand all too well, that we should love one another. We have freedom here, I think, to say anything we want. And freedom is of God. But should we use our freedom to say things that are not of God? And more importantly, are we free to do things that are not of God? We were called for freedom. But we are supposed to use our freedom, through love, to be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if we bite and devour one another, we consume one another. That is what the Lord said to the Galatians and by extension, to us. May I suggest that we do not need an audible voice to hear that. Nor do we need an audible voice to hear anything from God. God has spoken, and it is only for us to obey him. If we will obey him, he said, he will be with us. I have asked you what you have found to this point. To be fair I will tell you what I have found. It is very easy to hear the voice of God. It is difficult to obey it. The chief reason it is difficult is that others who claim to be seeking his voice will oppose you. I am understanding that you have found that too. I get that from your statements referring to “feelings of ‘personal rejection‘". I also detect that you have withdrawn from church fellowship, that because you speak of a time “to ‘re-engage‘ in the local body. May I suggest, my sister, if you have not yet discovered that, that the time to re-engage with the local body is now. There is no future tense in Hebrews 10:24,25. “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together”. This is not to say that you will not get “personal rejection” if you do that. But I will encourage you, and set an example to you. I will encourage the believers here, along with you, to practice obeying the word of God. Do not be surprised if this very post is ignored or attacked. But I am doing it. And I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Be there, and provoke them to love and to good works. We need not spend so much time trying to hear the voice of God. It is right there for you, in simple language, in your Bible. We should not spend so much time studying the word of God. We’ve got to obey it. It might be hard to find others doing that. And it might be dangerous for us to do it. But we can do it anyway. He who has called us gives us the grace. |
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