Results 1 - 20 of 77
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: jonp Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | explain 1 John 5:1 | 1 John 5:1 | jonp | 184635 | ||
The first lesson being taught is that in order to become a child of God a person has to believe in Jesus Christ. 'To as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His Name -- who are thereby born of God' (John 1.12-13). The second lesson is that if we have become children of God we will love our Father. The third lesson is that if Christians love the Father then they will love all His children. We cannot claim to love the Father if we treat His children badly or are unkind to them. It would be to indicate that our love for the Father was not genuine. |
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2 | What did Mordecai mean when he told Esth | Esth 4:14 | jonp | 184634 | ||
Hi Mordecai's point was that if Esther did not stand up for the truth then she and her family would suffer the consequences. However it was not to be thought that God depended on Esther. God could always do His delivering in another way, and would in fact do so. However what Esther had to consider was whether God had not put her in the right place at the right time precisely so that she could serve God in this way. |
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3 | the fight against evil( the armor ) | Eph 6:14 | jonp | 184633 | ||
Hi you could point out that when Roman soldiers used to go into battle they needed to protect themselves with armour. Show them a picture of a Roman soldier in his armour. In the same way a Christian going into battle against evil and against Satan also needs to protect himself with armour. But in his case it is a special type of armour. Just as a soldier needs to be properly belted up so that his armour does not flap about, so the Christian should build himself up in the truth by studyimg God's word and listening to faithful ministry. Then he will not flap about when he faces the enemy. Just as the soldier wears a breastplate to protect his heart, so the Christian will protect himself by living a good, true and pure life. Then he will not be open to attack. He can also protect himself by covering himself with the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5.21). Just as a soldier needs to wear stout shoes so that he does not become weary or stumble, so we can make sure that we are not impeded in our walk by having a good knowledge of the Gospel of peace. peace with God and peace from God. Furthermore the Roman soldier often had spikes on his shoes so that he could trample on the enemy. So the Christian can trample on the Enemy by proclaiming the Gospel of peace. Just as a Roman soldier would protect himself from spears, arrows and sword thrusts with his shield so are we to memorise Scripture so that when Satan attacks us with the arrows of doubt and uncertainty we can hold up the shield of faith by quoting Scripture in order to protect ourselves, just like Jesus did when He was tempted. Just as the Roman soldier protected his head with his helmet, so should the Christian protect his mind by having a full understanding of what salvation means, both initial salvation through being put in the right with God, and daily salvation through God keeping us and working within us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2.13). And just as the Roman soldier used his sword both to protect himself and to defeat the enemy so should we learn to use the word of God in defence and attack, parrying Satan's blows with Scripture and striking at his heart by proclaiming the Gospel.. . |
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4 | Give someone a Second chance | Matthew | jonp | 184631 | ||
Hi Does God give people a second chance? See Matthew 18.21-22. Do you think God requires men and women to be more forgiving than He is? | ||||||
5 | Does God use extreme punishment | 1 Cor 5:5 | jonp | 184630 | ||
Hi Does God use extreme punishments? The simple answer is 'yes'. 1 Corinthians 11.30. | ||||||
6 | who was moses mother and dad | Num 26:59 | jonp | 184488 | ||
Hi The father and mother of Moses may well have been Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6.20; Numbers 26.59) although it is just possible that if Jochebed was the actual daughter of Levi these were the tribal ancestors from whom Aaron and Moses sprang. (It was common practise in asncient times to speak of people being 'born' of their ancestors) Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
7 | Amalekites show up in 1st sam 30:1..???? | 1 Sam 30:1 | jonp | 184486 | ||
Hi, The Amalekites were roving tribespeople (similar on the whole to Bedouin) split up into many smaller groups who had little contact with each other, although some apparently settled in Canaan as there was a Mountain of the Amalekites (Judges 12.15; see also Numbers 14.25, 43). Thus the Amalekite tribe defeated by Saul was a different one from that which invaded from the Negev (see Genesis 14.7; Numbers 13.29). In Judges 3, and 6-7 Amalekites also invaded from the east. They were spread over many places. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
8 | What is a demon? | Matt 12:24 | jonp | 184468 | ||
Hi A demon is the same as an 'unclean spirit' and Jesus makes clear that they are under Satan's control and part of his kingdom, that is 'the dominion of darkness' (Matt 12.24-29; Colossians 1.13). Sin is not a demon, nor specifically caused by demons, nor do they ordinarily cause disease, although there are some who do. The Bible also distinguishes those who are demon possessed from 'lunatics' (Matt 4.24). Demons do in fact 'possess' people, but probably only when they open their lives to them in some way by dabbling in the occult. They do not necessarily try to prevent you from getting what you want unless what you want is spiritual truth. It need hardly be said that they are enemies of man and of Jesus. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
9 | Once saved, always saved? | Matt 25:14 | jonp | 184459 | ||
Hi Azure. They are professing Christians, people who call Jesus 'Lord, Lord'. But some 'do not do what He says' (Luke 6.46). Thus not all are true believers. Jesus point about the deposit was that this servant had failed to have any concern about the interests of his master. Not even enough to put his money on deposit so that his master could benefit. He was totally unconcerned about his master's concerns and purposes. Thus he was only a professing servant, not a real one. The idea of the outer darkness is that it is away from the true light. Where God is, there is light. To be in outer darkness is to be totally away from God. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
10 | Follow up to : Baptized in name of Jesus | Matt 28:19 | jonp | 184457 | ||
Hi It is the tendency of human beings to place the emphasis on the physical rather than the spiritual. By that means they seek to get the spiritual under their control. It gives them a feeling of certainty and makes men look up to them and even depend on them. But Paul lays the emphasis on the spiritual. He did not want people to look up to him and depend on him. He wanted them to look to Jesus and His cross and the Gospel of salvation. He was afraid that people might rather look to baptism as having some magical power which would in men's minds replace the cross and thus 'empty it of its power' because as a result the cross became ignored. And that is the great danger for people today. We must give baptism its due place as the means by which we make clear our desire to die with Christ and rise with Him, but we must not see it as actually accomplishing that purpose. That happens through faith alone when we 'reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus' (Romans 6.11). The triunity of God is something which is difficult to deal with in a short space, for it is something not within men's conceptions. It is true that there is only one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but within God (if we can use the word 'within' of the infinite) there are inter-personal relationships. Thus Father Son and Holy Spirit intercommunicate and reveal love to one another, and reveal God in different ways at the same time. Jonp | ||||||
11 | only through suffering, He is revealed | Rom 8:18 | jonp | 184444 | ||
Hi It would just not be true to say that Jesus Christ is only revealed through suffering. He is revealed through His life (John 1.14; 1 John 1.1-4). He is revealed through His teaching. He is revealed through the Scriptures (John 5.39). But above all He is revealed to us through His cross and resurrection (compare Philippians 3.10) and through His enthronement (1 Corinthians 3.18) What is, however, true is that through suffering we can come to know Him better and are made more like Him. 'We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces character and experience, and character and experience produce hope, and hope does not disappoint us because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who is given unto us' (Romans 5.3-5). But even here we should note that this is a result of our first having been accounted right in the eyes of God through faith so that we have access by faith into the grace (compassion and love of God exercised towards us) in which we now stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5.1-2). So first we have the access and the confidence and the certainty of God's gracious presence. All provision is made. Then the suffering follows in order to polish up the jewel, but even this is accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit. He does not leave us comfortless. He comes to us (John 14.18). Compare also 'if we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him, if we suffer patiently we shall also reign with Him' (2 Timothy 2.11-12). Again, note first the vital union with Him by dying with Him and receiving new life. Then the need for endurance because of what will follow. The one follows the other. First thepreparation, then the process. As James says, 'count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing' (James 1.2-4). And we should not be surpised at this because out Great Trek Leader was prepared for His task through suffering (Hebrews 2.10) so that He could lead us to glory. How much more then we must expect the same. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
12 | Jesus getting the keys to hell | Rev 1:18 | jonp | 184443 | ||
Hi The fact that Jesus holds the keys of Hades and of death does not mean that He was going there but that He decided who would be released from them. The idea is that Death and Hades held men captive, but that through His death and resurrection He has provided a way of release for all who look to Him (before they die). In the words of Jesus in John 5.21, 'the Son gives life to whom He will'. 'I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11.25). Why? Because He has the keys of death and of Hades. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
13 | emotion and soul | Gen 2:7 | jonp | 184442 | ||
Hi Webster's defines emotion as 'A moving of the mind or soul; excitement of the feelings, whether pleasing or painful; disturbance or agitation of mind caused by a specific exciting cause and manifested by some sensible effect on the body.' Thus fear itself is an emotion. We must not allow ourselves to be controlled by our emotions. We are to control them by the attitude of our minds and by looking to Him. Faith and love must be in control, not our emotions. Christian faith and love come from the will. The word for 'soul' refers to the inner life imparted by the breath of God (Genesis 2.7) but it should not be too closely defined as its use varies from place to place. It can be thought of in terms of 'the inner man', and it is the inner man that experiences emotions, but they are very much affected by the state of our bodies as well as our minds. We must not allow our emotions to be the test of our spiritual state, although they often eventually result from our spiritual state. But it is Jesus Christ regnant within us as Lord that determines our spiritual state, and that can be equally true when we are feeling 'low'. The Shepherd does not desert us because of our feelings. If we keep our eyes fixed on Him and continue trusting Him good emotions will eventually break through. They are, however, very much dependent on make up and circumstances, and even in the valley of deep darkness we can know that our Shepherd is with us (Psalm 23.4). The soul has a spiritual side to it and a fleshly side to it. Thus Paul could speak of 'spirit, soul and body' as the make up of man (1 Thessalonians 5.23). However Jesus spoke of 'heart, soul, mind and strength' (Mark 12.30). These are really all aspects of the inner man. We must not make the divisions too specific as if man were not a unity. On the other hand within that unity there is undoubtedly strife (e.g. Romans 7.25; Galatians 5.16) because of what we are. That is why we must hand over our lives to the Holy Spirit and walk step by step with Him (Galatians 5.23). We must let Christ dwell in our inner man by faith (Ephesians 3.17). We must allow Him to live out His life through us (Galatians 2.20). We must continually let Christ hold the reins. It is good to know that you are growing daily. Keep your eyes fixed on Him, and then even when it gets dark you will 'fear no evil' (Psalm 23.4). Best wishes Jonp, |
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14 | Why great expectations come back small | Bible general Archive 3 | jonp | 184423 | ||
Hi Who are we to decide that God's answers are 'small'. The untrained country preacher only had one convert, a small lad among his listeners (he was not the usual preacher). It was really hardly worth his preaching, except that the lad's name turned out to be Charles Haddon Spurgeon. God works through the day of small things, and uses the weak to confound the mighty. Cast your bread on the waters and it will return after many days. If God gave us all our expectations the world would be converted overnight. But our expectations often overlook God's purposes. And that is what God is busy carrying out. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
15 | why is the left side unclean? | Ex 29:20 | jonp | 184421 | ||
Hi It was not that the left side was unclean. It was that the members on the right hand side would be the ones used by the priests in carrying out their ministry and thus had to be atoned for so that they might be fitted for the task. A left handed priest would be expected to use his right hand in the same way. Democracy was frowned on in those days and left handed priests could not claim their 'rights'. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
16 | Ezra | Ezra 1:1 | jonp | 184420 | ||
Hi The four main concerns for the returning exiles were the lack of a Temple, the lack of security, the danger of becoming involved with heretics and the marrying of foreign wives. Positively what they had to do, as we have to do also, was to look to the Lord, avoid all appearance of evil and involvement with those who misrepresent the Lord, marry only those who were true to the Lord, and build a true Temple, in our case this represents the building up of the body of Christ which is His Temple. Best wishes. Jonp, | ||||||
17 | what is the mark of Christ | Gal 6:17 | jonp | 184419 | ||
Hi Paul said in Gal:6:17: From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. From this point of view the mark of Christ is the sign of persecution. Paul of course bore physical evidence of having suffered for Christ's sake. Not all Christians will bear physical marks, but all will at some stage, if they are true to Jesus Christ, suffer persecution. Bear it proudly (in the right sense). For it is the mark of Christ. However from another point of view we could say that the mark of Christ is true faith (Galatians 3.1-5), and possession of the Spirit of God. If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (Romans 8.9). Best wishes Jonp. |
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18 | Eunuchs incapable of marriage? | Matt 19:12 | jonp | 184417 | ||
Hi, this verse has nothing to say about whether eunuchs can marry. Jesus is illustrating the example of a person who like He did Himself remains single in order better to further the work of Christ, and He does it by comparison with genuine eunuchs who were either born that way or were made that way by men. These 'eunuchs by choice' are not strictly speaking eunuchs at all. They are men who remain single for Christ's sake. There is nothing in the Bible which actually says that eunuchs cannot marry, although clearly there might be problems in consummating the marriage. Under the new covenant God says, 'to the eunuchs which keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please Me, and hold fast My covenant, I will give in My house and within My walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters, I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off' (Isaiah 56.4-5). In other words they are accepted on the same level as anyone else. I cannot doubt that such a eunuch who marries and adopts children in order that he might bring them up to know the Lord is as pleasing to God as an ordinary husband. The exclusion in Deuteronomy 23.1 probably refers to those who had been made eunuchs for religious reasons by following Canannite ideas. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
19 | Baptized in name of Jesus or Trinitarian | Matt 28:19 | jonp | 184416 | ||
Hi The Name of the Triune God as mentioned in Matthew 28.19-20 is in Hebrew YHWH and in Greek Kurios. The Name of Jesus is YHWH/Kurios (Philippians 2.8-11). Thus to be baptised in the Name of the triune God and to be baptised in the Name of Jesus is precisely the same. It is however not true to say that the Pentecostal faith teaches baptism only 'in the Name of Jesus'. When I was younger I regularly attended a large Pentecostal church (Elim) which baptised in the Name of the triune God. Baptism can in fact not affect a person's salvation one way or the other. That is why Paul said, 'Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel' --- 'lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power' -- 'the Gospel -- which is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe' (1 Corinthians 1.17; Romand 1.16). Yes, before you ask we should be baptised, but it should be because we have been saved, not in order to be saved. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
20 | The fruit and leaves of the tree of life | Gen 2:9 | jonp | 184413 | ||
Hi Strictly the word olam means 'into the distant future', or 'into the distant past'. It is then necessary to determine from the context whether it further means everlasting. With regard to your other query perhaps it should raise in your mind whether therefore such a thousand years of theocracy, which is neither one thing or another and is neither taught by Jesus nor by Paul, really is a Scriptural idea. There are other interpretations of Revelation 20 than the one which sees in it a future millennium, which is not in fact a New Testament concept. The New Testament directs our minds towards Heaven. It is not of course a question of much importance (apart from the fact that it robs many Christians of a large part of the Old Testament, and with some even vital parts of the New) because if we are His it will not affect us one way or the other. But sadly it takes up an inordinate of some people's time when they could be concentrating on something more important, Jesus Christ Himself. Best wishes Jonp | ||||||
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